Here are the three essential requirements for you to be able to manage your daily time for greater control and improved productivity.

Plan your day: Before diving deep into a task, step back and plan for what you need to accomplish on that day. First off, list down everything that you need to get done as well as everything that you’d like to get done. Based on this, you can now chalk out what tasks can be chunked and how much time needs to be allocated for each task. Allocation of the scarce resource of time is something where most people go wrong as tasks get under-estimated or over-estimated significantly. Getting a clear idea of what needs to be accomplished and building a clear understanding of your own abilities as well as other resources required to accomplish a particular task will make you better at allocating the right amount of time per task.

Prioritize: What separates a lot of successful people from others is their ability to prioritize. They know the difference between what is important and what isn’t. The importance of this vital decision making skill cannot be over-emphasised. Remember, effective time management is NOT about getting everything done; it is about getting the right things done within a stipulated time frame. Prioritization involves understanding the dependencies of the choices you make and it often requires you to look beyond you, depending on where or what you are prioritizing. Another thing that you must remember while prioritizing is to not fall into the trap of prioritizing the easy things on the to-do-list ie. don’t make priorities on the basis of how easy or difficult a task is, but prioritize on the basis of the order in which something must get done. In fact, it often helps to get the harder or more challenging tasks out of the way first – after evaluating that they are indeed the most important things that must get done.

Persevere: To succeed in becoming a good time manager, which is often the pre-requisite for success in almost any field, it is critical to persist and persevere. It is easy to get distracted while in the middle of a task and do something else; or to give up trying to master time after a couple of failed attempts. Make a commitment to not get distracted while you are working on something important- unless it is some sort of an existential threat- and ensure it gets accomplished before you move on to something else. Not only will this heighten your productivity, but the benefits of the rise in self-esteem and the personal fulfilment you will enjoy are immeasurable. What’s more, your steadfastness in sticking to your guns will have a positive influence on people around you too.

Here’s to your time management efforts!

- Jeet Victor

Jeet Victor is an inspirational writer who writes on a range of topics related to winning, success, motivation and self-actualisation.

Frustration (noun) – “the condition of being frustrated”. A state of mind that makes one feel helpless and hmmm… frustrated! And when a person is frustrated it takes a while to get out of it, because it makes us feel powerless, sometimes making us wonder if anything is worth doing at all.

In the last two weeks, I spoke to several people who said that they were “frustrated”. Everyone had answers for how they feel frustrated and helpless about why they were getting frustrated, what frustrates them,who is responsible and when they get frustrated. Wow! Ok, but what are the options when we get frustrated? Live with it, grow it, cope with it or deal with it?

Let us take an example- our roads and traffic. If you have driven in Bangalore (except between 1 AM to 3.30 AM from the airport), to say that our road traffic can frustrate and create stress is an understatement. Anyone who spends time driving to and from work knows what they go through. With roads in the middle of potholes and speed breakers(you read it right:)), bikers driving on pedestrian walkpaths, vehicles blaring at a traffic signal it is a public jungle where there is no sanctity for any rule.

Add to it the potential dents to the vehicle lurking every day, it is one hell to drive on the road. The traffic is the same or worse everyday and another 24 hours have gone in front of our own eyes. Phew! Is’nt that sounding like a frustrated Bangalorean?

But lets get to the point. So what does that create in our minds.

The usual path
Most of us accept this frustration as a way of life and try to cope with it. A hugely unsurmountable level of frustration and stress. It becomes a monster in the mind and it looks almost impossible to escape the feeling of frustration. We build up stress that then shows on our near and dear ones or at work. Or we crib, complain about it, leading to temporary ventillation but nothing changes for ourselves. It is them-other drivers/ traffic police, government, environment- potholes etc, timings-21 out of 24 hours, everything outside our control.

So how do we deal with this “monster” without getting frustrated?
One key question to ask is “how” do you get frustrated? Not why, what, when with whom, where etc. But how- what is your strategy for frustration? How about imagination, curiosity?

The art of imagination
Let’s take imagination. How is the traffic “re-presented” inside your head? Is it a picture/pictures or is it noisy or is it smoky smell and how does it feel when you see/ hear the traffic in your mind.

Now as you think of the traffic, start distorting that sense inside your head- for example- take a colorful brush and make the picture colorful. If you could hear the horns blaring, imagine the sounds of the traffic horn to a musical tone. Now play this in your mind several times till it is no more stressing you out. Now check how frustrated you feel.

The science of language
The other way to manage the mind is to change your language. Instead of words that show frustration, use words like This is AWESOME, SUPER, FANTASTIC, even BEAUTIFUL! And say this emphatically and fast.
What? Are you nuts, you may think?

No! Words produce emotions. they create wars. By using strong, frustrating words you are only increasing your frustration! As you know if the frustration grows it will show on your work, your health, your family and your decisions that moment. Instead of the feeling controlling your day, you start to control the feeling.

UNCOMMON words for a known context interrupt your own pattern of feeling bad and instead wil create a different feeling. They will divert your mind away from frustration and stress and instead put more power in your mind to deal with that growing feeling of frustration.So go ahead and try this out. People with whom I have shared this have reported much lesser level of traffic stress.

And here is the best part. Use it for any other situation in your life as well, not just traffic! And see, feel the difference:)

- Contributed by V.Bharathwaj
Bharathwaj is the Founder/CEO of MyndGenie, an emotional wellness company in India. This article was first published on the MyndBlog.

Image courtesy: Routerfreak.com

Really? If you think you are not afraid of anything, think about it again. Do you do everything that you want to do? Are there things that you want to do but are not sure, have doubts, hesitation about. What stops you? It is not someone else, something else outside but your friendly neighborhood fear! It can start off as a hesitation, grow into a doubt, make you feel uncertain, create a feeling of tension, anxiety and finally stop you on your tracks! Welcome to the reality of fear. Along with its cousins, uncertainty and doubt, the three emotions can either empower you or make you feel powerless.

True power starts when you face your inner monsterlings and leverage them- if they grow they become true blue monsters. Fear, uncertainty and doubt are emotional responses to situations. For every emotional response, you have a choice of an alternative emotion. How about freedom, courage, certainty, clarity? Have you ever felt these emotions in your life- any time- may be at school, college at work, in the family, socially… Now, you have potent weapons in your mind.

So how do you conquer fear?
Here are some actions you should take to overcome- rather, conquer, your fear.

Define the emotion and give it a form

The conquest of fear starts when you define the emotion. Give your fear a form, a shape, and define its intensity. Trying to rationalize the emotion may not be effective, for every logical explanation on why you should not get afraid, there is a powerful opposing logic that supports your fear and makes it real. So instead of rationalizing it, define it, make it appear in front of you.

Face your fear

The next step is to face it. Meet fear eye to eye. When you start seeing it, you put fear into perspective. See the physical definition of fear, not the imagination of the hurt from fear. See it like the way you would see a glass bottle. When you bring it to life you will know the purpose of your fear- which could be a warning or unpreparedness or not knowing what is going to happen. It is no longer the monster- or even if it is, you can see it than allowing it to dance inside you.

Leverage your choice

The third step is to leverage your choice. Once you start seeing fear defined, choose a time when you felt strong, courageous, bold. Bring those forces right inside of you and grow them. Make them stronger and bigger than the defined fear. And then decide how you want this power to handle your fear. Whichever way that makes you feel powerful.

Take powerful action

And finally, take one powerful action. If you have been avoiding a discussion DO it. If you have been hesitant to get out and meet a person or do something, just do it.

When you do that you release fear, and create power. Fear can then become your ally and a guide. Take charge. Live Powerfully.

- Article contributed by V.Bharathwaj. This article was originally published on the MyndGenie blog.
Bharathwaj is the founder and CEO of MyndGenie Systems, an emotional wellness management company from India.

Wallace Wattles wrote that failure is caused by doing too many things in an inefficient manner and not doing enough things in an efficient manner.

Doing anything important or significant in an inefficient manner is not fully occupying the space you are here to fill . . . your most fulfilling life and life moments. It can be uncomfortable to realize a day has passed and you feel you did not accomplish what you wanted or needed to, or at least feel some level of success about your day. This does not mean you have to work your backside off to be efficient. In fact, overworking is a sure path to inefficiency.

Inefficiency can include
-Not having your mind fully on what you are doing
-Multi-tasking
-Allowing interruptions from the phone, email, and others
-Hurrying or rushing
-Trying or planning to do more than you can do realistically in a specific time period (overworking)
-Inadequate rest and recharge time
-Non-supportive self-talk

It is worth giving consideration to each of these as you think about how they are included in and affect the various areas of your life, both professional and personal.

Efficient action and the Law of Attraction
If you at all believe in Law of Attraction, as someone once pointed out, notice that the last part of the word “attraction” is action. If you desire a specific outcome, you are going to have to take specific action. Action is a clear sign to Source (God, the Universe, etc.) that you are ready to receive what you have asked for. Efficient action is a Very Clear Signal about this. Efficient action means your vision, goal, or ideal outcome is on your radar screen; and that is what you want the quantum field to help you fulfill.

Not having your mind fully on what you are doing
Well now, this one can certainly cause real problems from one end of the chaos spectrum to the other. What do you think the quality of your experiences and outcomes might be if you were 100 percent focused on anything you do?

Multi-tasking and allowing interruptions from the phone, email, and others
Multitasking was a buzzword for quite a while; and job descriptions sometimes listed it as though it was a skill (some still do, despite the evidence of its negative impact on productivity). There are times when you can, say, start something baking in the oven and then do something else while you wait, but that is not actually multi-tasking in the way usually meant by it. What really affects your productivity is when you attempt to do something that requires a steady line of thought, and you allow interruptions from others or engage in your own. You have to know how you work best and at your most productive if you intend to do anything efficiently. You are likely able to know if a significant number of experiences and results you have now demonstrate efficient action or inefficient.

Hurrying or rushing
When you hurry or rush, you are attempting to force something. Hurrying can mean either the time needed was not given sincere consideration and planned for, or that you may have an agenda attached to the action. Some people feel they validate their significance if they appear terribly busy, when the truth is there is no need to rush. Only on occasion is fast action required, but certainly not for everything. Of course, it should be obvious that dawdling is inefficient as well. Everyone has their most productive pace. Just note if you’re speeding ahead or dragging behind yours. Also important to know is whether or not staying busy is your natural state or if it isn’t. Neither is right or wrong; people have their own energy levels and needs to express them in ways appropriate for them.

Trying or planning to do more than you can do realistically in a specific time period
If you attempt to do in an hour or two what would take a day, or in a day or two what would take a week, unless you are Mr. Data from Star Trek, you are going to start to perform inefficiently at some point. If you do this for an extended time, you can experience burnout. Wattles pointed out that success happens more easily when we do what is needed efficiently each day; that it is not about how many things we get done, but about how efficiently we do what we do. You might say that some jobs demand speed, and you’d be right. But I also think you get the point he wanted to make: There is no satisfaction or success if you do a lot of things poorly, but there is satisfaction and success if you give your best (your best at the time) to whatever you do.

Inadequate rest and recharge time
Some people have massive amounts of energy, some have less; but everyone needs real time for their body, mind, and spirit to replenish. A body and mind in need of rest cannot work as efficiently as hoped or needed. If you need to rest or allow time to heal, and do, that is efficient as far as that specific action is concerned.

Non-supportive self-talk
This one can lead you to feel immobilized. Talk to yourself as you would a cherished friend you believe in.

Why is any of this important, beyond the obvious? Wattles said successful actions are cumulative in their results (I add, so are unsuccessful actions). Successful actions create successful outcomes. Efficient actions are successful actions. If your days end with you feeling unsatisfied, feeling you did not have even one thing to feel successful about, see if you are doing one or more of the inefficiency items. None of them should be impossible to adjust. Adjust as needed so you can support your successes. It is important to remember that your best will be different every day.

If any area of your life feels unfulfilling, consider any ways you may be managing or acting on them inefficiently.

You are what you practice.
© Joyce Shafer

Joyce Shafer (jls1422@yahoo.com) is the You Are More! Empowerment Coach and author of I Don’t Want to be Your Guru, but I Have Something to Say, as well as more life and small business empowerment books/ebooks. Check out the terrific articles and Empowerment Extras in her free weekly online newsletter, and get a FREE PDF of How to Have What You REALLY Want when you subscribe at http://stateofappreciation.webs.com

Mindset means your thinking mind is set in a certain way. I like the word “set” because it means you place something in a particular spot or way, like when you set a vase on a table. If you can set it, you can set it differently or in another place or direction.

Here’s how I’d re-word the definition of mind-set: a mental attitude inclined in a direction based on what you tell yourself that anything means, which means you can tell yourself anything, depending on how you decide to or prefer to set your mind about anything and everything.

You may believe events and others cause you to feel or think a certain way, but no one but you can set your mind about anything.

But . . . “some things are real,” you may say.

Many things are what they are—usually because of what leads up to them, but we often tell ourselves way more than what’s actually going on. And then we believe what we tell ourselves . . . and then, because misery loves company, we set out to convince others as well.

Here’s an example. A workshop presenter shared that she had to learn to “fix” her face. When she wore no expression, her mouth’s natural shape was turned down, which made her look as though she was frowning, when she wasn’t. You can imagine the chatter about her that likely included, “She’s always in a bad mood,” when she wasn’t. Once she realized this, she began to practice deliberately shifting the corners of her mouth up just a bit so people wouldn’t judge her as angry or unfriendly. You could say the corners of her mouth are fixed in a downward direction, but she chose to fix this—in order to have different experiences and results. And others had fixed in their minds an opinion of her that was inaccurate.

One of the daily emailed quotes I receive came from The Talmud: “If you add to the truth, you subtract from it.”

Looking at choices and actions

If you have a result or experience you don’t like or want, look at the choices or actions that led to it so you know what to shift, and don’t add to it with comments like, “I’m such a (whatever negative you might say about yourself)” or any other version of that about life or others. When you add such criticisms about yourself (or life or others) rather than look at what is and what can be done differently, you diminish the truth of yourself in your mind. You set your mind against your Self. What experiences and results might you expect if you do this?

You can choose to keep an attitude fixed, but that is a choice (remember that clever phrase “hardening of the attitudes”?). I’ve heard people say things like, “I’m too old to change” or “It’s too late to change it now,” and even “That’s how God made me.” What’s between the lines is, “This behavior (or mindset) meets an immediate need for me. It creates problems for me, but it’s a lot easier for me to repeatedly butt my head against this familiar wall than to risk facing what scares me or admit that my behaviors create some of my problems.”

How is your mind set about these?
● I have to be perfect, OR My significance is inherent and not dependent on being “perfect”.
● Who I am is not enough, OR I’m the only me there is so I enjoy and make the most of it, and expand who I am in the ongoing process of my life.
● Every day is difficult, OR Some things challenge me, but I’ve been meeting and going beyond challenges since God made dirt. If I allowed this to be easier, what would I do differently?
● Money worries are like a shadow I can’t shake, OR Every day I find a way to increase my contribution to others and feel great about the compensation that’s exchanged.
● People with money are to be belittled (and simultaneously envied), Or Having all the money (and even wealth) that supports my life feels right.
● I HAVE to be stressed, OR Sometimes I feel stressed about certain events, but I can decide if they are events I need to take action on, and take it, or whether it’s my thinking about events causing the stress, and shift this.
● I don’t have what it takes to be successful (work, relationships), OR I choose success and nothing less, and allow myself to have it.

When you get into bed to sleep, how is your mind set?
When you wake, how is your mind set?
When you do anything at all, how is your mind set?

You can meditate, affirm, and use all the techniques you know, but if your mind-set is not aligned with what you truly desire, and desire to be and experience, you’re butting your head (and life experience) against a too-familiar wall.

Specific mindsets create matching experiences and results. How is your mind set?

You are what you practice.

© Joyce Shafer
Joyce Shafer (jls1422@yahoo.com) is the You Are More! Empowerment Coach who helps women rediscover their authentic selves, and author of “I Don’t Want to be Your Guru, but I Have Something to Say”, as well as more life and small business empowerment books/ebooks, most easily found online at Lulu.com. Check out the terrific articles and Empowerment Extras, and learn about private coaching sessions, in her free weekly online newsletter at http://stateofappreciation.webs.com.

A while back I published an article titled “Set Them Free”. In it I wrote, “How can you expect your relationship with her to be anything other than what it’s been as long as you have her fixed in your mind as capable of only certain behaviors?” I didn’t then envision the person the way I’d like her to be, I chose to just let her be…that is, be who she is. After all, she could surprise me in remarkable, positive ways; and indeed, since I made that choice, this person has. This also freed me to reflect on and appreciate all of the good moments we’ve shared during the years, and there have been many. Every time a good memory flashes in my mind, I give her a quiet, heartfelt Thank You.

It occurs to me we can do this with money as well. We can recognize that money is actually a form of energy we exchange; and though we enjoy it, use it, and seem to usually want more of it, we may never actually thank it for all it’s done and does for us. Sometimes we treat it like the quote and curse it (in a manner of speaking) however it shows up in our lives—generally by wanting more but holding a negative expectation of it showing up in the way we’d like. Better to light an inner candle to illuminate ourselves differently about it.

Try this: deliberately pull up money memories that are goods ones: A purchase that either made you feel really good or served a purpose; a gift chosen carefully, knowing how delighted the recipient would be; an enjoyable dining experience or form of entertainment; a donation that really made a difference; and of course the everyday exchanges that help us move through life. Take a moment to thank money for making these things possible since money exchange is what we use in our 3-D world.

Thank it for showing up consistently or as a surprise, in expected and unexpected amounts (including coins on the ground that I hope you pick up and then affirm abundance). Thank it for helping you learn a good deal about yourself and others. Apologize for ever restricting it because of learned negative or limiting beliefs.

Is it time for you to set money free from “behaviors” based on your beliefs and limited expectations? Start by genuinely feeling core-level appreciation for what it’s done, does, and will do to enhance your life experience.

You are what you practice.

© Joyce Shafer