These Decisions Can Increase Your Happiness

When you use smart decisions and self-awareness to shape your life, it will reflect your deepest aspirations and your fondest dreams. 

1. Make your life your own. Decide to re-decide. Re-examine your goals and dreams. Don't just assume that what you wanted yesterday is still the right thing for you. Have your goals and dreams changed? Give yourself the freedom to decide today what you want your life to be about. 

2. Make your job a joy. Decide to revitalize your career, or try a new one. Ask yourself if you're really happy and stimulated with your work. If you're not, or if you feel unappreciated or frustrated by a lack of advancement, consider a change. Understand the corporate agenda and be realistic about advancement opportunities at your present job. If you feel you need a change, you may be able to move to a different position or department within your company, or you may want to look for a new job entirely. If you stay at your present job, ask for raises and promotions, if you feel that you've earned them. 

3. Take it to the bank. Decide to secure your financial position. Get out of debt, keep yourself on a budget, invest your money wisely and keep abreast of your financial situation. Many women allow their partners to take care of financial matters, only to find themselves unprepared if they become divorced or widowed. Remember, financial stress is one of the greatest stressors of all. 

4. Why are you here? Decide to create meaning in your life. Identify the purpose and meaning of your life and define why you are here on earth. When you understand your purpose in life, losses are easier to bear and all other decisions are easier to make. 

5. Share your bounty. Decide to give something back. Donate money or put your talents, skills and experience to use by volunteering for causes you care about. People who volunteer have been found to be happier and healthier than those who don't. Remember that charity begins at home, so give to your own family, friends and neighbors. 

Whatever you choose, if you make smart decisions, the best is yet to come. Using your creativity, and giving back from the wisdom you've gained through experience, will enhance your value to others and to yourself. - excerpted from The Ten Smartest Decisions a Woman Can Make After Forty. 

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Tina_Tessina/34086

THIS is My BIGGEST SECRET to SUCCESS! | Warren Buffett | Top 10 Rules

 

Here's some great advice from Warren Buffett, courtesy of Evan Carmichael

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEgu6p_frmE

What Is Holding You Back From Being a Success

Given all the discussions we have, books being written, and seminars being taught on success you would imagine that we are living in a generation of exceptional successful people. But is that really the case? Have we been overtaken by a tsunami of people living the dream and being successful?

Far from it. Certainly, the rich are getting richer given how our laws are tilted towards making that so. And there are those who rise up to become successful, but they are in the minority. Overall a lot of people feel stuck in the mire of mediocrity unsure of what their next steps should be.

It is possible that there is something holding you back from embracing a lifestyle of success you are so worthy of achieving. Sadly, there are not many sources out there to help you get unstuck. There are a few things under your control which may help you to come out of the mud and step into the lifestyle and benefits of being successful;

• What is your personal definition of success - before you can begin any journey you must know the destination you are seeking to arrive at. Success means different things to different people. For some its finishing college, getting married, moving into a new house or landing that dream job. Whatever your definition is you should write it down, so you can be very clear about what success means to you.

• Review your past - take a good look at how you were raised. What environment did you grow up in? Was it accepting or demanding? Did you feel like you were loved or that you had to prove that you were worthy of being loved? Even if you grew up in a performance driven environment but knew you were loved it can help you to strive towards being successful today.

• Examine your present situation - are you surrounded by people who are pushing towards success or are you around people who could care less about success? Show me your friends and I can predict what your future will probably look like. Hang around people who are looking to be successful and those who have already attained a certain level of success.

• What are you willing to sacrifice - you cannot be successful doing what you are doing when what you are doing has not produced success. If you always do what you have always done you will always have what you already have now. You must step out of the box and take a chance at being great. See yourself living the life you deserve to live and ask yourself "what must I do to become this person I envision?

http://www.thedavisgroupreteam.net - Jeffery Davis

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10352974

STOP NEGATIVE SELF TALK - Listen To This Everyday - Steve Harvey

 

Here's some great advice from Steve Harvey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWDo-y-tK7k

Life Is A Battle Against Yourself

Do you feel like you are demotivated? Or you feel like you are not the same person you used to be? You stop spending time with your friends. You feel empty. The emptiness you felt is draining and distracting you from that niggling drive to do nothing. 

Everyone is obsessed with their own problems in life. And now it seems, you're obsessed with yours. You feel guilty and your anger gives way to apathy. You cut them out because you think that they can't hurt you if you don't care about them. 

The hardest battle you will ever face is the war against yourself. You know you can win the battle! However, you kept telling yourself that you can't do it and it's too hard to accomplish. That you are not worthy or not good. You overthink yourself just to have a ton of excuses as to why you can't do things to improve yourself. 

You are the only person standing in the way of yourself. No one else. The key to unlocking that greatness is by becoming your own greatest ally. What you need to do is to accept that you have limitations. Apart from this, turn this fear as your inspiration to strive for more. 

Don't let your fears stop you. Be bold and relentless in attack your fears head-on. Win the battle against yourself and when you win that battle you will grow as a human being and achieve the life you want to have. You deserve so much in this world. You just need to stop letting your own foot get in the way. Again, be strong. It's okay to be afraid sometimes but never let it overpower you. 

To win the battle against yourself, you need to understand what do you want most in your life. Understand that the battle against yourself is the hardest battle. Your mind constantly makes up a mountain of excuses as to why you can't do that thing to keep you where you are. 

Because you are afraid of the change that will come from going after your dream. It doesn't matter whether the change will be good or bad when your ego is afraid to change. 

Do you know that successful people face their fears head-on and overcome them? They aren't afraid of change because they aren't controlled by fear! Unsuccessful people, on the other hand, allow fear to overcome them and hate when anything changes in their lives. 

Change is inevitable and the sooner we realize it, the better we will be. We cannot go after our dreams if we are afraid. It simply won't happen. You will constantly make up excuses as to why you can't do it or why you are not good. 

So, never let your fears stop you from achieving your dreams. You need to be relentless in attacking your fears head-on. That's the time when you can truly be successful, overcoming the battle against yourself!

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Rosemarie_Sumalinog_Gonzales/1972656

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey - Animated Book Summary

 

This is a great summary of Stephen Covey's great book 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktlTxC4QG8g

How To Be A More Productive Variant Of Yourself

I'm going to dwell on the topic of how to be more productive. A productive person has things going for him/her, has more time for himself/herself, and the rewards are disproportionate to the efforts put in. Life becomes easier and smoother, and everything falls into place. 

Focus on what is essential; cut out the trivial stuff. 

People have been shown to look busy doing something or the other, as our society values "busyness." However, less is more. The great economist Vilfredo Pareto demonstrated that 80% of your results come from 20% of the effort you put in. Identify and focus on the 20% in every area of your life. 

Keep the essential tasks for the time slot when you are full of energy. 

Identify the 3 to 5 most important "to get done tasks for the day," arrange them by priority, and tick them off when you do them. Even if you get two tasks done, you are on your way to progress. Please avoid more than five tasks to get done. You would end up doing nothing. When you put things down on paper, you would have the clarity as to what you need to do. "Think on paper." Mornings immediately after waking up are ideal for high energy output. 

Use the Do - Delegate - Defer - Dump method - "the formula" for everything you do. 

If you can do something which doesn't take time, but is essential, do it immediately (as it is crucial, you may still have to do it soon). Something is not vital, still needs to get done, and you have someone to help out - delegate it. If it is important, and you have the time to do it, defer it; set a reminder. If it is not essential and doesn't make any difference to your productivity, dump it. Be careful; categorize correctly. Do not discard the crucial things which can come back and bite you later. 

So, to become more productive, a few simple steps you could take would be to focus on what is important, and work in time slots (ideally a one-hour slot with 15 minutes rest afterward). Keep the most critical tasks for the period when you are full of energy, the mundane tasks for later, and use "the formula." 

The benefits of being more productive are: 

1. You would streamline your life. 

2. You would be stress-free. 

3. You would have more free time for yourself and your family. 

4. You would earn more.

5. You would have peace of mind. 

If the above benefits don't motivate you to take action in a relaxed manner, what else would? 

The baby steps you take today would lead to a bigger, better you, tomorrow. 

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Sandeep_Gopinath_Menon/2253590