Feelings are darned important. The problem is, we tend to shuffle them under a carpet because we are afraid of being judged. That’s something I wondered about. Since when does society have the right to say you can feel this way or that? You are the absolute master of your emotions. You choose when to laugh or cry. Or jump the bridge!

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It’s been a lousy day. Everyone woke up late. You were stuck at gridlock for two hours. Coffee spilt on your Armani suit at the drive thru. Then, at office, the Board shows up and you’re unprepared. Fortunately your secretary calls that she’ll be absent, so you plot ahead how to take over her responsibilities. At 4pm, your 8pm date cancels.

You’re ready to scream. (more…)

There’s a rule I learned in my operations management classes that apply in real life. It’s called the 80/20 Rule. The rule goes to say that 20 percent of your activities likely create 80 percent of the significant achievements.

Take a step back and ponder on all the big stuff that happened to you. Did you notice that some small tweak in your plans often drove it to amazing completion? Or how one small decision brought about earthshaking rewards? (more…)

Remember a time your emotions chugged like an angry train over the cliff. Did you say things the way you intended? Did you act the way you wanted to behave? Were outcomes unfolding the way you desired? I bet you said no. It’d tough to focus and maintain control when you got a bursting dam in your chest. Try out this delightful little exercise before red hot passions knock you over the edge again.

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If your breathing space is cluttered with all sorts of mess, you feel psychologically crowded- it gets hard to think and relax. Bring about some peace by simplifying the way you live and you instantly increase your mental focus while decreasing stress.

Yogis like to teach that to attract prosperity, we myst first create room to allow the new abundance. It’s this principle that drives the success of runaway bestseller The Secret. Realize now that by grasping at redundant and useless baggage that surround us, we spiritually tie ourselves to old limiting beliefs and past limitations. My mom long hammered this fact into me; it’s done wonders for my personal growth. (more…)

Flashback 2001. While I didn’t look as bouncy as Mr. Canine here, I certainly felt just as  bloated as he looked.  The reason? I was about 10 pounds overweight. My dietician blamed a slow metabolism. I simply blamed Ronald McDonald for setting up shop next door.

I felt lousy when guys in muscle shirts strode past. Here I was, clad in flashy Prada but my physique made me sag like a duck next to these lean dudes in tattered Levis. Something had to be done. So I did what every fat slob was doing: popped the Hydroxycut, did the Atkins and hit the iron. It didn’t work. (more…)

My cousin has a desk with stuff that literally blocks his view. It’s full of procrastinated paperwork. He says “I’ll do it tommorow” each time we meet. Then a few days ago he had a relapse from anxiety and stress from the backlog. Poor fella. He doesn’t know the secret to getting things done asap. (more…)

Success Tip: Alter Your Perceptions To Reduce Stress Levels

Your life each day can be viewed as a stream of connected events - some positive and some not so positive. The not-so-positive or negative events can cause great stress, but they have only the stress-producing power over you that you assign to them. Separate your perceptions, opinions, and value judgments of a negative event from the event. Affirm to yourself, “It’s just an event” and you will avoid triggering stress reactions.

Because time proceeds in one direction only, you do not have the power or the option to change the outcome of an event. But you have total power to choose how or whether you will respond or react to the event, thereby influencing succeeding events and outcomes. It is likely that, because of different beliefs, values, and opinions, four people who see exactly the same event will relate and react to it totally differently. But beliefs, values, and opinions are always in the mind, not in the event. Use that knowledge to separate your emotions from the events that occur in your life. (more…)

Your relationships may grow together or apart because of the priority you do or don’t place on your personal time. Your kids are growing up. You are getting older. Time you could have spent with your family or on your own personal dreams and goals is irreplaceable.

How many families have you observed in which there seem to be no shared interests or little interaction or quality time spent together? They’re not a family; they are just roommates. If you want roommates, find tenants who will pay rent but will not get involved in your business or personal life. Family members should not be treated as nonpaying tenants who just happen to occupy the same house.

Make dinner each evening with your family a commitment. Set an automatic business cutoff time. If you like to work late at the office, then schedule dinner at 6:30 or 7 p.m. Be there every time, no matter what you leave undone at the office. Don’t worry, it will still be there tomorrow. Ensure that your family spends at least thirty minutes together at the table each evening with meaningful discussions, a lot of humor, a lot of fun. Make it a family tradition. (more…)

In order to reach great heights of success and happiness, whatever that means for you, you must start by taking inventory of your life and writing down what unfinished business that you need to complete.

Work: What tasks at work have been left without being finished? Is your work schedule manageable? Is your office a mess? Do certain jobs seem to wait stacked up on your desk forever? When was the last time you cleaned out your files? How orderly is your desk? What changes can you make at work, to create an ideal place where you can live your dream? Have you been intending to ask for a raise?

Are your travel and expense reimbursement forms up-to-date? What about other records you are responsible for keeping? What meetings need to be scheduled? What equipment needs repair? What improvements would you recommend? What have you been wanting to communicate to your employer, your employees or your coworkers? Any letters that could be written? Make a plan to do these things now.
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