Archive for September, 2008
Five Principles to Improve Your Leadership Skills
Posted by: | CommentsThis may seem like a great spoiler; but certainly, there is no such thing as a hard and fast rule when it comes to leadership. Every organization, circumstance, and leader calls for different courses of action. What is to be considered as “good” leadership depends on various factors such that what could be “good” leadership in one instance could be “bad” leadership in another.
Nevertheless, you need not fret if you are seeking ways to improve your leadership. There are generally accepted principles that when studied and applied, are believed to be helpful in improving one’s leadership skills. These are given below and it’s all up to you to decide on whether these tips could be appropriately applied to your particular situation – whether you’re running a business, organizing a school play, or governing a country.
Self-Esteem. People become more willing to work if they feel important. Effective leaders help their organization’s members develop their self-esteem. You can do this by paying more attention to them and expressing your genuine interest in their opinions every time you converse. When it is well deserved, give your member a tap on the shoulder to show that his efforts are well appreciated. The key here is in being sincere and in expressing your appreciation through the littlest gestures.
Planning. Members of an organization are more able to adapt to changes if there is a specific plan of action laid out. Planning is crucial in effective leadership because it provides the organization with a concrete direction and identifiable means to achieve its goals. As a leader, you should initiate planning and exert effort in communicating those plans as clearly as possible to your members. This will strengthen your member’s decision-making skills and would allow for effective delegation.
Motivation. A highly motivating work environment is undoubtedly a productive one. The organization benefits the most when its members are continuously motivated to work for and with it. There are many ways by which you, as a leader, can motivate your members. You can provide deserving members with public recognition even through a simple mention of their names and accomplishments. Offering challenges that allows your members to grow, and in a way show-off, is a brilliant to motivate them to be more competitive. You can hand out incentives such as bonuses, free stuff, or promotions to high-performing members so that your members will have something to look forward to in exchange for a job well done. One of the most important ways to motivate, however, is through leading by example. How you work, lead, and carry yourself hugely affects how much people would want to work with you.
Delegation. You can’t do everything by yourself. The best leaders can effectively delegate tasks, giving them more time to plan and supervise. Usually, leaders fail to delegate effectively because they fear their subordinates would do badly at a job that they could have done much better. Do not succumb to that pitfall. Your members will definitely make mistakes, but so will you. The thing to remember here is that you should always make sure that you communicate the things that you want done clearly and that you allow your subordinates to be accountable for the consequences of their action.
Empowerment. This actually relates to delegation. Making your members accountable and responsible for their actions empowers them. It makes them feel greater self-respect; and in the long-run, it would allow them, working with accountability, to develop creativity and become better workers.
These five principles – self-esteem, planning, motivation, delegation, and empowerment – are all important in improving your leadership skills. But these are not enough. The success of your leadership will ultimately depend on the way you recognize your organization’s needs and how you can adapt your leadership style to those needs. In the same way that you would evaluate your members’ performance, also evaluate and reflect on yours. Only you can tell what “good” leadership is for your organization. Likewise, it’s only you who can determine how you can become a “good” leader.
Get Healthy through Neuro Linguistic Programming
Posted by: | CommentsIt has been said that the mind is a powerful thing – “Mind over matter” as they usually say. A lot of people have claimed that “The mind has the ability to heal all kinds of sickness as long as you think of it”.
There have been documented accounts that cancer patients have been healed through positive thinking.
If only there would be a system that can observe, somehow measure, and incorporate to other sick people the way these “positive thinkers” think, then the field of health care will have another tool to aid it in its objectives – to provide health. Fortunately, a system has been developed – Neuro Linguistic Programming.
Neuro Linguistic Programming or NLP is a system developed in the late 70s by Richard Bander and John Grinder. The main concept of NLP is that a person’s outlook in life can create great changes. A positive outlook can result to good changes and negative outlook can create, well, negative changes. In NLP, it is believed that language and behaviors are highly structured and these structures can be modeled. The model then can be incorporated to a person hopefully to improve his or her way of thinking.
In health care, it is not enough that a sick person only takes medicines and receives treatment. The patient must also have a mindset that he is really going to get well. But unfortunately, this is not what usually happens to patients stricken with terminal illnesses. They usually get depressed and think only of negative things. And as they continue doing this, the worse their conditions become. NLP then comes into play.
Models of NLP, fitting for the subject, are incorporated. First, the subject is made aware of his negative behaviors. Once awareness sets in, the model is then slowly incorporated to the subject. For example, a patient has been diagnosed with cancer. Upon hearing this, he becomes depressed and thinks that he has no more chances of living. He verbalizes this and shows a great state of depression.
If this continues, then it is inevitable that he would spend his last days in sorrow. NLP tries to prevent this from happening and tries to improve the well being of the patient. He is first made aware that he has been thinking of negative thoughts about his condition and that it should not be the case. A model, which was patterned from a person who has successful combated his condition, is gradually taught and incorporated to the patient.
Neuro Linguistic Programming is not limited to persons with terminal illnesses. It can also be applied in an everyday basis. To have a positive attitude towards health can help you have a sound mind and body. With the right outlook to being healthy, illnesses and sickness can be prevented.
It may not be correct to say that NLP can cure a person of any sickness or disease. But together with the treatment, NLP proves to be a good ally in providing sound and effective health care.
How To Live A Life Of Constant Exhilaration
Posted by: | CommentsLet life drift by WITHOUT a clear, definite, and determined purpose. You now have the perfect formula for boredom!
If you let the day pass by without zest and vigor, you are opening gaps to allow dull moments to creep in. Before boredom sets in, counteract it with any of the following tips:
Go to a place where you have never been to. Anything new will make your mind curious and refreshed. This lifts the dullness off your current way of living. New places bring back the child-like curiosity in you. Curiosity keeps you alert; and traveling is, by far, the best antidote to boredom.
It is often said that, “All work and no play, makes a dull day”. You need to work in order to pay the bills. However, working without fun once in a while may result to listlessness. Once a year, take time out to go to a new place or foreign land (if your budget can allow it!) and add new information in your intellectual vault.
If you are a pet lover, drive over to a pet shop of your choice and choose an animal companion. People say that dogs are the most loyal companions. You have heard of dogs risking their lives for their masters.
A friend of mine says that having a dog in the house can be an exhilarating experience. Every time she gets home from office, her dog welcomes her at the door, making her feel important and appreciated (no offense to the spouse!)
If you cannot have pets at home, one alternative is to have plants. Other people find it therapeutic talking to orchids, roses, and every conceivable flower in the plant kingdom. Flowers in different hues, and the color green, can be relaxing to the eye.
If you have a green thumb, why not try this hobby? If you feel exhilarated when surrounded by plants, go ahead and grab your gardening tools!
Boring life can be made exciting via food! Aside from being the source of energy (and extra pounds!), use food to make life exhilarating. Be on the look out for new food ideas through eating and discovering unique restaurants.
Consider cooking as another activity that can perk up the mood. Cooking exposes you to various flavors and textures of ingredients. Who knows? You might be looking at a future business venture when you indulge on your passion in cooking.
Discover what you want and love to do. If you are not into it by now, this is the ideal time to start the discovery process. Perhaps now is the right time to learn a new skill like playing a musical instrument, enroll in a gym, and pick-up new habits. This will do wonders for your life in terms of physical health and elimination of boredom.
Others engage in volunteer work. This is another alternative that is surely fulfilling and uplifting to the spirit.
In all these activities, you can invite similar-minded friends to join you in your journey. The moment you choose to pursue a clear and definite purpose and do something that puts meaning into your life, you have taken the initial step towards a life of constant fulfillment.
Mind Over Action
Posted by: | CommentsOur minds control our behavior. Our thoughts become our actions. We often hear the words ‘conscious’ and ‘subconscious’ when speaking of the mind. That is because the conscious mind pertains to the thoughts we are aware of. On the other hand, the subconscious reveals underlying explanations on why an action was doneExample, you blurt out something negative to someone. You didn’t mean to say it consciously; but subconsciously, you couldn’t help it. You really wanted to get that point through. This is typically known as ‘acting without thinking.’
You must therefore add conscience to your subconscious as if you’re programming your subconscious ways on how to act. Thus, your conscious actions won’t be that spontaneous or impulsive. Too much spontaneity can cause harm to others and to yourself. What has already been said can no longer be taken back, even when it is said out of spite. You must guard your words and actions with your thoughts.
Sometimes, no matter how consciously aware you are of your goals, if your subconscious is not at the right position and headed to the right direction, you will have a hard time achieving them and making your dreams come true. The subconscious has the tendency to counteract all your conscious efforts. The solution to this dilemma is to allow the conscious and subconscious to work side by side.
The subconscious can pertain to your negative thoughts and reactions that are rooted from past experiences. Also, surroundings can attribute on the general characteristic of an individual. In some cases, your subconscious way of thinking had been instilled by other people and imposed by culture, some of which were influenced by what you watch on television, hear on the radio, or read in the papers.
The subconscious mind is responsible for brash actions. If you are disciplined enough to control these thoughts and change your negative reactions, then the conscious action will not be harmful. In short, the conscious must be selfless, controlled, and grounded on convictions of what is right.
If would be easier to program the subconscious mind if you are aware of your thoughts influencing those actions or words you didn’t mean to have said or done in the first place. It all starts from your realization of wanting to improve yourself. Thus, you self-analyze on your individuality. You reflect on your actions in the past and where it has taken you now. You figure out which of your actions has been destructive and you analyze the thoughts behind those actions.
After careful contemplation of what you would like to be and where you would want to go in life, you are equipped now with the knowledge of what not to say or do, but most importantly of what not to think. Well, maybe, there are some things you cannot help but think. You are, after all, only human. In that case, there are some thoughts that are better left unsaid or not acted on. With this, you are now able to program your subconscious to work for you and not against you.
Programs on making one’s self better varies from one person to the next. Some people make their faith in God stronger, asking for his guidance. Others read self-help books and find inspiration from the words. Some engage in hypnosis. It’s all about figuring out what suits you best.
Make Enthusiasm Work For You
Posted by: | CommentsWhat contributes frowning to one’s face? Is it not sadness? This state of being is one of the many reasons why people who have emotional breakdown put their lives at risk. When deeper sadness or depression consumes the individual, illness and disturbance clog his mind and feelings.
Most people who suffer from depression or extreme sadness are affected with the way they deal with their fellowmen. Depressed people are sensitive and demand special attention. At times, depression swallows them and affects their relationship with other people, particularly their families and those who stay closer to them.
On the contrary, enthusiasm is a feeling similar to happiness but the emotion involved is intense. Enthusiasm is often associated with divine inspiration, an intense emotion deeper than happiness itself. However, our society’s status these days hinders people from being enthusiasts. Instead, many are grieving and saddened with what they see in the surroundings and in the whole world. Most people who were victimized by wars and social problems find enthusiasm impossible to feel. Why, even the richest people on earth feel sad at times. If this is the case, is it true that enthusiasm is elusive?
Many sigh because of sadness and bad experiences. We can say that indeed, happiness or enthusiasm is a relative state of being. This is the reason why many people resort to illicit drugs, thinking that they can escape the bitter experiences they are experiencing. They thought they can fake happiness for a few hours. Little did they know that no matter how difficult life is, happiness is still available and waiting to be rediscovered. How can you promote and contribute to enthusiasm and happiness?
1. Set goals and seek life’s purpose. Happiness cannot be achieved overnight so starting early means experiencing happiness the soonest.
2. Take away all the bitterness you kept for years. Learn to say “sorry” and accept your limitations.
3. Keep your life simple by allotting time for you to relax and enjoy wholesome recreation.
4. Learn to develop self-worth. Love your deeds and do favors for yourself. Adopt changes if necessary and if you feel like you are bored in doing routines.
5. Humbly accept others’ support and appreciate small gifts from them.
6. Try rendering support or reciprocating the kindness shown to you.
7. Develop hobbies that will contribute to your self-worth. Some women and housewives, for instance, love gardening. They at times talk to their plants. They find this rewarding in most ways.
8. Read some inspirational books. Keep simple but inspiring messages and share these to others. Remember that giving brings joy to every person; learn the value of generosity at all times.
9. Constantly communicate to others your inspiring and up building stories. Learn to accept feedbacks from your listeners.
10. Learn to be flexible, accept the fact that everything does not just happen the way you think everything should be.
Keeping these simple things in mind, we can say that happiness and enthusiasm are not that difficult to find. Many people pay huge amounts of money just to have the opportunity to gain worthwhile experiences. In the end, these people are convinced that the real happiness they seek cannot be bought. It can be achieved in many ways; but to find it, they must be humble enough to compromise some wants in exchange of the need to be happy.
Learn to Solve Your Problems
Posted by: | CommentsHow much percentage in a class of 30 students would agree to you that Mathematics is a great subject? You might answer “around 10 to 35%” and that is all. True, most kids today are not thrilled to solve Mathematical equations not because they do not know the processes involved, but because of the lack of interest in it.
In a similar way, our daily activities do not mean 100% joy and 0% problems. At times, we have more problems than joy. Fortunately, some individual are skilled in handling problems right. Want to know their secrets?
Well, carefree people, as some might call them, have one thing in common: optimism. These kinds of people do not mean they never had problems before. Try remembering a colleague, a relative, a friend, or someone from your community who has the brightest smile at the start until the end of the day. How many times did you see that person frown? Carefree people are fun to be with because their attitude is contagious. Have you tried asking them how they carry their problems lightly? Below are their secrets:
1. Learn to control your feelings by separating negative feelings from positive thoughts. This is the first step in solving problems. Only after you have cleared your mind with unnecessary thoughts can you start solving your problems accordingly.
2. Treat each problem as challenge and opportunity for self-improvement.
3. Free that scapegoat attitude. Are you pointing your finger or blaming others for mishaps? Take responsibilities for your mistakes. No one is perfect, so never put the blames on others.
4. Use a pen and paper, and rate the depth of the problem and possible answers to your problem. Probability law principle will allow you to evaluate how far you have thought of resolving your problems.
5. Keep a journal and treat it as a “secret friend” who is always willing to listen to your grievances. Write your feelings freely.
6. Develop a noteworthy hobby, for this will help you lessen or minimize stress in your life.
7. Take time off from work and create variations of your daily schedule. Relax and check out the best movies in town. Travel and meet new wonderful people. You will find these activities worthwhile in the long run.
The above tips will help you optimize those positive feelings of yours. Say you are already consumed by some problems. Here are the 1-2-3 steps in doing your problem solving:
1. Determine the root cause of the problem. If you think it is difficult, ask hundreds of why’s and what’s and you will soon find out the cause.
2. Think, strategize, and act for resolution.
3. Develop a strong desire to solve the problem.
4. Review the situation for you to avoid repeating the same mistakes committed beforehand.
Consider that everybody experiences lowliness many times, but problems are problems. They are there not to annoy you; but problems are created when you cannot accept your limitations. Once you accept your limitations, problem solving is just a 1-2-3 step, hassle-free, and a life-sharpening experience indeed. Hence, never consume or lock yourself in your room when problem strikes. Think that problems are states of your being limited to something you need the most. But if you cannot have that important thing, accept it. Let go and you will free yourself with worries. Remember, less worries mean less problems. If you think that you really want some time out because of problems, consider that there is another room available for you called “improvement.”
Keys to Improving Your Persuasion Skills
Posted by: | CommentsRegardless of your work field, your ability to influence and persuade other people with what you say or do is one of the most important skills you can develop. Improving your persuasion skills can get you through a lot in life and can help you achieve big things.Through it, you can get anything you want with greater ease – convincing your kids to eat vegetables, your bank to loan you money, your mother to change her crazy outfit, and your boss to award you with that coveted promotion. It will help you become a better salesperson, a better leader, a better communicator, and a better person in general.
Fortunately, as mentioned earlier, persuasion is a skill. Much like writing, running, and riding a bike, the skill of persuasion can be learned, practiced, and mastered. In fact, if you put you mind into it, you can improve drastically in a short span of time.
The first key to improving your persuasion skills is to understand that all human actions are motivated by something. Your wife probably cooks a hearty meal because she wants you and the kids to look forward to dinnertime. Your secretary works like a horse perhaps because she wants a raise badly. If you want to be good at convincing people to go your way, then you should understand the things that motivate them. Use these motivations as a selling point for what you want to say to get your message across. It isn’t hard.
People’s motivations can be simply divided into two major classifications – the desire to gain and the fear of loss.
The desire for gain moves people to want more of the things they want in life. Be it love, money, self-actualization, respect, health, or whatever, people have a natural tendency to want more things or to want more of the things they already have. To improve your persuasion skills, you need to vividly show them how they could gain from what you are proposing – how they could have more of whatever it is that they want. When salespersons tell you that a certain workout video would help you achieve the figure that you have always wanted and would allow you to gain better control of your life, they are appealing to your desire for gain.
Meanwhile, the fear of loss triggers people to do something to prevent losing anything that they value. People fear losing money, a loved one, a marriage, a career, and all sorts of things. They are afraid of the change, risk, and uncertainty that comes with losing whatever that is that they value. By showing them how they could minimize the risk of losing something from happening, you are making a significant step forward in convincing them with your point. This is how insurance companies sell you policies. They allude to your fear of leaving your dependents with nothing should you die or your fear of outliving your resources.
Once you have understood people’s motivations, you are well on your way to developing you persuasion skills even further. The next step then is to learn to speak up and to express yourself. You don’t have to be the best public speaker to be persuasive. The only thing you need is a little self-confidence that could fuel you to speak up and to candidly talk about whatever it is that you are trying to say. Most people fail to influence people because they have too many hesitations about speaking up. For example, they are usually afraid of offending or appearing too aggressive to the listener. What you should remember is that you have nothing to lose by speaking up. The worst thing that could happen is that the person you are talking to could disagree with you, but at least you tried. Improving your persuasive takes practice and you should begin by practicing how to be better at communicating. After that, you’re on your way to becoming great at it. It is something that you will really find useful and one of things that are really worth developing.
Gain Advantage in the Marketplace
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In the deepest part of your gut, you know you have a terrific product to offer in the market. So why not just go for it?
It may seem simple enough just to go into the open market and sell your ware. Simple, yes! Easy, no!
The war out there in the marketing battlefield is so competitive and not for the faint-hearted. This practically suggests a survival rate close to zero for the unprepared. Is this scenario going to stop you? The choice is yours.
How do you gauge yourself? Will you survive this or not? Should you push through with your plans? If you decide not to, what are your alternative plans?
If you decide to go for the battle, be sure that you are adequately prepared. Before you join the war, get your gears and bulletproof vest ready!
Increase your survival rate by tapping on your marketing and persuasion skills, and by knowing and taking advantage of the marketplace. The best way to know more about the market is by getting the pulse of the consumers. Here’s how:
1. You are part of the market, since you are also a consumer. So you are aware that the market is a complicated place. There’s just too much products and services around that it is not surprising to find new brands being introduced out every now and then.
With so many products and services, who will have time to check each brand? This situation works in your favor, the marketer. Being a marketer, utilize your persuasive craft. Make simplicity and maximum impact be your focal point. Know that a product that saves time and makes life easier has the best chance of being noticed in a busy marketplace.
2. Persuade your target market by taking your product’s unique selling proposition into the center stage. In the marketing world, they call this USP. Convince the consumer of your product’s values. Make sure the product can deliver what it claims to do.
3. The age old saying “Find a need and fill it” worked before and still does. Find this need and watch your money in the bank grow! Take a hint: people are on the look out for products or services that offer convenience and reliability.
4. Make your price reasonable. Remember, a bulk of the market out there is price conscious.
5. Promote your product or service. A great product is useless if nobody knows about it! Let the market know about your product or service in every possible way.
“To see is to believe” as they say. Let them try your product. Offer incredible bonuses and include money back guarantees. If you are confident with your product, you won’t hesitate to do so. Yes, there might be minor losses involved here, but statistics have it that the gains far outweigh the losses.
6. Most consumers are time pressed. There is never enough time for anybody, any day. So if you can find ways for the market to save precious time, you are actually saving money for them. Be sure to capitalize on this advantage. Make sure you get the message across clearly.
7. Life can sometimes be dull. A product or service that can breathe excitement and a new spin to an old and boring thing can rev up the cash register! Take gasoline, for example. It is marketed as fuel to engines. Now, unleaded gas is marketed as a way to make the earth a better planet to live in.
8. If your product is considered capital equipment, work on a short ROI (return of investment). The marketplace has a calculating mind that thinks in this manner. If your product consumes energy, be energy conscious. If your product has consumables, be cost conscious. Make consumables readily available.
Ultimately, the best persuasion strategy to convince the consumer to buy is to make the product sell itself. This can be done by way of highlighting the benefits it can offer. Do this constantly and equip yourself with persuasion skills. Increase your odds of surviving the battle in the marketplace.
Excellent Ways to Beat Burnout and Stress
Posted by: | CommentsYou are healthy and full of energy. You rarely get sick, and you are on the go almost all the time. You are sociable and outgoing. You like people, and they like you. You are smart and creative. You enjoy using your talents and capabilities. And at work, you are passionate about achievement.
That might sound like a perfect description of success on the job. Trouble is, that could also be a perfect description of someone who is headed for complete burnout and stress.
Experts say that the personal qualities that create peak performance at work are also the qualities that may push a person into stress. They contend that those overachiever qualities cause a person to overdo and “overgive” on the job, that is, to inadvertently give more and more time and energy to work at the expense of self-nourishing activities that would provide balance.
Month after month and year after year of constant stress, relentlessly pushing ahead, can lead to trouble. Burnout is the gradual erosion of one’s energy and spirit as the result of chronic, relentless long-term stress. Stress creates a condition that is totally devastating once the person involved would feel that he could no longer exceed or conform to the demands of his everyday work. For this reason, it is extremely important to know and learn how to manage stress.
There may be many stress management tips available in the society today, but unless you do not know what you are experiencing, you will never learn how to manage stress. Hence, here are some tips that will help you identify the causes of your stress and then teach you how to manage them:
1. Know your enemy.
People decide not to smoke because they have been educated about the consequences of chronic smoking. In the same way, you need to be educated about the potential risks of chronic overwork. That way, you can decide not to let your job overwhelm you because you know the end result is not worth it. The number one way to manage stress is to be well educated about what stress is.
2. Remember that you are not your job.
Experts say that one of the leading causes of stress is over-identification with work. If you believe that your career is the key to expressing and fulfilling yourself, you will over-identify with your professional role. At that point, your success at work becomes your primary source of self-worth. Therefore, you end up working harder and harder. It is a self-administered poison.
What is the antidote? You need to ask yourself who you are besides your role at work. You need to find out how to express and enjoy your individuality outside that role.
3. Internalize goals at work.
The secret that keeps some people resilient, alert, happy, productive, and balanced at work is the ability to internalize corporate goals. In other words, take the goals given by your company and your boss and make them your own.
The happiest and most productive people are able to see organizationally imposed goals as their own. They think, “Yes, that will benefit me. Yes, I accept. Yes, I am going for it.” Unless you think in those terms, it is easy to feel resentful and get overwhelmed by work obligations.
No matter what you do, a toxic work environment constantly creates more stress, and you just have to accept the fact that stress is unavoidable. The only thing you can do is to master it and learn how to manage it correctly.
Empowering Will
Posted by: | CommentsThe key to most successes in life is will power. Whether you’re planning to embark on an extensive weight-loss program or you’re simply trying to kick-off your smoking habit, you need to have will power. High-powered executives and entrepreneurs are where they are now because of their will to reach the top and to stay there for the longest possible time that they can.
Essentially, will power is your ability to put into action a carefully planned vision. It taps your emotions and your mind’s infinite power to accomplish the goals you’ve set – be it dieting, quitting smoking, bagging a promotion, winning the next election, changing the world, writing a hit song, landing your dream acting role, etc. In most cases, it is the most important thing you would ever need because it highly predicts your plan’s success or failure.
Three steps are usually included in the application of your will power: (1) Goal-setting; (2) Planning a course of action; and (3) Execution. Most people fail to reach their goals because they fall short in number 3. What you should do is to devote a hefty amount of time with numbers 1 and 2 to make sure that your execution goes smoothly and that your will to achieve your goals will be followed through by specific actions. You would need to gather up all of your energy to make a huge thrust forward from number 2 to number 3 in order to prevail.
Will power can bring forth great things. Keep in mind, however, that will power can only push you up to a certain extent. Like gasoline in a fast running car, it will eventually get depleted. If you push too hard, you might end up falling off your track. For example, you might end up feeling too deprived from your diet that on your third week, you’d already be having chocolate ice cream. You could have been too focused on getting that promotion that you’ve already neglected your relationship with your co-workers and worse, with your family. As with all things, you need to have control.
Aside from putting your mind into your set objectives, you need to make sure that your environment is conducive to achieving those. Clean your fridge before starting with that new diet plan. Organize your contacts and hire a more aggressive agent so you can land that dream role. It’s all part of planning ahead and a way to conserve your will power. More importantly, it prevents you from losing momentum in what you’ve already done to get to your goals.
Will power is so important, but it’s hard to maintain. It’s your defense against temptations that would distract you from achieving your goal. It allows you to resist a fun late night-out with your friends to be in time for dinner with your family. It’s what you have against smoking that one single stick that would have otherwise brought you back to where you started. Your will gives you the power to transcend difficulties, making them seem easy and worth going through, just to reach your goals. It’s probably the most important thing followed only by the actual steps you take.
Looking at a larger perspective and placing it in the context of your entire life, your will power enables you to do as the classic lines from Invictus go. It allows you to be the master of your fate and to be captain of you soul. Surely, you’d want that.
