[Sticky] Personal Development

Have you ever thought that there are some methods through which you can improve your study? If no, then this article is for you. In this article, you will learn scientifically proven tips to excel in your academic field.

Since childhood, we always have been given a lot of tips while studying. But we were always confused about which of those tips worked. This is because what is useful for us may not be necessarily useful for others. So a continuous worry always stayed in our mind that what should be the ideal method that we should follow to enhance our study.  This article presents such a scientific method through which we can study more effectively and smartly. Everyone works hard in their careers but only those succeed who work both in a hard and smart way. We need to always keep in mind that doing our study using the correct method will always keep us ahead of our competitors. So let us discuss 5 scientifically proven methods that will be beneficial for everyone.

1. Try to Avoid studying at Night.

Although some people may find it beneficial to study at night scientific studies suggest that we should avoid studying at night. This is because studying at night may cause sleep deprivation which may result in

• Causeless working memory
• Lowers your physical reaction time
• Increased tiredness
• Lowers brain functioning

So, it is always recommended that you should study as much as possible in the daytime and have a quality sleep at night.

2. Study in Chunks

In today’s world, both the attention and the concentration span of human beings have been reduced. So scientific researchers have found that it is always beneficial to study in chunks in comparison to study continuously for long hours.

According to the Pomodoro technique, you should study in a small session of 25-30 minutes and take a 5-minute break.  But there may arise a situation where you are not able to finish a topic in 25-30 minutes. So, this where the Zeigarnik effect comes into the picture. This effect says that people remember unclear or uncompleted tasks better than the completed or clear tasks.  Sitting for 6-8 hours at one place and studying is not a good idea. This is because in short sessions the brain can transmit more information through a synapse.

3. Keep Small Plans and Goals

How to eat an elephant? Cut it into several small pieces and then eat it. If you have a huge syllabus then don’t try to complete it in one go. There are chances that first, you will not be able to finish, and second, you won’t understand every topic if you put too much pressure on your brain. So, the best way out is to divide the full syllabus into several small sections according to your convenience. Then you can focus on finishing those small sections in several sessions. Make sure that in this small target, you can understand the topics so clearly that you can even teach the same to others.

After continuing in this method, you will see that you have finished your huge syllabus with proper understanding without much pressure.

4. Study table and Routine.

          Make a fixed routine of yours. It will be futile if one day you study seriously and for the next few days, you keep your books aside. Scientific studies have shown that students who follow and stick to one routine tend to be more disciplined and excel in studies as well as life.

5. FlashCards

Many students have the habit of highlighting some lines while studying. Their purpose of highlighting may be to revise those important lines later on. But scientific studies showed that our brain fails to reconnect too many highlighted lines at one go causing it to frighten. Thus, the best way out is flashcards. When you look at the front side of a flashcard and think of an answer, you are engaging a mental faculty known as active recall.

In this method, you are trying to recall the idea by looking at the scratch instead of looking for all the answers from the big paragraphs of the book. This helps in creating stronger neural connections. Also, flashcards are to the point and they also help you to practice faster.

So, from now on try to implement these tips in your daily study routine to get some amazing results. Everyone works hard but a majority of times only those succeeds who work smart. And for working smart you have to implement these methods. Implement all these scientific methods for at least one month and you will step ahead of others in the academic field.

If you found this article useful then don’t forget to share this with your friends and dear ones.

#digitalwritopreneurhub #studytips #improve_yourself #be_the_change

#motivation #life_goals #personality_development

7 Ways to Practice Gratitude that can Transform Your Life

Do you know the power of gratitude? Why you should feel grateful to God? For what all of us should feel grateful to God? Why there is an immense need to have an attitude of gratitude? Let’s learn how gratitude leads to a better life and a better world.

Gratitude is a feeling more than being thankful. It is a deeper feeling of appreciation for something or someone who helped you for. It produces positivity for long-lasting effects. Gratitude is not action only. It is a positive emotion that fulfils the biological purpose.

Gratitude is a selfless activity. It is an act of appreciation usually done unconditionally. Gratitude is also a powerful tool for firming up interpersonal relationships. People who are more willing to forgive others express their gratitude for each other. For example, if someone is sad and stressed out then write them a note of appreciation. You are expecting anything from that person instead, you are reminding them of their value, and expressing gratitude for their presence. At that moment, you are not expecting a return note from this person.

People expressing gratitude have more optimism in many areas of their lives, including health and exercise. When people are optimistic about their well-being and health, they live and support a healthy lifestyle. When gratitude becomes your default setting in your life, your life changes automatically. Here are few benefits of practising gratitude in life.

1. Increased Happiness and Positive Mood
2. More Satisfaction with Life
3. Less Materialistic
4. Less Likely to Experience Burnout
5. Better Physical Health
6. Better Sleep
7. Less Fatigue
8. Stronger Self-Control
9. Improved Optimism
10. Deeper Relationships
11. Enhanced Well-being

If all these benefits are important to you as well. Then there is a need to start practising gratitude. Let’s have a look at some simple ways to practising gratitude.

1. Write down in the Gratitude Journal: This is a wonderful habit of successful people. Always keep a gratitude journal with you. And start writing on it for 30 days. You need to specific about what you are thankful for. Within 30 days you will see a great change in your thoughts and behaviour. Soon you will realise it as a powerful tool.
2. Meditate: It is the habit to focus on a spirit of thankfulness. It is recommended to imagine yourself surrounded by blessings and like-minded people. You should use the 86400 seconds that God gave you as a unique gift today. All you need to do is to take few seconds from those to thank you, God.
3. Talk about it: It is very important to talk about what you are grateful for years. It will reinforce your positive feelings and emotions. Talking with self and others about your blessing will boost increase your happiness and boost mood.
4. Live in the present: It is suggested to leave the past and live in the present. The morning is the best time to start afresh for the day. Start practising yoga and meditation to allow yourself to calm your mind and connect with yourself. you will feel a great sense of gratitude for your life and feel positive and energetic throughout the day.
5. Help others: Giving a compliment or smiling at a stranger is another way to practise gratitude. These are the little things that can have the biggest and greatest impact on you. If you want to see a change in the world so start from yourself.
6. Spend more time with nature:  Spending time in nature is a beautiful way to connect back to yourself and what is important to you. Being in nature can have a positive impact on the brain, feelings and thoughts. There is a need to capture the micro-moments as they can help you cultivate the connection to yourself and the world
7. Smile more: Smile is a small word that can help you to live longer. What are the things that make you smile and happy? It may be writing a journal, the chirping of birds, walking in the rain etc. It varies from person to person. Sometimes we used to forget how quickly we can brighten someone’s day with just a simple smile. So, smile more and feel grateful to God that you are happy with your life.

Gratitude is the attitude that will lead to fortitude. We should focus on positive aspects and deal with the negative aspect of our lives.  Always count your blessing then name them one by one. Then you will realize that what God has given you, how much He has done for you.

To summarize, People who live with an attitude of gratitude are supposed to live longer and sleep better. They have increased productivity and happier lives. Always start your day with the activity of gratitude, the first thought will decide your whole day’s thoughts. Change your process of thoughts and feel a great change in your life. I hope you liked this article and loved the ways to practise gratitude. No more procrastination now. Start practising gratitude now and see a great power of gratitude that will transform your life in a short span. Please share your views and suggestions in comment.

Happy reading!!!

Written by: Ravinder Kaur, A homemaker turned Author and Digitalwritopreneur

#positivity #gratitude #transformation #rajindersoni #ravinderkaur #digitalwritopreneurhub

How to Improve and Manage Self- Image that Works Best for You?

 Do you know how your image will impact your progress? What exactly are the benefits of image management? What is the ABCD of Image management?

Image management is necessary for life, business and leadership skill. The way you think, feel, act and behave will decide your image. It is important to project your authentic self, who you are and what you stand for. It describes your personality, values, attitudes and interests. Make your image work for you. Self-Image Management is the ongoing process of evaluating and controlling the impact of an individual’s appearance and interpersonal skills. Creating an authentic personal image will increase your confidence, credibility and productivity. It will contribute to continuing success and simplifies your life. Self-image helps in various ways like,

• It differentiates you from the competitors.
• It increases your credibility in the world.
• It acts as a communication tool as it sends out the message about you to the world.
• It improves self-confidence and self-esteem.
• It helps to develop a unique personal brand.
• It creates new opportunities for personal and professional growth.

 Let’s have a look at all the elements of the image – from the inside, out! 

1. Appearance: how you dress and how you groom yourself. What kind of persona you are creating for yourself, what kind of personality you are will reveal from your image? The appearance comes from your clothing styles. It is recommended to use a mix of evergreen light and sharp colours.
2. Behaviour: How you behave or treat others. It is all about your etiquettes, dining etiquettes and how you talk on social media. Your behaviour will be right in one country but will be wrong in other countries’ perspective.
3. Communication: communication is not about the English language. It is all about your ability to express your ideas and thoughts in clear and easy to understand. Sometimes your body language communicates a lot. It is recommended to have a command of one regional and one common language with a very good knowledge of body language.
4. Digital Presence: Today, everyone is using digital media to express their ideas and thoughts. It is of utmost importance to post the right kind of content on the right social media platform to create your right image and persona.

There are some ways that can help to improve your self-image. I would love to share some of those and hope you will try and see a change in yourself.

1. Visualise yourself: Visualisation has the immense power to achieve anything in life. Always allow yourself for ten to fifteen minutes to visualise what you want to have and do. Once you start visualising yourself it means you achieved that thing fifty per cent as your subconscious mind will start working on that.
2. Send non-verbal gestures: Smile is one of the non-verbal gestures which brings positivity and confidence. How you talk, walk and dress will send you the message of yourself as well to the external world.
3. Read a lot: There is a need to learn at every stage of life. Life teaches you all the time but you need to learn from the life of yours and others. Once you start reading books you will start learning and living life to the fullest. Reading will change your self-image. There is one of the best books you can read is ‘Psycho-Cybernetics’ by Maxwell Maltz. This book is all about improving your self-image.
4. Dress for success: The whole game-changer is how you dress. You need to dress to a level that fits your budget. Your dress should be appropriate to the occasion and situation.
5. Say yes to you: This is another miraculous method to improve your self-image. Start saying yes to new opportunities and experiences to explore the world. It will help you to come out of your comfort zone.
6. Act like your role model: To improve your self-image you need to act like your role model, follow his habits and follow his behaviour. Once you change your self you will attract what you want in your life.

When you start visualising yourself and plant the seeds in your subconscious mind, it changes your vibration. It automatically changes the circumstances in your life. Sooner, you will see a fruitful result in yourself. There is a need to build the image you want now and develop the mental strength to hold it. This is your life and just discipline yourself to do it.

To summarise, Image is the impact you leave on the minds of people you talk with and connect with. It is all about the way you talk, the way you act, the way you behave and the way you speak. Your image acts as an important role in helping you reach your success goals. It is very important to distinguish yourself from others and maintain a competitive edge. You need to be aware of the messages you are sending through your image. So, what are you waiting for? Start focussing on your digital image and create authority in the physical and digital world. Follow these four elements of Image Management and see the impact of image on your success and USP (Unique Selling Proposition). I hope you liked this article. Please put your precious inputs regarding the image in the comment box.

Written by: Ravinder Kaur, A homemaker turned Author and Digitalwritopreneur

#image #behaviour #rolemodel #rajindersoni #ravinderkaur #digitalwritopreneurhub

Power of Habits That Keep You More Confident in Life

Do you think you might lose confidence in public? Are you looking for some tips on how to be confident? What are the signs of the lack of confidence in people? If you want the answer to these questions then read this article and analyze yourself to improve.

Many of us have refined habits in our lives that damage our self-confidence. If you are interested to identify and eliminate those confidence-killing habits, you will find that you are naturally more confident than you realize. There are various areas where we want to feel more confident, like during an interview, to start a new venture, to learn something new language or skill, etc.

A confident behaviour is a result of the actions on your ideas despite feeling afraid. There is a need to focus on identifying and undoing the habits in your life that are declining your confidence. Signs of low confidence are:

• You never focus on self-care.
• You have a poor posture
• You don’t like to go out alone.
• You apologize for minor things.
• You always seek validation from others.

Low self-confidence can have a dramatic effect on life. It will keep you in the comfort zone and not take risks in life. But over time, you will lose your motivation to learn new things which can also decline self-esteem. Here are some tips to follow to keep your confidence in high spirits.

1. Emotions are the game-changer: Confidence depends on emotions. It will act as a game-changer for all. If you ask someone out despite feeling anxious or being afraid of getting criticized, you will start to feel more confident. You don’t have direct control over how you feel in all life situations.
2. You are not a clown: Your duty is to keep yourself happy rather than pleasing others. But when you prioritize other people’s wants and needs before your own, you train your mind to undervalue itself. People are even not happy with the Almighty. We are human beings and not the clown to making others happy. The best way to boost your confidence is to ask yourself about what you want to do and say no to things that you don’t want.
3. Future is uncertain: It is useful to anticipate problems so we can address them before they happen. Life is an uncertain journey as the future. Never focus on the future just live in the present moment. Your present is more beautiful than your past. If you want to feel confident you must accept the fact that life is uncertain same as the future. There are some things that we can’t control or understand. Overthinking and worrying will never change that. It is better to face your fear of uncertainty with confidence.
4. Don’t carry heavy baggage: When you carry loads of your past in your present you will miss the enjoyment of the present. You will waste your time and energy on the things which you can’t change. Always accept that there is no chance to change the past and you will have an easier time letting go of your tendency to dwell there. Always live in the present and enjoy your present will keep you more confident.
5. Develop your willpower: Willpower is the only skill that will focus you to work towards the goals with the right motivation. Even if you lack confidence, your willpower will motivate you to work towards the goals. There is a need to switch your thinking to why you want it, what happens when you get it and how you will get it. Once you switch your thinking on these questions you will get plans for these and feel more confident to achieve these.  

 Good posture will give you more confidence as a straight back will learn easily than a bent back. You have the fear of going out alone will show your lack of confidence as your self-doubt will limit you to stay in your comfort zone. Respect your boundaries where you want to go and work is another sign of confidence. Start taking responsibility for your actions and behaviour. There is a need to develop healthy habits to prioritize self-love and self-care.

To summarise, not only lack of confidence can harm us mentally, but it also grips us back from life experiences. Following few tips to boost confidence, we can become happier, healthier, and more stable individuals. Confident people are earning more name, fame, and money in life. They are all around happier and healthier people. There is a solution to every problem in life as there is no lock made without the key. Once you start focus on transforming yourself from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. Just take your first step to transform yourself and you will feel more and more confident with each positive step. I hope you loved this article to keep yourself confident. I would appreciate your steps to change your habits. Please share your views in the comment box.

Written by: Ravinder Kaur, A homemaker turned Author and Digitalwritopreneur

#habits #confidence #emotions #rajindersoni #ravinderkaur #digitalwritopreneurhub

How to be Happy in Life?

 Are you happy with your life? Are you content with your life? Do you still try something to achieve to gain name and fame? Do you know the ways how to be happy in life and with life? If not then you are at the right place to know the various ways to be happy in life.

Happiness is the only secret sauce that helps us to do our best. Happiness is the emotion that describes various signals to human beings like, you are satisfied with your life. Happiness means different things to different people. It may be learning how to live with yourself that is never in the hands of other people. Never allow others to drive your life in their way. Always try to be a good driver of your life, only you know where you want to take your life towards. It was always about you. If you want to be happy then give up everything that keeps you upset and stressed, it may be things, relations, or person.

Happiness is listening to your heart and following wherever it chooses to go. You are living the life you wanted to live, accomplishing what you wanted in life, you are feeling more positive than negative. True happiness can only be achieved by doing things that you enjoy or love to do. It may be connecting with like-minded people. There are various ways to stay happy in life as it comes your way.

1. Meditation: It helps to cultivate the habit of mindfulness. It reduces daily stress and brings out inner peace. It gives you calm, peace, silence, and ultimately happiness.
2. Focus on breathing pattern: Breathing is also one of the techniques of meditation. It is a natural function. There is a need to focus all your attention on your breathing. It is recommended in meditation to concentrate on the feelings as you inhale and exhale. Breathing patterns will help you to focus on yourself and your happiness.
3. Experience the pleasure: Always use your five senses to experience the pleasure. You should see the beauty of nature through flowers, snow-cladded mountains. You can feel the aroma of your favourite food, feel the touch of water on your feet. You can hear the chirping sounds of birds. When you will experience pleasure with your senses, it will boost your mood and happiness.
4. Be in the present: There is a need to realize that peace comes from the alignment with the present. There is an immense need to relax and rejuvenate rather than focusing on the past and coming future. Never carry the baggage of past worries as it will waste your present time and energy.
5. Offer Gratitude: Keeping a gratitude list is a relatively easy, affordable, simple, and pleasant way to boost your mood. It is suggested that set aside a few minutes each night to write down or think about things in your life that you are grateful for. Offer gratitude to all the things that you have like, water, air, food, home, a great loving, and caring family. People who offer gratitude usually have more positive emotions, increased happiness, and improved life satisfaction.
6. Be Compassionate: Living a life being compassionate is a practice and sometimes you don’t feel like participating. Allow yourself to take a break and work on self-compassion as this is the reason you aren’t feeling compassionate towards others. Our acts of compassion trigger the pleasure sensors in our brain. Being emphasize is one of the ways to be compassionate.
7. Stop Overthinking: Overthinking is the biggest enemy of happiness. Overthinking is not permanent as this mental habit and can be broken with the practice of mindfulness. There is a need to identify the bad habits that steal your happiness and leads you to overthink. Remember that no one else is responsible for your happiness so don’t allow overthinking to spoil your happiness in any way.

It is important to consider that the state of being happy is about more than just wearing a smile, making friends, caring about others. It is about choosing. Happiness is a choice to engage yourself to promote the behaviour that positively influences your life as well as the lives of those around you. Happy people live longer and are somewhat protected against some diseases.

To summarize, what do you think, is it must be happy in life? Why be happy? Only happy people see the world as a good place to enjoy the present moment more fully. They will typically have a few more moments in their lifespans to enjoy. Be happy. It’s what brings our lives to life! Happiness is not a destination; it is a journey of emotions and feelings. Always educate your kids to be happy rather than to be rich. Be a good human being, it will give you immense pleasure. I hope you liked my article and the ways to be happy with life. I would love to hear from you the ways you love the most. Please share your views in the comment box.

Written by: Ravinder Kaur, A homemaker turned Author and Digitalwritopreneur

#life #overthinking #compassion #gratitude #rajindersoni #ravinderkaur #digitalwritopreneurhub

How Self-Determination is Important in Life and Success?

Why and how is determination important in life and success? What are the qualities of self-determined people? Is there a need to promote self-determination in life?

 Determination is the key to success in life. If you want to create a difference in your life, there is a need to be determined and focused on the goals of your life. There are various inspiring examples of determination who paved the way to success just because of their grit and determination like Albert Einstein and Edison. The path to success is not easy. But you can make the tough journey bearable by being determined and focusing on your goals with your consistent efforts. This is the rationale why we should not underestimate the power of determination in life. It encourages you to dream bigger and achieve more.

Determination is a strong trait of having clearly defined goals. It is a desire with an intent to achieve these goals despite any life obstacles. When you are determined to do something that you have conceived your goals in your mind. You will be able to focus all your energy on working to achieve those goals. But when you are not determined it will be difficult to focus on your goals and will make you take a U-turn. Your determined behaviour can make you unable to see the difficulties in your path.

Self-determination is a vital concept that refers to the ability of every individual to create choices and manage life. This ability plays a crucial role in psychological health and mental well-being. It allows people to feel that they need control over their choices and lives. It also has an impact on motivation. People with self-determined behaviour feel more motivated to take action when they feel that what they do will affect their outcomes.

The concept of self-determination has been applied to all areas like education, work, parenting, exercise, and health. High self-determination can foster success in different domains of life.

To improve your self-determination, it is helpful to believe about what a highly self-determined individual might look like. People who are high in self-determination tend to:

Have high self-motivation: People with high determination don’t require any external motivation to take action. They engage in behaviours because they are good at setting goals and working toward those aims. They focus on the positive affirmations that they assigned to themselves in life

Have full control over life:  It is believed that people with high self-determination have full control over their lives. They have an internal locus of control and feel that their behaviours will influence outcomes and results. People with high determination feel that they can overcome life challenges through their diligence, good choices, and hard work. 

Decide their actions related to goals: People with high determination will plan their tasks and take action that will lead to the achievement of their goals. They intentionally keep themselves engaged in the actions that are best for their goals.

Take responsibility for actions: Highly self-determined people take credit for success as they also accept the blame for their failures too. So, taking responsibility for good and bad behaviour will help you achieve success in life.

Being self-determined, feeling like you have the autonomy and freedom to make choices that shape your destiny, is vital for every person’s well-being. When you pursue fundamentally motivated things that are aligned with your goals, you will feel happier and more capable of making good choices.

The self-determined behaviour of people suggests that they are motivated to grow and changed by their psychological needs. People can become competent and of autonomous authority once take responsibility for their behaviour.  Imagine an employee who fails to complete a project within the deadline. If he is highly determined, he will admit his inefficient behaviour and will do something to fix the problem as soon as possible. Social support, social environment and mastery over skills will keep the person motivated and energetic. These are the important components of self-determined behaviour. These will open up more growth opportunities. The more you learn new skills, the more determined you will become in your life to achieve success.

For me, determination works as an energy tonic to work continuously towards the goal. It is my high self-determined behaviour in life that keep me going in all spheres of life without stopping. It keeps me motivated and pushes me during tough times in life. That is the reason why after 14 years of my marriage I still pursuing my long-term goals.

To summarise, Determination is vital for success in life. It is the ability that keeps you going to achieve your desired goal even when hit by obstacles in life. It will increase your chances of achieving success in life. If I can achieve success being a homemaker for 14 years then what are you waiting for. Tighten your seat belts and be ready with your determined behaviour to start your new journey of success. I hope this article motivated you a lot. I would like to see your achievements in the comment box. Please shares your achievements of determined behaviour.

Written by: Ravinder Kaur, A homemaker turned Author and Digitalwritopreneur

#life #determination #success #failures #rajindersoni #ravinderkaur #digitalwritopreneurhub

Boost Your Productivity Starting Right Now

To achieve double your current output in half the time.

To have enough time for work, rest, enjoyment, meditation, and all your precious hobbies.

To achieve your goals and have the most fulfilling life.

That is the promise of enhanced productivity.  What if I were to tell you that there are some simple techniques that can help you 10x your productivity, would you be interested?

Here is the deal.  You read the article and apply one technique starting today. Every week you add one more technique to your kitty and implement it religiously.

 By the end of a couple of months, you will surprise yourself. You can thank me later.

1. Maintain an Activity and Time Log 

You can include this in your journal or maintain a separate book for the same. Every two hours list down all the activities that you perform and how much time each takes.

Add comments – for eg., this activity was disturbed because I had to attend to a bunch of calls or this article took longer because I was ideating and I kept getting sidetracked.

Do this for two weeks straight. You’ll get to know all your patterns.

2. Reflect, Classify and Plan out

Now that you know your activities, you can reflect on

• What are the key activities and how much time they are taking up?
• Activities that figure low on the important list and yet take a bunch of time for e.g. checking social media feeds.
• Which is the most productive time of the day for you?
• Which is the least productive time for you?
• Top 5 activities which are aligned to your different goals.

3. Technique #1 Pomodoro Technique

This technique dates back to the ’90s and is attributed to Francesco Cirillo. This is ideal to keep you in a deeply focused state when you are working on something. This is how it works.

20 minutes of deep focussed work with the timer on and notifications off and 5 minutes of break after. Rinse and repeat.

Tweak this technique to suit your personal experience. There are some who adapt it to 50-10 as one generally gets into a state of flow after the first 20 minutes and you don’t want to break the state. Modify it to suit your needs.

4. Technique #2 The 80-20 Rule or Pareto Rule

The 80:20 rule is actually an economic rule. Vilfred Pareto an Italian economist found that 20% of the Italian population owned 80% of the wealth of the nation. When he went to his garden, he noticed there too that 20% of the plants had 80% of the pea pods. Eventually, this rule found applications everywhere.

Thanks to your activity journal, you know which are the top 20% of the activities getting your most vital results. Now pursue these activities at your most productive hours. What is less important can be delegated or deleted or minimized.

5. Technique #3 The 90-90-1

This is a technique advocated by Robin Sharma. This is a high laser-sharp focus approach.

Here you choose one crucial activity and for the next 90 days, for the first 90 minutes of the day when you are at the highest state of concentration and energy you pursue that one task. This will fetch you your best results in the most important activity. This, he says is the key to mastery. I repeat 90 minutes, 90 days, your one most important task.

6. Practice #1 Emotional Management

How can you be at your productive best when you getting angry, irritated, distracted, or confused at frequent intervals. Let me give you an analogy.

 Could Usain Bolt have become the Champion we know him to be if he were thinking about something at the time of the race? Surely no. Similarly, you need to keep your emotions at bay for a while to 10x your productivity.

Regular practice of Meditation, Mindfulness, Yoga, and Pranayama can work wonders in this regard.

7. Practice #2 De-addict Yourself from Distractions

Study your distractions. Social media figures on everybody’s list of distractions. While you are practicing the techniques mentioned above, put the phone on silent or better still, the airplane mode.

For a day a week and a couple of hours a day, in the waking hours that is- caught you, didn’t I – go social media free. This will help you build your focus and willpower muscle at the same time.

8. Practice #3 Surround yourself with the right people

How many times have you heard that,

‘You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with’

Choose peers who are inspired and who pull you up. If that be difficult, at the very minimum join groups with high performers and read and listen to strong, powerful stuff.

Enhancing your productivity to 10x levels isn’t very difficult. Start maintaining your activity log, analyze, and then start with the techniques and practices. Soon you might the person that people want to hang out with to improve their productivity.

Please write and do tell me which technique and practice seem suited to you. I would love to hear from you!

Written by: sowspeaks

                   Sowrabha Mahesh, Happy member of Digital Writopreneurs Hub

#sowspeaks #sowrabhamahesh #writingcontest #digitalwritopreneurshub #productivityboost

From Failure to Success __________________ Bridging the Gap

To be successful is a dream that all of us have. In careers, relationships, business. While some struggle to attain success, others seem to attract success where ever they go. They attain it so easily that it looks like they are plain lucky.

But is it really so?

Have you ever wondered about it?

Actually, success is the visible part of the iceberg.  There is a lifetime of work underneath. Work on beliefs and mindsets.

The truth of the human condition is that if it is possible for one, it can be replicated by others too. Isn’t that why motivational books and speakers do so well.

IT IS POSSIBLE FOR EVERYONE TO CHANGE THEIR WAY TO SUCCESS.

So, let us dive deep in and look at the bottom of the iceberg.

1. Secret #1———–Mindset

Success does not relate to the word failure. It only sees learning, growth and new possibilities. If Edison had stopped at failure, we would still be sitting in darkness.

So the next time you fail, ask yourself

• Why did this not work?
• What can be done differently?
• How would my idol/hero do it?
• What can I learn and grow from this?

               Dust yourself, seek the answers and keep going.  Success psychology calls this the growth mindset as opposed to the fixed mindset.

2. Secret #2 ———– Decisions

Success favours those who are quick at making decisions. The really rich are known to make decisions involving millions in a few minutes. This is not to say they are that they are hasty decisions takers. They just intuitively know that when they defer a decision, that also is a decision but they have lost their personal power.

‘ Not making a decision is also a decision, but a bad one

There is enough research in neuroscience to prove that the reptilian brain in us sees everything as a threat and believes in keeping us safe. That is why we feel uncomfortable when faced with anything new and out of our comfort zone.

So ask yourself these questions,

• Why am I afraid to take this decision?
• What am I really afraid of?
• What is the best that can happen if I were to take this decision?
• What is the worst that can happen if I make this decision?
• Why don’t I just try this once and see what happens?

         So learn to take decisions within a short time frame. As you make decisions, you will become better and better at it. And once you do make a decision, put your total energy behind it.

3. Secret #3————–The Power Of Choice

 Often times, it looks like things are happening to us. And we feel powerless. But success is partial to those who retain their greatest power- the power to choose.

Nowhere does it come out more strongly than in the life of Viktor Frank. His book ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ highlights this so well. Victor Frankl, a reputed psychiatrist is forced into a concentration camp by the Nazis, a plight shared by millions of Jews. He could have given up in those utterly hopeless circumstances. Even in his darkest moments, he chose hope, humanity and sanity. 

Eventually, he became one of the lucky few to escape death and became the founding father of Logotherapy.

No matter how bad, frustrating and impossible the circumstances seem, ask yourself

• What is still in my control?
• What are the choices I have at the moment?
• What will be the likely outcome of each of the choices?
• Who will my choices impact?
• What will be the best outcome of my choice?
• What will be the worst outcome of my choice?

 4. Secret #4————-Clarity

Rich, successful people are sometimes resented by those less successful. They seem to have it all wealth, vacations in exotic locations with family and friends, good health and the abundance to contribute to worthy causes.  It seems so unfair. On the other hand, are people working and wearing themselves out.

The reason is actually quite simple. They are very clear about their priorities and they choose a life of balance where they can have it all.

Can you see how all the secrets are interplaying?

Can you say this about yourself?

• Are you clear about your goals?
• Are you clear about the important aspects of your life?
• Do you even believe that it is possible to have it all?

5. Secret #4————-Flexibility

The really successful wilfully adopt -as opposed to endowed- a growth mindset. But equally important, they cultivate a flexible mindset. If something doesn’t quite work out, they are open to change. If a decision backfires, they quickly take another one.

And thanks to this ability, they become mentally very nimble, agile and young at heart.

Amitabh Bachchan is a classic example. In his heydays, he owned the ‘angry young man’ title. Then when he was over his prime, he ventured into business. It seemed like a sure shot success and yet he lost.

 He came out and restarted his career as a host with KBC, one of the first movie actors to turn to the small screen. The show was a runaway hit and soon many other big-time heroes took to hosting on the small screen. He was the trendsetter. To date, he remains a bankable star and roles are tailor-made for him.

‘Fortune favours the brave,

Success favours the flexible’

So now you know all the secrets of the successful. All you need to do is to cultivate a growth mindset, learn to take faster decisions, exercise your power of choice no matter how hopeless the situation may seem, get crystal clear about your priorities and become nimble and flexible.

Success is as much your birthright but you have to chase it. Now that you know the secrets, apply it, bridge the gap and move onto the shore of success.

Written by: sowspeaks

                   Sowrabha Mahesh, Happy member of Digital Writopreneurs Hub

#sowspeaks #sowrabhamahesh #writingcontest #digitalwritopreneurshub #successsecrets

#bridgethegap  #rajindersoni

The Top 4 Practices to Adopt for a Meaningful & Fulfilling Life

As humans, happiness is our innate state of being. Everything that we do is geared towards this objective and yet we fail to achieve it. And sometimes, even when we do, we are not aware that we are! Why? Because we are busy using someone else’s standards to measure our happiness.

And sometimes, we believe that if we achieve a certain goal we will be happy and reach there only to know that we pursued the wrong goal all along. Or even that the goal did not give us the deep sense of fulfillment that we thought it would.

Are there any practices that can help us find meaning and enable us to lead a richer and more fulfilling life?

Practice #1 – Meditation

Everybody talks about meditation. But only a small percentage practices it sincerely. Meditation is not simply a breathing practice though it is one aspect of it. There are a number of meditation practices and to deeply benefit from it one needs to consider being initiated by a Guru or Master.

 A regular, sincere, devoted practice of meditation can help one increase in self-awareness, the first stepping stone for any inward growth

Self-awareness enhances clarity. This clarity enables one to throw light on the dark areas of one’s own personality. We also become a little more pliable and find it easier to bring about positive self-change.

As an obvious by-product, we become more healthy and harmonious. Our emotions start becoming clearer and so does our energy. Obviously, we start attracting better people and experiences into our life.

Practice #2 – Gratitude

Gratitude practices have caught on in the last decade. But it is actually nothing new. All religions have this element inbuilt in them.

Gratitude journaling is one part of the practice. This entails writing down everything that you are grateful for. You can do this at night but some prefer to start their mornings with this.

Add more and more elements of gratitude into your daily life. Be thankful for the food you eat and express it. Be thankful for all the little and big things that happen over the day.

Slowly, you will wake up to all the good things that are actually happening around you. An even bigger plus is that you will start looking for the good in even the worst. This is a huge positive shift.

There was research some years back which said that we remember the negative more, because the brain thinks harder on it, in order to avoid such situations in the future. In the process, we further strengthen those connections in the brain. That is the reptilian brain always on the lookout for lurking danger.

A Gratitude practice works on similar lines, only now we are dwelling on the positive and strengthening those memories and networks in the brain.

Practice # 3 – Your Self-talk

How are you talking to yourself? Really! Are you motivating or do you let yourself down often? Do you say mean things to yourself and hurt yourself.

For the next week watch your vocabulary to yourself. Do you keep saying?

 ‘What an idiot I am,

‘I am bad at maths,

‘I am a bad singer’

‘I am depressed’

 ‘I am unhappy’

‘I am so clumsy’

I AM and what you add after it – is/becomes- your identity. Don’t you say  ‘ I am _____’ and add your name?

When you add a negative adjective, you are strengthening that identity. And then you say that things never seem to work for me. Ignorance is bliss, but here it is dangerous.

 So the next time, change and instead say ‘That was a stupid thing to say’,’ I am getting better and better at this.

Become your own fulfillment coach with this one practice.

Make your self-talk work. For you.

Practice # 4 – Understand your Hormones

There are several glands in the body and they produce hormones that act as messengers and are responsible for so many of our emotions. Among other things, the body is also a chemical cocktail. And an excess or a deficiency of these chemicals can impact the body, moods, and emotions in so many ways.

The happy hormones are Dopamine, Serotonin, Oxytocin, and Endorphin. When they are balanced, you sleep well, learning, memory, and moods are well regulated and you feel good and strong(thanks to the improved immunity).

The stress hormones are cortisol and epinephrine and these are secreted by the body to help handle stress. But if secreted on a regular basis, they can make you anxious, depressed, weaken your immunity and make your body susceptible to a number of diseases, especially autoimmune diseases.

There is no rocket science to keeping these hormones in their right place. Our ancestors have been doing it for millennia. Healthy wholesome food, water, sunlight, meaningful activity, higher purpose, strong relationships, and spiritual strength.

A deep sincere immersion into the above practices might not materialize a genie. But might help in opening an inner dimension inside you so that you come to become your own genie.

If this article appealed to you, do drop in a comment and share your personal practice.

Written by: sowspeaks

                   Sowrabha Mahesh, Happy member of Digital Writopreneurs Hub

#sowspeaks #sowrabhamahesh #writingcontest #digitalwritopreneurshub #top4practices

Organize Your Life the Easy Way – Steps and Strategies

Do you find yourself frequently searching for something, be it a bill, an important document, prescription slip, your keys, etc.?

Do you find yourself frequently feeling confused, stressed, and messed up?

Do you find yourself unable to strike a balance between all the aspects of your life?

If you answered yes to even two of the above, then it is time to bring some organization into your life.

Organization, according to the Oxford Dictionary is ‘to arrange in an orderly way.

So, what happens when you do get organized?

You not only save on but also free up your energy, time, and space to its higher possibilities and can focus on your goals and the bigger picture in your life.

You also feel a lot more clarity and this positively impacts every aspect of your life.

Step 1:  

This step is never about organizing but getting your highest values and priorities right. What are the aspects of life that matter to you? In my case, I have four of them.

• Spiritual
• Relationships
• Health
• Finances

Understanding this helps in taking all vital decisions including decisions around organizing.

Step 2:  

There are four key elements that we need to organize and they are

• Time
• Space
• Gadgets
• Mind and energy

I include gadgets as we spend considerable amount of time on our gadgets. It is almost like a second home and can get just as cluttered.

Now let us look at strategies to manage each.

Strategies to Organize time

• Understanding how your time is spent.
• Prioritizing and evaluating which are the most important activities.
• The most personally productive hours of the day go for performing the most important activities.
• While performing the activities, gadgets on a no-notification mode to minimize distraction.
• Learning self-management skills so that you can say no when you need to, can effectively delegate non-vital activities, and tweak and retweak your way to the perfect schedule for you.
• Create morning and night rituals so that certain activities run on autopilot and you save time thereby.

I am including the link to an article that I wrote on how to save two hours a day.

Strategies to Organize Space:

Space refers to your home, workspace in your office, your closet, and basically all the areas you inhabit and are in charge of, which affect your productivity and your internal state of mind.

• The best tip here is a place for everything and everything in its place
• Assign a proper space for all your key activities- work, cook, exercise, pray, entertain. Ensure that you stick to these areas for these activities.
• Similarly, have a proper filing system for all your paperwork and documentation. And after using a paper, put it back in its place within five minutes.
• Where ever possible, have a digital copy of important documents and bills which is cloud accessible. An interesting research in Microsoft showed that managers waste as much as 6 weeks a year searching for paperwork. This was in the late ’90s.
• On a monthly basis, do a decluttering of your closet and your paperwork and other key spaces. A pile-up of the same otherwise can clutter your space and drain your energy.

Strategies to Organize Gadgets:

• At frequent intervals, declutter your gadgets, drive, and hard disk so that you have only what you need.
• Remove all the apps that you no longer use.
• Use folders to organize your apps and other files.

Strategies to Organize Mind and Energy:

• The best way to organize the mind is through journaling, mediation, and the practice of mindfulness. As we grow in self-awareness through these practices, it becomes possible to create lasting change.
• We think anywhere between 60000- 80000 thoughts in a day and if by adopting these practices we are able to bring down the quantum of thoughts, what a relief it will be.
• Good sound sleep helps your brain process all the new information and learning and pretty much clean up all the brain.
• It requires energy to do anything. If all your time is spent in storing and maintaining things what a loss it would be! Remember this principle the next time you make a purchase. Ask yourself – Is this useful in the long term? Does this give me joy?
• To this end, at least in one aspect of your life, go minimalist.

Remember not to get over obsessed with getting organized and make it an end result by itself. After all, it is meant to serve a higher purpose.

Through this article, I have covered the key aspects of having a more organized life. First, you decide as to what are the areas of life that matter. Then you look at organizing your time, space, gadgets, mind, and energy. This is a holistic approach to organizing.

Where do you think you should do the most organizing for a start- time, space, gadgets, mind, or energy? Add your replies. And share it with anybody you think would benefit. Eager to hear from you!

Written By – sowspeaks

                     Sowrabha Mahesh, Happy member of the Digital Writopreneurs Hub

#digitalwritopreneurshub #sowspeaks #writingcontest #sowrabhamahesh #organizeyourlife

Time Management Made Easy – 8 Strategies That Can Save 2 Hours Every Day

Actually, I was lying. Maybe you can save more. I saved 2 hours per day by implementing these strategies. 

A lot of thinkers and speakers assert that you cannot really manage time. After all, we all have the same 24 hours. Nothing less. Nothing more.

Still, some have lives rich with accomplishments and experiences, and others with very little to show outside and a sense of emptiness inside. So what differentiates the two?

One defining factor is the way they master themselves in order to manage time.

But, guess what, you can do it too!  Because it all boils down to actions they take. So let us dive in.

# 1 First Things First

Do you have strong, compelling goals? You probably just asked, what has that got to do with time management? But it has! Because unless you gave such a goal, you wouldn’t have the clarity required to make the decisions needed to manage your time. And also the reason to jump out of bed.

Having goals is about creating priorities. When you have to decide between two uses of your time, your priorities will help make a better decision.

#2 Learn to Say No

This comes as a natural consequence. How many times have you said yes, when inside you were saying no?

When you have clarity, it becomes easier to say no. Now, nobody can draw you into a project that means little to you but will suck all of your energy.

#3 Work on Your Beliefs

This is again a big one. For e.g. if one of the beliefs you have goes like this – It is wrong to say no- you will end up feeling guilty and running yourself down on the rare occasions when you do say no.  

You might similarly have other beliefs, which are making it difficult to manage time. Sample this

• Nobody matches my standards, therefore I do everything myself.
• I have to work really hard to make this work. (Remember working hard takes much longer than working smart).

 Time to correct your beliefs and start real self and time management.

#4 Learn to Delegate

Sometimes, you are better off delegating a particular task. If you feel that you are the best person to do the task, then train the person you are delegating to, and clearly communicate the outcome and expectations. Then sit back and trust and put your time to better use.

This will help you overcome overwhelm when there are way too many items on your to-do list. This also frees your energy and time for bigger and better things.

#5 Study Your Own Time Wasters

Step 1– Create a time logbook

Step 2– For a whole week, note down how you are spending every hour. Go into mini details.

Step 3 – Study this in detail to understand which are your most productive hours, when and how do you waste the most time, which tasks take up the most time, which tasks get done fast

Step 4 – Apply the strategies taught in this article and try to tweak your schedule to extract the maximum work from each hour.

#6 Remember to Relax and Recharge

Frequently we get so caught up in our to-do lists that the day becomes all about work, work, and work.  In all the hurry, burry and busy-ness of activity, we forget to relax and spend time with family, recharge with our hobbies and also pursue health goals.

Remember to make time for these as well. It both balances your life and helps you work with greater vigor.

#7 Don’t Cry Over Spilt Milk

If you have wasted an hour, say on social media, and then spent another two hours cursing yourself for having wasted your time, you know what I am referring to.

Sometimes, we get so upset and disappointed with ourselves that the rest of the day goes down the drain. What started as simply an hour has now extended to a whole day.

Time to get over that mindset. Learn and practice being kind to yourself on such occasions. Also gently nudge yourself towards getting back into the flow and on track. One hour lost is not a day lost. 

#8 TA Strategy

In the initial part of the article, we discussed how time management is actually about self-management. Nowhere does it make more sense than here.

For e.g. you know Facebook is your weakness and you get endlessly lost in the feeds. Here you apply your TA which is the acronym for your Temptation Avoidance Strategy. One of the ways of dealing with this is to not download the app on either your phone or your laptop but simply see it on your browser.

You could also set a timer while watching Facebook and the minute it goes off, time to quit. But here you are confronting your temptation. Better to avoid it, instead.

Similarly understand and make a list of all your temptations from your time log study and then create a tailor-made strategy to avoid each of them.

By implementing the above strategies, you will be able to extract extra juice from each hour and also save an additional 2 hours or more per day. Every day. Achieving your daily goals is only a short distance away. The guiding statement for time management is —

‘You cannot create more time, you can waste less time’

If you found this article useful and the steps actionable, please do add your comments and suggestions. Let us all learn from each other!

Written By:  sowspeaks

                  Sowrabha Mahesh, Happy member of Digital Writopreneurs Hub

#sowspeaks #sowrabhamahesh #writingcontest #digitalwritopreneurshub #savetime8strategies

Money: How to develop a money-making mindset

Do you have a money block in your life? Do you want to break through this block and generate money? Do you want to know how you can shift your mindset?

What is money-mindset? Money can be defined by different people in a different manner. Depending on your upbringing, childhood, family habits, who you are, what do you want in life, and life’s standards and accordingly, you will start working on generating money.

From your parents, you developed this mindset of how to save and spend money. The way your parents did you learned the same model for yourself. It is your belief and attitude towards money that drive your decision to handle money and reach financial goals in life.

Being at home, how your parents run the finances you might have understood the meaning of hard-earned money. When you got admitted to college, you started doing a part-time job, then you must have realized the real value of money when you earn yourself. At the time of marriage, things change now you know when the family grows the need for more money rises.

To have a money-making mindset, you should have the right attitude, an urge to do something, and a goal in life. You should be internally motivated at all times by tweaking the direction of your thoughts and reading positive affirmations. Because of this inner strength, hope, and faith you can rise above any difficulty.

How to start the process of developing a money-making mindset

1. Write your goals

As Earl Nightingale says in The Strangest Secret  “You become what you think about.”

What you will believe, will be shown in your behaviour. You should have a new perspective in life. Set goals-write down 20 things you want to do in life as your desires, dreams, and passion. Read those goals as a reminder and train your subconscious mind to reach your set goals.

2. Design a process to achieve these goals

Break your mission and large goals into small goals and set a milestone when you accomplish them. By creating a step-by-step plan to reach your final goal will also create wealth generation.

3. Become a learner, read books that give your mindset a right and positive approach.

Read books that are related to the money-making mindset. Write and read money-making affirmations which will attract money to you. If stuck in work life, work with a new tactic, and eventually, you will see positive results. Learn from your mistakes, but never back down or give up. Start planning the strategies in a new direction.

4. Get out of the comfort zone

Entrepreneurs are risk-takers. You have to come out of your comfort zone and try new ventures, you should have that risk-taking capacity and deal with financial investments. You have to take immediate action when you see an opportunity. You have to be self-optimized all the time. You have to continuously think about getting success and positive outcomes only.

5. Be consistent

Your efforts to reach your final destination require continuous and consistent efforts. There may come a time where you want to give up and you see obstacles only. Keep trying! Battles are hard, fighting spirit is important. You do not know where you will land on the winning or loosing side. What matters is you fought without quitting. When you don’t give up you feel the pain, but this is how you grow and improve and reach the desired result.

6. Practice gratitude.

Whatever you have in life, you should thank god for every bit of it. By the grace of God, you have accomplished so far, and pray with hope and faith to conquer your fears and establish new ventures.

7. Donate some money.

The law of attractions, states that what you give to others, you get the same from others. Money flow is also like that, when there is cash outflow, there will be cash inflow. It will be beneficial for businesses to give donations or held charity events.

8. Visualize Success and Choose money as an end result

Visualization is very powerful as you have to imagine yourself achieving great success and earning money through your talent or business. Having money is a choice, whatever you choose to opt to do in your life will decide your future. Seek ways to create money for your business to develop and diversify.

9. Sacrifice leisure and respect and value money

Sometimes when you start something new you have to sacrifice leisure and live a basic life. Because in the beginning, the return from the business is marginal. With this, you learn to respect and value money. How you spend and save is very important.

To conclude, normally, being wealthy, is like having a lot of money and material possessions in the form of jewels, metals, treasure, resources, estate, capital, and family fortunes. Only if you are satisfied with what you are having in your pocket, 4 billion dollars or 4 dollars makes no difference in bringing about peace of mind and contentment. If you think money is important in life, so you have to have the right money-making mindset to achieve your long-term goals. If you like this article about generating money through the right mindset then share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Written By – Mansi Arora

#digitalwritopreneurhub #article #writertips #moneymindsettips #digitalwriting #attractingmoney #writingcontest #mansiarora #valuemoney

Becoming Unbreakable- The Art of Being Strong and Resilient

Mental strength is what separates the boys from the men and thankfully the quality can be cultivated with consistent practice and focus. There are different practices to becoming mentally strong. One of them is by borrowing wisdom from those who have done it and those who haven’t.

Read the Masters:

Frequent the world of autobiographies /biographies. Knowing how others handled difficult situations, coped, survived, overcame, and emerged the victor can be hugely inspirational and an education in itself. Don’t stick to just one category of people. Read books written by men/women in business, spiritual masters, sports, science, military. Be open to learning across the board.

Befriend Wisely :

You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. So apart from books, expose yourself to strong people, podcasts, tv shows, movies and music et all. A strong person need not be only an achiever in the conventional sense. Even someone who chooses to leave a job so that they can pursue a life of service qualifies.

Also, remember to have friends across the board in different fields and not just office colleagues. This will be your support system.

Have a Spiritual Anchor:

There are those who swear by spirituality and others who are turned off by it. Behind the scenes, it is just accessing your deepest, innermost and highest self.

Some do it through meditation, reading spiritual texts such as the Bhagavad Gita, Bible, Quran, or by having a Guru. In India of old, most successful kings had a spiritual guru who would guide them in making key decisions with many seemingly conflicting dimensions. One such successful combination is Shivaji Maharaj and Samarth Ramdas.

Spiritual literature abounds in affirmation. They are full of perennial wisdom and to think that hungry, confused souls through the ages have derived immense wisdom, strength, and solace from them is deeply reassuring.

Others do through going on retreats, music, arts. Whatever may be your way, having a spiritual anchor helps retain a sense of perspective and not get into a negative state when life hands a double whammy.

Nature :

Nature is the keeper of life’s biggest mysteries and messages. Nature has a deeply calming and healing influence on both the mind and body. If only we can listen, Nature can answer many of our questions and guide us as only she can.

Connecting with Nature relaxes and helps us reconnect to our inner self. Our intuition is enhanced. Nature and we go a long way as both of us are constructs of the 5 elements.

Remember the story of King Bruce of Scotland who had almost given up after his defeat to the English King. After his sixth consecutive loss, he was in hiding in a cave, almost at the end of his reserves of hope when he noticed a spider.

This spider was trying to construct a web from one end of the stone wall to another and on six occasions she failed. Now the king was totally immersed. The seventh time she proved successful and this was the turning point for the king who felt hope and courage restored. In his seventh battle, he defeated the English King and thus Scotland became an independent country and Bruce its king.

Take Back Your Power:

It is imperative to learn from people. Equally essential is to know when to draw the line. Parents, siblings, friends, relatives, colleagues, Doctors, astrologers, fortune-tellers are some of the people who exert enormous influence on our beliefs and opinions, even about ourselves.

These opinions are oftentimes rooted in concern but it a reflection of that person’s opinion, beliefs, and blocks. Accept their care and concern with love and grace but let go of the opinion and blocks which may come in the way of your growth and inner strength.

Show Social Media its Place: 

Social media is the 21^st century way of keeping in touch with the rest of the world. Suddenly from a narrow band of people, we become open and accessible to the whole world. Figure out what is your current relationship with social media and how you would want it to be.

 Are you currently the boss or is it affecting your peace of mind?  Are you disturbed by the information overload on social media?

How can you realign your relationship so that social media leaves you a happier person? Would it be better to limit usage to some specific hours of the day?

Take some tough decisions if need be. Block accounts that create unrest in your mind and a bad taste in your mouth.

Remember why you got onto social media in the first place and keep a timer when you wade into the social media waters so that you don’t sink completely in.

Seek Help :

There are times when the best thing to do is to just seek help. The brain is just another organ of the body. Just as we visit a Doctor when we have persistent stomach pain so nothing to lose and everything to gain by going to a therapist, counsellor or a healer. 

Liked it? Leave a like, comment, and share with your loved ones. It could change somebody’s life.

Written by : sowspeaks ( Sowrabha Mahesh)

                    Proud member, DWH

#becomeunbreakable#sowspeaks #digitalwritopreneurshub #writingcontest #personaldevelopment

Reclaiming your Deepest Identity–Of Hope, Renewal &Accessing the Larger You

Identity. In the present time and age, it has become increasingly identified with the job and profession one pursues, the financial worth of an individual, the social network one inhabits, outer material trappings of a good life – from the house to the car to the holidays.

So what happens when one card is removed……the carefully constructed house Of Cards simply tumbles and the carefully nurtured identity is poof …..gone.

We play many roles and we get so caught and attached to these roles that we get lost.

******************

Motherspeak:

I am a mother. I obsess over my children growing up. I take great pains to ensure that I always do my best for them. I involve in every possible way and try to follow as many parenting tips as I humanly can. In the process, I sometimes lack the time to take care of myself but I so enjoy being a mother that it all seems worth it.

And one fine day, the kids are young adults not needing me so much of the time and while I am still marveling at how much they have grown, they are already ready to fly away finding their place under the sun.

My identity as a mother suddenly seems hollow. I am shaken inside, even a little broken.

***************

Corporate manager speak:

I was a prosperous employee in a large corporation and doing extremely well. Promotions came easy and the corporate culture sucked me in. The time I invested in my office showed in my company’s balance sheet, or so I liked to believe.  

I thought I was having the time of my life. There were times, actually many times when I didn’t have time for my family. But I believed that I could always make up for that sometime in the future and then one fine day my company was sold to another.

I was hopeful of keeping my place. But then the higher-ups disappeared and I was worried. The people who I thought would care for me didn’t seem to even remember me. Even before this thought could sink in, I was handed my pink slip.

My identity stands shaken because I could not think beyond my career.

***************

Every time we invest in one role to the exclusion of all others and make it our identity and neglect other roles, life seems to come to a total screeching halt, at a dark, hopeless dead end.

My heart cries for every student who took his life because he had met with academic failure. Failure in one aspect of life doesn’t make one a total failure.

And, no failure is permanent.

***************

 On the other end of the spectrum are people with far less money whose lives are steeped in service far from the glare, undisturbed by the need for money, fame, and material trappings of success.

Light – Shadow.  Happiness – Sadness.

These are but ends of the pendulum. When we choose one, we choose the other as well. When we swing to one end it is but natural to the other end as well. This is the nature of the drama called life in which we all play so many different roles.

Find joy in your roles for sure.

But don’t make it your all. Don’t make it your raison d etre. Let no one role define you or limit you. Remember, you are much much more. You are much much bigger than the sum of your parts.

When you realize this, you free your self-esteem and sense of worth and give it wings to always soar no matter what.

You are much more than the sum of your parts, that is the beauty of being a human.

Explore yourself beyond your limited roles.

Instead, use every role to expand you and teach you more about yourself and grow.

Always remember that inside of the heights of your success and the depths of your despairs, there is your deepest You, unshaken, serene, unlimited.

Use meditation to access this Deepest You..to become aware of its presence and strengthen its presence.

Also, keep affirming to yourself that

No matter what, I am safe.

No matter what, I thrive.

No matter what, all will be well.

No matter what, I stay open to the endless possibilities of my life.

My falls don’t matter, for I always rise up, renewed.

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True, you are only a speck in the Cosmos but without you the Cosmos is incomplete.

Written by: sowspeaks ( Sowrabha Mahesh)

                   Proud member, DWH

#inspirationtorise #sowspeaks #digitalwritopreneurshub #writingcontest #personaldevelopment

The Art and Science of Cultivating Good Habits & Breaking Bad Habits

Habit. To many, a boring word that means repeating a task every day. Daily grind. To others, the key to freedom as it frees their mind power from taking daily mundane decisions and their energy for bigger and better actions.

But habit doesn’t refer to only a task that is carried out physically. There are mental habits and emotional habits as well. Don’t we say ‘she has made a habit of success’ or ‘he has made a habit of complaining.’

You do not rise to the level of your goal; you fall to the level of your habit. – James Clear

This absolutely highlights the importance of habits.

Habit is your reliable foot-soldier in your journey towards material success and holistic fulfillment.

Just imagine the amount of time you can save if you take time out initially to install good habits. This means knowing how to cultivate good habits becomes a key skill.

So, is there a science to habit-building? If yes, what is it?

Research on habits shows that there is a 4-step process

1. Cue
2. Craving
3. Response
4. Reward

You get up in the morning and smell coffee, that is the cue.

Next, you experience a craving or the desire to drink coffee.

In response to the craving, you drink coffee ie. response.

Finally, you experience the satisfaction or reward from drinking coffee.

We can now apply this framework to help create new beneficial habits and remove harmful ones. Here are some useful strategies.

1. Read books and observe people______

I mention this on top of the list as you derive both the inspiration to get started as well as learn some strategies that might be useful to you.

A reading of autobiographies and biographies shows that behind all the success, the glamour, wealth, power, holidays successful, accomplished people have very systematic, disciplined, and pruned days heavily relying on habits.

Also, read books on habit formation. Atomic Habits, the New York Times bestseller by James Clear is a masterpiece and a definitive guide on the topic. Sometimes, one good idea is enough to change your life.

2. Identity Habit harmony ________

Long-term habit change requires identity change. Raj wants to turn into an entrepreneur. But he identifies himself with the 9-5 white-collar manager who delegates, manages, and waits for his salary to be credited at the beginning of the month.

If he were to try to inculcate the habits required of an entrepreneur, they might not stick as there is a mismatch. First, he has to work at creating harmony between the two. Visualizations, affirmations, self-hypnosis can be used to good effect to bring about harmony.

3. Cultivating a new habit________

We can use the 4 step process discussed earlier in creating a new habit. For eg, you want to get into the habit of doing yoga everybody. Keep your mat beside you.

In habits like these, there is no craving but once you complete your yoga session, you feel good, calm, and centered- the reward.

So what do you do?

You use the Mantra – Obvious, Attractive, Easy, Satisfying.

You keep the yoga mat and your outfit in a prominent place so it becomes an obvious and easy choice, and you tell yourself that it is only for 15 minutes, you maybe go to the park with a friend for the yoga session,  making it attractive and finally you derive satisfaction at the end.

Repeat for the first three weeks. Congratulate yourself for you have successfully created a new habit.

4. De-install an old habit__________

Do the opposite of what was mentioned in the previous point. Make it tough, unattractive, and dissatisfying.

If you are addicted to social media, turn off all the social media notifications. Usually, once we pick up the phone, there is no keeping it back.

During such times it is vital to remind ourselves that

‘Every action is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.’

             ‘Never let failure become a habit.’

5. Get a friend__________

Habits are easier cultivated in groups, with like-minded friends who serve as accountability partners.

Seriousness shared advice help sail through the tough second week of habit building.

6. Visualize__________

Visualize the whole process of performing the action and the happiness on completion of the task. Stay with the excitement of achievement. Exaggerate the reward. Do this just before going to bed and first thing after getting up in the morning. 

The subconscious mind is highly suggestible and during these two times of the day, you get access to the subconscious. It does not distinguish between reality and imagination.

The action you visualize seems easier to perform. Take advantage.

So here are some great and helpful strategies but the proof is in the pudding.

Which is that one habit that you want to rid yourself of?                    

Which habit would you like to inculcate?

Get to work with the above-mentioned strategies and crush the process.

Liked it? Leave a like, comment, and share with your loved ones. It could change somebody’s life.

Written by : sowspeaks ( Sowrabha Mahesh)

                   Proud member, DWH

#cultivategoodhabits #sowspeaks #digitalwritopreneurshub #writingcontest #personaldevelopment