Twenty questions I ask myself : Vineet Nayar's Scrapbook

Twenty Questions I ask Myself

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Loneliness

Loneliness seems to be a real and wide-spread problem among people today.  When I first started talking about it, the issues seemed to deal mostly with newly single people.  But now I see that many people live in a house full of family and feel utterly and completely alone in the world.  I too find myself struggling with strong feelings of loneliness and have found some useful ways of coming to terms with it.  Maybe you can find comfort in infusing them in your life when you too are feeling alone.

via flowingriver.typepad.com

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Improv Everywhere

I Love Lunch! The Musical (2009)

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Slow Down and Enjoy Relationships

I keep my time saved in a box
From going fast in cars
I’ve piled it up high
From saying hello to friends with a quick goodbye
~Kathryn Williams, Flicker





The world is seemingly moving at a faster pace. Everywhere you turn, the pace is quick. Deadlines are moved up, workload is increased, kid’s schedules are packed, to-do lists are long, housework never ends – it’s chaos.
At least it feels this way.
Has the world really sped up? Are there more things happening today than 50 years ago? No, and no.
Some things around us may involve more pressure and feel like it’s moving faster, but many times it only feels this way. Thanks to the Internet and cable we hear about everything that happens, immediately.
Our interconnectedness through technology has helped create the illusion of a faster paced world. It’s also created the illusion of less loneliness and isolation – but there’s nothing that can replace real life connections with other people. Physical contact and interaction is vital.
This loss of contact and the perceived pace of the world produces a feeling of chronic anxiousness and a decrease in the ability to find pleasure in some of the simple things.
Honestly, when was the last time you stopped and took in the smell of fresh baked bread? Or colored with crayons? Or walked barefoot in the grass? Or took a few minutes to just breathe?
No where is the impact of our pace felt more than in marriage and family. It’s extremely difficult to move hurriedly through your day and then slow down enough to enjoy your family or your spouse in the evening.
Some of the reasons marriage and family relationships go through sour patches is the squeezing they get from our schedules, disconnection, and pace. It’s easy to get caught up in other things and have the immediate outweigh the important.
To reverse this, here’s a few ideas to try:

Start small.

No change in life is easy or comfortable. Working to let go of the pace around you and creating your own speed takes time and should be attempted in small, incremental steps. Begin by giving yourself permission to slow down. This may seem like a no brainer, but many people believe they don’t have permission to slow down. You do. Whenever life seems to move too fast, take a deep breathe. Three to five slow, deep breaths will slow everything down.

Leave the office.

And I mean leave the office. Shut off all projects, messages, emails, phone calls and conversations and leave the office at the end of the day. Most everything can wait until the next day, so leave it alone until then. As an added help, create a routine to help you disengage from the office on the way home. Walk down the stairs slowly rather than taking the elevator. Drive down tree lined streets rather than the interstate. Walk or bike home from work if possible. Listen to good music while on the train or bus. Stop by the gym for a workout. No matter which way you transition from work to home, make it intentional. Breathe. Relax. Breathe. Let work go. Then walk through the door to your home and enjoy time with those you love.

Turn off all electronic gadgets.

This one is simple. Turn off the phone. The Internet. The television. Spend time talking, playing games, take a walk outside. The point is, unplug and connect with other humans.

Be 100% present.

This is tough at times. But it also is a source of increased tension in life. When I’m with my kids and have other things on my mind, my kids become a pest and source of frustration – at least that’s the way it plays out. When I’ve got work on my mind, my son’s request to play cars is an annoyance rather than an invitation into the world of imaginative play with my child. Whatever you are doing, focus on being 100% present. Multitasking is impossible anyway. Focus on doing one thing at a time and being 100% present while doing it.

Take a walk.

Make it a priority to walk with your spouse and your kids each day. There’s tremendous benefit to being out in nature, even if it’s nature in the city. Want a sure-fire way to improve your marriage? Walk and talk with your spouse at least 30 minutes a day.

Eat outside.

There’s something great about being in nature. There’s something even greater about sharing a meal with others outside. Head to the park for a picnic, eat on the patio at home or restaurants.

Prepare for your day.

Spend a moment at the end of your day preparing for the next day. Pick out clothes, make lunches, talk with your spouse. Then in the morning, before you jump into your day, take some time a simply sit quietly. Enjoy a cup of tea or coffee. Breathe slowly, meditate, pray. What a great way to start each day.

: This is a guest post from Corey Allan of Simple Marriage through Zen habits

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Inspirational Words

Some of my favorite inspirational words from the book " Dream it Do it list it"

1.Be a Leader, not a follower.


2. learn to say NO.


3. Turn weakness into strengths.


4. Treat everyone as you wish to to be treated.


5. Be better than I was yesterday.


6. Find beauty in small things.


7. Do something unexpected.


8. Stop planning & start Doing.


9. be brave enough to try things on my own.


10. Resist the temptation to settle.

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Job Analysis & HR Planning

Job Analysis & HR Planning
:Source
 

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How To Be A Better Manager

 5 Tips How to be a Good Manager

 If you have just obtained your first managerial position or even if you are an experienced manager who might be wondering how you can become a better manager then there are a number of key skills which will significantly ease the way. These tips have been generated over many years and have stood the test of time. So let’s get to it:

 Tip 1 – Set aside time to be seen by the people who you manage

 This sounds easy but amidst the turmoil of a modern management career it is so easy to forget that your primary objective is to gain results through the efforts of others. Pick someone you admire for their management skills and see how they do it. The chances are that they will spend time understanding what makes people tick and how best to leverage the efforts of people.

Tip 2 – Don’t confuse busy with effective 

 Most managers work long and hard but the real high flyers, and the ones who seem to rise in the organisation most quickly, are the ones who know how to concentrate on the important issues whilst at least keeping the fires at bay. Pick the most important three issues each day and deal with them first before anything else. This requires some real thought but this process will teach you just how to focus on the things that matter.

Tip 3 – Get a good grounding in the financial aspects of the job

 It really does not matter how you do this but, like it or not, the real essence of a manager’s job is to benefit the organisation more than he or she costs the organisation. If you understand how best to do this and can communicate the results in financial terms then you will always be sought after since you add value.

Tip 4 – Look after your own health 

 Again, this is easier said than done. If you are fit and healthy then you will find that you have more energy and therefore you can work hard and smart. Combine this with the other tips and you become a natural working machine that produces results time after time.

Tip 5 – Keep learning

 Any modern management role will be demanding and new skills are the only real job security that exists in the workplace of today. Keeping up to date and demonstrating that you can apply new skills is an excellent way to demonstrate your value to the business.

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Ten Steps to Becoming a Hard Worker

1) Learn from a mentor- Work ethic is best learned in childhood from adults that we love and respect. However, having a mentor is a great way to learn what it takes to succeed in you chosen or current profession. If you don't know someone personally, find one on the internet; Score is a useful website that helps connect you to well established people from pletny of different industries so that you can seek advice. They also have many local offices where you can meet with mentors face to face. If you are a parent make sure you teach your children well.

2) Become generous- Ask not what your company can do for you, but what you can do for your company. Let's be honest, a lot of people work to make a living. When you get a job it is likely that you are more concerned with how working for someone will benefit you. To become a hard worker, you have to balance a self-focused tendency with generosity. What can you do to help to improve customer service, staff morale, or increase the profit margin?

3) Find the significance- Maybe you don't have a dream job and your title is less than thrilling. If you don't understand how your job duties help the world around you, you may feel like hard work is a wasted effort; when you know the significance of your job to yourself and others, you will be motivated to push yourself to give your very best. If your job did not exist, what problems would your company or even your neighborhood have? How does your job improve your life?

4) Create short , medium
and long term career goals- If you are not passionate about your current job, then this step is vital. Working in a dead end job with no plans will sap the strength of any well intentioned worker. If you have the habits of a highly effective person but have no hope of ever seeing a personal reward for your actions, it is hard to maintain the momentum. Creating long term goals will help you to remember your ultimate goal and keep your passion fresh. Medium term goals help to connect your present to the future by creating a plan of action that will help you accomplish all the steps needed to accomplish your ultimate goals. Short term goals will help spur you on day to day and help you see your current success, making your job rewarding this present moment.

5) Reward your milestones- Every week make a "to do" list of your work duties/projects and prioritize each item; create a flexible daily schedule that reflects your priorities. When you accomplished significant milestones and goals, reward yourself with activities that you love and that you find relieve your stress (sporting events, concerts, buying new shoes, etc...)

6) Do what you love- A key component in the Laws of Attraction is gratitude. Appreciating what you already have attracts bigger and better opportunities to you. Never let gratitude become an excuse to be mediocre. Take time to think about the things you love to do and the talents you want to develop. Dream about the perfect job or entrepreneurial venture and make that a part of your goals. When you are ready to make the transition, you will see the skills and opportunities that your current job has provided. In the mean time, bring the things that you love to do into your job now by creating projects that will benefit your current employer, your coworkers and/or your clients.

7) Don't complain, create- Everything can be improved. Instead of going to a coworker or supervisor to vent your frustration, use your talents and expertise to create a solution. Create what you believe to be a fool proof plan before you introduce the concept to others. It might be a solution that you can implement alone or requires effort on everyone's part. The worst thing that could happen is that your superiors don't like your plan, but become aware of the problem. The best thing that can happen is that you create a new job for yourself that is a promotion, and fixes the issues that you dislike about your work place.

8) Ask for help- Becoming a hard worker does not turn you into an indestructible human being. Knowing your limits and your coworkers' strengths is priceless. When creating your daily schedule, make sure it's realistic. If you are over scheduled or the do list is not getting completed, ask for help from people who are talented and willing. Managers/supervisors need to learn the art of delegation and reward your staff by implementing solutions to their complaints.

9) Take good care of yourself- It is okay to work overtime, but when you leave work make sure you focus on your personal life. Take good care of your body by exercising, eating nutritious food and sleeping 8 hours every day. Use all of your vacation time to relax and regroup, even if you decide not to go out of town. Make sure time with friends and family is rich in quality and laughter. Always strive for balance by connecting to yourself and taking care of all of your needs: emotional, spiritual, adventurous, romantic, educational, etc...

10) Do away with distractions- Get creative and learn how to make work fun so that you don't feel tempted to find distractions. If you like listening to music at work, just make sure that it is not disturbing anyone. Also, make sure you're able to maintain focus on your tasks and that it doesn't go against company policy. If something causes you to be less productive, make a commitment to only partake in those habits during your allotted breaks. Instead, work hard to make your job duties interesting. If you know of nothing you can do to help you focus on and enjoy your job, then it is time to get serious about finding something else.
Source :http://tcb-llnl.blogspot.com

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Creativity

The Little But Really Useful Guide to Creativity

Play.
Don’t consume and create at the same time — separate the processes.
Shut out the outside world.
Reflect on your life and work daily.
Look for inspiration all around you, in the smallest places.
Start small.
Just get it out, no matter how crappy that first draft.
Don’t try for perfect. Just get it out there, asap, and get feedback.
Constantly make it better.
Ignore the naysayers.
But let criticism help you grow.
Teach and you’ll learn.
Shake things up, see things in new ways.
Apply things in other fields to your field, in ways not done before.
Drink ridiculous amounts of coffee.
Write all ideas down immediately.
Turn your work into play.
Play with kids.
Get out, move, see new things, talk to new people.
Read wildly different things. Especially stuff you disagree with.
Get lots of rest. Overwork kills creativity.
Don’t force it. Relax, play, it will start to flow.
Allow your mind to wander. Allow distractions, when you’re looking for inspiration.
Then shut them off when you’re going to create.
Do it when you’re excited.
When you’re not, find something else to be excited about.
Don’t be afraid to be stupid and silly.
Small ideas are good. You don’t need to change the world — just change one thing.
When something is killing your creativity, kill it.
Stop reading creativity advice, clear away everything, and just create.
Most of all, have fun doing it.


“Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” - Lewis Carroll

Picture courtesy : www.wdavidphillips.com/.../productivity/
Message courtesy : Zen Habits

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How to Be Mindful

1. Do one thing at a time. Single-task, don’t multi-task. When you’re pouring water, just pour water. When you’re eating, just eat. When you’re bathing, just bathe. Don’t try to knock off a few tasks while eating or bathing or driving. Zen proverb: “When walking, walk. When eating, eat.”

2. Do it slowly and deliberately. You can do one task at a time, but also rush that task. Instead, take your time, and move slowly. Make your actions deliberate, not rushed and random. It takes practice, but it helps you focus on the task.

3. Do less. If you do less, you can do those things more slowly, more completely and with more concentration. If you fill your day with tasks, you will be rushing from one thing to the next without stopping to think about what you do. But you’re busy and you can’t possibly do less, right? You can. I’ve done it, and so have many busy people. It’s a matter of figuring out what’s important, and letting go of what’s not. Read more: The Lazy Manifesto: Do Less.

4. Put space between things. Related to the “Do less” rule, but it’s a way of managing your schedule so that you always have time to complete each task. Don’t schedule things close together — instead, leave room between things on your schedule. That gives you a more relaxed schedule, and leaves space in case one task takes longer than you planned.

5. Spend at least 5 minutes each day doing nothing. Just sit in silence. Become aware of your thoughts. Focus on your breathing. Notice the world around you. Become comfortable with the silence and stillness. It’ll do you a world of good — and just takes 5 minutes!

6. Stop worrying about the future - focus on the present. Become more aware of your thinking — are you constantly worrying about the future? Learn to recognize when you’re doing this, and then practice bringing yourself back to the present. Just focus on what you’re doing, right now. Enjoy the present moment.

7. When you’re talking to someone, be present. How many of us have spent time with someone but have been thinking about what we need to do in the future? Or thinking about what we want to say next, instead of really listening to that person? Instead, focus on being present, on really listening, on really enjoying your time with that person.

8. Eat slowly and savor your food. Food can be crammed down our throats in a rush, but where’s the joy in that? Savor each bite, slowly, and really get the most out of your food. Interestingly, you’ll eat less this way, and digest your food better as well.

9. Live slowly and savor your life. Just as you would savor your food by eating it more slowly, do everything this way — slow down and savor each and every moment. As I type this, for example, I have my 3-year-old daughter, Noelle, on my lap. She’s just sitting here quietly, as the rain pours down in a hush outside. What a lovely moment. In fact, I’m going to take a few minutes off just to be with her now. Be right back. :)

10. Make cleaning and cooking become meditation. Cooking and cleaning are often seen as drudgery, but actually they are both great ways to practice mindfulness, and can be great rituals performed each day. If cooking and cleaning seem like boring chores to you, try doing them as a form of meditation. Put your entire mind into those tasks, concentrate, and do them slowly and completely. It could change your entire day (as well as leave you with a cleaner house).

11. Keep practicing. When you get frustrated, just take a deep breath. When you ask yourself, “What should I do now, Self?”, the answer is “keep practicing”.

“When you drive around the city and come to a red light or a stop sign, you can just sit back and make use of these twenty or thirty seconds to relax — to breathe in, breathe out, and enjoy arriving in the present moment. There are many things like that we can do.” - Thich Nhat Hanh

Courtesy: Zen Habits

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Barriers to the Action Habit

* Don’t worry about perfect. Too often we want to create the perfect plan, but while it’s important to know where you’re going, it’s more important not to get stuck in the planning mode. And while it’s important to do your best, perfection isn’t necessary.
* Stop fiddling. Are you messing around with your software or other tools? Are you playing with fonts and colors and other non-essential things? Stop! Get back to the task.
* Remove distractions. Turn off the phone, email, IM, Twitter, etc. Shut off the world around you, and just focus on the doing.
* Improve it later. Just do it now. You can make it better later. Writers call this the sh*tty first draft — and while it sounds bad, it’s actually a good thing. You’re getting it done, even if it’s sloppy.
* Break it into smaller chunks. Sometimes the task is too intimidating. If the task takes more than an hour, start with a 30-minute chunk. If that’s too big, do just 10 minutes. If that’s too hard, do 5. If you have to, just do 1 minute, just to get going.
* Stop thinking so much. Thinking is a good thing. Overthinking isn’t, and it gets in the way. Put aside all the thinking (analysis paralysis) and just do.
* If you can’t do something … figure out why. Maybe you don’t have the tools.
Maybe you don’t have the authority. Maybe you need something from someone else. Maybe you’re missing some key info. Maybe you don’t know how to do something and need to read up on it, or be taught how. Maybe you just don’t want to do it, and you should drop it altogether. Figure out what the barrier is, and solve it.

Courtesy : Zen Habits

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The 11 Rules To Change Our World

1. You be the change you dream of seeing (Thanks Mahatma Gandhi). "If everyone of us would sweep their own doorstep, the whole world would be clean," observed Mother Teresa. She was right.

2. Make time every day to reconnect to your highest ideals and boldest dreams. Without hope, people perish.

3. Leave every person you meet better than you found them. Life's too short to withhold encouragement and kindness.

4. As I wrote in 'The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari", see every setback as a stepping stone and every problem as a blessing in disguise. Contrary to what critics might say, these are NOT corny aphorisms. They are timeless truths of humanity. (And critics are just people too scared to grow their dreams anyway - pay no attention to them. The world needs more people lifting people up rather than putting people down).

5. Go the extra mile in everything you do - you don't need a title to be a leader. And on your deathbed, you'll never regret expressing the best within you

6. Do what's right rather than what's easy. Being a great person isn't a popularity contest. Many of the greatest leaders were disliked because they refused to bend to the winds of public opinion. That's called Strength of Character

7. Care for your health. You elevate the world by elevating yourself and your health really matters. Why be the richest person in the graveyard?

8. Tell your kids they are geniuses - and how much you adore them. Each of us are born geniuses but lose that gift within the first 6 years of our lives as we adopt the fears and limiting beliefs of those around us. Your kids are the leaders of the future. Grow their potential. Now.

9. Learn something new every day. As you grow, you begin to see possibilities you didn't have the eyes to see before. Read from an inspiring book, listen to an audio program, visit a good blog, go to a powerful workshop or have a conversation with an elder. One idea is all it takes to transform your life.

10. Keep your life simple. Please. The secret to success and happiness is building your life around a few important things. The person who tries to do everything accomplishes nothing. As I recently mentioned on my blog, "What's the point in being busy doing the wrong things?"

11. Remember that life is a mirror and we receive what we give out. To get more joy, give more joy. To have more respect, give more respect. To realize your dreams, help others realize theirs.

P.S. I've written these lessons to help you make this year the single best year of your life yet. And to do my part to improve things. I need your help!

If you were inspired by The 11 Rules To Change Our World, you can inspire others - and do YOUR part to improve our world. My goal is to circulate this list across the world via The Net within the next few hours. TOGETHER we can touch so many people. Just circulate The 11 Rules to all those you know. Let's change the world by spreading good ideals rather than celebrating negative ones. Thank you.

Article Courtesy : Robin Sharma

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How to Find Islands of Ease in the Chaos of Life

When we see a wilting plant, we know what to do, right? We water it. But when we are exhausted and stressed, it’s often difficult to recover.

The problem is that the exhaustion many of us suffer from can’t be fixed by a holiday at the beach, or a visit to a day-spa. Because it’s not just our body that’s exhausted, it’s our soul.
When the soul is exhausted, we suffer from loss of joy and hope

Life then seems increasingly difficult, and sometimes even meaningless. In those times we’re estranged from a dimension of being human that adds ease and joy to life. We’re estranged from our natural spirituality. By natural spirituality I mean the insight and wisdom that comes from a deeper recognition of who we are, and of how our life is interwoven with all other beings.

I came to spirituality the hard way. Twenty-five years ago my life was in tatters: my marriage was disintegrating, I was homesick, having just emigrated to New Zealand, and work was a nightmare. That’s when I started Zen meditation. It wasn’t a magic bullet, but I began to find islands of ease within the chaos of my life.

Maybe you too are suffering, especially in this dire economic climate? In my experience, even if we are powerless to change our circumstances, we can learn to find island of ease within our distress.

I use the word ease because it implies that our body is relaxed and that we are at peace with ourselves. It also means that we are in harmony with everything around us. When we are at ease, even difficult tasks begin to flow.

Here are five ways of finding islands of ease. These five ways will help you to feel more alive and peaceful, instead of preoccupied and stressed.
1. Silence

Silence can heal. But many of us are afraid of it because we think it might make us feel lonely. Or because it might force us to face ourselves.

There are two kinds of silence. There is outer silence which is absence of noise. And there is inner silence when our thoughts die down and our mind becomes quiet. If you are not used to silence, you might like to try this island of ease in small doses.

* Spend at least 5 minutes each day doing nothing.

Just notice sounds, sights, smells, and so on. Let go of planning thoughts or other distractions. This is a way to cultivate inner silence.

* Eliminate background music.

Only play music if you can listen to it with full attention. That might be difficult for you if you tend to exercise to music or listen to music in the car. Maybe you could just try silence for one day and see what it’s like.

* Turn the TV off if you are not watching it.

In many households the TV is blaring, even though nobody is watching it. Try turning it off as much as possible and see what happens.
2. Mindfulness

When our mind is neither in the past or the future and we are completely present, our experience changes in a significant way. Suddenly life seems more spacious, and more peaceful.

Mindfulness means being present with a clear mind, and an open heart.

When we are mindful, we are available for life, and aren’t trapped in our own little world. Whether it’s peacefulness, or anger, or boredom, or elation, or fear: mindfulness allows us to notice what we are experiencing right now.

Mindfulness means bringing full, soft attention to the task at hand.

All of us tend to let our mind drift when faced with a boring task. The good news is that if we pull ourselves back into the present moment, the task is transformed and boredom soon disappears. So, whether it’s washing the dishes, or cutting carrots, or driving in the rush hour - mindfulness can transform ‘lost’ time into islands of ease.
3. Walking

If we’re able-bodied, we do a fair amount of walking, wherever we live. In an urban area, most of our walking might be to get to work, or to the bus, car, or subway, or to the corner shop. And maybe we sometimes go for a walk in a park. If we live in the countryside, we may be used to long walks in nature.

What happens in our mind as we walk?

Often the mind churns away: it worries, plans, re-lives old hurts, or dreams of the future.

In order to turn walking into an island of ease, all you needs is a simple change: you need to focus on the experience of walking and let go of your busy thoughts. The following tip will assist you:

As you walk, touch forefinger and thumb together to remind you of the present moment.

Focus the feeling of your feet on the ground, on sounds, and on your breath flowing in and out as you walk along. Each time you find that your churning mind has taken you away from experience of ‘now’, gently refocus on the present moment.
4. Meditation

As I said before, I’ve been practicing daily Zen meditation for twenty-five years now. I do it because it makes me feel vividly alive. It gives me a sense of ease and peacefulness that is not dependant on my circumstances.

Science has put meditation under the microscope and has found amazing psychological and physiological benefits:

Psychological Benefits

* Increased feelings of vitality and rejuvenation;
* Increased happiness;
* Increased emotional stability;
* Decreased anxiety;
* Decreased depression;
* Greater creativity;
* Decreased irritability and moodiness;
* Improved learning ability and memory;
* Increased insight and wisdom.

Physiological benefits

* Deep rest (as measured by decreased metabolic rate, and lower heart rate);
* Lowered levels of cortisol and lactate (two chemicals associated with stress);
* Improved blood pressure;
* Drop in cholesterol levels;
* Improved flow of air to the lungs;
* Significant slowing of the aging process.

The simplest and most natural meditation is a way that Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh teaches: on your in-breath, silently say in, and on your out-breath, silently say out. If you do this even for just five minutes, you will notice that soul and body start to relax and find ease.

There is a lot more to meditation but it’s good to start simple. If you want to learn more, you can find ten important tips on how to meditate here.
5. Retreats

All spiritual traditions suggest taking time out to refresh the soul and nourish spirituality.

In ancient India and China, pilgrims used to gather during the months of the rainy season to meditate and study under the guidance of a teacher. In the Zen tradition, students leave home for a week at a time in order to attend silent meditation retreats.

Article Courtesy : Zenhabits <\blink>

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The Fire Inside

Success doesn't come to the most intelligent/gifted/strong. The world is filled with geniuses who did zero with their talent. So no. Sustained success comes to the person with the biggest fire inside of them. Burning desire, unreasonable passion and massive beliefs in the importance of one's dreams are what creates genuine leaders. And people who reach their mountaintops.

2009 is your year. It's the year you can upgrade every area and element of your life. From health to wealth. From relationships to career. It's all yours for the taking. This can be the year you turn it all around and take it to a whole new level of wow.

So find your fire. Look in the mirror. Remember who you are. And all that you've dreamed of being. And then act. And when you get knocked down or discouraged or afraid. Get back up. Light up the fire. And stoke it until it blazes.
Courtesy : Robin Sharma's Blog

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How to Get Things Done

1. Reminders. Need a quick reminder that you have an appointment, or need to follow up on something later? Follow “timer” on Twitter, and send it a direct message with a reminder time and it will ping you at that time. For example: “d timer 30 pick up Chloe”.

2. To-do list: A couple of popular to-do services are on Twitter: Remember the Milk (on Twitter) and Nozbe (on Twitter). Follow them and send them direct messages to add things to your to-do list, or to check the items on your list.

3. Calendar. If you use Google Calendar (gCal), go to Twittercal, then follow gCal on Twitter and add events by sending direct messages to gCal. For example: “d gcal meeting with paul tomorrow at 7pm”.

4. Delegate. If you’re going through your to-do list or email and find a task that’s better suited for someone else, sending that person a direct message (assuming they’re on Twitter) can be quicker and easier than sending an email or making a phone call.

5. Follow up. The same applies to following up. I’ve done it a bunch of times — instead of opening up your email program, composing a new message, typing in the person’s address and the subject line, and then writing the email … you can just direct message them on Twitter: “d zen_habits don’t forget to answer my interview questions, you berk!”

6. Accountability with goals. Want some extra motivation to achieve your goals? Announce through Twitter or on your blog that you’re going to post your progress updates every day on Twitter. For example, if you’re trying to eat healthier, you can post everything you eat on Twitter. Trying to exercise? Post your workouts on Twitter. It’s great motivation, and you can get some support and encouragement from your Twitter friends.

7. Get info or ideas quickly. If you have a good Twitter network, you can ask a question and usually get a few responses quicker than many other methods. I’ve gotten website and service recommendations, ideas for a post I was writing, restaurant recommendations, people interested in a job, and more.

8. Do real work. It’s possible to do real work on Twitter — people have written stories or posts by writing them in little chunks in Twitter. It might be worth a try. But if that doesn’t work, my strongest recommendation is to turn Twitter off when you need to do some real work. Then, when you’re done, reward yourself with 10 minutes on Twitter.

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How to Become Unforgettable

A piece of being a Leader Without a Title involves being so brilliant, gifted and human at what you do that people cannot forget who you are. Your good name becomes tattooed on the minds and hearts of everyone whose lives you touch. Hoards of roving ambassadors tell everyone they know about the experience you created for them - and of your rare air genius. That's the space you need to play at. To succeed in business today.

4 Best Practices I teach to my clients that will help you get there:

1. Keep Your Promises. Trust lives at the foundation of every great relationship. And business is all about relationships. When people like you, they buy from you - and help you in all ways. By becoming impeccable with your word, trust grows wildly.

2. Be BIW (Best in World). Being excellent at what you do is just the price of admission in our globalized, uber-connected world. To succeed and be truly unforgettable, may I suggest that the standard you play at is The Best in The World. At my leadership seminars I sometimes run an exercise that begins with this question: "what 10 things would the person who is best in the world at what you do be doing on a regular basis that you are not doing?". Start your list.

3. Be Radically Ethical. The pristine reputation that took you decades to build could be torn down in 60 seconds of bad judgment. Seriously. Just watch the news these days and you'll get what I mean. To show leadership in business (and life) today, it's mission-critical to be radically ethical. No dishonorable move goes unnoticed. Decency wins.

4. Be fun. Whatever happened to fun? Stop taking life so seriously. Generate the ability to laugh - even at the toughest of times. You become unforgettable - and irresistible the moment you lighten up. And get that smile back on your face. Life's a short ride when you really think about it. Might be smart to enjoy every turn of it.

Courtesy :Robin Sharma

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20 Simple Ways to Get Happy

1. Practice mindfulness. Be in the moment. Instead of worrying about your checkup tomorrow while you have dinner with your family, focus on the here and now -- the food, the company, the conversation.

2. Laugh out loud. Just anticipating a happy, funny event can raise levels of endorphins and other pleasure-inducing hormones and lower production of stress hormones. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, tested 16 men who all agreed they thought a certain videotape was funny. Half were told three days in advance they would watch it. They started experiencing biological changes right away. When they actually watched the video, their levels of stress hormones dropped significantly, while their endorphin levels rose 27 percent and their growth hormone levels (indicating benefit to the immune system) rose 87 percent.

3. Go to sleep. We have become a nation of sleep-deprived citizens. Taking a daily nap or getting into bed at 8 p.m. one night with a good book -- and turning the light out an hour later -- can do more for your mood and outlook on life than any number of bubble baths or massages.

4. Hum along. Music soothes more than the savage beast. Studies find music activates parts of the brain that produce happiness -- the same parts activated by food or sex. It's also relaxing. In one study older adults who listened to their choice of music during outpatient eye surgery had significantly lower heart rates, blood pressure, and cardiac workload (that is, their heart didn't have to work as hard) as those who had silent surgery.

5. Declutter. It's nearly impossible to meditate, breathe deeply, or simply relax when every surface is covered with papers and bills and magazines, your cabinets bulge, and you haven't balanced your checkbook in six months. Plus, the repetitive nature of certain cleaning tasks -- such as sweeping, wiping, and scrubbing -- can be meditative in and of itself if you focus on what you're doing.

6. Just say no. Eliminate activities that aren't necessary and that you don't enjoy. If there are enough people already to handle the church bazaar and you're feeling stressed by the thought of running the committee for yet another year, step down and let someone else handle things.

7. Make a list. There's nothing like writing down your tasks to help you organize your thoughts and calm your anxiety. Checking off each item provides a great sense of fulfillment.

8. Do one thing at a time. Edward Suarez, Ph.D., associate professor of medical psychology at Duke, found that people who multitask are more likely to have high blood pressure. Take that finding to heart. Instead of talking on the phone while you fold laundry or clean the kitchen, sit down in a comfortable chair and turn your entire attention over to the conversation. Instead of checking e-mail as you work on other projects, turn off your e-mail function until you finish the report you're writing. This is similar to the concept of mindfulness.

9. Garden. Not only will the fresh air and exercise provide their own stress reduction and feeling of well-being, but the sense of accomplishment that comes from clearing a weedy patch, watching seeds turn into flowers, or pruning out dead wood will last for hours, if not days.

10. Tune out the news. For one week go without reading the newspaper, watching the news, or scanning the headlines online. Instead, take a vacation from the misery we're exposed to every day via the media and use that time for a walk, a meditation session, or to write in your journal.

11. Take a dog for a walk. There are numerous studies that attest to the stress-relieving benefits of pets. In one analysis researchers evaluated the heart health of 240 couples, half of whom owned a pet. Those couples with pets had significantly lower heart rates and blood pressure levels when exposed to stressors than the couples who did not have pets. In fact, the pets worked even better at buffering stress than the spouses did.

12. Scent the air. Research finds that the benefits of aromatherapy in relieving stress are real. In one study people exposed to rosemary had lower anxiety levels, increased alertness, and performed math computations faster. Adults exposed to lavender showed an increase in the type of brain waves that suggest increased relaxation. Today you have a variety of room-scenting methods, from plug-in air fresheners to essential oil diffusers, potpourri, and scented candles.

13. Ignore the stock market. Simply getting your quarterly 401(k) statement can be enough to send your blood pressure skyrocketing. In fact, Chinese researchers found a direct link between the daily performance of the stock market and the mental health of those who closely followed it. Astute investors know that time heals most financial wounds, so give your investments time -- and give yourself a break.

14. Visit a quiet place. Libraries, museums, gardens, and places of worship provide islands of peace and calm in today's frantic world. Find a quiet place near your house and make it your secret getaway.

15. Volunteer. Helping others enables you to put your own problems into perspective and also provides social interaction. While happy people are more likely to help others, helping others increases your happiness. One study found that volunteer work enhanced all six aspects of well-being: happiness, life satisfaction, self-esteem, sense of control over life, physical health, and depression.

16. Spend time alone. Although relationships are one of the best antidotes to stress, sometimes you need time alone to recharge and reflect. Take yourself out to lunch or to a movie, or simply spend an afternoon reading, browsing in a bookstore, or antiquing.

17. Walk mindfully. You probably already know that exercise is better than tranquilizers for relieving anxiety and stress. But what you do with your mind while you're walking can make your walk even more beneficial. In a study called the Ruth Stricker Mind/Body Study, researchers divided 135 people into five groups of walkers for 16 weeks. Group one walked briskly, group two at a slow pace, and group three at a slow pace while practicing "mindfulness," a mental technique to bring about the relaxation response, a physiological response in which the heart rate slows and blood pressure drops. This group was asked to pay attention to their footsteps, counting one, two, one, two, and to visualize the numbers in their mind. Group four practiced a form of tai chi, and group five served as the control, changing nothing about their lives. The group practicing mindfulness showed significant declines in anxiety and had fewer negative and more positive feelings about themselves. Overall they experienced the same stress-reducing effects of the brisk walkers. Better yet, the effects were evident immediately.

18. Give priority to close relationships. One study of more than 1,300 men and women of various ages found that those who had a lot of supportive friends were much more likely to have healthier blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar metabolism, and stress hormone levels than those with two or fewer close friends. Women, and to a lesser extent men, also seemed to benefit from good relationships with their parents and spouses. Studies also find that people who feel lonely, depressed, and isolated are three to five times more likely to get sick and die prematurely than those who have feelings of love, connection, and community.

19. Take care of the soul. In study after study, actively religious people are happier and cope better with crises, according to David Myers, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. For many people faith provides a support community, a sense of life's meaning, feelings of ultimate acceptance, a reason to focus beyond yourself, and a timeless perspective on life's woes. Even if you're not religious, a strong spirituality may offer similar benefits.

20. Count your blessings. People who pause each day to reflect on some positive aspect of their lives (their health, friends, family, freedom, education, etc.) experience a heightened sense of well-being.

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You Can't Be in 2 Places at Once

In many ways, getting great at being a great human being involves being fully present. Two reasons why living in the moment is so much more than some cheesy motivational cliché:

1. Living in the moment means the fullness of your creative power is available to you right now (versus stuck on a bunch of old, unresolved issues). So key to getting to brilliance at every touchpoint of your life. You need to be able to access all your gifts. And those you work/live with deserve that from you too.

2. What you are doing in the present shows what you are creating for your future (powerful idea there I gently suggest). So if you are stuck and giving your power to what once was rather than to what currently is, you're just going to re-create an old story. What's the wisdom in that?

So do what you need to do to release the past and bring all you truly are as a leader and human being to this moment. It'll wake you up to all you are. And wouldn't that be a beautiful thing?

Courtesy : Robin Sharma

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You Came Here To Do Great Things

You are worthy of all the goodness that life can hold.

You are capable of making a valuable contribution to the moment you're in.

You do not need to beg for the kindness of others. For you have within you the ability to express and manifest enough kindness to fill your world.

There is no reason for you to feel sorry for yourself, and there is no point in acting in such a way that others feel sorry for you. For a world full of positive possibilities awaits you, if you will simply lift your head and open your eyes.

You have no cause to be ashamed of who you are or where you come from. For there is so much you have to offer.

You were born to do things that have never been done before and to understand things that have never been understood.

You are here in this place to express the rich and unique beauty that lives within you.

The silly little dramas of the day cannot get you down for it is just now you have realized you are here to do great things.

Courtesy: Ralph Marston

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The Seven Deadly Sins by Mahatma Gandhi

Wealth without work

Pleasure without conscience

Knowledge without character

Commerce without morality

Science without humanity

Worship without sacrifice

Politics without principle

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