5 Things That You Should Avoid in The New Year 2011

While a lot of people are busy making new year resolutions, hitting the gym to get into shape and fulfilling their other new year resolutions, a lot of times people often fail to consider what they should also avoid in the coming year.
Here are 5 things that you should avoid doing in the new year in order for your life to be a better one:
1. Withholding forgiveness
Do not bear hatred and anger deep in your heart across anybody who has done something wrong to you. If the person who has wronged you really cares about you, chances are they would probably have beaten themselves up enough before coming to ask for your forgiveness. So learn to let go and do not risk the health of your relationship by withholding forgiveness.
2. Using your job as an excuse
I am sure you have often heard the phrase "I am doing this for my family!" This is the phrase that is often used for neglect towards your loved ones especially if you are stressed up at your job. If you have really been a good employee, I am sure that your employer will be able to give you some leeway and time for you to get your relationship with your family and friends back on track. You will definitely be sure that you did it afterwards and so will your employer!
3. Jumping to assumptions and conclusions
Don't always assume and jump to conclusions when you have only heard one side of the story, because you don't. Learn to ask more questions, listen, and then ask more questions. Don't back others into a corner when you give your final answers, and give yourself an out at the same time.
4. Eating and binging for all the wrong reasons
Eat because you need to, don't eat because you have to. Don't eat just because you feel tired, bored, thirsty or nervous this year. Eating more due to these reasons in the past is probably the main reason that has led to why you have resolved to hitting the gym more often this year.
5. Loathing yourself
Learn to love yourself for who you are! A lot of people do not realize how much they actually beat up themselves over little things. You need to set an example for others as to how you should be treated and appreciated. If you respect and take good care of yourself, you will be surprised to find that most will actually follow your example.
So besides your new year resolutions, be sure to keep in mind these few things you should avoid in the new year, and I wish you a very happy new year.

5 Things That You Should Avoid in The Year 2011 Altogether

1. Blaming things due to gender
I was once in an argument recently with my partner and she forcefully uttered the remark "typical male!" responding to something unkind I had said. Although I felt sorry for what I have said and wanted to apologize, her remark had put me in a spot as if I apologized I would not only have apologized for my comment but also for my own gender. But since I can't really change my gender, I would be apologizing for being myself!
Think about this for a moment: He is doing this because he is not a perfect woman, he doesn't do this because he's not a woman, she is doing this because she is not a man, and so on... This actually makes things a whole lot more complicated, and things are actually simpler if we approach conflict with as little stereotypes as possible.
2. Exhausting yourself needlessly
Don't waste your energy and time on the late-night TV or web browsing which is not productive at all when you have work or a job in the early morning. Skipping your late-night TV or web browsing will help you to become a more useful person at work, a friend who is more fun to be with, and it will also definitely be easier to hit the gym or whatever you had planned for your new year's resolution.
3. Putting off your dreams
If you have put off your dreams up till now, stop doing it. Look at your biggest dreams and identify the things that make them so appealing to you. Is it the free time that you will get as a result of them, the great relationships or just being in the best shape of your life? Pick out something that you can do this year that will enable you to enjoy some of that dream without all the extras. Maybe you would also like to save up a bit of money and spend it on that amazing purchase you have always wanted or take some unpaid time off. Learn to treasure the time you have and don't wait until you have a lot of money before starting to savor the world around you.
4. Not asking for help
I am sure that you will be surprised and stunned if you just knew how many people are actually willing to help you if you clearly define what you want and ask for help directly instead. But of course don't ask for help and expect people to give you everything on the golden platter. Ask for help like the friend who has done almost everything in his power to achieve what he wants and needs only that final push from a buddy or someone else to reach success!
5. Taking things for granted
Time is limited and we don't have all the time in the world. Seize the moment and learn to treasure the things you have right now. As you are coming to the end of this article, you would have realized that the time you have spent here is gone. So learn to treasure the information that you have gotten back from this article, time, your loved ones and anything else you currently have in your life!

Writing the Memo

In the workplace, the memo is common form of the communication. By using the memo, you can convey the information or ideas to your employees or the coworkers easily. It is also quick and informative. The memo itself should be effective. Here are some tips in writing the memo.
Before writing down anything, you should organize your thoughts. Since the memo is supposed to be direct and to the point, you have to write the information in the organized and efficient manner.
It is better for you to understand the basic memo's format. The memo's heading always the date, the sender's name, the recipients' name, and the subject heading. You have to make the subject heading as specific as possible. The memo should be able to be read in quick time and can be understood easily. Because of that, you need to simplify the information. You should replace the large words or the uncommon vocabulary with the synonyms which can be understood easily. It is considered as the appropriate thing to use the numbered list or the bullets.
Eliminating any statement which is not related directly to the memo's purpose should be done. For your information, the memo is not the place where you can show your personal feeling or the opinions. Inserting your personal thought will only lengthen your memo and can distract the audience from the main focus.
In writing the memo, you should use the language and style which is appealing and easy to comprehend. You need to ensure to send the memos to everyone who need the information's content. If you are not including all the necessary people, it can result the breakdown in the communication and the confusion. Your information will not reach the sources you want.
Do not forget to check the spelling, grammar, and punctuation before sending the memos. The grammatical mistake can distract the receivers of the memo. It will also make the memo looks less professional.

You Are In Charge

I recently conducted a motivation workshop for some form four students (grade 10) at a prestigious girls' school in Trinidad and began by asking the question: "Whom would you say is responsible for your motivation in life? Is it your family, your school, your teachers, your government, or God?"
Before I give you the response from these teenagers, what is your answer to the same question? I am waiting. Well, these responsible and intelligent young ladies answered impressively: "WE are accountable for our own motivation!" I was so pleasantly surprised and indeed very proud of them. I would have answered differently when I was their age (fourteen years).
These young women understood that we are accountable for motivating ourselves. Now let me add that I should be a bit easy on you, as at your tender age you will certainly need the support of your parents, school and teachers, government and ultimately 'Uncle God.' Even as adults, the support of these institutions also helps. But ultimately it is us who decide to make ourselves happy, peaceful and successful. As the future leaders, I thought you should know this right now.
I have worked in organizations where employees have put the responsibility of their motivation on their employers. Yes, I totally agree that companies owe their employees fair pay, fair treatment, meaningful work, and a pleasant work environment; as a human resource manager, I ensured all these and more were delivered. Yet, at the end of the day, regardless of how much we did for the employees (even exceeding expectations at times), they always focused on the company's minor shortcomings and saw the glass as three-quarters empty!
What I realised over time is that you cannot motivate another person, you just simply cannot. You can create an atmosphere (both at home and work) that is positive and fosters the growth and success of others. But if the person is not committed to his/her own happiness and well being, then your efforts could go to waste. That's why I think, ultimately, individuals have to take charge of their own happiness. At work I tried to do this for my employees because I cared so much for them, but it was one of my least intelligent ideas, though well-intended.
We sometimes love to blame external factors for our state of being. Look around. Citizens worldwide complain about their governments, yet they themselves are sometimes the causes of their problems. Recently in the news we saw massive flooding in Trinidad, brought about by the rains, and it was sad to see the destruction caused to homes and farming.
But when we look closer, we will find that some (not all) of the victims contributed to their own problems; they are the ones who played a role in the destruction of the environment by littering, burning, not properly disposing garbage, and even building houses on river banks. Shouldn't they be held accountable? We become ill and blame God for our health situation. But it was we (at times) who ate badly, indulged in risky sexual practises, failed to exercise, took drugs, and overworked our bodies. I know sickness is a gloomy situation, but who is responsible?
We place our comfort and happiness in the hands of other people, circumstances and fate. But, Friend, no one, not even God, can make you happy. God gave you the tools; hence your joyfulness becomes strictly your job. You have to motivate yourself because only you know how best to. Sure, favourable external conditions will certainly make the journey easier, I do not doubt that. But they are not absolutely necessary. You dictate your level of bliss and contentment. Can you now see the power you possess? It's amazing! Don't give it away!
You are young and therefore need to draw upon the support and wisdom of those around you: family, friends, school, and me. But as you prepare for adulthood, you must keep in mind that you and God are in charge of your wonderful life and no one else has that privilege. Self-reliance and accountability makes a person. Passing the buck and holding others responsible for our lives keeps us stuck in baby-hood! Let us not only grow old; more importantly, let's work on growing up!

Motivation: A Definition

In order to master the art of motivation, you must understand, at least in part, in what motivation actually is. Broadly speaking, motivation is doing something, either for its own sake or for another reason. The motivation for "doing something" varies greatly depending on the person, the situation and the time: for instance, if someone is doing something for its own sake, the motivation is drawn from personal understanding or interest, however this type of motivation is prone to someone getting carried away with their own interests and not focusing on the specific task.
Another example is if the person is motivated to do something for personal gain. This type of motivation has a high level of commitment, but the person may be particularly fickle with the task at hand. If they are beaten or the object of personal gain is taken away, the motivation is drawn away with it.
Social acceptance is another type of motivation which often in place during team work. The motivation to please or do work for others is strong and this type of motivation can be one of the strongest as there are clear consequences if the task is failed. The disadvantage of this type of motivation is that the person may focus too much on the actual appearance of the task, and not the quality of the task itself. This may then mean that the person has not learnt or benefited from the task themselves and cannot gain long term value.
The final type of motivation is 'instrumental' - motivation to do something for a tangible reward or to avoid terrible consequences. This is often the strongest form of motivation and can even develop into a long term motivation or commitment. The person may find that slightly different rewards are just as acceptable and will perform for different consequences, however they fall where there is high anxiety involved and may crack under pressure.
For any type of motivation to be successful, the environment in which the task is taking place needs to be free from 'de-motivators' such as unclean surroundings, other people, maybe part of the team, that are causing lack of motivation or the explanation of work given. The person must have a clear understanding of what is required before they can be fully motivated to do the job, and do the job well.
Enhancing motivation is also a key strategy if rewards or consequences are not enough. Music, for example, may enhance many people to do work faster, better or help relieve stress to complete work to a deadline.
Finding these key motivational types and strategies is important for any business, and do not forget to include yourself in your analogy. Motivational speakers can help identify such types and strategies. Speakers such as Ken Livingstone can help give you a perspective on your business and how to deal with motivation in an effective way.

Setting Goals and New Year's Resolutions

The last few days people have been asking me what my New Years resolutions are and my response has been "I don't really have any." In truth, it's not something I even think about. I'm a goal oriented person continually setting goals for different areas of my life. It doesn't necessarily have to be on New Year's.
 
I have a goal setting system for that works for me. I started it a few years ago after receiving the book "The Success Principles" by Jack Canfield as a Christmas present from my great friend Jacqueline. Jack talks about setting goals for the year, "chunking it down" into 90 day segments and then setting weekly goals to move you toward achieving the 90 day goals. He advises having an accountability partner and checking in weekly. It's a system that works.
 
The newest and hottest book on goal setting is "A year of Possibilities, Create a life of Purpose and Passion." by Helen Valleau. Helen emphasizes the importance of having a vision and clearly articulating that vision and then taking small actions steps daily to move you toward it. "You can spend 10 minutes a day and make great progress." Helen has been facilitating people in manifesting their visions for over 15 years.
 
Having said all of this, I spent the morning on New Year's Day setting my goals for the next 90 days. I won't share them with you now, but you'll be hearing about some exciting new things I'm working on in the near future. I created the vision for Know Your Difference a few years ago. It was pretty vague when I started but took shape over time. My goal last year was to launch a branding program that would be purposeful and meaningful and help a lot of people - and I achieved that goal - launched the program and have had great support and feedback from all of you - which I thank you for. This years goal? Stay tuned!
 
Here's my wish for you for the New Year...
That you achieve great clarity, that you create your brand from your passion and vision and you reach the pinnacle of success you have always wanted.
 
Happy 2011!

Recognizing the need for 'brand clarity' in small business, Rhonda Page has combined her extensive personal development work with 20 years building global brands to develop Know Your Difference™ a program that helps people create brands from their passion and intuition. Know your difference is helps entrepreneurs and small business owners to get clear on how they are different from their competition, so they can market their product or service more effectively.
Rhonda does group coaching with clients, and is about to launch a workbook and e-learning program that guides its user through her insightful and inspiring process.

Finding Your Passion In Life In 5 Easy Steps

Finding your passion in life is very important. It sets you on your life's journey and keeps you strong and motivated, even when times prove difficult. Lucky are those who stumble upon theirs at such a young age, but there are still those who have no idea where to start looking. Right now, you probably have more questions than answers when it comes to finding your passion in life. Let me guide you through it.
Step 1: Make A Personal Assessment.
If you have no clue where to start, then begin by looking at your strengths and weaknesses. Your skills are a good indicator of what you might be passionate about. Are you good in drawing? Do you have a hidden musical talent? Explore the things you excel in doing and make the most of your abilities.
Step 2: Find What Makes You Happy.
Finding your passion in life is easy when you know what things make you smile. Are you at your happiest when you're swimming or playing basketball? If your answers coincide with your answers in Step 1, then you're on the right track. If they don't, then let's delve in deeper.
Step 3: Review Your Search Engine Bar.
Another way to find what makes you tick is to check out the things you've been reading about online. Look at your browser's history for evidence. Are you always looking at book reviews or perhaps at fashion blogs? What you spend time online on can tell a lot about you.
Step 4: Ask Yourself.
The most straightforward way to finding your passion in life is to ask yourself that question and list down as many things as possible. What are the first words that come to your mind when you think about your passion in life? These words will be your clues, if not outright answers, to your question.
Step 5: Give It A Shot.
Not sure with what you have yet? Why don't you give it a try then? If you have semi-concluded that your passion in life is knitting sweaters, then what's stopping you from pursuing it? Of course, I wouldn't advise you to quit your day job and gamble everything on sweaters. Just dip your foot in the water and see how it goes. Finding your passion in life is as easy (or as complicated) as you want it to be. It doesn't matter how long it takes you to find it either, because the journey there is half the fun. You might be surprised at just how much you can learn while trying to pursue your passion.