What the Most Successful People Do on the Weekend

Today is Friday again, we might need to know how to spend weekends successfully and get the most out from it. I have read 168 hours from Laura Vanderkam and found it super useful for me. Now i can management my time better and spend it valuable. I think most people like me and what they do is to sacrificed their sleeping time to get most of the thing done. However after reading Laura's book, i can sleep at least 7 - 8 hours a day and successful to spend time reading at least 5 pages of a book per day.

Time management expert Laura Vanderkam’s follow-up book to What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, aptly titled What the Most Successful People Do on the Weekend, is crammed with advice from successful entrepreneurs and scientific studies to help you never waste another weekend again. As Vanderkam points out, all too often “our precious weekends are eaten up by unproductive work or leisure that fails to energize us, leaving us dragging Monday morning and asking where the weekend went.”

The key: making weekend plans in advance. “These days disappear into chores, errands, inefficient email checking, unconsciously chosen television marathons, or a death march of children’s activities that suck the energy out of chauffeuring adults,” Vanderkam says.

Her book includes lists of the weekend activities that make people happiest, why it’s important to unplug for at least a little while, and why Sunday nights may be the most important time of your entire weekend.

Below is an excerpt from her book on six ways to make your weekend successful.

6 Secrets of Successful Weekends

Here are a few more tips to remember as you’re making your plans:

1. Dig deep.

Maybe there are activities you haven’t done since childhood that could become a regular part of your weekends. One reader tells me that she and her husband decided to sign up for piano lessons on Saturday mornings. Now they and their teenage son all have lessons back to back. It’s easier to nudge a kid to practice when mom and dad are doing it, too. Sometimes we get so concerned about scheduling our kids’ lives that we forget to schedule our own.

2. Use your mornings.

Weekend mornings tend to be wasted time, but they’re great for personal pursuits. If you’re training for a marathon, it’s less disruptive for your family if you get up early to do your four-hour run than if you try to do it in the middle of the day. To get up early, you’ll probably have to avoid staying up late the night before, but this is a good idea in general.

3. Create traditions.

Happy families often have some special weekend activity that everyone loves but no one has to plan each time. Maybe it’s pancakes on Saturday mornings or a family walk to worship services, but whatever it is, make a ritual of it. These habits are what become memories—and comforting rituals boost happiness.

4. Schedule downtime.

Jess Lahey, a New Hampshire-based teacher and writer, has official weekend naptime in her house that takes place each afternoon between one and three. Her kids—who are pre-teens, not toddlers who actually need to nap—know it’s coming, and they save up screen time for it. They play games together, watch a movie, or read. Everyone turns their phones off, and Lahey and her husband close the door to the upstairs, read for a bit, “then dive in for what always proves to be (amazing) sleep. That deep sleep that leaves you a little disoriented when you wake up,” she says. “Once I’ve figured out where I am and what day it is, I leap out of bed recharged and head out to weed the garden or get down to the business of making dinner.”

5. Make time to explore.

A run, walk, or bike ride can turn into an adventure—with plenty of opportunities for that spontaneity people seem to think planning quashes—if you choose the right neighborhood. Use weekends to stretch your routine a bit.

6. Plan something fun for Sunday nights.

This idea may be the most important tip in this book. Even if you love your job, it’s easy to feel a bit of trepidation on Sundays about the stresses waiting for you on Monday morning. And if you don’t like your job, Sunday trepidation can become a full-on case of the Sunday-night blues as time slides, inexorably, into the next day. You wonder what you’re doing with your life. You wonder if any of it is worthwhile.

If you’re asking such existential questions, it may be time to shake things up. But in the meantime, or even if you just feel weary when you think of your commute, you can combat the Sunday-night blues by scheduling something fun for Sunday evening. This extends the weekend and keeps you focused on the fun to come, rather than on Monday morning.

Caitlin Andrews, a librarian, calls it a “necessity” to end Sunday night on a high note. Her extended family gets together for dinner almost every Sunday, alternating houses. “The host house cooks the main meal but the others bring something to add—an appetizer, a bottle of wine, a side dish, or dessert. It’s a little stressful when I have to cook and clean for people coming over,” she reports, “but I don’t spend too much time on it and my husband helps. Plus, we always end up with leftovers for the rest of the week when we cook. It’s just a couple of hours—everyone comes over about five thirty and we’re home by eight or nine.” That’s plenty of time to plan and decompress before bed, and she looks forward to this tradition all weekend. “It takes my mind off any Sunday-night blues that might be coming on.”

Aliza Rosen, a reality TV producer who’s dreamed up series like Farm Kingsand Curvy Girls, does Vinyasa (“hot”) yoga at 6 p.m. on Sundays. “It’s a great way for me to sweat out the toxins of the week and center myself for Monday,” she says. “I reset myself.” She admits that for her, the yoga is not particularly spiritual. “I’m making a mental list,” she says. But it gives her something to anticipate as she’s sliding toward each Monday firefight. That may be the same thing that Ina Garten, the chef otherwise known as the Barefoot Contessa, was thinking when she created her 6 p.m. Sunday ritual of getting a massage.

According to the June 29, 2012 “My Sunday Routine” New York Times profile of Garten, this twenty-seven-year tradition stemmed from a 1985 realization that “I was working really hard, and one day I told myself, ‘I’m not having enough fun.’ So I did two things: I got myself a red Mustang convertible and started having massages. I don’t have the Mustang anymore, but I still have the same masseuse!”

One equally great way to end the weekend is to volunteer. Nothing will take your mind off any problems associated with your decent-paying and steady job like serving people who aren’t so fortunate. Savvy volunteer coordinators know that it’s easier for most people to make Sunday night volunteering a part of their lives than other times. Jacob Lee runs the Orange County (Calif.) chapter of the Fellowship of Orthodox Christians United to Serve (FOCUS). Every Sunday night, his volunteers serve a meal, restaurant style, to homeless families living in an area motel. Sunday is “generally kind of a dead night,” Lee says. “On Saturday night people have things to do. On Sunday…?” Miraculously, everyone is free. So you get a much more diverse group of volunteers than the retirees and homemakers who might volunteer during the week. After the volunteers serve the meal, as the evening starts to wind down, everyone sits together, telling their life stories and “learning about why people end up where they end up,” says Lee. It’s a way to connect with humanity before everyone goes their separate ways for the week.

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The Best Career Advice, From Successful People Who Made It to the Top

On Wednesday is just a perfect day to learn from other and how to benchmark others as well.
Read the below will get you some inspiration. Reading is a powerful knowledge.

Building a successful career draws from several important disciplines. These time-honored practices, proven to work in every industry, are vital to those striving to achieve success. Whether you need inspiration to start a new practice or a boost of motivation to get back on track, take and use these four leaders’ experiences to bolster your own.

1. Self-knowledge is the foundation.

Without self-knowledge, the pursuit of success is frustrating. In the ancient world, philosophers encouraged their followers to reflect. Today’s leaders use their self-understanding to define and reach success.

·         “At several points, my mentors have served as a mirror for me and helped me to understand myself better,” says Kim Ulmer, regional president of Royal Bank of Canada. Ulmer’s responsibility includes managing more than 170 branches and 3,000 staffers.

·         Dave Kasabian, chief marketing officer at Tagetik, a management software company, says, “My philosophy of growth is to look inside myself: What do I enjoy? What are my skills and passions? Based on that knowledge, I make decisions on how to develop.”

·         Assessment tools provide helpful insights in understanding strengths. For example, Michael Hyatt, author and entrepreneur, referred to StrengthsFinder 2.0, a personal development favorite, as he exited a corporate career to start a new chapter as an entrepreneur. His strengths, according to the model, included a focus on achievement and the future.

Self-knowledge requires reflecting on your experiences, good and bad. Think about last week and take note of when you felt the greatest satisfaction. You might take greater satisfaction from solving thorny business problems. Or you might relish the challenge of guiding a new graduate through their first few months at work.

2. Curiosity is powerful.

 “Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.” —Jim Rohn

An open and curious mind is vital to make the most of learning opportunities. Curiosity means looking for an opportunity to learn and apply ideas outside of the classroom. And engagement and focus is increasingly vital in leadership roles because your actions and words will quietly influence many around you.

·         “I usually take one or two courses per year at a business school to keep my skills sharp,” says Rich Crawford, CEO of Global Integrated Services.

·         “I have a thirst for knowledge and regularly go out to meet with business owners to understand their situation,” Ulmer says. “Recently, I found David Zinger’s “10 Principles of Engagement” and have found that to be a helpful resource. It has encouraged [reflecting] on my work several times per day to see if I am truly engaged.”

·         “One of the most valuable books I’ve read in my career is Peter Drucker’s The Effective Executive, says Ben Sawa, director of marketing at GEI Consultants Inc., one of the largest engineering firms in the U.S.

·         Entertainment executive Brian Grazer—producer of Apollo 13, The Da Vinci Code and J. Edgar—attributes much of his professional success to curiosity and learning from those around him as he describes in his book, A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life.

3. Mentors provide new perspectives and better questions.

Successful leaders consistently reach out to mentors throughout the course of their careers. The conversation might start with business, but the lessons are often applicable to a range of concerns and issues.

·         “I have had several mentors over my career including family mentors and those in the business community,” Ulmer says. “Mentors have helped me to adopt a broader perspective and ask questions such as, ‘Have you taken the time to understand the situation before acting?’”

·         “Every meaningful mistake I have ever made has involved poor communication. [That’s] a lesson I learned from a CFO who mentored me. That was an important insight,” Sawa says. “I also think it is valuable to seek mentors who are different from you because they can provide a fresh perspective.”

·         “My mentors have helped me to get outside of the day-to-day flow of work to ask bigger questions,” Kasabian says. “In 1994, I was given a powerful question from a mentor: ‘Draw where you want to be in five years.’ That exercise helped me to think about my career and the direction of my life much more deeply. I ended up making a move to another state, among other decisions as a result. It was a powerful experience.”

·         “I’m a huge believer in mentors,” Crawford says. “At present, I’m working with two mentors and I’m learning much from both of them. I learn about industry best practices from one and work life matters from another. YPO [Young Presidents’ Organization] had an excellent mentorship program that I found valuable.”

4. Keep the right company to achieve your goals.

The company you keep has a major impact on your success and self-concept. Jim Rohn’s observation that “you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with,” rings true for many leaders.

·         “My participation in Young Presidents’ Organization has been tremendously valuable. It is rare to find so many other executives and CEOs who are facing similar challenges,” Crawford explains. In addition to informal networking, Crawford has benefited from YPO’s mentorship program and specialized educational programs that serve the needs of executives.

·         “It is important to choose thoughtfully when it comes to joining organizations,” Ulmer says. “I’m currently involved with Junior Achievement because they operate on a national level and work on major problems. I’m also involved with the Manitoba Business Council.”

Where do you find peers to challenge you and help you grow?

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5 Ways to Strengthen Your Integrity

1. Be hard on yourself.

If you’ve arrived at a place where you know you need to radically improve yourself because you’ve caused others pain—and are in pain yourself as a result—then you have a great opportunity to get leverage on yourself. This means using the mind’s unconscious but powerful system of motivation that causes us to move away from anything that causes us1 emotional or physical pain.

By not dodging the pain of your failure but instead allowing yourself to feel it fully and associate it with the behaviors you wish to change, you are programming your subconscious to find a better way, to avoid making the same mistakes. And with enough programming, it will find a way. Take some time to reflect on where you have let yourself or others down without the excuse-making you used to rely on to avoid this pain, and then resolve to improve.

2. Apologize the right way.

Just as you must stop yourself from using the past pattern of excuse-making when trying to create leverage against yourself, this is even more important if you have someone to apologize to.

An “I’m sorry, but…” is not a true apology. A real apology is simply and honestly, “I’m sorry.”1

Another important part of an apology is to avoid promising the other person that you’ll give them the world to make up for the mistake. If you resolve to show them more respect by being true to your word, then avoid using too many words.

If you lack integrity, one of your defining characteristics is overpromising and under-delivering. And you simply have to stop doing it.

Take note of every time you make promises that are hard to keep and analyze why you need to please people all the time. Practice saying no to things you know you will have difficulty completing. This isn’t about setting boundaries with other people so much as setting boundaries with yourself.

4. Strengthen your decision-making power.

Your personal integrity is defined by the power of your decisions. By power, I mean the capacity to keep the decision you’ve made in the forefront of your mind and keep it a priority. Practice making decisions with the end in mind. Start small.

When you remember that recycling needs to be delivered today, resolve to do that as soon as you get through the door. Then stick to it. Check your emails at a predetermined time and then close your laptop. Set reminders for things. The important part of this isn’t setting the reminder but resolving that when that alarm goes off, you will drop whatever you are doing and do it right then.

5. Develop a routine.

If you struggle to be on time and often find yourself scrambling to finish projects by deadline, you’re weakening your integrity. Time mismanagement causes a vicious cycle of letting people down and failing to stay true to your word. Your ability to maintain a routine tells people you can be trusted.

The best place to start is at the beginning of your day. If you can start your day the same way, then you begin to develop positive habits that will spill over into the rest of your life.

Here are some tips for using your morning to strengthen your integrity:

• ·          Blast yourself with cold water at the end of your shower. It jolts your mind and nerves awake and gets you ready for the day.
• ·         Consume at least one large glass of water and eat a healthy breakfast. You’ll need fuel to keep up your energy and productivity throughout the day.
• ·         Practice gratitude. Take just five minutes to meditate on or list things you are grateful for. It’s an incredibly powerful way to align you with what’s important to you. These thoughts are then reflected in your actions.

So if you want to step up and become a person who people can rely on and you want to stop letting others down, then well done. Just that intent alone is admirable.

Now follow these steps and start living in a way that you can be proud of and positively affects the lives of those you love.

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9 Things Ridiculously Productive People Do Every Day

On Monday morning, we need a proper planning to spend our 168 hours usefully. Sometime we need to see how to get work done in the most effective way and most production. Measuring weekly achievement is indeed good as to keep you close to your goals. I did that a couple of week before and it really works and it close many of my pending items.

1. Focus on one thing at a time.

Although multitasking seems like a great idea that will help you do more things at once, multitasking can actually limit your productivity and the quality of work you do. The most productive people put all of their time and energy into one task, usually the one item on their to-do list that will propel them forward into the most success.

2. Eliminate distractions.

Focusing on one task at a time won’t work if your phone is consistently interrupting you with personal texts or the latest ballgame scores, so productive people give themselves the gift of momentum by eliminating distractions from immediate surroundings. I love the night mode setting on my iPhone, which can be set up to allow phone calls from favorites - like my wife -- to ring through in case of emergency.

3. Anticipate future failures.

Incredibly productive people consider what their future self is going to need, and prepare in advance for that success. For example, do you set your coffee pot on a timer the night before, or pick up your dry cleaning before you need it? Thinking a few hours - even days -- ahead will make your future self less stressed and way more productive when you don’t have to waste time finding, fixing and doing things in the moment you need them.

4. Balance home and work.

The secret to real productivity is not focusing solely on work. Whether your job is your passion or not, balancing your personal relationships and downtime with office time is integral to being productive. Make time for family, friends, exercise and relaxation, so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor and keep yourself from burning out.

5. Check your inbox at set times.

Answering emails whenever they arrive is distracting and disjointing to your focus. Ridiculously productive people know that they won’t accomplish much if they’re at the beck and call of anyone or anything that needs their attention. Instead of constantly refreshing your inbox, check your email two or three times a day, maximum. Set an amount of time you have to answer, and sort those that need immediate attention and those that can wait.

6. Avoid meetings at all costs.

Most meetings have no clear objectives and are huge time wasters. Oftentimes, invited attendees aren’t needed and all of the information could be given in a few emails or a memo. If you must hold a meeting, establish an agenda beforehand, and designate a moderator, who can keep everyone on task. Otherwise, use one of the many collaboration apps now available, like Yammer, Podio, Basecamp or Asana.

7. Say “yes” sparingly.

Incredibly productive people know two things. One, time is at a premium. The more things they take on, the greater the chances that it is physically impossible to accomplish those things. Two, discretion is the better part of valor, meaning if you’re going to boldly strike forward, choosing your path with care is incredibly important. Don’t say “yes” out of fear that nothing else will come along, and say “no” often.

8. Delegate as much as possible.

Delegating is the twin sister to saying “yes” sparingly. Letting go of control and delegating efficiently is a huge trick of productive people. Sometimes you want to say “yes,” but you don’t have the time to follow through. Utilize one of the myriad of ways available to find someone to do the things you can’t physically do. From managing a team to picking up your dry cleaning, you don’t have to do it all yourself.

9. Nurture yourself with a morning routine.

The most productive people on the planet have a set morning routine that gets them ready for the day ahead: coffee, hot shower, yoga and journaling top the list, but it could be anything that sets your mind and body on a productive course for the day. Routines become habits, and good habits keep you healthy, energetic and ready for anything.

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10 Qualities of Authentic People

I came across books of emotion intelligence and basically how human behavior will be liked by others. This is the basic human skills that i came across many does not have. In school we have moral education as a subject and i believe emotion intelligence should be taught in school as a subject as well. The below article found to be very useful as well.

In a society roided-out on bling, cash, ego, nakedness and status we have lost our authenticity. We have lost morals and what it means to be ourselves. So many are caught up in following the crowd they have gotten lost in it. How can any type of true success come from being a follower? Followers are lost to their authenticity and are chasers of “status” and “wealth.” Followers are competitive, insecure and consistently positioning and provoking to one-up each other. The stand-out successes we all admire are not in the crowd, they aren’t chasing cash, or being cool. It doesn’t mean they don’t love nice things or indulge in them; it means they approach success from a different mindset.

1. Self-reflective.

Authenticity cannot be reached if you are only looking outside of yourself obsessing over ways to live in all the narcissistic traps. To be authentic, unique and individual you have to know who and what you are, which comes through self-reflection. How can you know who you are if you are following everyone else? Self-reflection puts you in a state of personal harmony, causing you to experience less anxiety. You aren’t worried about another person’s position because you’re confident enough to focus on your own. You have nothing to hide which allows you a freedom to be yourself followers do not experience.

2. Healthy ego.

Authenticity comes from your heart. In life always lead from your heart. There is nothing deep about being superficially better than others or having more success or money because all of that “status” is temporary and subjective. When you’re authentic you have the healthy ego fundamental for great leadership, rather than the ego of an insecure competitor. To be the great leader of anyone or anything, you have to dig deep, lead with courage and practice empathy. You have to be secure enough in yourself that you are able to lead while considering of the ideas and feelings of others.

3. Focus on possibilities.

When someone is ego-based or disingenuous, they are always focused on themselves, the short-term, what they want, and how they can manipulate to get what they want right now. They tend to be reactive and to run their mouths to get results. They want things now in an effort to get them before other people. They are agenda-oriented. It’s all about them.

When you live authentically you have no time to waste emotion on temporary and sometimes necessary setbacks. The focus for you is always long term and on what possibilities patience and hard work will garner when you continue pressing forward. You are relationship-oriented. The authentic leader knows certain battles must be lost to win the war.

4. Good character.

You cannot be authentic without first possessing a strong sense of character. This means you do not say things you do not mean, promises are not made you cannot keep and you stay in a place of integrity in all of your dealings, in and out of work. The reason people trust you is because you keep your word, you are not emotionally labile and people sense they can trust you to be who you say you’re going to be with a sense of consistency. When you’re authentic you do not take yourself too seriously and are able to laugh at yourself. Lightheartedness is indicative of your state of inner wholeness. Those who follow the pack are always anxious because at any moment someone could steal their temporary glory, causing them to sacrifice their integrity to “win.”

5. Visionary.

Knowing who and what you are naturally makes you visionary. Because you are deeply connected to yourself, you are open and more innovative. You have been visionary in the creating of yourself and this allows you to bring that skill into all aspects of your life, especially business. You think with vision, which always adds value to the people you interact with. You are able to help others realize their higher professional goals. You push yourself and those around you to consistently raise the bar for excellence. Self-development is pinnacle in your life and you insist others delve into themselves in the same way in order to rise above the pack.

6. Listeners.

When you’re authentic you experience fewer emotional threats to your ego which makes you a good listener, even when someone else contradicts your views. You are more than willing to consider contradictory ideas with an open mind and change your opinion, if the argument make sense. When you are a listener, you are a learner. As a genuine person you thirst for the truth. When you are dedicated to the whole truth in any given moment, you live life in touch with your deepest and most profound inner parts; allowing you to be the full expression of who you are. This is what authenticity is all about.

7. Transparent.

Open communication is woven into the fabric of your authenticity. You are secure in who you are and combine honesty with empathy, which more often than not brings you success. You never leave anyone guessing or hurting because you’re transparent. You are able to appreciate yourself, flaws and all; making you self-confident and secure; not cocky and conceited. Followers are always defensive. They are sensitive to criticism, easily threatened and offended, and determined to win others over to their point of view. This is the marker of their insecure self-concept. When you are truly self-confident you exude a sense of inner worth, assurance and composure. You are unashamed of your mistakes and don’t hide your weaknesses. You have the courage to be who you really are.

8. Open and consistent.

When you know who you are you do not hold judgmental attitudes towards others. As you evaluate the thoughts and opinions others hold, even those you do not agree with, you still place them under an umbrella of respect. You do not live striving to push others below you. You are consistent in who you are, and have no need to satisfy someone else’s criteria to feel good about yourself. This solid foundation is what makes you consistent, and it is also what makes you so generous in your assessments of the worth of others. You aren’t fickle. You stick to your principles and are not easily swayed by superficialities.

9. Team oriented.

Being team oriented sets you apart from others. You build successful teams and give credit where it is due, sharing your success and achievements with your entire team. You possess a healthy flexibility; the kind that is free from resentment and abuse, making you unselfish. You love your team because you are inwardly secure, and so sure of who you are that any change you need to make for the benefit of the team is a no brainer. Followers are so selfish, insecure and out-of-sync that they get defensive and angry when confronted with the need for change; killing the cohesion of the team by highlighting their inability to blend well. Success in life requires constant adaption. Those who master this skill are headed toward success and contentment.

10. Draw upon experience.

As you strive to live from a genuine place you increase the likelihood of being able to live in the present. You have learned to live in more thorough and thoughtful ways, thereby creating less guilt because your responsibilities come first and leisure second. You can draw upon experience to work wisely through each new challenge you face on your road to success, making you more confident that you will be able to handle whatever hardships your future holds. There is no better teacher than life. The leadership skills you possess have slowly evolved from real-world experiences and life stories.

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7 Wealthy Mentalities of Successful People

Knowing how successful people mentalities are important tools to be successful. Be like them, act likes them and you will be them.

1. Goals are golden.

It’s no secret there’s a positive correlation between setting goals and overall productivity—professionals who have a measurable goal to work for are far more productive than those who are just “winging it.” But being goal-oriented and treating goals as “golden” is about more than just setting them in the first place. You have to treat them as a major priority, making heavy sacrifices to achieve them and breaking them down into smaller chunks when necessary. Creating your goals is just the first step of the process—you also need to have the follow-through to make them count.

2. The future is more important than the present.

This concept, from a subjective standpoint, is debatable. You could easily argue that living “in the moment” is more important than worrying about the future, but people who are future-oriented, that is to say, people who make decisions based on future payoffs, are far more likely to be successful. Future-oriented people aren’t afraid to make short-term sacrifices if it means a long-term gain, and they aren’t tempted to engag5e in momentary pleasures that would rob them of some future payoff. Their future selves are the main priority.

3. Failure isn’t a bad thing.

The fear of failure permeates our society and it leads millions to live their lives in complacency. For example, you’re working in a job you hate with a pay and advancement ceiling. You have the option to quit and start your own business, but you’re so afraid of failing that you never give it a real shot. Failure is always a possibility and as a society we need to stop decrying it. Successful people see failure as a necessary step of the process and a valuable learning opportunity.1Moreover, few plans are executed smoothly—how you handle them when they go wrong is more important than when they go right.

4. Opportunities exist everywhere.

Opportunities arise when you least expect them. They may take the form of hidden strengths in an idea you were about to toss, or a potential partnership with a stranger you met in a coffee shop.2 When you adopt the mindset that opportunities truly exist everywhere, in every moment of every day, you’ll be on the lookout for them. By that virtue alone, you’ll discover more opportunities for yourself, and you’ll end up earning far more value in your life.

5. Calculated risks are important.

Risks are scary, but without them, there’s substantially less room to grow. Studies suggest that the wealthiest, most successful professionals of our time are ones who weren’t afraid to take a calculated risk—they went against the grain, gambled on an idea they thought was worth the investment and weren’t afraid to stake possible sacrifices. If you aren’t taking any risks, you aren’t making the move toward possible rewards, and, of course, without the rewards, you’ll never get anywhere.

6. Consistency is good, until it becomes prohibitive.

This is a complicated mental state to try and achieve, but it’s an important one. For the most part, consistency is incredibly important. For example, if one of your goals is to accrue wealth through investments, you have to invest a certain amount of money every month or you’ll lose momentum. However, there’s a point at which consistency does more harm than good—when it starts to lead you down the wrong path, such as when you’ve developed a bad habit or an unproductive routine. It’s hard to spot when these “bad” kinds of consistency crop up, but you’ll need to closely watch for them.

7. Nothing is ever perfect.

Accepting the reality that nothing is perfect helps you in countless areas. You won’t be as worried about taking risks. You won’t be as hesitant about starting a new project. You won’t be as deterred when something goes wrong, or when you overlooked a major flaw. You won’t find yourself perpetually waiting for the “perfect” time to launch a product, and you won’t abandon your goals just because you didn’t achieve them in the way you first expected.

It’s not easy to achieve these mentalities. Don’t expect to adopt them instantaneously. You’ll most likely have a hard time accepting some of them, especially if they conflict with your inherent and learned views of the world. But if you can slowly integrate them into your ongoing mental state and accept their maxims as truth, you’ll start making better decisions and forming habits that will one day lead you to the success you’ve always dreamed of. Remain patient and never stop moving forward.

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5 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Mindset in 20 Minutes

When you are tensed up due to various reasons such as audit, examination is around the corner and to do any important presentation. try the below. it is going to be useful to you.

1. Just breathe. (5 minutes)

Studies show that just a few minutes a day of quiet can open our brains and make it available for our most innovative ideas. Sit or stand in a quiet spot, feet on the floor, and hands by your side or on your knees. Now just quiet your mind—picture a place that is your idea of peace, such as a beach or a mountain. Just breathe, consciously and deeply from your belly. If your thoughts start to intrude (the project is due today, a late bill, etc.), just notice, then go back to your picture. You don’t have to be a meditation expert to do this. Five to 10 minutes of quiet, deep breathing during the day can also help us get back on track when stress levels get high, and clear our minds to come up with a better solution or next step to our challenge.

2. Check your thoughts. (5 minutes)

Have you ever gotten up in the morning when the weather is lousy and said, This is going to be a bad day? I have. More times than not, it guaranteed a day that finished the same way. Our thoughts are powerful. They create feelings, which leads to actions and behaviors that determine whether our day goes well. Learning that we can choose our thoughts is one of the most powerful things we can do to take charge of our lives. Taking five minutes to make sure our thoughts are positive starts the day off with the right mindset.

3. Write your grateful list. (3 minutes)

Set the timer and write down five things you are grateful for every day.3 According to research by UC Davis psychologist Robert Emmons, keeping a gratitude journal contributes to a positive life attitude, and makes us feel better, sleep better and even have stronger immune systems. Try for a different list each day, and at the end of the week you will be surprised how this helps your mindset.

4. Set your intention for the day. (5 minutes)

Before you leave in the morning, set an intention of how you want the day to end. How do you want the actions you accomplish today to make you feel at the end of the day? How do you want to feel about your relationships, and what can you do today to move that forward? It doesn’t have to be major. What is one thing you can do that will make you feel better at the end of the day?1

5. Turn off the noise. (2 minutes)

Just for today, find something else to listen to when you begin your day. Do your morning commute without listening to the news (it’s never positive), talking on the phone or checking social media. Listen to your favorite music, a lecture you’ve recorded and have been wanting to get time for, or just observe what’s happening around you. There will be plenty of time to find out what’s happening in the world when you get to your destination. Do this for a week and you will find yourself arriving at work in a calmer, more positive and relaxed mindset. Best of all, you will discover you haven’t missed a thing.

That’s it—just 20 minutes and you are well on your way to a more positive mindset. Practice this for just two weeks. You will see a tremendous difference in your productivity and your attitude.

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