Are You Using a To-Do List?

What can a to-do list do for you? It is more than just a way of getting things done. It will promote well-being in your life in many ways:

·     In control:  You are on top of things when you have a to-do list prepared the day before or early in the morning. As you have planned and organized the activities for the day, you will have allocated sufficient time to get each item in your list done in an orderly and unhurried way.    

·         Focus: A to-do-list brings focus into your life. You know what to do, which one is more important and when is the best time to get it done. You will avoid distracted and pay attention to what needs to be done.

·         Things you don’t like to do: A to-do list helps you develop a daily habit to do what you must do and which you dislike doing. If you do not do it or procrastinate, the item will remain on your list. Psychologically it will negatively affect your confidence and ability to get things done. The outstanding item will stare glaringly at you and you will have no choice but to get it done.

·         Productive: A to-do list is the greatest productivity tool. When you prepare the list you have already highlighted the most important item in the list. When it is done, you will achieve more than getting other not so important items done in your list. Moreover, you will do it when your energy is at your peak. Planning and organizing are the way to achieve more in less time. 

·         Discipline: Do the list every day because it is a beneficial habit to acquire. It is a wonderful way to be motivated, get fulfilled and satisfied for what you can achieve in a day because you want to do it and you get it done.

Be simple and be effective. Just getting the list out on a piece of paper is more than enough to get things done. You need only one list to cover your daily activities. You can put it in your shirt pocket. You can look at it anytime anywhere.  You can revise the list when it is necessary to do so. When you have a bright idea just jot it down.

Related articles:

Are You Using Your To-Do List Productively?

10 Advantages of a To-Do List

10 Ways to Be Happy With Yourself

The summit of happiness is reached when a person is ready to be what he is.

~ Erasmus

Is it difficult to be happy with yourself? It is simply your choice. When you decide to be happy, you are. Here are 10 simple ways to cheer yourself up:

1.      Happiness starts with you: Happiness is about your thoughts. What you think will decide how you feel. It will, in turn, influence your behavior and how you do things. Choose happiness so that you will feel good and be pleased with yourself. Happiness is the starting point to live and enjoy life.    

2.      Think of your strengths: Get motivated by what you have achieved and what you are capable of doing. When you think more about those things you cannot do, you will be miserable.

3.      Accept yourself: Human beings come in all shapes and sizes. We are all different and nobody is perfect. Love yourself and be happy with what you are because you are God-given and unique. Do not be influenced by advertisements to be what you should be. If you are not happy with yourself, nobody will make you happy. 

4.      Forgive and forget: Do not dwell on your previous mistakes and setbacks. Do not punish yourself and get into a bad mood by thinking too much of the wrongdoings. Let it go, you can start a new day with a new beginning.       

5.      Be kind: Doing good deeds and extending politeness are ways of kindness, when you do good to others, you will feel good yourself. Try and fill your heart with resentment, hatred, and jealousy and see how bad you will feel. 

6.      Reaching out: Happiness is talking and sharing ideas with friends. Enjoy the moment, laugh out loud and be yourself.   

7.      Go after your dreams: Your goals are your sources of happiness. Happiness is the experience of working toward your goals. It is the journey that excites and stimulates you because happiness is doing what you like and enjoying the process. 

8.      Feel the energy in you: Getting Health and fitness is good for your well-being. Exercise regularly to get into a state of calmness and zest. 

9.      Be positive: One effective way to be happy is to look at the bright side of things and be hopeful. Positive thinking will boost your confidence to deal with adversity in life. When you are happy, your mind is calm and relaxed to think logically and creatively to solve problems.

10.  Now is the time to be happy: Do not postpone your happiness. Get into a feeling of happiness now. Feel your breathing, listen to the surroundings and focus on what you are doing and get into the flow.

Be happy with yourself and you will spread happiness around. 

Are you Attracting Happiness?

Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.

Dalai Lama

You are definitely in control of your life and happiness. What you do every day will impact your happiness greatly. Find out what you can do daily to attract happiness:  

1.      Health and fitness: Are you a couch potato or a physically active person? If you have been exercising regularly, you will definitely feel good about yourself because you will be energetic with a fresh and calm mind. Start moving your body today to regain your happiness.

2.      Coping well: How do you cope with setbacks and defeats in life?  It is important that you react positively to maintain your sanity and happiness. A positive outlook will view obstacles in life as challenges. You will be resilient and persistent to overcome problems with determination and resourcefulness. Happiness is the attitude of not giving up and the satisfaction of conquering difficulties in life.     

3.      Organized: Is your daily life organized? Do you know your priorities? Are you ready to tackle the most important thing in the morning?  Happiness is the power within you to get organized and get things done. Be focused on one task at a time and be happy.  

4.      Live now: Are you living in regrets or worrying about the future and forgetting about living in the present?  What can you do with the past and future? Change your mindset and live fully now. Learn to pay attention and enjoy what you do. Work with concentration, eat slowly and play heartily.

5.      Passion: When you wake up in the morning, how do you feel? If you are enthusiastic to start a new day, there is passion in your life.  There is a direction because you have goals to achieve. You look forward to doing things that make you happy. What is your purpose in life? Identify your dreams, be inspired, live your aspirations and be happy.

6.      Gratitude: Do you grumble that you have been treated unfairly in life?  You control your thinking. Learn to appreciate yourself and the people around you more. Treasure what you have and think less of your wants. Focus on your strengths and develop your potential and live a better life. Happiness is thankful for your existence and developing an appreciation of your life in this world. 

7.      Personal development: Are you in the rut and doing the same old thing day in and day out.  Take a chance, do something different and make changes in your life. Breakaway from your routine and improve your life. One sure way to be happy is to keep learning new things. Learning opens your mind to accept changes easily. Happiness is about stimulating your mind with new ideas and getting a more vibrant outlook on life.

8.      Money: Money will surely contribute to your happiness. But money is also a source of misery in your life. Are you able to manage your personal finance so that you do not get into debt?  Control your spending and be happy so that every month there is left over for a rainy day.

9.      Home: What do you do at home? To attract more happiness you watch less TV and help out more in household chores. You communicate more with your spouse and children. You pay attention to your children’s homework. While they do their homework, you do reading to motivate and inspire them to work hard.  By giving yourself to the family, you attract happiness at home.

10.  Connection: Are you reaching out to others? Getting connected is a great way to be happy. You share your joy with others and you make yourself happier. When you share your sorrow with others, you reduce your emotional burden. To connect is also a wonderful way to learn from others as much as allowing others to learn from you.  

Do the right things every day to attract happiness. 

Why are the People of Bhutan not as Happy as Before?

Bhutan’s fourth king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, coined the phrase gross national happiness (GNH) in 1972.  He used this phrase to signal his commitment to building an economy that would serve Bhutan's unique culture based on Buddhist spiritual values.  The Centre for Bhutan Studies further defined happiness with greater specificity into eight general contributors to happiness—physical, mental, and spiritual health; time-balance; social and community vitality; cultural vitality; education; living standards; good governance; and ecological vitality.

However, according to the first-ever World Happiness Report, commissioned for the April 2nd United Nations Conference on Happiness, Bhutan is not among the top 10: 

1. Denmark

2. Finland

3. Norway

4. Netherlands

5. Canada

6. Switzerland

7. Sweden

8. New Zealand

9. Australia

10. Ireland

According to a report by Business week, Bhutan was ranked No.8 in the world’s happiest countries in 2008. As of 2010, 41% {two years ago it was 74%} of Bhutanese are identified as happy, with the rest of the population hitting sufficient levels of satisfaction in 59% of the surveyed categories.

Why are they not as happy as before?

There is a clash of cultures. According to a news item, tourists were restricted to 3500 persons per year to enter their country in order to preserve their own culture. When Bhutan opens its door freely to tourism, the people have found out they live in an undeveloped nation. So they have decided to imitate the lifestyle of the west by buying more cars and building bigger houses. Life seems to be improved but they do not find the happiness they used to enjoy.

They have made two mistakes. They compare their life with other people. They try to attach happiness to material things. They have forgotten one important teaching of Buddhism:

知足常乐(zhi zu chang le). It means when you are contented, you are always happy.

Reference:

Gross National Happiness

First World Happiness Report Launched at the United Nations

More than half of “Happiness Country” Bhutanese Are Not Happy

World Happiness Report 2012: Scandinavian Countries Are Happiest On Earth (SLIDESHOW)

6 Ways to Boost Your Well-Being

According to Time magazine, More than 3 out of every 10 Indians consider themselves to be “suffering”. The Gallup data, drawn from 5000 people spread over 90% of the country suggest that 56% of the population are struggling, 31% are suffering and only 13% are thriving. 

Well-being is about health and happiness. Are you suffering or struggling? Here are 6 ways to be thriving:

1.       Change: Are you struggling day in and day and making no progress in life? It is time to take risks and make changes in your life. Your life will not get better by doing the same old thing every day.  Change your job, start a business of your own or do things differently.

2.       Learn: It is important to possess marketable skills. Learn and acquire relevant know-how to improve your livelihood. Be an expert in a specialized field. Learn from successful people.

3.       Connect: Getting to know and connecting to the right people is one effective way to open up opportunities for yourself. Be well-informed by joining groups relevant to your trade.

4.       Positive: A positive mental attitude is a choice. Choose to look at the bright side of things. Think confidently and be hopeful.   It is healthier and more successful to be optimistic and happy.

5.       Health:  People who are struggling are more likely to indulge in vices like drinking, smoking, and gambling as negative ways to escape from depression and stress in life. Avoid such bad habits and build your health and fitness the wholesome way. Exercise daily, eat healthily, drink plenty of water and sleep sufficiently. Your mind will be calm and fresh and you will be fit and alert and energetic.     

6.       Money: When you incorporate savings into your budget and you follow your budget faithfully you will accumulate a substantial amount over time for investment and build wealth. Spending within your means and not comparing your life to others is the way to your financial health and happiness. Restrain your wants to avoid getting into debt. The excitement of more material things is only short-lived. Contentment is the way to lasting happiness.   

Do the right things and be thriving. 

What You Can Learn From Singapore

According to the latest issue of Time (June 25, 2012), Singapore has the world’s highest percentage of millionaire households, with 17% of all households owning at least one million US dollars in net assets.   

  

Singapore is a tiny country in Southeast Asia at the southern tip of Malaysia. You can hardly spot it on a world map. It has no natural resources and there is no way for you to till the land and do cultivation. However, it is a successful country and you can learn a few things from this country which is efficient and effective.

·         Brainpower: In order to survive, without natural resources and limited land, Singapore has, since independence in 1965, capitalized on services of many kinds and achieved what it is today. According to Wikipedia, Singapore is a world leader in several economic areas: The country is the world's fourth-leading financial centre, the world's second-biggest casino gambling market, one of the world's top three oil refining centres, the world's largest oil-rig producer, and a major ship-repairer. The port is one of the five busiest ports in the world. The World Bank has named Singapore as the easiest place in the world to do business and ranks Singapore as the world's top logistics hub. It is also the world's fourth-largest foreign exchange trading centre after London, New York, and Tokyo.

You may think you are unknown when you can think of a big and unique idea you can create an impact in the world.

·         Get educated: Education is of paramount importance in Singapore because knowledge is power. Acquiring marketable skills and know-how is the way to compete with other bigger and resource-rich countries in the world.  According to Wikipedia the country's two main public universities – the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University – are among the top 100 universities in the world.

The way for you to move ahead and stay competitive is to learn and acquire skills and technical knowledge and take a cue from other successful people.

   

·         Be disciplined: Singapore is an organized and orderly country and it has zero-tolerance for corruption. Success is about  planning and organization and doing the  right things consistently

You have to set challenging goals, plan and organize your daily activities to be productive. When you work you plan consistently without procrastination you will meet success.

 

·         Determination and patience: It has taken Singapore close to 50 years since independence to attain its present glory.

It is important to think and work long term because getting overnight success is few and far in between. You will not appreciate things you can get easily.  All good things require personal effort expanding over a long period.  

·         Take advantage of your strengths: Singapore, taking advantage of its strategic location, is a major international transport hub in Asia, positioned on many sea and air trade routes, providing much-needed services globally.  

Focus on your strengths and develop into something useful for others. You will get what you want when you can give others what they want.

Education is important, but creating a workable and original idea will make a big difference in your life.   

Top 3 Posts in May 2012

1.  What Can You Do With Scoop.it?

Nowadays the Internet is abuzzed with curation. To be precise it is about content curation. There is a great platform just for that; Scoop.it is it. Like Pinterest, it is loaded with stunning images, but it is also filled with texts like a magazine.  How do you take advantage of Scoop.it?


2. 20 More Wise Quotes to Live Your Life

Here are 20 marvelous way to live your life:

1. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.
~William James

2. Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.
~Buddha

 3. The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you’re willing to work. 
~Oprah Winfrey


3.7 More Soul-Searching Questions to Ask Yourself

Is your daily life fulfilling, satisfying and happy? Do you feel you are living purposefully? Touch base with yourself with these soul-searching questions: 

10 Ways Happy People are Productive People

Happy people are smart and successful people. They get things done and they are happy to accomplish their tasks.

1.       Start their day right: They wake up and get up with a positive note. They are happy to welcome a new day and are anxious to get started because they have planned, organized, and prioritized their day.

2.       Creative: Happy people are calm and relaxed. They are in a better frame of mind to create ideas. They are more likely to be resourceful at work and be more effective and efficient.   

3.       Work better with others: You are more inclined to work with happy people because they are always in a good mood.  They smile at you and acknowledge your presence. Their cheerfulness is always a welcome sign for others. They put people at ease and work gets done smoothly.

4.       Solve problems: Happy people think clearly as they enjoy peace of mind.  Their upbeat behavior reacts to problems positively. They will overcome problems creatively. 

5.       Energetic: Happy people are enthusiastic, fit, and alert because they care for themselves and they like the way they are. They feel good about themselves.

6.       Focused: Happy people live in the present. They work in the flow at one task at a time. They do what is important. They avoid distractions and small stuff.

7.       Confident: Happy people are sure of themselves because their outlook in life is optimistic. To them, if there is a will there is a way. Their winning way is more likely to meet challenges in life successfully.

8.       Decisive: Happy people work promptly. They do not procrastinate and they do not hesitate to take risks in order to get things done.

9.       Interested to know more: Happy people are happy learners. They are always in the quest for more knowledge. It is their attitude to seek improvement and be more productive.

10.   Taking breaks: Happy people are smart people. They take time out to refresh their mind. They find happiness in indulging in a cup of coffee and chatting with coworkers to release stress and tension at work.    

Be happy. Be productive.

10 Things Y generation Employees Want

Y generation is people born between 1980 and 1995. They are called the "millennials." They are young, energetic, creative, well-educated, tech-savvy, pampered and they have fun and freedom. Their needs are different from baby boomers. These are the things they look for in a job:

1.       Competitive pay: They want a salary in line with their contributions. Pay is important to them because they have more debt such as student loans and credit cards.

2.       A trusted brand: They prefer to work in an influential establishment with social responsibilities.  

3.       A challenging job: They want to put into use what they have learnt in a challenging environment.

4.       Personal development: They look for growth. They are keen  to learn more and acquire more  skills

5.       Promotion: They value the opportunities to move up the corporate ladder. 

6.       To be noticed: They like to take initiative to get things done. So don’t order them but give them ideas.  They want to be recognized for their output.

7.       To be inspired: They like a boss who can motivate them. A skilful manager is required to lead them so that there is high engagement among the workers. They favor a nurturing corporate culture.

8.       Quality of life: They work to live. It is essential to look after their well-being because having fun while at work is important for them. When they go to work, they dress for comfort.

9.       Technological tools: They are tech savvy. They work better with the latest technology.

10.   Flexible work: They work smarter not harder. They want telecommuting options. They also want the choice of working part-time or leave their job for a while when they have children.

The key is getting to know them better, groom them, get them involved, reward them and inspire them.  

Work to Live and Live to Work and be Happy

According to a survey as reported in the news, 50% of employees in Malaysian work to live and not live to work.  Randstad Holding’s survey also showed that 62% of Malaysian employees considered a good salary more important than job satisfaction.

When you work to live you find satisfaction in your job more important than your salary. If you work to live your job is only a means to an end.  Though good pay is important, your interests are somewhere else.

Live to work

It is good to enjoy what you do and be passionate about your job because you are measured by your performance. It is very likely that you will be handsomely compensated as you are doing a good job even though you may not pay much attention to your salary. For those who find their job interesting and do not mind working long hours, they are warned that work is not everything in their life.

Work to live  

If you work to live, you must remember that you have to perform well in order to keep the job. It is better for you to develop an interest in your work and be engaged in it. Doing things half-heartedly is not the way to work and it will not get you anywhere.  On the other hand, it is good to have many interests in life so that you can lead a balanced lifestyle.

The best of both worlds

The best thing in life is to land a challenging job that you find fulfilling and rewarding at the same time. You may love your job but you must not bring work home or work late all the time. You have to care for your family. Your presence at home is important for family happiness. You also need time to do workout to stay healthy and fit. You also have to spend the time to socialize and get connected. Getting involved in a community project is also a meaningful way to spend your time. 

Happiness is to live to work and work to live.  

The Way to Happiness

Happiness

Here are some wise quotes about getting happiness in your life:

Happiness is like a butterfly.

The more you chase it, the more it eludes you.

But if you turn your attention to other things,

It comes and sits softly on your shoulder.

~Henry David Thoreau

Action may not bring happiness but there is no happiness without action.

~ William James

Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.

~Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

The grand essentials of happiness are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.

~Allan K. Chalmers

Happiness is not given but exchanged.

~Diane

The happiest person is the person who thinks the most interesting thoughts.

~Timothy Dwight

The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness.

~Eric Hoffer

Unhappiness is the hunger to get; happiness is the hunger to give. . . . If the individual should set out for a single day to give happiness, to make life happier, brighter and sweeter, not for himself but for others, he would find a wondrous revelation of what happiness really is.

~William George Jordan

The way to happiness: keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Fill your life with love. Scatter sunshine. Forget self, think of others. Do as you would be done by. Try this for a week and you will be surprised.

~H. C. Mattern

I believe the recipe for happiness to be just enough money to pay the monthly bills you acquire, a little surplus to give you confidence, a little too much work each day, enthusiasm for your work, a substantial share of good health, a couple of real friends, and a wife and children to share life's beauty with you.

~J. Kenfield Morley

Happiness is mostly a by-product of doing what makes us feel fulfilled.

~ Benjamin Spock

Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy — because we will always want to have something else or something more.

~ David Steindl-Rast

Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.

~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day-to-day basis.

~ Margaret Bonnano

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.

~ Albert Schweitzer

Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best.

~- Theodore Isaac Rubin

The true way to render ourselves happy is to love our work and find in it our pleasure.

~Françoise Bertaut de Motteville

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn, or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.

~ Denis Waitley

Are You Unemployed or Unemployable?

When you are unemployed, it may mean that jobs are scarce and openings are few. You are employable but you cannot get one. On the other hand, an unemployable person is someone who is not suitable to be employed even though there are jobs available.

Those unemployable are among the fresh graduates. Academically they do well, but some other things are lacking in them:

·         Marketable skills: You can study a subject that you are interested in, but more importantly the knowledge and skills you are going to acquire must be in demand. Check online and find out what is trending in the business world.  Go for evergreen courses such as accountancy and nursing.

·         Basic soft skills: It is not surprising to find newly employed who do not show politeness. They don’t greet you when they see you, let alone a smile.  Saying please and thank you is hard to get.  They do not show up on time and they could be missing in action or a few days without prior notice.

·         Language skills: They are not proficient in English which is widely used in business and on the Net.  Effective communication is a problem at work.  

·         Enthusiasm: They do not find excitement in the job they do. Maybe they are not interested because they work to live. They find interest in other things in life.

·         Analytical skills: According to Wikipedia, analytical skill is the ability to visualize, articulate, and solve both complex and uncomplicated problems and concepts and make decisions that are sensical based on available information. It means they find it difficult to deal with problems for which they are expected to solve. 

Be employable and be employed.

Related articles

10 Top Soft Skills for Career Success

Be Happy and be Productive in 10 Ways

According to an article, A new happiness equation: Worker + happiness = improved productivity, happiness is the way to be productive.

You, too, can be  productive because you are happy:

1.      Do it now: Happy people know what to do and they act at once according to their to-do list. They do not hesitate or procrastinate. They are enthusiastic and get into the mood for work and get things done.

2.      Plan ahead: Happy people spend the time to plan ahead. Getting things done orderly and smoothly is the way to be productive. They pay attention to things that matter and ignore the small stuff  

3.      Early riser: Happy people are early risers. They like and enjoy what they do and they are excited to start a new day early. Getting up early is the way to avoid rushing about and there is time still for a leisurely breakfast which is the most important meal in a day.    

4.      Organized: Happy people avoid clutter so that they can work effectively. They do not multitask and get into stressful situations and make mistakes. They prioritize and do what is important at one task at a time.

5.      Continuous learning: Happy people are interesting people. They like to explore and learn new things. In a way, they are more knowledgeable and resourceful to get the right things done. 

6.      Be creative: Happy people are relaxed. They think calmly and clearly. It is easier for them to create more ideas that work.

7.      Change: Happy people are alert. They are quick to change and do things differently and make progress.    

8.      Get connected: Happy people are clever to hang out with the right company. They look for people who are successful and learn  their  proven ways of success

9.      Act confidently: Happy people promote a positive frame of mind. They deal with problems confidently.  Being optimistic, they are more likely to resolve obstacles quickly and easily.   

10.  Focus: Happy people enjoy peace of mind. They are able to avoid distractions and work with focus. They are interested in what they do and they get into the flow. 

Productive achievement is a consequence and an expression of health, self-esteem, not its cause.

Nathaniel Branden

It is happiness that attracts productivity and in turn, you get more happiness and success.