10 Relaxation Techniques To Reduce Stress On-the-Spot

If your hectic lifestyle has got you down, experts say relaxation techniques can bring you back into balance -- some in five minutes or less.

The kids need a ride to school, your husband can't find his shorts, your boss has just scheduled an online meeting, and your best friend desperately needs your help -- all at the same time.

Is it any wonder that you can't find a minute for relaxation? In fact, if you're like most women, you may have even forgotten how to relax.

And though experts say that some stress is good for you -- it can sharpen your senses and your mind -- too much stress is bad for your mental and physical health. At the same time, relaxation can do wonders to restore balance in your life -- and may even reduce some of the health risks associated with stress.

WebMD talked to the experts to learn more about relaxation -- and how to attain it. What follows are 10 on-the-spot techniques you can use -- any time and almost anywhere -- to reduce the tension in your life.

1. Meditate

If you're thinking meditation means twisting your body into an uncomfortable position and uttering "oohs" and "omms" for an hour, guess again. Any repetitive action can be a source of meditation, says Herbert Benson, MD, author of The Relaxation Response and director emeritus of Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine in Chestnut Hill, Mass. This includes walking, swimming, painting, knitting -- any activity that helps keep your attention calmly in the present moment.

When you catch yourself thinking about your job, your relationship or your lifelong to-do list, experts say to simply let the thought escape, and bring your mind back the repetition of the activity. Try it for just 5 to 10 minutes a day and watch stress levels drop.

2. Picture Yourself Relaxed

Is your mind too talkative to meditate? Try creating a peaceful visualization, or "dreamscape." To start, simply visualize anything that keeps your thoughts away from current tensions. It could be a favorite vacation spot, a fantasy island, that penthouse in New York City -- or something "touchable," like the feel of your favorite silk robe or cozy sweater.

The idea is to take your mind off your stress, and replace it with an image that evokes a sense of calm. The more realistic your daydream -- in terms of colors, sights, sounds; even touch and feel -- the more relaxation you'll experience.

3. Breathe Deeply

Feeling stressed evokes tense, shallow breathing, while calm is associated with relaxed breathing, says Michael Lee, author of Turn Stress into Bliss and founder of Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy in Bristol, Vermont. So to turn tension into relaxation, he says, change the way you breathe.

Try this: Let out a big sigh, dropping your chest, and exhaling through gently pursed lips, says Joan Borysenko, PhD, director of Harvard's Mind-Body Clinical Programs. Now imagine your low belly, or center, as a deep, powerful place. Feel your breath coming and going as your mind stays focused there. Inhale, feeling your entire belly, sides and lower back expand. Exhale, sighing again as you drop your chest, and feeling your belly, back and sides contract. Repeat 10 times, relaxing more fully each time.

4. Look Around You

"Mindfulness is the here-and-now approach to living that makes daily life richer and more meaningful," says Claire Michaels Wheeler, MD, PhD, author of 10 Simple Solutions to Stress. It's approaching life like a child, without passing judgment on what occurs. Mindfulness means focusing on one activity at a time, so forget multi-tasking! Staying in the present-tense can help promote relaxation and provide a buffer against anxiety and depression.

Practice it by focusing on your immediate surroundings. If you're outdoors, enjoy the shape and colors of flowers, hear a bird's call or consider a tree. In the mall, look at the details of a dress in the window, examine a piece of jewelry and focus on how it's made, or window-shop for furniture, checking out every detail of pattern and style. As long as you can keep your mind focused on something in the present, stress will take a back seat.

5. Drink Hot Tea

If you're a coffee-guzzler, consider going green. Coffee raises levels of the notorious stress hormone, cortisol, while green tea offers health and beauty, says Nicholas Perricone, MD, author of 7 Secrets to Beauty, Health, and Longevity.

Chamomile tea is a traditional favorite for calming the mind and reducing stress. And black tea may be a stress-fighter, too, researchers from University College London report. Participants who drank regular black tea displayed lower levels of cortisol, and reported feeling calmer during six weeks of stressful situations than those who drank a placebo with the same amount of caffeine.

6. Show Some Love

Induce the relaxation response by cuddling your pet, giving an unexpected hug to a friend or family member, snuggling with your spouse, or talking to a friend about the good things in your lives, says psychologist Deborah Rozman, PhD, co-author of Transforming Stress. When you do, you'll be reducing your stress levels.

Why? Experts say social interaction helps your brain think better, encouraging you to see new solutions to situations that once seemed impossible, she says. Studies have also shown that physical contact -- like petting your dog or cat -- may actually help lower blood pressure and decrease stress hormones.

7. Try Self-Massage

When your muscles are tense and you've no time to visit a pro, try this simple self-massage technique from Darrin Zeer, author of Lover's Massage and Office Yoga. Relax, and travel straight to Zen-land.

Place both hands on your shoulders and neck.

Squeeze with your fingers and palms.

Rub vigorously, keeping shoulders relaxed.

Wrap one hand around the other forearm.

Squeeze the muscles with thumb and fingers.

Move up and down from your elbow to fingertips and back again.

Repeat with other arm.

8. Take a Time-Out

Adults need time-outs, too. So when you sense your temper is about to erupt, Jeff Brantley, MD, author of Five Good Minutes In the Evening, suggests finding a quiet place to sit or lie down and put the stressful situation on hold. Take a few deep breaths and concentrate on releasing tension and calming your heartbeat. Quiet your mind and remember: Time is always on your side, so relax. The stress can wait.

9. Try a Musical Detour

Music can calm the heartbeat and soothe the soul, the experts say. So, when the going gets rough, take a musical stress detour by aligning your heartbeat with the slow tempo of a relaxing song. And you might want to make that a classical tune. Research shows that listening to 30 minutes of classical music may produce calming effects equivalent to taking 10 mg of Valium.

10. Take an Attitude Break

Thirty seconds is enough time to shift your heart's rhythm from stressed to relaxed, Rozman says. The way to do that: Engage your heart and your mind in positive thinking. Start by envisioning anything that triggers a positive feeling -- a vision of your child or spouse, the image of your pet, that great piece of jewelry you're saving up to buy, a memento from a vacation -- whatever it is, conjuring up the thought will help slow breathing, relax tense muscles and put a smile on your face. Rozman says that creating a positive emotional attitude can also calm and steady your heart rhythm, contributing to feelings of relaxation and peace.

Pictures are courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/blissing-out-10-relaxation-techniques-reduce-stress-spot?page=1

What Will You Do With Your Future ?

You can choose to just survive or you could choose to succeed

21 Ways Rich People Think Differently

World’s richest woman Gina Rinehart is enduring a media firestorm over an article in which she takes the “jealous” middle class to task for “drinking, or smoking and socializing” rather than working to earn their own fortune.

What if she has a point?

Steve Siebold, author of “ How Rich People Think,” spent nearly three decades interviewing millionaires around the world to find out what separates them from everyone else.

It had little to do with money itself, he told Business Insider. It was about their mentality.

“[The middle class] tells people to be happy with what they have,” he said. “And on the whole, most people are steeped in fear when it comes to money.”

1. Average people think MONEY is the root of all evil. Rich people believe POVERTY is the root of all evil.

“The average person has been brainwashed to believe rich people are lucky or dishonest,” Siebold writes.

That’s why there’s a certain shame that comes along with “getting rich” in lower-income communities.

“The world class knows that while having money doesn’t guarantee happiness, it does make your life easier and more enjoyable.”

2. Average people think selfishness is a vice. Rich people think selfishness is a virtue.

“The rich go out there and try to make themselves happy. They don’t try to pretend to save the world,” Siebold told Business Insider.

The problem is that middle class people see that as a negative–and it’s keeping them poor, he writes.

“If you’re not taking care of you, you’re not in a position to help anyone else. You can’t give what you don’t have.”

3. Average people have a lottery mentality. Rich people have an action mentality.

“While the masses are waiting to pick the right numbers and praying for prosperity, the great ones are solving problems,” Siebold writes.

“The hero [middle class people] are waiting for may be God, government, their boss or their spouse. It’s the average person’s level of thinking that breeds this approach to life and living while the clock keeps ticking away.”

4. Average people think the road to riches is paved with formal education. Rich people believe in acquiring specific knowledge.

“Many world-class performers have little formal education, and have amassed their wealth through the acquisition and subsequent sale of specific knowledge,” he writes.

“Meanwhile, the masses are convinced that master’s degrees and doctorates are the way to wealth, mostly because they are trapped in the linear line of thought that holds them back from higher levels of consciousness…The wealthy aren’t interested in the means, only the end.”

5. Average people long for the good old days. Rich people dream of the future.

“Self-made millionaires get rich because they’re willing to bet on themselves and project their dreams, goals and ideas into an unknown future,” Siebold writes.

“People who believe their best days are behind them rarely get rich, and often struggle with unhappiness and depression.”

6. Average people see money through the eyes of emotion. Rich people think about money logically.

“An ordinarily smart, well-educated and otherwise successful person can be instantly transformed into a fear-based, scarcity driven thinker whose greatest financial aspiration is to retire comfortably,” he writes.

“The world class sees money for what it is and what it’s not, through the eyes of logic. The great ones know money is a critical tool that presents options and opportunities.”

7. Average people earn money doing things they don’t love. Rich people follow their passion.

“To the average person, it looks like the rich are working all the time,” Siebold says. “But one of the smartest strategies of the world class is doing what they love and finding a way to get paid for it.”

On the other hand, middle class take jobs they don’t enjoy “because they need the money and they’ve been trained in school and conditioned by society to live in a linear thinking world that equates earning money with physical or mental effort.”

8. Average people set low expectations so they’re never disappointed. Rich people are up for the challenge.

“Psychologists and other mental health experts often advise people to set low expectations for their life to ensure they are not disappointed,” Siebold writes.

“No one would ever strike it rich and live their dreams without huge expectations.”

9. Average people believe you have to DO something to get rich. Rich people believe you have to BE something to get rich.

“That’s why people like Donald Trump go from millionaire to nine billion dollars in debt and come back richer than ever,” he writes.

“While the masses are fixated on the doing and the immediate results of their actions, the great ones are learning and growing from every experience, whether it’s a success or a failure, knowing their true reward is becoming a human success machine that eventually produces outstanding results.”

10. Average people believe you need money to make money. Rich people use other people’s money.

Linear thought might tell people to make money in order to earn more, but Siebold says the rich aren’t afraid to fund their future from other people’s pockets.

“Rich people know not being solvent enough to personally afford something is not relevant. The real question is, ‘Is this worth buying, investing in, or pursuing?’” he writes.

11. Average people believe the markets are driven by logic and strategy. Rich people know they’re driven by emotion and greed.

Investing successfully in the stock market isn’t just about a fancy math formula.

“The rich know that the primary emotions that drive financial markets are fear and greed, and they factor this into all trades and trends they observe,” Siebold writes.

“This knowledge of human nature and its overlapping impact on trading give them strategic advantage in building greater wealth through leverage.”

12. Average people live beyond their means. Rich people live below theirs.

“Here’s how to live below your means and tap into the secret wealthy people have used for centuries: Get rich so you can afford to,” he writes.

“The rich live below their means, not because they’re so savvy, but because they make so much money that they can afford to live like royalty while still having a king’s ransom socked away for the future.”

13. Average people teach their children how to survive. Rich people teach their kids to get rich.

Rich parents teach their kids from an early age about the world of “haves” and “have-nots,” Siebold says. Even he admits many people have argued that he’s supporting the idea of elitism.

He disagrees.

“[People] say parents are teaching their kids to look down on the masses because they’re poor. This isn’t true,” he writes. “What they’re teaching their kids is to see the world through the eyes of objective reality–the way society really is.”

If children understand wealth early on, they’ll be more likely to strive for it later in life.

14. Average people let money stress them out. Rich people find peace of mind in wealth.

The reason wealthy people earn more wealth is that they’re not afraid to admit that money can solve most problems, Siebold says.

“[The middle class] sees money as a never-ending necessary evil that must be endured as part of life. The world class sees money as the great liberator, and with enough of it, they are able to purchase financial peace of mind.”

15. Average people would rather be entertained than educated. Rich people would rather be educated than entertained.

While the rich don’t put much stock in furthering wealth through formal education, they appreciate the power of learning long after college is over, Siebold says.

“Walk into a wealthy person’s home and one of the first things you’ll see is an extensive library of books they’ve used to educate themselves on how to become more successful,” he writes.

“The middle class reads novels, tabloids and entertainment magazines.”

16. Average people think rich people are snobs. Rich people just want to surround themselves with like-minded people.

The negative money mentality poisoning the middle class is what keeps the rich hanging out with the rich, he says.

“[Rich people] can’t afford the messages of doom and gloom,” he writes. “This is often misinterpreted by the masses as snobbery.

Labeling the world class as snobs is another way the middle class finds to feel better bout themselves and their chosen path of mediocrity.”

17. Average people focus on saving. Rich people focus on earning.

Siebold theorizes that the wealthy focus on what they’ll gain by taking risks, rather than how to save what they have.

“The masses are so focused on clipping coupons and living frugally they miss major opportunities,” he writes.

“Even in the midst of a cash flow crisis, the rich reject the nickle and dime thinking of the masses. They are the masters of focusing their mental energy where it belongs: on the big money.”

18. Average people play it safe with money. Rich people know when to take risks.

“Leverage is the watchword of the rich,” Siebold writes.

“Every investor loses money on occasion, but the world class knows no matter what happens, they will aways be able to earn more.”

19. Average people love to be comfortable. Rich people find comfort in uncertainty.

For the most part, it takes guts to take the risks necessary to make it as a millionaire–a challenge most middle class thinkers aren’t comfortable living with.

“Physical, psychological, and emotional comfort is the primary goal of the middle class mindset,” Siebold writes.

World class thinkers learn early on that becoming a millionaire isn’t easy and the need for comfort can be devastating. They learn to be comfortable while operating in a state of ongoing uncertainty.”

20. Average people never make the connection between money and health. Rich people know money can save your life.

While the middle class squabbles over the virtues of Obamacare and their company’s health plan, the super wealthy are enrolled in a super elite “boutique medical care” association, Siebold says.

“They pay a substantial yearly membership fee that guarantees them 24-hour access to a private physician who only serves a small group of members,” he writes.

“Some wealthy neighborhoods have implemented this strategy and even require the physician to live in the neighborhood.”

21. Average people believe they must choose between a great family and being rich. Rich people know you can have it all.

The idea the wealth must come at the expense of family time is nothing but a “cop-out”, Siebold says.

“The masses have been brainwashed to believe it’s an either/or equation,” he writes. “The rich know you can have anything you want if you approach the challenge with a mindset rooted in love and abundance.”

(From Steve Siebold, author of “How Rich People Think .”)

http://socialmediabar.com/21-ways-rich-people-think-differently

Powerful Inspirational true story...Don't give up!

When you don't give up..You cannot fail!!
Life has a strange way of supporting us in our time of need.

How to Answer the Top 10 Interview Questions

We all know that good preparation is the key to success at interview. One aspect of this is thinking through the type of questions you are likely to be asked and having a killer answer up your sleeve. To get you started, we have compiled a list of the top 10 most comon questions asked at interview and some pointers on the kind of approach you could take to answer them.

1) “Tell me about yourself”

Here, your ability to think on your feet is being tested with a deliberately vague and open ended question. Simply outline several of your strong points and accomplishments and don’t be disconcerted if the interviewer remains silent when you pause. If you get really stuck think how your best friend would describe you! If you are relatively new to the job market, tell them about your educational achievements. Excellent grades, academic prizes or winning a scholarship are all good qualifications. Extra-curricular activities can also be selling points for some jobs. When you’ve run through your strong points, briefly sum them up then stop talking. If the interviewer continues to pause, stay silent and patiently wait for the next remark. He or she may be mulling over what you’ve said, or be testing your reaction to stress.

2) “What qualifies you for this job?”

Employers are looking for a fluent description of your background. To impress the interviewer with your quickness and intelligence memorise the key facts and dates on your CV, then prepare some success stories for each and drop them in casually as though they were spontaneous thoughts. Always make your opening line your most major achievement – it is often what makes the biggest impression.

3) “Why do you want to work for this organisation?”

Being unfamiliar with the organisation will spoil your chances with 75% of interviewers, according to one survey, so take this chance to show you have done your preparation and know the company inside and out. You will now have the chance to demonstrate that you’ve done your research, so reply mentioning all the positive things you have found out about the organisation and its sector etc. This means you’ll have an enjoyable work environment and stability of employment etc – everything that brings out the best in you.

4) “Why do you wish to leave your present job?”

Never say anything negative about your present employer and don’t mention money as a motivator either. The interviewer will reason that if you’re prepared to leave one organisation for money, you might leave his/her company if another waved a bigger pay cheque in front of you. The safest track to take is to indicate a desire for greater responsibility and challenge, or the opportunity to use talents you feel are under-used. Make sure your abilities are relevant.

5. “Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?”

Replying ‘in your chair’ is dangerous!

A few managers might be intrigued or amused but many will be annoyed by your arrogance or intimidated by the fact that you may be right. Mentioning any specific goal can be risky as it may not fit into the career path in that particular organisation, or may cause concern that you’ll be discontent until your goal is achieved. Instead, frame your reply along these lines:

I would hope that by then my hard work and enthusiasm would have led to increased recognition and responsibility within the organisation.

6. “What sort of salary are you looking for?”

When you’re talking about money, never describe your salary demands as what you actually need but rather as what the job is worth. Always give a range (e.g. £40,000 to £45,000). If you’re unsure of what the job should pay give your current salary and state “but money isn’t my motivation for changing jobs”. Since organisations use your current salary as a guide line as a basis of what to offer remember to include bonus, annual raises if you are about to receive one etc.

7. “What are your weaknesses?”

The best “weaknesses” are disguised as strengths, such as “I dislike not being challenged at work”. Another good approach is to mention a weakness that is irrelevent for the job or one that can be overcome with training. Try to keep these to one weakness, explaining why you think it is a weakness and what you are doing to overcome the problem – a well thought out strategy you have developed to deal with the issue will turn this potentially tricky question into a positive.

One common variation on this question is to ask about any problems or failures you’ve encountered in previous positions. In describing problems, pick ones you’ve solved and describe how you overcame it. Show yourself to be a good team player by crediting co-workers for all their contributions. To distance yourself from failure, pick one that occurred earlier in your career when you were still learning. Don’t blame others – simply explain how you analysed your mistake and learned from it.

8. “What’s the worst problem you’ve ever faced?”

Here the interviewer is offering you the two ways to trip yourself up:

First of all, the question doesn’t confine itself to the workplace, so there is temptation to reveal a personal problem. Don’t! Restrict yourself to employment matters only.

Second, you are being asked to reveal a weakness or error again. You must have a good response ready for this question, one which shows how well you reacted when everything depended on it.

Always show a problem you have solved and concentrate your answer on the solution not the problem.

9. “What are your strengths?”

Your answer should highlight the qualities that will help you succeed in this particular job. (Back up each point with something specific). Give examples and quantify how your strengths benefited your previous employers. You should also demonstrate reliability, and the ability to stick with a difficult task yet change courses rapidly when required.

10. “How would you describe a typical day in your current job?”

You are eager to look good but don’t make the common mistake of exaggerating your current position. Mentioning some of the routine tasks in your day adds realism to your description and show that you don’t neglect important details such as paperwork. Put yourself in the interviewer’s place as your answer. When you’ve been doing a job for years it becomes second nature to you, and you must be aware of all the tasks you undertake. You should spend a few days making notes of your activities at work to regain an outsider’s perspective. Try to show that you make good use of your time, that you plan before you begin your work and that you review your achievements at the end of it.

http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/10-interview-questions/?awt_l=BlYUw&awt_m=3dXRrIkXMuZ9aCN

Picture is courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

6 Tips for Handling Criticism

As an Upholder, I have a tough time being criticized, corrected, or accused – of even the smallest mistakes – and I react very angrily.

Yikes, how I struggle to keep my sense of humor and light-heartedness! Here are some of the strategies that I try to use to accept criticism.

1. Listen to what a critic is saying. Really listen, try to understand that point of view, don’t just nod while I formulate my retorts. Accept just criticism.

2. Don’t be defensive. This is the toughest step for me. With my writing, for example, I always have to take a deep breath before reading an edit letter or meeting with an editor, to remind myself, “I welcome criticism. This person is helping me. I’m eager to hear how to improve my book/article/post.” Along the same lines…

3. Don’t expose myself to criticism from people I don’t respect. I pay a lot of attention to criticism from people I respect, but I try to shield myself from criticism from people I don’t know or don’t respect, because I fear that I’ll react to it, even though it may be unfounded. So when I get trustworthy criticism about my writing, I act on it, but I try to avoid reading drive-by snarkiness. The means that bad affects us more strongly than good, and I fear that I’ll change my writing in response to some person’s thoughtless comment, in ways that won’t make my work stronger. I need to stay creative, open-hearted, adventuresome, and honest, and if I feel defensive and apologetic, I won’t maintain those elements.

4. Delay my reaction. Count to ten, take a deep breath, sleep on it, wait until the next day to send that email…any kind of delay is good. A friend told me her rule: when she’s upset about something that happened at her children’s school, she won’t let herself do anything about it for three days – and usually she decides that no action is better than action.

5. Admit my mistakes. My father gave me an outstanding piece of advice when I got my first real job. He said, “If you take the blame when you deserve it, you’ll get the responsibility.” I’ve found that to be very true. Difficult, but true. In my experience, until someone in a group (or in a family) accepts blame, everyone stays very anxious and focused on fingering the person at fault. Once I raise my hand (if appropriate), then everyone else can relax. And then we can all focus on what needs to be done.

6. Enjoy the fun of failure. Fact is, trying new things and aiming high exposes me to criticism. I remind myself to Enjoy the fun of failure to try to re-frame failure and criticism as part of the fun. Otherwise, my dread of criticism can paralyze me. Once, when I told my husband that I was upset because I’d received a mean comment here on the blog, he said, “Remember, this is what you want. You want to put your ideas out there. Not everyone is going to be nice.” That made me feel better.

The discussion of criticism reminds me of a passage from Stephen Spender’s autobiography,World Within World:

To overhear conversations behind his back is more disconcerting than useful to the writer; though he can perhaps search for criticism which may really help him to remedy faults in style. But he should remember that the tendency of reviewers is to criticize work not for what it is but for what it fails to be, and it is not necessarily true that he should remedy this by trying to become other than he is. Thus, in my own experience, I have wasted time by paying heed to criticism that I had no skill in employing rhyme. This led me to try rhyme, whereas I should have seen that the moral for me was to avoid it.

This passage is a good reminder that criticism should help us do better what we want to do, and to be more wholly ourselves, and criticism that doesn’t serve those goals isn’t helpful.

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130117160355-6526187-6-tips-for-handling-criticism

(Photo: randolfscott07, Flickr)

5 Ways to Build a Remarkably Successful Career

1. Be deeply curious.

When I look for people to place in leadership positions, especially senior leadership positions, I look for people who deeply understand the business. Probe deeply into most companies and you’ll find way too many senior executives understand their role and their division... but not the overall business, much less the broader economy.

An outstanding executive:

1) Deeply understands his specific areas of responsibility;

2) Thoroughly understands the aspects of the rest of her company;

3) Has a solid understanding of his industry, other industries, and macro-economic forces and trends.

Sound like a lot to know? It is – but it's knowledge that will separate you from the pack. Most people work hard to check the “I’m doing a great job in my job” box, but to be a leader you need to be able to step up, care about, and truly understand the larger issues of the business.

For example, at Delta I was treasurer but I was also very concerned about our then-poor on time record. I dug into the data, met with peers, learned what people did in different departments… I wanted to know everything possible about everything possible.

It takes time, but it's also easy: People readily talk about their frustrations, issues, and concerns. All you have to do is ask questions and listen.

In time I became known as a guy with broad skills… and one day our CEO said, “Okay, since you’ve been complaining so much about our transportation network, it’s yours.” Even though I had never held an operations job I became the COO.

People instantly recognize when you truly care about your business and truly care about learning. That always shines through – and will always take you far.

2. Learn how to get the people around you to do the best they can.

I phrase it that way because different people have different leadership styles and different ways they influence others.

Authenticity is the real key to leadership at any level, especially the senior level. The goal is to be authentic and learn to work within the framework of your personality to get people to follow your lead.

Be yourself and leverage your strengths. Don't try to act like someone else; people can instantly tell. If you're casual and easygoing, don’t try to switch personalities and become refined and polished. You'll just come across as insincere and plastic.

People like, respect, and follow real people. Be yourself and learn how to get people to do what you want them to do – as yourself.

3. Find a work-life rhythm you can maintain.

You can’t treat your career like a crash diet: Cut your calories in half and exercise like crazy and you will lose weight, but eventually you won't be able to stick with a program like that… and you'll gain back the weight you lost.

A career works the same way. While there will be periods of intense stress – like in my case when Delta was preparing for bankruptcy or during my first 100 days at Red Hat – in general you must find a business and life rhythm you can maintain over the long term.

Find a rhythm where you can have enough time for family and friends, feel satisfied emotionally, and still excel at work, because building a great career is a marathon, not a sprint.

4. Care deeply.

Don’t kid yourself: Everyone knows when you’re only in it for yourself.

Unless you truly care about the company you work for and are personally invested in its success, you will never work as hard as you need to work to truly succeed.

Every great leader is deeply invested in the success of others; every great business leader, regardless of position or level, cares deeply about their company and the people around them. If you don’t care deeply now, find something you do care deeply about: Another function, another mission, another company, etc.

You can only reach your full potential, both personally and in a career, when you truly care.

5. Build your team.

Outside of work we all need a broader group of people we can rely on to provide advice and guidance – people who care about our success the same way we care about theirs.

My "team" includes ex-partners from Boston Consulting Group, ex-colleagues from Delta, great friends from B-school… they all care about my success and freely give me advice, perspective, support, etc. They’re on “Team Jim,” and I’m on “Team Chris,” “Team Rob,” etc.

The people on your team don’t need to be older, grizzled sages – they just need to know you and care about you.

Make sure you have people in your life you can always turn to… and for whom you will always do the same.

Picture is courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130108181212-20017018-5-ways-to-build-a-remarkably-successful-career

8 Things Remarkably Successful People Do

The most successful people in business work differently. See what they do--and why it works.

I'm fortunate to know a number of remarkably successful people. I've described how these people share a set of specific perspectives and beliefs.

They also share a number of habits:

1. They don't create back-up plans.

Back-up plans can help you sleep easier at night. Back-up plans can also create an easy out when times get tough.

You'll work a lot harder and a lot longer if your primary plan simply has to work because there is no other option. Total commitment--without a safety net--will spur you to work harder than you ever imagined possible.

If somehow the worst does happen (and the "worst" is never as bad as you think) trust that you will find a way to rebound. As long as you keep working hard and keep learning from your mistakes, you always will.

2. They do the work...

You can be good with a little effort. You can be really good with a little more effort.

But you can't be great--at anything--unless you put in an incredible amount of focused effort.

Scratch the surface of any person with rare skills and you'll find a person who has put thousands of hours of effort into developing those skills.

There are no shortcuts. There are no overnight successes. Everyone has heard about the 10,000 hours principle but no one follows it... except remarkably successful people.

So start doing the work now. Time is wasting.

3. ...and they work a lot more.

Forget the Sheryl Sandberg "I leave every day at 5:30" stories. I'm sure she does. But she's not you.

Every extremely successful entrepreneur I know (personally) works more hours than the average person--a lot more. They have long lists of things they want to get done. So they have to put in lots of time.

Better yet, they want to put in lots of time.

If you don't embrace a workload others would consider crazy then your goal doesn't mean that much to you--or it's not particularly difficult to achieve. Either way you won't be remarkably successful.

4. They avoid the crowds.

Conventional wisdom yields conventional results. Joining the crowd--no matter how trendy the crowd or "hot" the opportunity--is a recipe for mediocrity.

Remarkably successful people habitually do what other people won't do. They go where others won't go because there's a lot less competition and a much greater chance for success.

5. They start at the end...

Average success is often based on setting average goals.

Decide what you really want: to be the best, the fastest, the cheapest, the biggest, whatever. Aim for the ultimate. Decide where you want to end up. That is your goal.

Then you can work backwards and lay out every step along the way.

Never start small where goals are concerned. You'll make better decisions--and find it much easier to work a lot harder--when your ultimate goal is ultimate success.

6. ... and they don't stop there.

Achieving a goal--no matter how huge--isn't the finish line for highly successful people. Achieving one huge goal just creates a launching pad for achieving another huge goal.

Maybe you want to create a $100 million business; once you do you can leverage your contacts and influence to create a charitable foundation for a cause you believe in. Then your business and humanitarian success can create a platform for speaking, writing, and thought leadership. Then...

The process of becoming remarkably successful in one field will give you the skills and network to be remarkably successful in many other fields.

Remarkably successful people don't try to win just one race. They expect and plan to win a number of subsequent races.

7. They sell.

I once asked a number of business owners and CEOs to name the one skill they felt contributed the most to their success. Each said the ability to sell.

Keep in mind selling isn't manipulating, pressuring, or cajoling. Selling is explaining the logic and benefits of a decision or position. Selling is convincing other people to work with you. Selling is overcoming objections and roadblocks.

Selling is the foundation of business and personal success: knowing how to negotiate, to deal with "no," to maintain confidence and self-esteem in the face of rejection, to communicate effectively with a wide range of people, to build long-term relationships...

When you truly believe in your idea, or your company, or yourself then you don't need to have a huge ego or a huge personality. You don't need to "sell."

You just need to communicate.

8. They are never too proud.

To admit they made a mistake. To say they are sorry. To have big dreams. To admit they owe their success to others. To poke fun at themselves. To ask for help.

To fail.

And to try again.

Picture is courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/8-habits-of-remarkably-successful-people.html?goback=.gna_156090.gde_156090_member_201613513

Goal Setting - How to Motivate Yourself to Achieve Your Goals

If you think goal setting is hard, think again. That’s the easy part. The hard part is actuallyachieving those goals. Unless of course you are motivated to achieve the goals!

If you’re struggling with goal setting and how to get motivated, here are some tips:

   Break your goals into bite-size pieces

This is something I did a lot of last year, and it helped me immensely with the goals I had set for myself.

Setting large goals is perfectly fine, but you’re never going to be able to achieve those goals if you don’t work out a plan for achieving them.

When you break your goals down into bite-size pieces, and are doing just one or two small things a day to get you where you want to be, your chances of achieving those goals is much higher than if you did not break those goals down.

   Tell everyone about your goals

When other people know about your goals, you feel bad if you “let them down” by not achieving them. This makes it much harder for you to fail.

Tell your friends, family, colleagues, neighbours, your boss – tell anyone who will listen. Most importantly, tell people who are going to hold you accountable and constantly check in on your progress. This is exactly what you need to keep moving forward.

   Post your goals everywhere

Make sure that your goals are posted everywhere that you are.

Instead of writing out your goals on a piece of paper (or worse, on the computer) and then sticking that paper in a spot where you will never see it unless you go looking for it, display your goals all over the place.

In your office, on your bathroom mirror, on the refrigerator, in the car. When you are always reminded about your goals, you are much more likely to achieve them.

To keep yourself motivated, it’s also a good idea to post your progress.

   Don’t compare your goals to others’

Share your goals with others, but don’t think that your goals have to be the same as someone else’s.

We all have different hopes, dreams and desires. You don’t (and probably shouldn’t) have the exact same goal list as someone else.

Your goals are your own, so stay focused on them and only them.

   Join an online forum related to your goal

Whatever you are interested in, there is likely a community forum related to that interest.

There are forums for saving money, getting out of debt, couponing, quitting smoking, living a healthy lifestyle, exercising, parenting, cooking and so much more.

Do a quick search online and you are sure to find a forum to join. Sign up and start connecting with people who have similar goals as you.

   Reward yourself often

Don’t wait until the end of the year to congratulate yourself on a job well done – congratulate yourself now.

Just taking the first step in creating a goal, and a plan for that goal, is a huge accomplishment.

Give yourself small rewards after each milestone, and at the end of the year, if you’ve achieved your goals, you’ve earned a big reward (decide what that big reward is when you set your goals, so you know what’s waiting for you at the end).

Motivating yourself to achieve your goals may seem difficult at first, but it’s really not, and it’s an important thing to do when you’re working toward something.

Without motivation, it becomes extremely difficult to gain any traction and it’s more than likely that you will give up on your goals rather quickly.

When you motivate yourself, you can achieve anything. So start motivating!

Pictures are courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

http://www.mrsjanuary.com/simple-living/goal-setting/