Five Steps Towards Greater Self Confidence

We watch the star athlete calmly make the final shot, score the winning goal, or lead his team for a touchdown in the final minute of the game. We marvel at their talent and their determination, but what we value and admire most is the supreme confidence they display - they know they will succeed.

Confidence is an attribute that is alluring, attractive, valuable, desirable and contagious. Most everyone aspires to greater levels of it, even if they feel confident most of the time. It is a trait that will help us create greater results for ourselves and when leading others. Any trait with this much benefit is one worth developing. And yes, you can develop and strengthen your confidence.
Consider these five steps as the building blocks for greater confidence in any part of your life.

1. Remind yourself of past successes. Confidence builds on past success. Since you have had success before, you can (and will) have it again. We strengthen our confidence in any activity when we review or remind ourselves of past successes. If you are trying to build confidence in a new area, past success can still help us strengthen our confidence. For example, if you have had success in doing something new in the past, review those experiences when trying something else new - even if it is in an entirely different part of your life.

2. Read and listen to positive materials. Fill your mind with positive and affirming words, ideas and stories. Read things that enhances your skills or knowledge in the area in which you want to build your confidence. Read materials that are generally uplifting and affirming, and read biographies of successful people. You will find that many of them had troubles in life, came from tough situations and still succeeded. If you have ever thought, "Well, if they can do, I could too." Then you realize that we can build our confidence by reading about others stories. Reading and listening to positive materials is about reinforcement, encouragement, and learning. All three of these components are needed for greater confidence.

3. See your future success. Olympic athletes, corporate executives, and successful people in all sorts of endeavors visualize future success. Confidence will grow when we see ourselves succeeding. Think about it, if you know you will succeed, your confidence will soar, right? Visualizing future success does that very thing for us. Our minds cannot tell the difference between something real and something vividly imagined. So vividly visualize your success. What will it look like, smell like, and taste like to have succeeded? Who will be with you, what will you be hearing and where will you be? How will you be feeling at that moment? Putting this much detail into your vivid picture improves the likelihood of success, and supports greater confidence!

4. Reframe failure. Thomas Edison spent a long time trying to create an incandescent light bulb - to create light from electricity. He is attributed with saying, "I have not failed, I have discovered twelve hundred materials that don't work." 1,200! Perhaps you feel you can reframe your failures as learning experiences - as a chance to find out what doesn't work. But would you be able to do so 1,200 times? Know that failures will occur - and your confidence won't be as shaken when they come. Use the failures as an opportunity to learn. Realize that every failure puts you that much closer to success. When we reframe our failure as a learning experience we reduce our fear and increase our confidence.

5. Take confident action. You wanted confidence to help you try and succeed in new ways, right? So get out there and get at it! You have to put your confidence to the test. You have to practice. And, while you are taking action, make it confident action! Remember that if you act confident, you will be more confident. Review the other steps you have been taking to build your confidence. If you are driving towards your new action step, remind yourself of past successes, again. Visualize the successful outcome, again. Build your confidence at every step of the way, but remember it all must lead to action.

These steps are a regimen for strengthening and building your confidence in any life situation. Use these steps and I am confident, you will be more confident.

By Kevin Eikenberry 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5192

Top 5 Reasons Why You're Not Living Your Dream

1. "I'm too old to make a change."
Maybe you're over 30 and settled in your career. You don't even want to think about making a move somewhere else. Besides, at this point in your life, you're supposed to be doing what you want, right?
For some reason we seem to think that we have to "act our age". But what does that mean? Where is there a definition of what it means to be a certain age?
The next time you think you're too old to make a change, think about Colonel Sanders and Wally Amos. Age is truly nothing more than a number.

2. "I need more money."
You might have dreams of owning your own business. You automatically think about all the money you'll need to do that. Just the thought of it overwhelms you and stops you in your tracks.
Using money as a reason not to change is just another excuse. Sure, it does take money to start a business. But who says we have to have all the money at once? Sometimes just the process of planning out our dreams makes what seems impossible, possible.
When you start to visualize your dreams, new opportunities open up for you. You may even find options that don't require that much money.

3. "I'm afraid to make a change."
You may have made a career move in the past and things didn't turn out like you expected. Maybe your boss didn't treat you well or you weren't challenged enough. Now you might be afraid to make the same mistake again.
Fear can take over and paralyze us. The funny thing is that most of the things we fear generally do not become a reality. When we come up with reasons why we can't make a move, we are just avoiding true happiness.
Basing your future on events that happened in the past is a sure way of stopping yourself from growing. It's best to learn from the past so that you can move forward.

4. "I don't have time to try to live my dream."
You may be so focused on your daily duties that you don't stop to think about your dreams. They might be buried deep within.
Some of us have spent so much time trying to make a living that we really don't have a life. We haven't taken the time to learn what we are passionate about.
Listen to those inner voices. Acknowledge the ideas that keep popping into your head. Make note of what you do in your spare time. Ask yourself if you would do these things even if you weren't getting paid. Or, ask if you would do them as a hobby even if you won the lottery.

5. "I don't think anyone will approve of my dream."
You've been thinking about making a change in your career. But what will people think of you? Will they believe that you can be successful? Will they be waiting for you to fail?
We often sabotage ourselves by worrying about what other people think of us. A family member, co-worker, or friend passes judgment on our dreams. All of a sudden, that's enough to stop us from moving forward.

You have the right to do what makes you happy. As long as you are not hurting anyone, including yourself, go for it. You might upset some people in the process. But, ultimately, it is your life.

By Leila Johnson 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9804

4 Powerful Ways To Fire Up Your Motivation

It's so difficult to go on when everything seems to fail, isn't it? Are there times in your life when you really want to call it "quits" because you just can't see any good results from all the hard work you've done?

Hold your horses!

Never ever think of giving up. Winners never quit and quitters never win. Take all negative words out of your mental dictionary and focus on the solutions with utmost conviction and patience. The battle is never lost until you've abandon your vision.
But what if you're really exhausted physically, mentally, and most of all emotionally? Here are some sources of motivation to prompt you in reaching the peak of accomplishment.

1) The Overwhelming Feeling of Attaining your Desired End
How would you feel after accomplishing your mission? Of course you will feel ecstatic. You might be shedding tears of joy. Let this tremendous feeling sink in and encourage you to persist despite all odds.
When I was studying for the Board Exams, I used this technique to motivate me. I would envision the sweetness of folks calling me a CPA. It would command respect. People will look up to me as a higher level of authority. And I would have better chances of finding a good job. I absorbed all these great perceptions into my inner being in order to achieve my ultimate goal.

2) The Reward System
How would you feel if you've entered a contest, but there are no prizes for the winners? It's not very encouraging, isn't it?
The same principles apply to your vision. Reward yourself after accomplishing a goal. Set a particular incentive for every objective.
Let's say if you've achieved a particular task, you'll treat yourself to your favorite restaurant. When you've finished a bigger task, you'll go on a vacation.
Got the idea?
Just set something gratifying to indulge in after completing a certain undertaking.

3) The Powerful Force of Humanity
If you want to succeed, surround yourself with the right kind of people who will support and encourage you all the way.
Be with people who have the same beliefs and aspirations as yours. Positive aura is generated by this fusion of collective energy from people of "like minds."
On the contrary, being with people who oppose your ways of thinking may trigger a negative, yet very powerful, kind of motivation.
Has anyone ever said to you that "You'll never get anywhere" or "You're wasting your time with what you're doing?"
Didn't it made you furious and determined enough to prove to them how wrong they were? This is what I'm talking about.
When aggravated, you will do anything to make those who are against you swallow their words. But of course, your main focus should be on the accomplishment of your goal and not for the purpose of revenge. Never let your emotions toward others alter your main objective.

4) Take Care Of Your Health
Exercise regularly. Fill your brains with enough oxygen to allow you to do your daily tasks with more vigor and energy.
Take regular breaks if time allows. Having the will power to continue despite all hardships is extremely important, but you should still know your limits.
If you don't take enough rest, you will not be able to think clearly and you will not be able to do your tasks properly. In the process, you will just get more frustrated.

Take sufficient sleep and recharge yourself after a hard day's work. Never, ever ignore your health. I've learned my lesson when I sacrificed my health for the sake of success. I've worked very long hours everyday and just got minimal sleep. As a result, I became ill.
It's not worth it. Success won't matter if you don't have good health to enjoy it.
Fire up your motivation and live life to the fullest!

By Michael Lee 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1397

REST: The New Strategy for Business and Life Success

No matter how many times you have vowed to change your harried ways, you still find yourself running behind, running out of time, running out of patience and running on EMPTY. Your biggest problem--exhaustion. You are just plain old tired. But you keep going, because there seems to be no way out.

Guess what? There is a way out if you decided to take it! Not only a way out but a way that will help you get more done while keeping your sanity. Simply put, your life is screaming at you to get some REST! You're probably screaming back HOW DO I DO THAT? THERE'S ONLY ONE ME! There's only one me to make sure that the kids get to school, the shopping is done, the business is profitable, the romance is steady.

Everyday women are juggling multiple to do list, trying hard not to let any of them drop. The problem is, they have not included time out to rest on any of the list. Exhaustion, fatigue, unpleasant interactions, illness and more can be the results of not listening to a life that is screaming for rest.

As a producer of retreats for busy women, I have found that many of our guests are frustrated by the fast pace of day-to-day-life, and at the same time they feel helpless to change it. I offer a few suggestions to help them transition to a more restful lifestyle, not only while they are on retreat, but more importantly, when they return home. Here's a quick list that you can cut out and put on your bulletin board at work or on the refrigerator door at home:

o Schedule time off. When you have a business or family appointment, you put it on the calendar. This insures that you will follow through in keeping that appointment. Each week schedule a little time off. It may be to take a twenty minute walk at lunch, or to get an afternoon facial. Whatever your choice is, write it down, and then block out the time. Treat this just as you would any appointment, and be sure to show up.

o Pay attention to your energy level. When you feel yourself getting overwhelmed, over-extended or over worked. Be proactive. If it's possible to change a meeting, do so. If there's something you can accomplish at home instead of going into to the office, give yourself permission to stay home. If it's a job that someone else can do, delegate. Do this with the understanding that when you get a little rest you will have increased clarity, and become more productive.

o Ask for help. Don't let your pride get in the way here. Ask for help with the kids, with the projects, with the tasks. One woman told me that the only way this works for her, is that she promises to return the favor when her co-worker or friend is in need. This puts her mind at ease and allows her to feel respectful and responsible to those in her life. We all need help from time to time, asking is allowing someone else to share their resources which most are happy to do.

o Practice. Don't seek perfection when it comes to creating a life that includes work and rest. It takes practice to make any type of lifestyle change. If you schedule time off, but can't pull yourself away. Write it down again for the next day or the next week. The important thing is to stay clear of guilt and shame. Those feelings will only get you frozen in place and push you over the edge of exhaustion even faster.

Taking time out to rest can be a secret weapon, leading to more success in business and in life. Just by increasing the amount of rest that you get, you can become more creative and able to bring fresh ideas to the table at work. When you feel rested, you will show more patience to your customers, co-workers and family. In addition to this, you replenish the inner "well" building a reserve for when you have to make the push to meet a deadline or complete a project. When you are exhausted, there is no inner well to draw from. Your secret weapon to a more successful life. . . take time out to rest.

By Jordan Mercedes 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/420

Ten Tips to Create More Life for Your Life

When people begin to investigate career change, often they don't want a new career at all. They love their career -- but they also want time for creating a life outside work. As a lifetime leisure-seeker, I've created ten tips to help you get started on the quest for "more time in your life -- and more fun."

1. Decide where leisure ranks on your list of values. Are you working to pay for something that you don't value very much?

2. Seize moments during the day, evening, lunchtime and weekend. Time management guru Alan Lakein calls this the "Swiss cheese method:" using the holes. Think "fun" in fifteen-minute segments.

3. Buy leisure time. Hiring a teenager to mow your lawn may give you an hour or more, depending on the size of your property. Get even more creative. For a price, your pet-sitter might be persuaded to take Fluffy to the vet and Fido to the groomer.

4. Stop doing things that nobody will miss.
I once worked with someone who stopped answering requests for reports from "senior management." When a vice president asked, "Where is your report?" he would prepare one on the spot. Most of the time, nobody noticed!
Same goes for housekeeping: do you need the "cleanest house in town" award?

5. Set limits and set them again. Saying "no" to invitations is a beginning. You can also define your scope: "I will be happy to help as long as I can do the work on Saturday."
I've role-played scenarios with clients who think the earth will cave in if they say "no." Often they're amazed to find nobody missed them.

6. Stop losing energy to procrastination or fear. If you dread making that call or put off changing that light bulb, do it now and enjoy leisure, guilt-free.

7. Ignore the pressure of, "Everybody else is participating." Chances are everybody else is miserable -- or isn't doing any more than you are.

8. Prioritize your time for energy boosters and time expanders? Meditation, journal writing and exercise will increase your energy and miraculously add hours to your day.

9. Grab a large block of time each week to do exactly what you want. Two hours? A whole afternoon? An afternoon in an art museum (or an evening at a basketball game) will often unravel the knots that keep you working late.

10. Call for outside help if you're still trapped by the "should" monitor. Find a friend, counselor or coach -- someone who can offer you an objective insight and clarify priorities.
Bonus tip: Remind yourself every day: Very few people on their deathbed say, "I wish I'd spent more time at the office," or, "I should have done more dusting." Will you be one of the few?

By Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D. 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1162