Sunday, 27 September 2015

Motivational Monday: Own This Day

This is a motivational message to own the day and grab it with fearlessness and boldness. Every time we go to bed at night, we take for granted that we will wake up, open our eyes and see a new day unfold. The truth of the matter is that we never know if we will wake up for sure. So when we do wake up, we need to feel blessed, grateful, thankful and excited about this new day.
Mondays are special to me. Lots of people view Mondays negatively. They hate having to leave their beds to start the week. They hate travelling because traffic is usually worse on Mondays. If you change the way you look at Mondays then your Mondays will look different to you. The same applies for any day of the week. Wake up with a sense of anticipation, create a sense of urgency, have positive expectations and be aware of the people and circumstances around you. When you see your opportunity, recognise it, seize it, own it. Be quick off the mark.
As Bill Murray eloquently said : ”Grab this day by the neck and kiss it.
How do I make each day count? I do the following :
1) I Keep my goals at the forefront of my thinking
2) I take action
3) I turn off autopilot and become aware
4) I take care of myself and my loved ones
5) I am of service to others
6) I am the best myself I can be
7) I appreciate what I have and be grateful
Each new day is your opportunity to make things happen, improve, reach new milestones, face and conquer any setbacks you may be going through, be happy, be of service to others and attract miracles to your life. When you change your perspective and look at every new day from a positive angle, and take positive action you will get from where you are to where you want to be.
This is a motivational message to own the day. The aim is to inspire you to make the most of every day. To be bold enough to chase your dreams, never give up, be ready to fall and get back on your feet, not settle for less, be determined no matter what and always aim high.
So this week, pitch your idea, apply for that position, start your new venture, get out of your comfort zone, start that new career and face your fears. This week is yours to take. Make it memorable. You have it in you.
Please do me a favour, if you like this message and feel motivated, become part of a positive network of people who aim at enriching each other’s lives and share this.
Have a super week!
Positively yours,

David


10 Body Language Mistakes to Avoid To Be Great

Until we get to know someone, our brain relies on snap judgements to try to categorise the person, predict what they will do, and anticipate how we should react. You may have heard that you only have a few seconds to make a first impression, but the truth is, you have already made up your mind about a person within milliseconds of meeting them.
According to research done by a Princeton University psychologist, it’s an evolutionary survival mechanism. Your brain decides from the information it has — in other words, your physical appearance — whether you are trustworthy, threatening, competent, likeable and many other traits.
One way you can “hack” this split-second judgement is to be aware of your body language, especially in important situations. Whether you’re applying for a job, asking for a raise, or meeting with a new client, tweaking or just being mindful of your body language can influence the other person’s perception of you and the outcome of the situation.
Here are 10 common body language mistakes to watch out for: 
Crossing your arms
Looks defensive, especially if you’re answering questions. Try to keep your arms at your sides and be aware what your hands are doing. 
Failing to smile 
Makes people uncomfortable. They wonder if you really want to be there. Go for a genuine smile especially when meeting someone for the first time. 
Breaking eye contact too soon
Can make you seem untrustworthy or overly nervous. Hold eye contact a fraction longer than the other person, especially during a handshake or introduction. Fidgeting = instantly telegraphing how nervous you are. To be avoided at all costs. 
Checking your phone or watch
You want to be somewhere else. And it is just bad manners. 
Leaning back 
You come off lazy or arrogant. 
Leaning forward 
Can seem aggressive. The solution: aim for a neutral posture. 
Staring 
Interpreted as aggressive. There’s a fine line between holding someone’s gaze and staring them down. 
Looking up or looking around 
Someone is lying or being evasive. Try to hold steady eye contact. 
Stepping back when you ask a question or ask for a decision
Fear or uncertainty. Stand your ground, or even take a slight step forward assertively with conviction. 
Standing with hands on hips 
An aggressive posture, like an animal puffing their chest up to look bigger.
But I still don’t know what to do with my hands? 
Holding your hands behind your back or in your pockets 
Rigid, stiff and unapproachable. Aim for a natural, hands at your sides posture. 
Holding palms up 
A begging position. Tends to convey weakness.
That is a lot to take in. Can you give me a summary?
Okay, here goes.
Keep your posture in a neutral position, whether sitting or standing. Stand and sit with your arms at your sides and your hands in your lap palms toward your legs. Pay attention so that you naturally hold eye contact, smile, and be yourself.
If you discover you have a particular problem with one or two of the gestures on the list, practice by yourself with a mirror or with a friend who can remind you every time you do it, until you become aware of the bad habit yourself.
I had a particular problem with one thing not on the list: I would nod my head in agreement excessively. I looked like a bobble-head doll! I put an elastic band around my wrist and encouraged all my staff to snap it when they saw me nod excessively. That behaviour didn’t last much longer! 
Are there any other body language blunders you would add? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments below. 
I hope this helps you to be outstanding.
That is all -
David

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Thursday, 24 September 2015

Business Tips: 8 Clichés To Avoid

Some one says, “Bull in a china shop” and you actually picture the scene. This bull, all big and mad and energetic, but he’s in a tiny little shop filled with delicate china. You see it; you might even chuckle at the comparison being made.
In days of old it would help you remember that conversation. But that same phrase today? You would get the point, but the comparison doesn’t stand the test of time. You register the phrase and what it means, but the benefits of the metaphor are diluted. Your words are wasted.
This is what a cliché is. And they’re insanely common in business. And they ’re making you mediocre. Mediocre? Yes. Average? Yes. Talking in empty clichés makes you — and the things you say — forgettable.
Clichés are prevalent and they are messy. Nobody has authority on declaring a phrase a cliché. There’s a lot of grey area between a clever metaphor and an overused cliché.
What might be wildly overused in one industry or geographic location might just be catching on in another. Especially in business, where there’s a ton of communication flying around. And business loves objective data — but pinpointing clichés is subjective and speculative. Until they start seeing clichés proven on some spreadsheet, most executives are going to carry on using them. And that’s a shame.
“The difficulty that arises in the very definition of cliché is that its principal characteristics — overuse and ineffectiveness — are not objectively measurable. What, exactly, constitutes overuse? Who is to be the judge of effectiveness? You will hardly find a definition of cliché that does not include these ideas, but it is difficult, if not impossible, to find an objective standard by which to gauge them.”
And it’s unfortunate, but business clichés are more than just an annoyance. They water down your communication. You know that feeling when you say a word a bunch of times in a row and it starts to sounds different and meaningless? That’s what happens when you say, “think outside the box” 20 times a day. Your words lack meaning.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Here are 8 common business clichés, why they’re terrible and what to say instead.
1. ‘Think outside the box.’
Why it’s terrible: Probably the king of the workplace clichés. I once overheard a man beckon the poor soul on the other end of his phone call to “think like the box doesn’t even exist.” Now that is deeeeeep! Not only is the metaphor sufficiently pummeled to death, its origins are obscure and long forgotten. Turns out, it stemmed from some mental exercise involving lines and dots. Guess what kind of thinking you had to do to solve the puzzle? Cute at the time? Possibly. Stupid today. Definitely.
What to say instead: “Maybe there are solutions we haven’t considered yet.”
2. ‘Touch base.’
Why it’s terrible: A metaphor likely designed to make you imagine a baseball player re-establishing contact with a base before taking off down the field. But when’s the last time you heard “touch base” and pictured that scene? Also, best to avoid baseball metaphors in case you ever wind up working with people outside North America. They will likely just be confused.
What to say instead: “Let’s follow up on this later.”
3. ‘At the end of the day.’
Why it’s terrible: At the end of the day, it’s the end of the day. Trust me, a new one will start again. This cliché is an empty statement dressed up as a segway into something profound. The intention is to emphasise finality and long-term thinking. It’s a pretty lame trick.
What to say instead: Skip it altogether. Because this phrase is meant to lead in to some powerful statement. If the thing you’re saying is that important, just say it. Skip the empty intro. Steve Jobs never said, “At the end of the day, we created the iPhone.” If you created the iPhone, all you have to say is “we created the iPhone.”
4. ‘Thrown under the bus.’
Why it’s terrible: Where is this bus? Are we all on the bus? Who’s driving? And am I the only one who’s wondered how you throw someone under a moving bus? Logistically it seems complicated. But maybe the bus isn’t moving, in which case getting thrown under doesn’t seem so severe.
What to say instead: “Took the blame.”
5. ‘Drop the ball.’
Why it’s terrible: Not only is it an overused sports metaphor, it’s a soften-the-blow cliché. Which is cowardly and unnecessary. If you’re going to blame someone for something, just say so.
What to say instead: “I blame David.”
6. ‘Game changer.’
Why it’s terrible: Sigh, another sports metaphor. Too bad in sports actual “game changers” are few and far between (star QB breaks his arm). Maybe cloud computing is, in fact, a game changer. Your new staff handbook is not (Sorry to the HR Departments out there).
What to say instead: “This new thing is going to be really important for our future.”
7. ‘Batting 1,000.’
Why it’s terrible: Here’s a list of MLB players with a career batting average of 1,000:      
Short list, huh? Nobody is batting 1,000. Facebook isn’t batting 1,000, Apple isn’t batting 1,000. Batting 1,000 would mean every potential customer in your market is already a lifetime customer paying the maximum amount.
What to say instead: “We’re hitting all the goals we set.”
8. ‘Manage expectations.’
Why it’s terrible: Another giant cop-out cliché. Careful of these clichés. Because the meaninglessness of the cliché can be leveraged to admit to something you’d otherwise be embarrassed to say plainly.
What to say instead: “I’m not up for the job.”
I hope this helps you and your business to be outstanding.
That is all –
David



Monday, 21 September 2015

Motivational Monday: Just SMILE!

This morning I made a conscious decision to keep a smile on my face. After a short time I noticed that the way I felt started to change. Then I recalled the connection between physiology and emotion. Your body seeks congruence between emotion and physiology, so you can select the emotion you experience by engaging in the corresponding physiology.
So if I smile for 5 minutes (the physiology) I will feel the corresponding emotion (happiness). Try it for yourself. Just take 5 minutes and put an ear to ear smile on your face. 
Just SMILE!
Hold it for a full 5 minutes and notice what happens.
Simple. What I love about this technique is that it really is simple. You can do it anywhere, you don’t need to practice, you don’t need any training just your beautiful face. Just put a smile on your face and notice what happens to the thoughts in your head.
Magical. I think there is a little magic in everybody’s smile. Have you ever noticed the effect that someone smiling has on you, even if it is a complete stranger? Doesn’t it feel good? That is why I make a point to smile at complete strangers, and bask in the warmth of their smile when they smile back.
Incredible. It really is an incredible gift to be able to smile. But what is really incredible is how something so seemingly small can create such a massive change in the way you and others feel.
Loving. Smiling is a great way of putting loving positive energy out into the world. I had a friend once point out to me that when I was out that I didn’t smile. I was surprised, but it made sense why sometimes strangers didn’t respond positively to me when I talked to them. You can say and do almost anything if you do it with a smile.
Effective. Give this a try for a few days and you will see how effective simply smiling is. I remember being told by that a significant amount of depression could be alleviated by smile therapy. Besides, what’s the worst thing that could happen? You may end up feeling good for no reason.
Just SMILE!
Whatever you do in life empathy is a beneficial trait. To be empathetic is to try to understand another’s feelings, which is something most people do subconsciously. There are several papers that suggest the people around us pick up on our emotional state and return a similar state - what we put out to others we get in return. Smiles are contagious and need to be exuded during interactions.
Just SMILE!
Smile often, make people laugh, think positively and be the happiest version of you that you can be.
My thought for the day:
Your smile has the power to improve the day of those around you.
That is all –
David
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