6 Quick and Easy Tips to Pay Yourself First

Pay Yourself first

“It is never too early to encourage long-term savings.” — Ron Lewis

Treat paying yourself first like paying your newspaper vendor or any other financial commitments, make it obligatory. Here are a few ways that you can do it in a hassle-free way:


1. Budget for it: The first step is to decide the amount that you can save every month. The financial situation in each and every household is different, only you can decide the quantum.

2. Direct payroll deductions: The easiest thing to do is to arrange with your employer to deduct and remit the desired amount to your savings account. Don’t apply for an ATM card for this account. The fund is earmarked for specific purposes such as investment, emergency fund, and down-payment for a new car

3. Arrange for standing order with your bank: Another way is to arrange with your banker to transfer an amount of your choice from the account that your salary is credited to a savings account.

4. Investment-linked insurance policy: This method is even better. You take up an investment-linked policy and arrange with a credit card issuer to debit your credit card for the monthly premium. The money you have saved provides protection for you as well as investment for your future needs. Because you pay your premium by credit card, you earn points (rewards card) or pay less (rebates card) for the amount charged.

5. Personal deposit into a savings account: When you are self-employed, it is necessary for you to deposit an amount into your savings account; you have to be disciplined to pay yourself first.

6. Unit Trust monthly investment scheme: Another good idea is to take up a unit trust investment scheme to invest a fixed amount every month by instructing your bank to remit the said amount from your account on a regular basis. The beautiful part is that it smoothes out market volatility and you benefit from the effects of dollar-cost averaging.


Can you think of any other ways to pay yourself first? Share your ideas with our readers.

An Attitude of Gratitude

Attitude of Gratitude

“There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy.” ―Ralph H. Blum

It is coming to the end of yet another year; instead of pondering what you have achieved for the year why not focus on gratitude?

According to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, gratitude is the feeling of being grateful and wanting to express your thanks.

These are the things in life that I am grateful for and I am expressing my appreciation and thankfulness here.

• To be alive: Thankful to God that I am alive to enjoy every breath of life and to enjoy abundant living.

• My country: Glad to live in Malaysia, a cosmopolitan country, which is free from natural disasters. Most people from different races are living cordially and happily with each other.

• My neighbor: We live in peace and we are tolerant of each other. When we see each other we smile.

• My wife: I am happy that we are able to go through thick and thin and to bring up our two children together.

• My children: They are brilliant children and are able to enjoy what they have given in life.

• My sister: Over the last two years she has been editing my articles without fail. I appreciate her work to help reduce errors in my articles to almost zero.

• My friends: I have few friends but I am grateful we check out each other and we never take advantage of our friendship.

• My readers and followers: I am grateful to my readers and subscribers who keep me hanging on over the last two years. There are comments and I value their positive input. I wish to thank from the bottom of my heart, especially, the followers of my blog and those at the social networking sites.

• Me and my family: I am thankful to God that I am able to enjoy good health. I am also grateful that I am debt-free even though I may not be rich. I am appreciative of my employer who is keeping me in their payroll though I am old enough to retire. I am also thankful that we have a roof over our head and to enjoy what we have in life. I am also happy that we are living together as one family unit.

Gratitude can increase your levels of well-being and happiness Gratitude thinking is also associated with increased levels of energy, optimism, and empathy.

Start today to adopt an attitude of gratitude and be appreciative and thankful for what you have in life. Can you share your gratitude here?

How to be Popular -10 Instant Tips

Popularity Secrets

True popularity comes from acts of kindness rather than acts of stupidity.     

Bo Bennett

The fastest and easiest way to be popular is to focus your attention on the people around you. Here are the 10 instant ways to do so that you are always welcomed by others:

1. Talk to the people around you. You acknowledge their presence and make them feel important by talking to them. You never know, perhaps, you will be able to learn something from them. You may even get connected to the right person that opens up great opportunities.

2. Try to remember their names: People are impressed that you can recall their names just by meeting only once. You really need to use all your senses to remember a name. Write it down, repeat often during a conversation, and associate the name with something else so that recalling is easy. As an example, Chris could be associated with Christmas, the very day you met him for the first time.

3. Be humble. When you are humble, polite, and respectful in your approach, you can be accepted by others easily.

4. Total Acceptance: Look for the virtues of others and accept the ways as they are without judgment. Respect their points of view, though you may not be agreeable.

5. Talk pleasantly about the other person's interest. Encourage him to talk about himself. Find out more about his interests and achievements. Get to know more about his family background. The more you know about the other person the easier it is for you to establish a closer rapport with him.

6. Watch your appearance: Do not allow others to perceive that you don’t care too much about yourself. When you care less for yourself it is unlikely that you care much for others

7. Praise more and criticize less. Say a few kind and encouraging words. Praise for a job well done. You make the other person happy and also lift his self-worth and self-esteem.

8. Be trusted: Honour your promises, but do not commit too many or else you may not be able to deliver.

9. Responsive and empathic: Always be available and ready to respond to the needs of others. Be sensitive to the feelings of the people around you.

10. Smile at the people you meet: Be cheerful; don’t talk about your problems and disappointment. Everyone has a fair share of troubles. Crack a joke about yourself to laugh out loud and lift the mood of others.

When you are only interested in yourself, you can’t arouse the interest of others in you. In a beneficial human relationship, it is like a savings account, you can’t withdraw without a deposit. When you are interested in the people around you, they will be more inclined to like you and interested in you as well.

Dry Eyes and Herbal Cure

Dry Eyes
(https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/dryeye.htm)

Tears are nature's lotion for the eyes. The eyes see better for being washed by them.      

Christian Nevell Bovee

Lately, I have been suffering from dry eyes. It is irritating and making me feel uncomfortable. I think I have glued to the PC too much and too long. Now, I stop using PC early in the morning and in the evening. I am also happy that I have found a herbal cure. It is in the form of capsules. Each capsule consists of the following


Eyebright (Euphrasia Officinalis)

Eyebright herbs are beneficial for reducing redness and swelling. Eyebright tightens the mucous membranes of the eye and appears to relieve the inflammation of conjunctivitis and blepharitis ( Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley, London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148)


Bilberry (vaccinium myrtillus)

It was shown in early studies to improve dark adaptation in people with poor night vision. (Jayle. GE. Ann Ocul, 1965, 198:556-62, Belleoud. L. et al, Rev Med Aeronaut Spatiale 1966; 18:3-7)

A clinical study in Russia shows that dietary supplementation with bilberry extract prevents macular degeneration and cataract (Fursova Azh, Adv Gerontol, 2005; 16:76-79)


Ginkgo biloba

Findings have shown that the flavonoids found in ginkgo could even increase blood flow to the retina (relating to the back part of the eye) and slow down the retinal deterioration

Lutein

Lutein provides nutritional support to our eyes as well as our skin. It has been linked to promoting healthy eyes by reducing the risk of macular degeneration.


You may use artificial tears or eye drops to get instant relief, but in the long run, it is harmful to your eyes. According to the Hong Kong Association of Private Eye Surgeons (HKLAPES), frequent use of eye drops could damage and might even cause complete loss of vision. If eye drops are used frequently – say, over six times a day – preservatives’ residues could accumulate and cause chronic irritation and eye infection of the cornea and even cause permanent loss of vision.

The best option is to feast your eyes with essential nutrients to strengthen the organ

Responsibility and accountability at the Workplace

Responsibility and accountability are often used to mean the same thing. When you are holding an executive position you will be able to make a distinction between the two.

When you recruit new staff, it is your responsibility to conduct an orientation and provide training to make sure that he is able to do the job as required. The new staff is responsible to get the job done. When an assignment is not done accordingly, the staff may be responsible for the work but you are accountable for the outcome.

The questions are:

· Are you the one who is giving the order to get the job done?

· Have you chosen the right person for the job?

· Is the person given adequate training and full instructions to get the job done?

· Has he been properly supervised?

You can’t blame the staff or pass the buck to him. You see, when a job is done well you get the full credit.

On the other hand, when you are given an assignment by your boss and you have to do it all by yourself, you are responsible to get it done and accountable for the outcome. When it is executed properly you get a pat from your boss. When you screw up, blame yourself and nobody else.

You can be a responsible and accountable executive by taking the following steps:

· Accept the consequences of your action

· Don’t blame others when things do not turn up right. The buck stops here.

· Don’t give excuses. Excuses mean that you are trying to say that you are not responsible.

· Forgive yourself. Learn from the mistakes and move on.

· Admit that you are wrong gracefully. People will respect you more for your strong character.

As an executive at the workplace, you may not be responsible but you are accountable.

What do you think?

Purpose in Life

'The meaning of life is to find your gift. the purpose of life is to give it away"
Pablo Picasso

“If you can't figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.”

― T.D. Jakes

Recently I watched a video about an interview asking people in the street about their purpose in life. In most cases, the interviewees say that their purpose is to be happy or live happily in life. Happiness is the right way to live in life but it is not a purpose in life. It is only a means to an end. When you are happy you are relaxed, you look at life positively and you make others happy too. You work better and you are healthier when you are happy. 

 The big question is, “Do you live to eat, or do you eat to live?” I think the purpose of life is to contribute. We all cannot contribute in a big way like what President Obama has contributed to world peace; but still, we can play our role to contribute in a small way. If you can’t give to society you can at least teach your children to be wiser by sharing your knowledge and experiences. It is still a contribution. The contribution of knowledge, wisdom, and experience of each generation provides valuable insight and enlightenment to a future generation. It does not mean that the life of the future generations will be easier just by applying the knowledge that we have contributed. The fact is that there are always new challenges ahead of us. Life is always changing and is never dull and boring. It is always exciting. It is just that the future generations will be better equipped to face problems and difficulties in life. By contributing you will find life worth living and more meaningful. 

What is your purpose in life? Share your thoughts with us.

A Lesson Learned in Blogging

Blogging

I am very interested in blogging and I know there is a lot of information and tips available on the Net to help me to achieve success and so I read feverously and I get good tips by reading articles of successful bloggers such as Darren Rowse, Glen Allsopp, Daniel Scocco, Brian Clark and Caroline Middlebrook. The trouble is that I have got the message but things are not happening at my blog. Why?

There is a very simple answer. I have not taken the necessary action as recommended by successful people.

I think success and failure are just that. You know what to do but when you have failed to take action there is no way to be successful

There are three things I know I must do in order to succeed in blogging - writing original articles on a regular and consistent basis, marketing your blog, and building relationships with other bloggers. There is very little that I have done to get involved with other bloggers. Here are some of the things that I know I should do but I have not gotten to do it:

Create outbound links to relevant and high linking blogs

Participate in forums

Accept the request to participate in worthy causes

Comment on other related blogs

Get to know other bloggers in my niche and be connected

The reality is that when you are not interested in other bloggers, they will not show interest in you. From now on I will read less and take action more. There is no point in reading a lot and know what to do but not doing anything about it.

Share your blogging lessons here.

Long-Term Success and Blogging

BLOGGING

According to the New Straits Times, Dr. Fadzilla Azni Ahmad, 37, took six years of studious research for her thesis to beat 12 other entries for the Best Thesis Award for research on Islamic disciplines. For her effort, she was awarded a gold medal worth RM10000/=, a cheque for RM5000/=, and a certificate of merit by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. What are her secrets of success? 

 • Perseverance: She is focused and working continuously until the project is completed.

 • Obtain knowledge: She does a lot of quality reading 

• Writing: She has started a blog about research and management quality to hone her writing skill. 

Blogging, according to her, helps broaden her mind and train it to think and analyze issues critically. She also wrote once a month for Dewan Ekonomi for about a year. How can you apply her success when you aspire to be a successful blogger? 

 1. There is no overnight success. Working diligently by writing original articles regularly and consistently over a long period.

 2. Get the right information to start blogging effectively. Read stories and articles of successful bloggers on the Net 

3. Take action: the most important thing is to act right away. Start writing articles to improve your writing skills. 

Over time you will be writing better and better articles. Here is a free e-book on blogging to get you started on the right track in 2010, ”Profitable Blogging for Newbies.”

Belief

• What distinguishes the majority of men from the few is their ability to act according to their beliefs.
  - Henry Miller

According to a newspaper report, it is possible to get healed by a placebo. A placebo is a dummy pill or a faked treatment with no activity at the physical level that seems to affect the belief system of the patient. That in turn, makes the belief bring about healing responses in the body.

By the same token, Dr. Kenneth Casey, a professor at the University of Michigan, says,” If you’re providing treatment to a patient, it’s important that you really provide them with the expectation that it would work, so that you enhance the effect. If you gave them a drug or any kind of treatment with the attitude, either explicit or implicit, that this might not be effective, it would be much less likely to be effective.”

It illustrates that believing is such a powerful force in our minds. When you believe you can be healed even without actually given treatment, you can achieve success in life when you believe you can.

Napoleon Hill says in his great book, Think & Grow Rich,” What the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.”

It’s a wonderful idea to plant positive thoughts in our minds to realize our dreams and goals in life.

Tiger Woods and Truthfulness

Tiger Woods is one of the rich and famous people in the world. After the one-car crash, he is still rich and famous but he is no longer a role model as a perfect husband and a father of two. According to reports in the newspapers and TV, he has had affairs with Rachel Uchitel, Jaimee Grubbs, and Kalika Moquin.

As I have mentioned in my previous article, My philosophy of Life - Truthfulness and Asking, truthfulness means you are honest with yourself and others. There is no guilt feeling and you need not have to ask for forgiveness from God. You can sleep soundly at night. You face the world with the fullest confidence. Tiger Woods would have been able to explain clearly and fully about the one-car accident to the police.

He may be forgiven by his wife but do you think he still can be trusted by her 100%? Do you think he still can maintain his impeccable image in the eyes of the public? 

Candid Personal Review of 2009

2009 is coming to an end. It is yet another turbulent year. It is also a good time to take stock of ourselves to see what we have achieved for the past year.

The following are the most important areas in our life and I hope you will do the same to critically look at yourself in the following areas to check your progress:

Healthy lifestyle: I am glad that I have been able to enjoy a healthy lifestyle throughout the year. I exercise regularly and consistently. I sleep very well at night. I am careful with my diet to eat less sugar, fat, and meat. All these items are acidic and favorable for cancerous cells to grow in our bodies. My life is not stressful and I stay calm most of the time.

Personal finance: The most important thing about finance is that I am debt-free. It means I am free to budget fully my limited resources for my family. I live within my means ad I enjoy what life has offered to me.

Homelife: It is about being a husband and a father to my two children. My children are doing well academically and I am delighted to know that they are happy in life. With so many broken homes around, I am pleased to enjoy happy home life.

At the workplace: The ability to hold on to your job during the financial crisis is an achievement in itself. It is even more so because I should have retired at my age and I am still able to cling on to a job that I enjoy doing.

Relationships: My wife and my children are my friends. We talk and we share ideas. I have friends and I am proud that we don’t take advantage of each other. One of the pleasures in life is to exchange gifts during Chinese festivals with a friend by the name of Ah Hong. We exchange text messages and we phone each other from time to time. To be connected with friends is a wonderful thing in life.

Article writing and blogging: I have been able to learn more and more about blogging and I am able to write better articles over the last two years, but not much better than those pro bloggers. There is still room for me to improve.

Happiness: I have learned not to dwell on the past and worry too much about the future. I always tell myself to cherish every moment in life and enjoy it. Happiness is from within. Happiness is a close-knit family. Happiness is connecting with others. Happiness is able to do things you enjoy doing in life.

What have you achieved in 2009? Share your success story here.

How to Set Your Goals

Goals

“If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes.” —Andrew Carnegie

Success in life means setting and achieving your goals. Consider the following points to set your goals: 

 1. One important goal: Instead of having too many goals, identify just one goal that can greatly impact your life. One goal means you are focused on it. Your goal is manageable and it is more likely to achieve. 

2. A clear vision of your goal: Imagine and visualize vividly in your mind that you have succeeded in achieving your goals. These images or the thoughts in your mind will set in motion to realize your goal. 

 3. A deadline: A goal without a deadline remains a goal. The earlier you set your deadline the more urgent it will be for you to pick up your momentum to work on your goal and the faster it is to reach your goal. 

 4. Benefits of achieving your goals: If your goal is to lose weight the benefits will be better health, more energy, better appearance, and higher self-esteem. More benefits mean more incentive and motivation to achieve your goal. 

 5. Obstacles: Expect obstacles along the way and be prepared psychologically to overcome them. A goal is not a goal when it is not challenging and easily attainable.

 6. Get help: Solicit those people who can lend you a hand. You may not be able to do it alone and it is wise to enlist the right people to assist you. 

 7. Plan your successive stages: This will allow you to gauge and monitor your progress against time spent. Are you meeting your sub-goals according to your timeframe? Do you need to revise your plan because of changing the prevailing situation? When you know the benefits that you can enjoy when you have achieved your goals, you will work mindfully at the moment and look forward to each new day with high expectations. You will have no regret in life as you look back because you know you have wasted no time to make your dream a reality.

5 Learning Ways to Be a Better Executive

Leaning

‘Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.’ –Benjamin Franklin

Like a growing baby, it takes time for you to gain experience and learn to work better and smarter. Here are the top five ways to learn and improve at the workplace: 

 1. Learn from your past performance: Review and evaluate your performance. What can you learn from it? Have you been doing the right thing at the right time? Have you been effective and efficient? Have you been getting along well with others at the workplace? 

 2. Learn from mistakes: Learn from not only your own mistakes but also learn from the mistakes of others at the workplace. As an example, in an office, if it is working fine, it is a quiet place. When you notice people rushing about and behave in a panicky way you know something is not right. Observe and learn. What mistakes have you committed? What can you learn from it? Making mistakes along the way and learning from these mistakes is a way to grow and work better. Dare to try means dare to make progress.

 3. Learn from others: Seek out those smart people in the office and be humble to learn from them. They have worked longer in the office and they have accumulated vast knowledge and experience to be at their present positions. 

 4. Learn from learning: One of the most important things in your career is doing continuous learning. Change is the byword because of new knowledge and new ways of doing things keep appearing every now and then. Keeping yourself updated is the only way to survive in the corporate world. 

 5. Learn from the success of others and yourself: Do not just notice your shortfalls, find out what you have done right previously. Learn from it and improve upon it and do even better the next time. Observe and learn from those who are successful in the workplace. What are their secrets? What have you learned and how you can apply it to your advantage. Be curious and be alert to the happenings around you. 

Always be interested to learn something new in life. The thirst to learn and know more and the lifelong quest for knowledge will stand you in good stead in the long run.

5 Secrets of Longevity

How do you live a long life? Take a two-mile walk every morning before breakfast.     

Harry S. Truman

The most important thing in life is how you live your life. When you live well you will also extend your life span. Here are the top 5 secrets of living well and living longer:

 1. One thing to treasure - Health Only those people who are lucky enough to recover from critical illnesses will appreciate and cherish good heath. How do you find out that you are in good health? It is very simple. You are fine when you don’t feel anything about your bodily functions. On the other hand, when you feel aches and pains here and there, these are warning signs that your health is not in order. Your health deteriorates over time due to the following: 

 • Eating irregularly

 • Eating the wrong kinds of food

 • Insufficient sleep or sleep late 

• Lack of exercise 

• Living in a polluted environment 

• Negative emotions such as frustration, anxiety, hopelessness, a lack of confidence, and depression 

 2. Two things to be - Forgive and forget To have a positive mental attitude is to forgive and forget what others have done to you. Holding a grudge and thoughts of vengeance will only hurt you more. You are not at ease. Your heart beats faster and your mind is under pressure when you fill your mind with anger and hatred. When you forgive and forget you are at peace, you let go and your mind is calm and cool. It is good for your soul and your spirit.

 3. Three things to forget - Age, grievances, worries There is nothing to be concerned about age. It has nothing to do with your state of health. As you grow older you are wiser and you are in better shape because you know more about healthy living. You are more mature and mellow. In short, life is more meaningful as you grow older. Don’t complain and protest. For the things that you can change do change them. For those things, you can’t change just live with it. I remember a beautiful poem about two days in your life you don’t have to worry about. One is yesterday and the other is tomorrow (enjoy the poem at the end of the post). When you live in the moment and do your best mindfully, yesterday will be a sweet memory and tomorrow will be as real as can be. Don’t worry, just be happy and enjoy this very moment. 

 4. Four things to have - A house of your own, something to do, a partner and friends Life is wonderful when you have these four things. A roof over your head and you don’t have to sleep in the street. There is always something interesting to do to fill the time. There is someone to share your sorrow and happiness and your ups and downs in life. There are friends to be with so you are not isolated. 

 5. Five things to be happy with - What you have, a happy family, able to indulge in personal interests, helping others, and traveling Happiness is to enjoy what you have and not thinking of acquiring what you don’t have in order to be happy. Happiness will not come because you will not be satisfied with what you have. There are so many broken homes around and thanks to God that you are the husband and father of a few lively kids living happily together under one roof. Happiness is also doing things you enjoy or exploring new things in life. Doing random acts of kindness is a beneficial way to boost your happiness. What better way to enjoy life than to travel to strange places to know first hand the way of life of other people and marvel the sight and sound of foreign countries 

 Longevity is about looking after your health, self-love, a kind heart, healthy relationships and be satisfied and happy in life. Wish you a happy and long life. 

Your Role in Life

What's Your Role in Life

Remember! You are special. No one can play your role better than you.

Pradeep Kumar

The world is a stage and each and every one of us must play a role. What role do you want to play? It is all determined by your interest, passion, and what you do best in life.

Take an example, US President Obama is a man who knows what he wants out of life and he knows what role he can play on the world stage and he goes all the way to get it.

As for me, I can only play a small role. My interest and passion are about self-improvement and my strength is in writing. My blog is my platform to deliver my messages and communicate with the rest of the world. This is what I can do and what I want to do in life and it is stated in my personal mission statement:

To encourage and motivate readers to improve the seven areas of their life, namely, health, work, personal money, relationships, happiness, home life, and parenting. The objective is to live life happily, fully, and meaningfully at the moment.

You never know you have great potential in life because you have yet to discover your mission in life. Find out your personal interest and passion. Find out what you can do better than others and you can do it easily. Do something that benefits others. Let me put it in another way to jolt you into thinking hard: What do you want people to say about you when they attend your funeral?

Are you one of the main actors on stage or are you one of the supporting casts? Only you can decide. When you imagine, create and visualize the role you want to play you will take action to realize your role in life.

My philosophy of Life - Truthfulness and Asking

The way of peace is the way of truth. Truthfulness is even more important than peacefulness.

Mahatma Gandhi

There are a few things that I believe in life – truthfulness in relation to spirituality and asking for things in life when you need to.


Spirituality and truthfully

I come from a family of Buddhist background, I may be a free thinker but I believe in religious teachings. One of the things that my father taught me was to be sincere and truthful. I firmly believe in it because honesty is the best policy in whatever you do. When you are truthful, there is no guilt feeling or need to remember that you have told a lie.

Spirituality has a lot to do with what we do in our life. You want to have peace of mind, you want to sleep soundly at night and you don’t want to struggle with your inner self, just be honest with yourself and with others. You don’t have to ask God to forgive you for the things that you have done wrong morally,

The other thing I believe is that spiritual well-being can be achieved by being in good health. I practice Tai Chi every morning. It is a form of meditation in motion. When you do it mindfully you are in communion with nature. Your mind is calm and you feel peaceful internally.

Life is about getting along with people around you. Be truthful and be sincere to them. You are happy and they are happy too because they understand you.


Just ask for it

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." -Matthew 7:7-8


In life, I always remember one thing, when you need something just ask for it. If you don’t; how do people know you want something? You may not get it, but you do not lose anything at all. On the other hand, you may get more than what you bargained for. As an example when you like that girl and you want to get a date, just ask for it. Be happy if she agrees, don’t be sad if she refuses because you have never dated her before and there is nothing to lose. Likewise, when you want a raise you also have to ask for it. By asking you may not get an increment and if you don’t get it, you don’t lose anything. Your salary remains the same. Just remember to ask at the right time with facts and figures to back you up. In life, keep asking, keep finding, and keep knocking. Don’t give up.

How to determine your career goals

The future depends on what you do today.

 

Mahatma Gandhi

It is vitally important to decide as early as possible for your future career goals. The sooner you know where you want to go the earlier it is for you to prepare for your journey. Here are the seven steps to help you chart your future course


1. Three crucial questions to decide your career goals: They are about your interest, passion, and doing things that you are good at. The three questions are:

• What do you like to do?
• What are the things that you are able to do better than others and you can do it easily?
• What are the things in life that mean a lot to you?

These questions will direct your energy in one direction to spur you to success in life,

2. Vision: Imagine and create a picture of the future. A scenario that you would like to see. It is a manifestation of your interest, passion, and strengths. It is also the answer to the three questions.

3. A written plan: Put your goals in writing. Identify the tools, the methods, the steps, and the time frame to reach your goals.

4. Smart goals: As it is always been said that your goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive.

5. Reward yourself: As you go along your journey in life according to your career path, be sure to reward and motivate yourself along the way for each small success

6. Make changes: You can plan for the future but it is unpredictable with too many unknown factors. It is a wise thing to make changes to suit the prevailing situation.

7. Continue to create new goals: Success is a journey and not a destination. With each accomplishment, set new goals that are in alignment with your personal core values. These values are beneficial to you and to others.


The future is where we are all going, but there is no certainty in life. By having goals you direct your energy one directionally to make your future as real as you have envisaged.




Related post:
Answer These Three Questions to Determine Your Future Direction

10 Tips to Work Smart and Achieve More

Work Smart & Achieve More

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.”

Mark Twain

Working smart is not working hard. It is doing less and achieved more. It is getting a few important tasks done in the shortest possible time but accomplished even more. 

 1. 80/20 rule: It means doing 20 % of the work and getting 80% of the output. Check your daily to-do list and focus on the few important tasks that yield the greatest benefits and delegate the rest

 2. Take breaks: When you are tired, take a break to clear the clutter in your mind. You will be able to solve the problem easily that you have encountered earlier. 

 3. Be thorough in your work: Check carefully to make sure that nothing is left out and it is completed as required. Use your checklist to avoid missing items. Do it once correctly and no more. 

 4. Don’t plunge into your work: When you are given a new assignment, find out the most effective and most efficient ways to do the job. Spending a little bit of time to explore the nature of the work will make your work very much easier. 

 5. Be a specialist: People are more impressed when you are an expert in a particular field. You will be the person people look upon in your area of expertise. You have the right answers and the right ways to do something and people are glad to take your advice. 

 6. Under promise and over deliver: Instead of over promise and under deliver, do the opposite; deliver more than what you have promised. People will be surprised and delighted when you outperform. 

 7. Do things you are interested: You always do your best because you enjoy doing it and the more you do the better it gets. Your mind will be focused and you always put on your thinking cap to imagine and create better methods or systems to get things done. 

 8. Plan ahead: Advance planning means getting things done smoothly and efficiently. There is no rush and there is no panic situation.

 9. Take advantage of technology: Employ software or the right tools to get your work done in less time but more efficiently. Be sure to let your PC do most of your job more accurately and faster.

 10. Health: Are you physically fit and mentally alert? You perform better when you are calm, full of energy and mental focus. 

When you get things done with your full concentration, you make fewer mistakes and save valuable time to redo something. Isn’t it a smart way to work? Getting organized and using the right tools to do the right things at the right time are the most effective ways to achieve more by doing less.

How to Build a Trusted Brand on the Net

Trusted Brand

“Your personal brand is a promise to your clients… a promise of quality, consistency, competency, and reliability”

— JASON HARTMAN, AUTHOR OF “BECOME THE BRAND OF CHOICE

Every year Reader’s Digest surveys and publishes the trusted brands as voted by consumers in many businesses from tire to petrol station, from hospital to bank, and from cooking oil to beer.

Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands are based on the following 6 attributes:


1. Trustworthiness & credibility: The brand is believable, safe to use, and consistently delivers on the promises it makes

2. Quality: The products offered by the brand are well-made/well-designed

3. Value: The brand offers good value for the money

4. Understanding of Customer needs: The brand regularly demonstrates that it responds to and satisfies your changing needs as a customer

5. Innovative: The brand regularly introduces new products, features, or services.

6. Social responsibility: The brand supports the community, the environment, and its employees and practices good corporate ethics.


Similarly, we can adopt the six attributes as our six key factors to build a trusted brand on the Net:


1. Authority: Build the trust of the readers by consistently posting creditable articles of your niche. Posting is done on a regular basis as expected by the readers

2. Quality: Articles posted are from your own ideas. They are unique and appealing to the readers.

3. Value: Each and every article offers value that worth the while of the readers to spend valuable time reading your articles.

4. Satisfy the needs of the readers: Know what the readers are looking for and deliver articles accordingly to meet their requirements.

5. Creative: Able to attract and hold the attention and interest of the readers by adding audio, videos, and images in addition to informative and interesting articles. Provide a platform for two-way traffic to allow interaction with the readers. Respond to readers’ comments and give more to the readers such as distributing free e-books and building a community to allow readers of similar interest to share, exchange ideas, and mingle among themselves.

6. Social responsibility: Your blog articles promote goodness such as wellness, acts of kindness, self-improvement, healthy lifestyle, and prudent spending. These things are often highlighted and promoted to the general public. In a way, you are playing a role by being a responsible Net citizen.


It is a challenge and I will do my best to follow as closely as possible. A trusted brand has to be nurtured to grow, attract, and retain readers.

10 Easy Tips to Avoid Stress

Avoiding stress means a calm state of mind, an organized daily life and to live in the moment: Here are the easy ways to do away with stress:


1. Do less: Don’t try to do too much in a day. Accomplish more just by doing a few important tasks of the day. Forget about the rest or do it only when you have the time.

2. Sweat it out: Daily exercise to sweat it out is an excellent way to promote a feeling of well-being. A wonderful feeling is inside you and you feel good about yourself.

3. Organize your daily life: Always plan ahead and manage your daily life so that things get done smoothly. Life is less stressful when you don’t have to rush about to get things done.

4. Live in the moment: Don’t dwell in the past and don’t worry about the future, just focus and concentrate on the job at hand while you are at work. When you have fun, enjoy it fully as well. Live the moment.

5. A balanced lifestyle: Don’t stress yourself out by working long hours. There is a time to work and there is a time to play. Work and play are equally important in life.

6. LOL: It means laugh out loud. Crack a joke to share with your friends and laugh out loud from time to time. Always wear a smile. All these happiness feelings will make you relaxed, feel at ease, and boost your immune system.

7. Do your best: Whatever you do just do your best. Don’t try to be perfect and end up in a stressful situation.

8. Be in a calm state of mind: You can achieve this by doing Tai Chi or yoga in the morning. This daily ritual will fill your mind with a sense of serenity and a feeling of peace. Remind yourself to stay calm and relaxed throughout the whole day.

9. Slow down and live: Don’t be in a hurry and don’t rush, Life is stressful when you try to get the thing done quickly. Your heart beats go faster and you are excited and then you feel stressed. When you have organized your daily life in advance there is no need to beat the time.

10. Hopefulness: Do you get such a feeling? When there is always something to look forward to in life, your outlook is cheerful and optimistic. One the other hand when there is nothing to hope for in life a feeling of anxiety fills your mind. You feel stressful too. Think of wonderful things in life that you can look forward to every day.


A stress-free life is our ultimate aim of daily living.

Related posts:

Slow Down to Live and Enjoy Life – 10 Joyful Tips

Stress – 3 Effective Ways to Manage It

21 Ways to Relax

15 Tips to Manage Stress

10 Tips to be a Top Executive

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”  - 

Steve Jobs, Co-Founder of Apple

Success is about what you can contribute to the company and what you can do for your fellow workers. Here are the top 10 things that you must do in order for you to move up and stay at the top: 

 1. Getting a job done: Each and every assignment is to de completed on time, completely, and in the way as required by your boss. Effectiveness and efficiency are important factors to get things done. 

 2. Your commitment: Are you committed to the job? When you are interested in doing what you are doing, a job is no longer a job; it’s a fun thing to do. When it is your passion you will do your job wholeheartedly. Commitment means concentration and focuses on the job. 

 3. Self-improvement: Do you stop learning after you have left school or are you updating yourself in the field of your expertise? The thirst for knowledge is an essential quality in the competitive world. Never stop learning.

 4. A team member or a lone ranger: In every organization, one department is linked to another and they form a cohesive unit. The cooperation of every department head is vital to allow the day-to-day operation to run smoothly. There is no place for a hero or a lone ranger. Be a team player and be sensitive to the requirements of other department heads as well as your own. 

 5. Time management: How do you manage your time? Actually, time management is life management. The most important thing is the fill your time with the most important tasks and get them done. You can ignore the rest and do it only when you have the time. This is an effective use of time. 

 6. Punctuality: To be on time is to respect others who are also time-sensitive. As a top executive, it is a virtue and a very good habit. It is a sign that you are able to organize yourself very well and you can be on time the first time and every time. 

 7. Positive mental attitude: In essence, you will find solutions to every problem encountered. An attitude of never-say-die will augurs well for your career. Self-confidence will inspire others to look upon you. 

 8. Support your immediate superior: The only way to work in any place is to give your fullest support to your boss. Just remember he is the one who hires you and he thinks you will make a good assistant. It is two-way traffic. You support your boss and your boss will support you to move up the ladder. 

 9. Loyal to the company: If you speak ill of your company why are you still working there? You are one of the spokespeople of the company even though you are not in the PR department. When you look upon the company highly it reflects well on you. Always remember to keep confidential issues to yourself. 

 10. Supportive of co-workers: You need to get things done through others. Naturally, your care and concern of your co-workers will ensure that things get done in a timely fashion. It shows that you are an effective leader. Don’t ever complain to your boss that your subordinates let you down by not doing their part. Blame yourself for it. 

 The more you do for the company and the more support that you give to your co-workers, the more you are valued and appreciated by your boss and your co-workers, and the easier it is for you to move up.

Benefits of Exercise – Physically, Mentally and Emotionally

Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person's physical, emotional, and mental states.     

Carol Welch

Regular exercise offers tremendous benefits not only physically but mentally and emotionally as well. 

  3 S’s of physical benefits (suppleness, strength, and stamina) An all-round exercise programme including stretching, weight training and aerobic at least three times a week will give you overall health and fitness. You will be more flexible in your body movements, be stronger and able to work harder longer 

  3 C’s of mental benefits (cool, calm, and collected) Each time after an exercise your mental alertness is at its peak. You are able to concentrate on the task at hand and not being disturbed easily. You stay cool, calm, and collected. 

  3 S’s of emotional benefits (self-respect, self-confidence, and self-worth) According to Heather Hausenblas of the University of Florida, a UF exercise psychologist, ”People who don’t achieve workout milestones such as losing fat, gaining strength or boosting cardiovascular fitness feel just as good about their bodies as their more athletic counterparts.” She reviewed 57 interventions studies on the topic of exercise and how it makes people feel, and she concludes that “the simple act of exercise and not fitness itself convince you that you look better.” In short, you carry a healthy self-image of yourself and you feel good and satisfied about yourself just by exercising 

Now Is the Right Time

Right Time

The time is always right to do what is right.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

There is a saying, “Success will not come while you wait for it.”

Are you waiting for an opportunity to start a new project? Are you prepared to do it only when you have enough time or are you waiting for a time when you have the fullest confidence to do it? Can it be that you will do it only when you have enough money?

There is no right time to do anything, the longer you wait, the more difficult it is for you to make the first move. You will face more obstacles.

You have a good plan and you have marvelous ideas. But if you don’t take the first step to do it, it is just a dream. You may be thinking that the future is full of uncertainties, but uncertainty is the beautiful part of the future. If you were to know exactly what would be happening in the future, life would be very boring. It is because of the uncertainty we can dream, create, visualize, and plan for the future. The most important thing is to take the first step now and then the next and the next. As we go along we adjust, revise, or amend our plan in accordance with the prevailing situation.

Do you have a good idea? Do you have a wonderful plan? Now is the right time to do it. Just take the first step into the future.

Don't wait. The time will never be just right.

Napoleon Hill