101 TIPS - MANAGE YOURSELF

You are responsible for everything that happens in your life. Learn to accept total responsibility for yourself. If you do not manage yourself, then you are letting others have control of your Iife. These tips will help "you" manage "you."

1. Look at every new opportunity as an exciting and new-life experience.
2. If you catch yourself worrying about an upcoming task, go ahead and do it now so it no longer is a distraction.
3. Get into the habit of finishing what you start.
4. Give up "waiting time" forever. Have something with you at all times to work on. For example: plan your day, work on a report, or read a page from your book.
5. Be a professional who exhibits self-confidence and self-assurance in your potential to complete any task.
6. Avoid worry. The majority of the things you worry about never occur.
7. Agree with yourself in advance that you will have a good attitude toward the upcoming task.
8. Hire specialists to do those things you are not expert in.
9. Take a chance. Calculated risks pay off in entrepreneurial progress.
10. Frequently ask, "Is what I am doing right now moving me toward my goals?"
11. Plan the future, but live in the present.
12. Make a list of your accomplishments as you go through the day- they are greater than you think.
13. Keep a time log at least once every six months to determine exactly where your time is going.
14. Do it right the first time and you will not have to take time later to fix it.
15. Practice concentrating on your work, doing only one thing at a time.
16. Accept responsibility for your job successes and failures. Do not look for a scapegoat.
17. Do not view things you do as a "job." View all activities as a challenge.
18. Use your subconscious mind by telling it to do what you do want. Instead of telling yourself, "I can't do that very well," say, "I can do this very well."
19. Schedule several short vacations or long weekends - this creates positive deadlines by when you must have projects done.
20. Develop a faster operating tempo or pace. Do things with a sense of urgency. Get over thinking you must do everything yourself.
21. Take time to be quiet and reflective for a few minutes each day.
22. Live effectiveness in everything you do rather then just sporadically applying time management techniques.
23. Live in the Now. The current instant is the only time in which you have control-not the past, not the future, just now, in this instant.
24. Recognize you control only 50% of a relationship and that is your half. If you are dissatisfied with what is going on, change what you are doing and saying.
25. Give yourself points for completing tasks on your "to-do" list in priority order. When you reach 10 points, reward yourself.
26. Carry a card with your goals written on it and review your goals at least three times a day.
27. Act with enthusiasm in all that you do.
28. Take time out to thank yourself for a good job.
29. Practice your personal beliefs. It may be helpful each morning to take 15 minutes to gather your thoughts and say a prayer.
30. Operate knowing that there is good in everything. Every cloud has a silver lining-look for it.
31. Whenever you have an important thought that is not directly related to what you are working on, write it down. Then you will not forget it and you also will no longer be distracted by it.
32. Make a commitment to show someone a specific accomplishment on a certain date. The added urgency will help you feel motivated to have it done.
33. Reward yourself when you have successfully completed a high priority project.
34. Instead of thinking about what you didn't get done, recognize all you did get accomplished and reward yourself for having done the most important things.
35. Keep a list of accomplishments as well as a list of "things to-do. You will learn just how much you do get done.
36. Practice self determination, wanting to do it for yourself.
37. Nothing takes the place of persistence. Practice "stick-to-it-iveness."
38. Get into the habit of writing down a person's name- it will help you to remember it.
39. Believe that you can be what you want to he.
40. Operate on the philosophy that what we give out is what comes back to us.
41. Occasionally, sit quietly and do a self-assessment of your skills and strengths.
42. Praise yourself for your progress.
43. Recognize not all days will go as you desire. Be kind to yourself on days when your self esteem is wavering. Remind yourself that you are good and can stand up to any obstacle.
44. Never criticize yourself as having a weakness. There is no such thing. You are only talking about a present undeveloped skill or part of yourself that if you so chose, you can change. You do not have any weakness, only untapped potential.
45. Check to be sure you do not fall into the activity trap of simply doing tasks without knowing to what greater good the task is designed to contribute.
46. Be pleasant all the time-no matter what the situation.
47. Life is what you perceive it to be. Do you see it as a bore or as an adventure?
48. Recall what you were hired to do and make sure it happens.
49. To get ahead in anything, operate in the "and then some" manner. Always do what is expected "and then some," so what you give is always more than is expected by the other person.
50. When working on a project that you can't stand, do it for a few minutes at a time until you can't stand it anymore. Then do something else and come back later for a few more minutes. Keep taking these bite size pieces until it is completely done.
51. Look at what you do as an adventure. You can discover new things from this new perspective.
52. Challenge yourself to do things differently than you have in the past. It provides new ideas and keeps you interested.
53. Finish that last task you are working on before you go home; do not just leave it.
54. Plan your day as you shower and dress in the morning. Keep a pad and pencil nearby to jot down ideas.
55. Talk to yourself. Self talk using positive affirmations is something that is common among all great achievers. They convince themselves that they can accomplish their goals.
56. Practice being punctual. Others will sense your professionalism.
57. Plan, at least to a minimum, everything you undertake.
58. Think it through, then do it.
59. Think of your time as money. Are you getting a good return on the way you invest/spend it?
60. Take some time, no matter how short, every day to do something you enjoy.
61. Remember, if you think you can or you think you cannot, you are right.
62. Use the self-fulfilling prophesy on yourself. Expect yourself to succeed.
63. Doing gives you the power to do.
64. Whenever you agree to get back to someone or complete a project, commit to a specific date by when you will have it done. and write this in your calendar immediately.
65. Think in terms of long-term results.
66. Create your own "motivation board" by putting up notes of things you need to do on a bulletin board or special wall space. It is an easily visible way to see what you need to work on. When an item is done, remove the note. Also keep your goals listed and pictured on your board.
67. "Ninety percent of success in showing up."
68. Be open and ready to make adjustments as things change.
69. Focus 100% of your attention on a project.
70. Since your boss will be asking you for progress reports, from time to time, stay informed by asking your people for progress reports each day while you meet them in their office or work area.
71. Hire an assistant to run small errands and cleanup paperwork, etc. Even if you pay them from your own pocket, it is a good investment because it increases your productivity.
72. Enjoy your life and blessings. You could be worse off.
73. Recognize that even though you say you are doing something for someone else, in reality you are doing it for yourself. Since you are doing it for yourself, you can also enjoy it more.
74. Start each day with a smile.
75. Your job reflects you. Can you take pride in it being well done, error free and on time?
76. Do it right or do it wrong just do it!
77. Compete with yourself to become a little better each time you do something. Achieve your potential.
78. Streamline your daily routine to do the same thing at the same time in the same order. Periodically review for continued effectiveness and efficiently.
79. When responsible for a project, become intensively involved with it.
80. Tell someone else what you are doing to keep on schedule. It keeps you committed.
81. Make each day the best day of the week.
82. Network with others in the organization to stay informed of who is doing what, when, where, and for whom.
83. Use even small "pockets of time" to make lists, write notes and consider ideas.
84. Consciously decide what are some things you are NOT going to do.
85. Be willing to ask that a staff meeting be called to clarify a specific issue.
86. Purposely schedule something you enjoy between routine projects. It will help rejuvenate you.
87. Schedule a block of time periodically to take a big bite out of a major project.
88. Realize "energy begets energy." Act and energy will flow.
89. Time your routine activities such as telephone calls. Determine how you can "capture" some of the time and use it on other top priority activities.
90. Be a "doer" not a "sitter."
91. Sense the pride you will feel when you have completed a project.
92. "He who kills time buries opportunities."
93. Meditate according to your personal beliefs at the beginning of each day.
94. Create the right "mind set" for success by adjusting your attitude for the upcoming project.
95. Stay interested in what you are doing. Keep looking for what is interesting in your work. Change your perspective and look at it as someone outside your job would.
96. Do not get hung-up on trivial details or tangents. Stay focused and moving.
97. Always carry a pen or pencil and paper on which you can make notes.
98. Do not accept calls for the first 15 minutes of the day while you prepare your daily strategy.
99. Contemplating, meditating on, thinking about, or praying about the activities and success of the workday focuses energy toward that end result.
100. Nest activities to available waiting time. Take a bite out of your elephant-sized project.
101. Establish personal incentives and rewards to help maintain your own high enthusiasm and performance level

LEARNING TO HANDLE STRESS

Everybody experiences stress. A certain amount is even good for you. Too much stress can damage your physical, emotional, and mental health. Since it is not always possible to prevent stress, we all need to learn how to reduce it. Choose among the following techniques what you think will work best for you. Make them part of your everyday life.

1. PREVENT IT. How much stress do you cause just by putting unnecessary pressure on yourself? Do you over react to little things that annoy you? Every time you let anger or frustration take control, it drains away good energy and sidetracks you from more important things. Obviously, you can't always control what goes on around you, but you can control how you respond. Try a little more patience next time you get caught in traffic and you'll avoid unnecessary stress.

2. SET GOALS. Some people drift through life going from crisis to crisis letting stress build up. If you set goals, you can take better control of your life. Think where you'd like to be in 1 year or 5 years. Be realistic by starting with small, daily goals, then build up from there. Re-evaluate your goals from time to time and be prepared to adjust them as changes occur in your life.

3. ESTABLISH PRIORITIES. Do you often feel rushed because "there's no time"? Why not regulate the pace of your life? Plan ahead. Make a list of tasks in order of priority. Concentrate on what's really important to you and drop those things that only waste your energy.

4. TAKE TIME OUT. Spend a few minutes alone each day to break the routine. This helps ease stress and gives you a better perspective of what's around you. Set aside time during the week for recreation, hobbies, or exercise. Regular exercise is an excellent way to reduce stress. Physical fitness gives you a feeling of well-being by relieving tension and increasing productivity.

5. HAVE FAITH. Peace of mind comes to those who trust in God's power to lessen life's burdens through prayer.

6. THINK POSITIVELY. Having a positive attitude will help you assert yourself and feel more in control. You waste energy if you constantly criticize yourself or set unrealistic goals. Negative thoughts generally produce negative results. Instead of saying, "I can't," practice saying, "I can." You'll be surprised how much more you can accomplish.

7. HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR. Laughter can be one of the best medicines for stress. Being able to laugh at yourself and the world can break tension and give you some relief from stress.

8. COMMUNICATE. Suffering in silence only increases the stress you build up inside. Talk over your feelings and concerns with your family, a friend, counselor, preacher, or health professional. "Thinking out loud" like this not only relieves stress, but may also shed new light on your problems. Learn to listen and consider suggestions with an open mind.

9. MAKE DECISIONS. Most people have no idea how much stress they create for themselves by resisting change. They wait, hoping a situation will go back to the way it was. Why wait when you have choices and could make a decision? When it's time to change old habits and move forward, make your own change for the better.

10. GET SUPPORT. Do you sometimes find problems too personal to discuss? Or feel they may be too much of a burden on others? Find a support group in your community. Remember, you're not alone. Other people with similar problems understand what you're going through without the need for lengthy explanations. They share your concerns and they want to learn how to cope with stress, too.

CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR FOR ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
1. You have trouble concentrating to complete work or studies.
2. You have a significant change in your appetite, sleep, or sex drive.
3. You suffer from uncontrollable crying spells.
4. You have uncontrollable thoughts of harming yourself.
5. You have severe mood swings.

Words

Your words, your dreams, and your thoughts have the power to create conditions in your life.
What you speak about, you can bring about.
If you keep saying you can't stand your job, you might lose your job.
If you keep saying you can't stand your body, your body can become sick.
If you keep saying you can't stand your car, your car could be stolen or just stop operating.
If you keep saying you're always broke, guess what? You'll always be broke.
If you keep saying you can't trust a man or trust a woman, you will always find someone in your life to hurt and betray you.
If you keep saying you can't find a job, you will remain unemployed.
If you keep saying you can't find someone to love you or believe in you, our very thoughts will attract more experiences to confirm your beliefs.
Turn your thoughts and conversations around to be more positive and power packed with faith, hope, love and action.
Don't be afraid to believe that you can have what you want and deserve.
Watch your "Thoughts", they become words;
Watch your "Words", they become actions;
Watch your "Actions", they become habits;
Watch your "Habits", they become character;
Watch your "Character", for it becomes your "Destiny"
So.......To prevent any obstacles.......
GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY! Enjoy every minute you live!!

How to handle stress

You need stress in your life! Does that surprise you? Perhaps so, but it is quite true. Without stress, life would be dull and unexciting. Stress adds flavor, challenge, and opportunity to life. Too much stress, however, can seriously affect your physical and mental well-being. A major challenge in this stress-filled world of today is to make the stress in your life work for you instead of against you.

Stress is with us all the time. It comes from mental or emotional activity and physical activity. It is unique and personal to each of us. So personal, in fact, that what may be relaxing to one person may be stressful to another. For example, if you're a busy executive who likes to keep busy all the time, "taking it easy" at the beach on a beautiful day may feel extremely frustrating, nonproductive, and upsetting. You may be emotionally distressed from "doing nothing."

Too much emotional stress can cause physical illness such as high blood pressure, ulcers, or even heart disease; physical stress from work or exercise is not likely to cause such ailments. The truth is that physical exercise can help you to relax and to handle your mental or emotional stress.

Hans Selye, M.D., a recognized expert in the field, has defined stress as a "non-specific response of the body to a demand." The important issue is learning how our bodies respond to these demands. When stress becomes prolonged or particularly frustrating, it can become harmful-causing distress or "bad stress." Recognizing the early signs of distress and then doing something about them can make an important difference in the quality of your life, and may actually influence your survival.

Reacting to Stress
To use stress in a positive way and prevent it from becoming distress, you should become aware of your own reactions to stressful events. The body responds to stress by going through three stages: (1) alarm, (2) resistance, and (3) exhaustion.

Let's take the example of a typical commuter in rush-hour traffic. If a car suddenly pulls out in front of him, his initial alarm reaction may include fear of an accident, anger at the driver who committed the action, and general frustration. His body may respond in the alarm stage by releasing hormones into the bloodstream which cause his face to flush, perspiration to form, his stomach to have a sinking feeling, and his arms and legs to tighten. The next stage is resistance, in which the body repairs damage caused by the stress. If the stress of driving continues with repeated close calls or traffic jams, however, his body will not have time to make repairs. He may become so conditioned to expect potential problems when he drives that he tightens up at the beginning of each commuting day. Eventually, he may even develop one of the diseases of stress, such as migraine headaches, high blood pressure, backaches, or insomnia. While it is impossible to live completely free of stress and distress, it is possible to prevent some distress as well as to minimize its impact when it can't be avoided.

Helping Yourself
When stress does occur, it is important to recognize and deal with it. Here are some suggestions for ways to handle stress. As you begin to understand more about how stress affects you as an individual, you will come up with your own ideas of helping to ease the tensions.

Try physical activity
When you are nervous, angry, or upset, release the pressure through exercise or physical activity. Running, walking, playing tennis, or working in your garden are just some of the activities you might try. Physical exercise will relieve that "up tight" feeling, relax you, and turn the frowns into smiles. Remember, your body and your mind work together.

Share your stress
It helps to talk to someone about your concerns and worries. Perhaps a friend, family member, teacher, or counselor can help you see your problem in a different light. If you feel your problem is serious, you might seek professional help from a psychologist, psychiatrist, or social worker. Knowing when to ask for help may avoid more serious problems later.

Know your limits.
If a problem is beyond your control and cannot be changed at the moment, don't fight the situation. Learn to accept what is-for now-until such time when you can change it.

Take care of yourself
You are special. Get enough rest and eat well. If youare irritable and tense from lack of sleep or if you are not eating correctly, you will have less ability to deal with stressful situations. If stress repeatedly keeps you from sleeping, you should ask your doctor for help.

Make time for fun
Schedule time for both work and recreation. Play can be just as important to your well-being as work; you need a break from your daily routine to just relax and have fun.

Be a participant
One way to keep from getting bored, sad, and lonely is to go where it's all happening: Sitting alone can make you feel frustrated. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, get involved and become a participant. Offer your services in neighborhood or volunteer organizations. Help yourself by helping other people. Get involved in the world and the people around you, and you'll find they will be attracted to you. You're on your way to making new friends and enjoying new activities.

Check off your tasks
Trying to take care of everything at once can seem overwhelming, and, as a result, you may not accomplish anything, Instead, make a list of what tasks you have to do, then do one at a time, checking them off as they're completed. Give priority to the most important ones and do those first.

Must you always be right?
Do other people upset you - particularly when they don't do things your way? Try cooperation instead of confrontation; it's better than fighting and always being "right:" A little give and take on both sides will reduce the strain and make you both feel more comfortable.

It's OK to cry
A good cry can be a healthy way to bring relief to your anxiety, and it might even prevent a headache or other physical consequence. Take some deep breaths; they also release tension.

Create a quiet scene
You can't always run away, but you can "dream the impossible dream." A quiet country scene painted mentally, or on canvas, can take you out of the turmoil of a stressful situation. Change the scene by reading a good book or playing beautiful music to create a sense of peace and tranquility.

Avoid self-medication
Although you can use drugs to relieve stress temporarily, drugs do not remove the conditions that caused the stress in the first place. Drugs, in fact, may be habit-forming and create more stress than they take away. They should be taken only on the advice of your doctor, unless, of course, he is not legally able to prescribe them. In such a case it is up to you to exercise control.

The Art of Relaxation
The best strategy for avoiding stress is to learn how to relax. Unfortunately, many people try to relax at the same pace that they lead the rest of their lives. For a while, tune out your worries about time, productivity, and "doing right." You will find satisfaction in just being, without striving. Find activities that give you pleasure and that are good for your mental and physical well-being. Forget about always winning. Focus on relaxation, enjoyment, and health. Be good to yourself.

Time Management

Get Started - This is one of the all time classic time wasters. Often, as much time is wasted avoiding a project, as actually accomplishing the project. A survey showed that the main difference between good students and average students was the ability to start their homework quickly.

Get into a routine - Mindless routines may curb your creativity, but when used properly, they can release time and energy. Choose a time to get certain task accomplished, such as answering email, working on a project, completing paper work; and then sticking to it every day. Use a day planning calendar. There are a variety of formats on the market. Find one that fits your needs.

Do not say yes to too many things - Saying yes can lead to unexpected treasures, but the mistake we often make is to say yes to too many things. This causes us to live to the priorities of others, rather than according to our own. Every time you agree to do something else, something else will not get done. Learn how to say no.

Do not commit you to unimportant activities, no matter how far ahead they are - Even if a commitment is a year ahead, it is still a commitment. Often we agree to do something that is far ahead, when we would not normally do it if it was in the near future. No matter how far ahead it is, it will still take the same amount of your time.

Divide large tasks - Large tasks should be broken up into a series of small tasks. By creating small manageable tasks, the entire task will eventually be accomplished. Also, by using a piecemeal approach, you will be able to fit it into your hectic schedule.

Do not put unneeded effort into a project - There is a place for perfectionism, but for most activities, there comes a stage when there is not much to be gained from putting extra effort into it. Save perfectionism for the tasks that need it.

Deal with it for once and for all - We often start a task, think about it, and then lay it aside. This gets repeated over and over. Either deal with the task right away or decide when to deal with it.

Set start and stop times - When arranging start times, also arrange stop times. This will call for some estimating, but your estimates will improve with practice. This will allow you and others to better schedule activities. Also, challenge the theory, "Work expands to fill the allotted time." See if you can save some time off your deadlines to make it more efficient.

Plan your activities - Schedule a regular time to plan your activities. If time management is important to you, then allow the time to plan it wisely.