Characteristics of Achievers

Why do some people continually achieve great things, while others merely dream of bettering themselves?

Are people born with some sort of “achievement gene”, or can you learn to be an achiever?

Here are 7 characteristics to help you achieve your goals and dreams!

1. Achievers believe in themselves and in their abilities. 
   
   Self-esteem and self-efficacy go hand in hand in ensuring that the achiever recognizes that he is capable of accomplishing what he sets out to do.
   
2. They are positive thinkers. 
   
   Whenever faced with obstacles or setbacks, an achiever will use his own resourcefulness to get past any hurdles he comes across. A positive attitude, determination and persistence will minimize the impact of anything that may get in the way of success.
   
3. Achievers recognize and acknowledge their strengths and their talents. 
   
   We have all been given gifts and talents to be successful in life, and we must use these to the best of our ability. Equally important, we must be willing to share our talents to help others accomplish great things in their lives.
   
4. They take action. 
   
   Anyone can dream and set goals, but the achiever is the person who will take action and successfully carry them through.
   
5. Achievers have a sense of purpose and have an understanding of the meaning of life. 
   
   They realize that we are here on Earth to reach our full potential. This helps to ensure that people will continually strive to improve their lives, and those of others.
   
6. They do what is required to reach their goals. 
   
   Achievers will plan each step to ensure success, and once completed, they will move onto the next step to get closer to attaining their goal.
   
   
7. Achievers recognize that if someone else can achieve something, then so can they.
   
   If it is humanly possible, then it is perfectly feasible to accept that you too have the potential of reaching that goal!

so lets think beyond the circle.............
be an achiver

THE 5/5 STYLE: FOR TO COMPROMISE

Compromise.  It's such a chummy word. It sounds like the perfect solution to managing conflict. I give a little, you give a little, and we both come out OK.  The 5/5 style of conflict management, where we both end up "half winners," is a better way of dealing with dissidence than either the 1/9 or the 9/1 style. But it's far from ideal.  Here's why.

The principal advantage of a bargaining, negotiation style of conflict management is that it reinforces one of the chief benefits of the entire P.R.I.C.E. motivation system: the sense of exchange, communication, and Involvement that is essential to good team solutions. You really can't entirely knock a style where people are committed to open relationships, to cooperation as a way of reducing conflict, and to a fair hearing for all views, however dissident. If the nations of the world could adopt that kind of conflict-resolution mode, we'd all be a lot better off.

But there are disadvantages, too. First, ironically, is the very fact that the 5/5 style, because it focuses so heavily on having everyone "win a little" so as not to "lose a lot," tends to reinforce agreement itself rather than agreement on the best or most creative solution. If I want to move a production schedule up by three months and you want to move it back three months, the best of all possible solutions might not be to leave it just where it is. That would be the ideal, mathematically "correct" compromise. But it might be very bad business.

Secondly, it's a commonly, observed fact in the seminars I've visited that when people know in advance that their group is committed to compromise, they tend to exaggerate their own position because they know it will be cut back during the negotiation. There's a kind of haggling over price that goes on in many teams run with a 5/5 style. I may feel that the production schedule should ideally be set ahead two months, but I'll say in the meeting, "We've got to have a three-month advance."  You may be satisfied with a one-month advance, but you won't come out and say that because you're afraid we'll have to negotiate it up to two. So, when you know that give-and-take is going to go on, nobody states his own best judgment—and as a result the best solutions can get lost.

Finally, in a compromise solution, nobody comes out feeling really satisfied, because there's an element of the conflict-as-combat model built in to all negotiating structures, and when you enter a combat hoping to win and fearing to lose, it's just as easy to see a middle solution as a defeat as it is to see it as a victory.

The basic problem with compromise is really one of attitude.  We enter negotiation scenarios—whether they are collective bargaining meetings or investment counselors' strategy sessions—with an eye toward getting rid of the conflict that we know is going to arise, rather than with an eye toward finding the best solution for the problem or problems at hand. It's a subtle distinction, but an important one. If I know I'm sitting at a table to try to beat you back from your position so that we settle on something closer to mine, then the closer we come to my original position, the better I'm going to feel—even if the solution that gets us there still leaves us with incredible problems. And if we "settle" on a solution that more closely approximates your original position, then I'm going to feel that I've lost—again, even if the final solution is better than either
of our original ones.

Getting beyond this simplistic balancing-act view of conflict management means starting to look at conflict not as an issue in itself, but as the inevitable spinoff of differences in the way we approach external problems. External problems. Not how we feel about each other or what you had for breakfast or how much I may resent the fact that you've got a "bossy" approach.  If you start with the joint understanding that we're all in this business together, and that we're searching for the best solutions, the whole idea of "compromise" takes on a different meaning.

I've already mentioned that one real block to creative solutions is the deeply ingrained idea that, when something goes wrong with a production schedule or a sales quota, you've got to find somebody to blame. There's some of this same self-destructive tendency at work every time you aim for a merely "acceptable" compromise for a problem: what you're getting at, all too often, is a mock resolution where the game is over and all that's left is the whining. That is, you get to agree on the surface, but underneath you're pissed off at the person whose idea "beat" yours out, or he's pissed off at you, or you're both pissed off at each other because you've had to settle for less-than-the-best. The conflict is temporarily shelved, but the blaming goes on.

You solve that by getting beyond blame and beyond bargaining, to reach for mutual advantage. You stop asking, "Whose fault is this problem?" or, "How can I win in this situation?" but rather "How can we all fix this problem?" Is there a solution out there somewhere—maybe some eccentric solution in which nobody has a vested interest—that can make all of our lives easier?

Compromise, as it's now understood, is locked in to the same win-lose dichotomy that makes the Avoidance style and the Control style so unproductive. To get beyond that dichotomy, you need to modify your attitude toward "bargaining" and "negotiation" so that you search for a mutual bargain, so that you negotiate for something you both want.

You do that by turning the Compromise approach—which, after all, still leaves you all "5 down"—into a true synergistic approach, where everybody comes out a winner.

Think beyond the box… act beyond the expectations……..now it is your choice to win in  life………

How 2 Motivate Yourself – Self Motivation

Before considering how to motivate people, we have to settle two important questions.
1) What is motivation in the Christian context?
2) What does a motivated person look like?

Staying motivated is a struggle — our drive is constantly assaulted by negative thoughts and anxiety about the future. Everyone faces doubt and depression. What separates the highly successful is the ability to keep moving forward.

There is no simple solution for a lack of motivation. Even after beating it, the problem reappears at the first sign of failure. The key is understanding your thoughts and how they drive your emotions. By learning how to nurture motivating thoughts, neutralize negative ones, and focus on the task at hand, you can pull yourself out of a slump before it gains momentum.

Motivation can be directly related to the expected outcomes of an action. If the desirable outcome of an action is clear, it becomes easier to complete the task. Setting goals and breaking these down into small objectives is one way of improving motivation. When a person feels they are working toward a larger accomplishment, even unpleasant tasks become tolerable.

Fear is a great deterrent for completing necessary projects. It is important to look into why you do not want to do a task. The initial response may be, “I hate working on bicycles and I just do not want to do it.”

Reasons We Lose Motivation

There are 3 primary reasons we lose motivation.

1. Lack of confidence – If you don’t believe you can succeed, what’s the point in trying?
2. Lack of focus – If you don’t know what you want, do you really want anything?
3. Lack of direction – If you don’t know what to do, how can you be motivated to do it?

How to Boost Confidence

The first motivation killer is a lack of confidence. When this happens to me, it’s usually because I’m focusing entirely on what I want and neglecting what I already have. When you only think about what you want, your mind creates explanations for why you aren’t getting it. This creates negative thoughts. Past failures, bad breaks, and personal weaknesses dominate your mind. You become jealous of your competitors and start making excuses for why you can’t succeed. In this state, you tend to make a bad impression, assume the worst about others, and lose self confidence.

The way to get out of this thought pattern is to focus on gratitude. Set aside time to focus on everything positive in your life. Make a mental list of your strengths, past successes, and current advantages. We tend to take our strengths for granted and dwell on our failures. By making an effort to feel grateful, you’ll realize how competent and successful you already are. This will rejuvenate your confidence and get you motivated to build on your current success.

It might sound strange that repeating things you already know can improve your mindset, but it’s amazingly effective. The mind distorts reality to confirm what it wants to believe. The more negatively you think, the more examples your mind will discover to confirm that belief. When you truly believe that you deserve success, your mind will generate ways to achieve it. The best way to bring success to yourself is to genuinely desire to create value for the rest of the world.

Developing Tangible Focus

The second motivation killer is a lack of focus. How often do you focus on what you don’t want, rather than on a concrete goal? We normally think in terms of fear. I’m afraid of being poor. I’m afraid no one will respect me. I’m afraid of being alone. The problem with this type of thinking is that fear alone isn’t actionable. Instead of doing something about our fear, it feeds on itself and drains our motivation.

If you’re caught up in fear based thinking, the first step is focusing that energy on a well defined goal. By defining a goal, you automatically define a set of actions. If you have a fear of poverty, create a plan to increase your income. It could be going back to school, obtaining a higher paying job, or developing a profitable website. The key is moving from an intangible desire to concrete, measurable steps.

By focusing your mind on a positive goal instead of an ambiguous fear, you put your brain to work. It instantly begins devising a plan for success. Instead of worrying about the future you start to do something about it. This is the first step in motivating yourself to take action. When know what you want, you become motivated to take action.

Developing Direction

The final piece in the motivational puzzle is direction. If focus means having an ultimate goal, direction is having a day-to-day strategy to achieve it. A lack of direction kills motivation because without an obvious next action we succumb to procrastination. An example of this is a person who wants to have a popular blog, but who spends more time reading posts about blogging than actually writing articles.

The key to finding direction is identifying the activities that lead to success. For every goal, there are activities that pay off and those that don’t. Make a list of all your activities and arrange them based on results. Then make a make an action plan that focuses on the activities that lead to big returns. To continue the example from above, a blogger’s list would look something like this:

1. Write content
2. Research relevant topics
3. Network with other bloggers
4. Optimize design and ad placements
5. Answer comments and email
6. Read other blogs

Keeping track of your most important tasks will direct your energy towards success. Without a constant reminder, it’s easy to waste entire days on filler activities like reading RSS feeds, email, and random web surfing.

When my motivation starts to wane, I regain direction by creating a plan that contains two positive actions. The first one should be a small task you’ve been meaning to do, while the second should be a long-term goal. I immediately do the smaller task. This creates positive momentum. After that I take the first step towards achieving the long-term goal. Doing this periodically is great for getting out of a slump, creating positive reinforcement, and getting long-term plans moving.

It’s inevitable that you’ll encounter periods of low energy, bad luck, and even the occasional failure. If you don’t discipline your mind, these minor speed bumps can turn into mental monsters. By being on guard against the top 3 motivation killers you can preserve your motivation and propel yourself to success.

When you determine your true reason for avoiding a task, re-program yourself with positive affirmations such as:
“I am capable of doing this and succeeding.”
“I will feel really great when this task is completed.”

Always think beyond the box…..motivate your self…be confident………now it is your choice 2 win in your life…..

11 Ways to Think Outside the Box

Thinking outside the box is more than just a business cliche. It means approaching problems in new, innovative ways; conceptualizing problems differently; and understanding your position in relation to any particular situation in a way you’d never thought of before. Ironically, its a cliche that means to think of cliched situations in ways that aren’t cliched.
We’re told to “think outside the box” all the time, but how exactly do we do that? How do we develop the ability to confront problems in ways other than the ways we normally confront problems? How do we cultivate the ability to look at things differently from the way we typically look at things?
Thinking outside the box starts well before we’re “boxed in” – that is, well before we confront a unique situation and start forcing it into a familiar “box” that we already know how to deal with. Or at least think we know how to deal with.
Here are 11 ways to beef up your out-of-the-box thinking skills. Make an effort to push your thinking up to and beyond its limit every now and again – the talents you develop may come in handy the next time you face a situation that “everybody knows” how to solve.

1. Study another industry.

I’ve learned as much about teaching from learning about marketing as I have from studying pedagogy – maybe more. Go to the library and pick up a trade magazine in an industry other than your own, or grab a few books from the library, and learn about how things are done in other industries. You might find that many of the problems people in other industries face are similar to the problems in your own, but that they’ve developed really quite different ways of dealing with them. Or you might well find new linkages between your own industry and the new one, linkages that might well be the basis of innovative partnerships in the future.

2. Learn about another religion.

Religions are the way that humans organize and understand their relationships not only with the supernatural or divine but with each other. Learning about how such relations are structured can teach you a lot about how people relate to each other and the world around them. Starting to see the reason in another religion can also help you develop mental flexibility – when you really look at all the different ways people comprehend the same mysteries, and the fact that they generally manage to survive regardless of what they believe, you start to see the limitations of whatever dogma or doxy you follow, a revelation that will transfer quite a bit into the non-religious parts of your life.

3. Take a class.

Learning a new topic will not only teach you a new set of facts and figures, it will teach you a new way of looking at and making sense of aspects of your everyday life or of the society or natural world you live in. This in turn will help expand both how you look at problems and the breadth of possible solutions you can come up with.

4. Read a novel in an unfamiliar genre.

Reading is one of the great mental stimulators in our society, but it’s easy to get into a rut. Try reading something you’d never have touched otherwise – if you read literary fiction, try a mystery or science fiction novel; if you read a lot of hard-boiled detective novels, try a romance; and so on. Pay attention not only to the story but to the particular problems the author has to deal with. For instance, how does the fantasy author bypass your normal skepticism about magic and pull you into their story? Try to connect those problems to problems you face in your own field. For example, how might your marketing team overcome your audiences normal reticence about a new “miracle” product?

5. Write a poem.

While most problem-solving leans heavily on our brain’s logical centers, poetry neatly bridges our more rational left-brain though processes and our more creative right-brain processes. Though it may feel foolish (and getting comfortable with feeling foolish might be another way to think outside the box), try writing a poem

about the problem you’re working on. Your poem doesn’t necessarily have to propose a solution – the idea is to shift your thinking away from your brain’s logic centers and into a more creative part of the brain, where it can be mulled over in a non-rational way. Remember, nobody has to ever see your poem…

6. Draw a picture.

Drawing a picture is even more right-brained, and can help break your logical left-brain’s hold on a problem the same way a poem can. Also, visualizing a problem engages other modes of thinking that we don’t normally use, bringing you another creative boost.

7. Turn it upside down.

Turning something upside-down, whether physically by flipping a piece of paper around or metaphorically by re-imagining it can help you see patterns that wouldn’t otherwise be apparent. The brain has a bunch of pattern-making habits that often obscure other, more subtle patterns at work; changing the orientation of things can hide the more obvious patterns and make other patterns emerge. For example, you might ask what a problem would look like if the least important outcome were the most important, and how you’d then try to solve it.

8. Work backwards.

Just like turning a thing upside down, working backwards breaks the brain’s normal conception of causality. This is the key to backwards planning, for example, where you start with a goal and think back through the steps needed to reach it until you get to where you are right now.

9. Ask a child for advice.

I don’t buy into the notion that children are inherently ore creative before society “ruins” them, but I do know that children think and speak with a n ignorance of convention that is often helpful. Ask a child how they might tackle a problem, or if you don’t have a child around think about how you might reformulate a problem so that a child could understand it if one was available. Don’t run out and build a boat made out of cookies because a child told you to, though – the idea isn’t to do what the child says, necessarily, but to jog your own thinking into a more unconventional path.

10. Invite randomness.

If you’ve ever seen video of Jackson Pollock painting, you have seen a masterful painter consciously inviting randomness into his work. Pollock exercises a great deal of control over his brushes and paddles, in the service of capturing the stray drips and splashes of paint that make up his work. Embracing mistakes and incorporating them into your projects, developing strategies that allow for random input, working amid chaotic juxtapositions of sound and form – all of these can help to move beyond everyday patterns of thinking into the sublime.

11. Take a shower.

There’s some kind of weird psychic link between showering and creativity. Who knows why? Maybe it’s because your mind is on other things, maybe it’s because you’re naked, maybe it’s the warm water relaxing you – it’s a mystery. But a lot of people swear by it. So maybe when the status quo response to some circumstance just isn’t working, try taking a shower and see if something remarkable doesn’t occur to you!


Do you have strategies for thinking differently?
Share your tips with me in the comments.

Making a Difference - It is Up to You!

"I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."
Those powerful words are part of a speech given by Martin Luther King in August 1963.
Those are the words of a man who was persecuted and then murdered for preaching non-violent civil disobedience whilst fighting for black peoples civil rights in the United States during the turbulent early sixties.

His dream was manifested a year later, when President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, which (also) guaranteed blacks the right to vote.
In that same year, at age 35, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

We all have a dream.
Or more accurately, we all had a dream.
As children, not preoccupied with what is possible, sensible or logical, we all dreamt of making a difference.
I remember myself dreaming of being the best brain surgeon in the world, saving people - making a difference.
At the age of 15 I become a vegetarian, determined not to kill anymore.

We all had a dream!
It involves 'growing up', some falling down and too much listening to those who never made a difference to arrive at the 'conclusion': "I cannot make a difference."
Think for a moment, how the world would be if all people had chosen not to strive for their dreams and make a difference. People like Martin Luther King, John Kennedy, Mohandas Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa...
You may look at these names and feel somewhat intimidated and be tempted to ask : "Can I really make a difference? Is it worth the price I would have to pay?"
It is easier to live a compromised, mediocre life, hoping that someone else makes a difference, while you read about it.
However, if that was your choice, you wouldn't be reading this article now.

Now is a time for action.
As Barbara Streisand said, "Remember, one voice can save Mother Nature. It can help bring about peace. Even one voice... this one voice... can make the difference."
It is time to confront our upbringing, conditioning and circumstances.
We all had and have people in our life, telling us that dreams are for children, encouraging us to 'grow-up'.
It is time to share with them the old Chinese proverb, "Man who says it cannot be done, should not interrupt man doing it."

Making a difference is like throwing a pebble in a pool. The ripples spread from the center to larger and larger circles of influence. It begins within you.
Find your dream again. Shake off the dust.

The Benefits of Diversity and Building Relationships

Diversity is about building strong relationships with others. We frequently get caught up in the superficial attributes of our differences while forgetting how much we have in common. Building relationships is one of the most direct ways to get rid of a “difference based” model of diversity.
When we focus on differences only we tend to behave in ways that emphasize the things we don’t share. If, however, we give more importance to simply building relationships with each other we tend to look for the things that will bring us closer together.
Building relationships is an elegant solution to a complex issue and it can make a world of difference in how our workplace functions.  When people consciously put their efforts toward connecting with each other and promoting meaningful relationships, differences seem to melt away and we become aware of the possibilities of connecting with each other.  How do you build diverse relationships in your workplace?
Take care,

Positive thinking

Positive thinking is a mental attitude that anticipates happiness, success and favorable outcomes in every situation or action you do. The thoughts get registered in your subconscious mind and you start taking action to create favorable change. A positive outlook can help you to cope better with stressful situations and can change your life for the better.
Why think positively? Ever wondered why some people find learning an enjoyable and exciting experience? Why are some people disinterested and find it an unpleasant experience while others use it merely as a road to fetch a good job? The difference between these people lies in their attitude and their approach towards life. Your mindset plays a huge role in every aspect of your life.
Your mind can control your body for better or for worse. A negativemindset can mar your life while a positive mindset can make your lifehappy and peaceful. The choice is yours!
Ways to develop positive thinking You cannot change your thoughts and attitude over night. Positive thinking takes practice. Persistence would make your mind to think positively and ignore negative thoughts. Benefits of positive thinking Decreases stress. Helps you cope better in stressful situations. Strengthens your Immune System and reduces the risk of certain diseases. Improves your self-esteem and confidence. Brings inner peace, happiness and a sense of well-being. Motivates you to accomplish your goals. Helps you have greater inner strength and energy. Helps you live longer.
Listen to your inner voice Listening to your inner voice or instincts is one of the most common ways to develop positive thinking. Whenever any negative thoughts enter your mind, try to replace it with a constructive one. For example, “I won’t be able to do it” will be put forward as “I will do it”. Practice this regularly and you will soon be able to master your mind. Learn to meditate Meditation calms your mind and relaxes your body Meditation gives you inner strength, peace of mind, relaxation and a sense of bliss, which will help you to think positively.
Always see the brighter side of life Try to believe that everything happens for a reason and embrace the concept that something good will come out of every situation that momentarily seems bad. Always look on the bright side of life and it will work wonders for you. Learn to communicate effectively Not saying the things you feel can give a sense of frustration, anxiety and anger, thus giving way to negative thoughts. Hence, communication is an important aspect of positive thinking.
Believe in yourself Believe in yourself and your capabilities to become more confident. Make a positive commitment to your self and to the people around you. Praise yourself and be enthusiastic.
Tips to positive thinking Be optimistic and expect favorable outcomes in every situation. Cultivate the habit of reading inspiring books. Find reasons to smile more often. It’s a great stress buster. Try to use positive words, e.g. “I can”, “it will be done”, “it is possible” while thinking and talking. Engage yourself in enjoyable recreational activities. Interact with people who have a positive outlook in life.
Finally… Positive thinking needs consistent effort as you are creating a new habit. On the other hand, negative thoughts can rip your focus from your goal. There is no greater joy than living a healthy and positive life. So take charge of your mind and think positive. Remember, you are what you think