Monthly Archives: February 2009

Author : Ray Subs

Most people look back with regret when they look at their lives They see how many opportunities were squandered because they were not willing to push harder This may be you currently but it can change This can happen when you use a self-improvement course that unlocks your hidden potential This hidden potential could be the difference between being successful or failing in anything that you do If you put your mind to it, you could accomplish whatever you want in whatever field you want to

Each person has a fixed amount of time on this earth What each person does with that time is up to them Self-improvement can help because it allows you to look at yourself very clearly and see what you may want to reshape within your life Many people want to change but do not know how You can follow a course for this and it will talk about steps to do that

That is where a self-improvement course can be critical to your success An example can be the steps is the Activation Reconditioning Stimulus process (ARS process) for short There are many different self improvement processes that one can undertake With the ARS process, the key is that it is a 90 day program It helps you learn about the particular steps of self-improvement and how to implement these into your life The end of the 90 days should present you with new habits so that you can live your life more fully 90 days is a short enough time period that you can see the end because it can be difficult to make changes in ones life but long enough to establish these new habits as permananet

Whether you look at the ARS process or any other self improvement process, it must be about unlocking your hidden potential You cannot remake everyones life but rather you must first start with remaking your own life The ARS process focuses on the fact that remaking your inner mind will transform your outer world

There is a call to action for you within this article Pick up a self-improvement course such as one focusing on the ARS process Take this home and put it into action The courses offer the materials and steps to make a difference in unlocking your hidden potential It is then up to you to follow through You can make any change within your life as long as you are willing to have an open mind and take ownership of the outcome

Ray Subs is a public relations specialist working with Dr. Imagine That. For more information about hidden potential visit www.drimaginethat.com Continue reading →

Author : Laura Stack

Let’s forget about 9:00 to 5:00 for a minute We spend lots of energy making sure that we are efficient and productive during the workday But what about AFTER the workday? Do you find yourself keeping your nose to the grindstone and working diligently throughout the day only to have it all unravel when you step through the door at home?

I hear it all the time: I’m so exhausted when I leave the office, but I always know there is more work waiting for me when I get home What can I do? With most of the day behind us, it’s easy to lose our focus and end up letting those precious hours at the end of the day go to waste Keep in mind that those weekday hours from 5:00 ’till 9:00 make up 20 hours of your week! Not many of us can afford to waste that much time

Ask yourself a few questions to help you make the most of those evening hours and feel less stressed as a result

How much television am I watching? For many, the biggest culprit – by far – is television There’s no reason you can’t enjoy a favorite show or two, but don’t let it dominate your evenings Have you ever spent hours in front of the tube and barely even realized it? You can’t get a single one of those precious minutes back, and chances are that in a week you won’t even remember what you watched That’s a bad sign! See if you can turn it off for a week You don’t even have to spend the extra time doing something particularly productive – just something different Read a book Talk to your family Organize a drawer or two You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel than you do after hours in front of the TV

Where does the time go? Try keeping a diary for those 20 hours between 5 and 9 for one week At the end of the week, it should be clear where there’s room for improvement Here are a few things to look for as red flags, and some suggestions on how to tackle them:

The Internet: Do you sit down at the computer to check your e-mail and end up spending an hour aimlessly surfing the internet?

The Fix: Limit e-mail checking to just that If you want to surf, go ahead – just do it after the rest of your “home” work is done

Continuing the Workday: Do you have a habit of bringing the office home?

o The Fix: Do it, if you must But consider the value of your time and the things you are sacrificing to continue the workday If you have to work at home, have a schedule and a plan of exactly what you need to accomplish If you can just leave work at work, even better

Dinner Plans: Does it take twenty minutes of staring into the fridge to figure out what’ for dinner?

o The Fix: Take an hour on Sunday and plan 3-5 meals for the week Even if that means planning for take-out, know what you’re having ahead of time If you can, cook a meal or two over the weekend and reheat them during the week to save time

Kid Wrangling: Are you spending a ton of time making sure homework is done or working on kid-infrastructure like coordinating the carpool and extra-curricular activities?

o The Fix: Get a plan – and a calendar Hang a desk-sized calendar in a prominent spot, and use it for the family’s master schedule This way, it’s all in one place and you can spend less time coordinating on the fly As for the kid-wrangling and homework: get a routine going Whether it’s first thing when you come through the door or at a planned time each evening, block off time to do homework or other structured activities

Chores: Are you working all day and then coming home to work another few hours to catch up on the housework?

o The Fix: Don’t feel obligated to do it all, or even most of it Aim for one or two “large” tasks and a couple of small ones each evening Bring the family in on it, too Throw a load of clothes in the washer and then go clean up the living room When you’re done tidying up, fold the clothes A little each night will go a long way for the whole week and give you more free time on the weekend

Paper: Does it seem like your mail is taking over every horizontal surface in sight? And that you’re constantly sitting down to pay bills?

o The Fix: While the kids do homework, you should too Sort through the mail, file it in your tickler file by due date, and get it off the counter

What can I do that will have a positive effect on my life? So many of the most personally rewarding things in life really do take very little time You just need to make them a priority With your newly-efficient schedule, you can now work in 20 minutes of exercise, an hour to read a good book, or 45 minutes to sit down with loved ones and catch up over a real dinner (with real silverware and everything) It doesn’t take much, but the results can be tremendous You just have to commit to making it happen (and encourage loved ones to do the same) While you’re at it, make time for yourself I’ll bet that no matter how tired you are, you always manage to take care of family and friends when needed Make yourself a priority as well, whether it’s carving out time for a relaxing shower or going for a rejuvenating walk around the block You’ve earned it

What is my “perfect” schedule? There isn’t one If you spend all day at work and all night fretting about a demanding timetable, you’ll drive yourself up the wall Be flexible Go with what works And don’t be afraid to adjust as necessary

Laura Stack is a personal productivity expert, author, and professional speaker who helps busy workers Leave the Office Earlier(R) with Maximum Results in Minimum Time(TM). To have Laura speak at your next event, call 303-471-7401. Visit http://www.TheProductivityPro.com to sign up for her free monthly productivity newsletter. Continue reading →

Author : Tim Staines

Oftentimes, when you have a project, you cant avoid having if questions in your mind Most individuals are like that and so they try to come up with solutions or alternatives to answer those if questions Are you one of them? If you are, then you will benefit a lot from this mind mapping info

When youre doing something which involves high stakes, its natural for you to draw some kind of diagram so that you can visualize the obstacles ahead while seeing your ultimate goal at the end

The diagrams you drew may be very simple lines or complex models but whatever it looks like, it can be considered as mind maps Through the diagrams, one can easily make good decisions or better yet, make complicated decisions easier Another important thing is, the diagrams can be an effective system or way for better and effective communication

There are three ways to effectively communicate through mind mapping One is to show the components of difficult situations; second, it gives you the idea of the possible outcomes of certain actions; and third, it highlights unrecognized linkages

A typical example is maintaining your very own website If you’re utilizing mind mapping, you will usually draw diagrams of boxes and some lines representing the connections Even if you have a simple website, it is sometimes difficult to track the connections and hierarchy But what if you need to work with several complex situations? Do you think you can handle such task?

If you’re asked to explain mind mapping to another person, you might find it quite hard but did you know that with a visual component outline, you can effectively communicate even the most complex relationships and structures?

Have you tried applying mind mapping to determine the outcome of certain actions? Manufacturers of various consumer products take a lot of time in weighing things These manufacturers know that the internet can help them a lot in marketing their products but they still need to see if its a profitable endeavor If the manufacturers dont find it profitable, then they will not advertise their products online but if they find it profitable, they will need to determine the possible expenses and the time it takes to set up an online site to market the products After the concerns are answered, other things will come up

So, are you getting a good picture of how mind mapping is carried out? A certain action or decision depends on a certain factor; and in order to determine the correct answer, you will need to consider the answer to a previous query Through mind mapping, you can easily illustrate certain actions and their possible consequences By doing so, you can immediately forecast the outcome

When you make a decision, you will often encounter outer forces which can be responsible for some changes in the outcome How do you respond to such forces and changes? By answering this question, you might be able to highlight the unrecognized linkages

Once you master mind mapping, complex situations can be simplified so that you can arrive at the best possible decision All the possible consequences to a certain action can also be determined; at the same time, you can uncover linkages Practice mind mapping now so that you can face any situation, no matter how hard it is

For more information please visit Examples Of Mind Maps Continue reading →

Author : Tim Staines

Are you currently in-charge of making powerful presentations? Businesses require powerful presentations for conveying all the pertinent information and at the same time in highlighting the most important aspects Business presentations are hard to create but if you incorporate mind mapping in this activity, the task can be completed in no time But before anything else, you need to know the basics

Powerful presentations are products of extensive preparation and constant practice It entails detailed planning and wide-ranging preparations The first thing that you need to do is to identify the purpose if the business presentation Aside from that, you also need to establish the objectives You must be able to decide what message you want to impart to the audience

You must be able to reach the audience in a manner that is appealing and appropriate Boring presentations will tend to generate lack of interest from the audience and the message or goal will be not delivered effectively The audience is a great consideration when youre creating the business presentation You also need to consider your duration of your presentation, facilities, and settings of the venue

You must be able to maintain eye contact with your audience That way, you can easily build rapport and you can keep them focused during the presentation You must be simple, concise, a bit humorous, and your presentation should have an informative content Those are the ways to come up with an excellent presentation

The first few minutes of the presentation will determine the success and power of your business presentation This is the time that you need to capture the attention of your audience You need to impart the message and the objectives of the presentation during that time so that the audience already knows what to expect or anticipate

Meaningful business presentations can be created through the use of mind maps The entire presentation rests on the mind maps that you created You can determine the various presentation steps through the mind maps from your speech, visual text displays, anecdotes, humor, and even the anticipated answers to possible questions In one page of the mind map, you can already come up with a business presentation; you just need to think positively and avoid being obstructive Mind maps are simple yet they can convey a lot of message

Once you’re through with the mind maps, you can now incorporate it in your business presentation In fact, the entire presentation can be derived from the mind map that you’ve created If you want, you can get a mind mapping software that you can use to create the business presentation The software will make it easier for you to create the presentation Find the appropriate software to use in your business presentation

Mind mapping is very useful especially if you know how to go about the entire process Try to develop your skills in creating mind maps especially if you’re responsible for conducing business presentations With constant practice, you can make the maps with ease Remember that creating mind maps require knowledge and practice Only then can you come up with fresh ideas that can solve your problem

So whats your goal or objective in creating the business presentation? By focusing on those objectives or goals, you can convey the message of the business presentation with ease and very little effort

For more information please visit Examples Of Mind Maps Continue reading →

Author : Tim Staines

Very few people are gifted with innovative thinking These people can take advantage of mind mapping because it suits them perfectly since mind maps consume skills found in imagination, creativity, flexibility, and organization of ideas According to many psychological researches, creative thinking has 4 elements which include the use of shapes, colors, unusual elements, and dimensions Aside from hat creative thinking can also adjust conceptual positions and create response to appealing objects If you want to promote creative thinking, mind mapping is a very effective tool

Mind mapping can aid in completing the thinking process Mind map is considered as an essential tool for mnemonic principles and creative thinking If you can apply the appropriate techniques and facilitate them correctly, individuals can create lots of innovative ideas; more than a group brainstorming session can generate Creative thinking has five stages, and they are as follows:

Mind mapping burst (Quick-Fire) choose an interesting topic and draw a central image to represent it You can use a blank paper or any other material that you can write on The ideas that radiate from your mind should be indicated on the page Try to generate ideas for twenty minutes Even if some ideas seem absurd, jot them down because there are times when these ideas serve as the key to breaking bad habits and coming up with new perspectives

1st Reconstruction and Revision dont over exercise your brain You can take a break and then try to integrate the idea you’ve generated Create another mind map but this time, try to categorize the preliminary ideas You can build hierarchies and identical ideas should be given attention Through mind maps, individuals can explore and grow

Incubation when you’re at rest, running, or sleeping, there are times when you experience sudden realizations In this stage, the thinking process can create probable breakthroughs

2nd Reconstruction and Revision do another mind map burst because at this stage, you have a fresher perception Integrate all the ideas and info found in the initial mind maps and try to create final comprehensive mind map

Final after you’ve created a comprehensive map, you can now look for the realization, decision, and solution since this was your original goal

These are the five stages in the creative thinking So you see, mind mapping is really an essential tool in creative thinking In the resent years, mind mapping has become easier as compared to the time it was first introduced There is now software focused mainly on mind mapping The software is widely available online and you can purchase them anytime Computer-based mind mapping is just like the traditional method of mind mapping it is up to you whether you will make use of the traditional way or the modern way of mind mapping

Hurry and try to experience the 5 stages of creative thinking You will surely be surprised with the explosion of innovative and creative ideas For those who dont have any experience with mind mapping, you can consult the experts online or you can find a local mind mapping expert

This may be the answer to your problems Let mind mapping help you in uncovering your creative thinking so that you can use it in your everyday life Search the internet now for some mind mapping resources

For more information please visit Examples Of Mind Maps Continue reading →

Author : Tim Staines

Planning is the key for every successful event or occasion Without planning, there will be chaos and misunderstanding There are a lot of people who plan for birthday parties who do it months before the said event They allot a specific time frame for the said occasion or whatever it is they plan on doing This also goes for you when you are planning for what to do with your life 5 or 10 years from now You have directed your plans and scope to something that has meaning With all these planning, there is a better way to do planning in a more enjoyable and reachable process That is through mind mapping

Mind maps are excellent tools to manage life because it can help you easily identify your scope, values, strategies and step-by-step methods in order to achieve whatever your future will be Here are some of the most effective tips on bringing on a life planner out of a concept map

Step 1 Define goals

Formulation of goals will make it easier for you to define the path that you want You make your goal/s as the center or main topic that will appear on your map Then, add your values as topics which are free-floating It doesnt necessarily require you to connect it to the central idea for as long as they are positioned in the same direction because, in one way or another, they will give justice and influence to your future plans

Step 2 Add topics

After thinking of the central idea, you can now add primary topics of the major life domains or roles in your entire life One role can affect parts of your life but it doesnt mean that your goals will change The manner might differ but the plan stays the same Like formulating plan A, plan B, and whole other plans It is smart that you see your plans distinctly from one major role to another This is also an effective tool to help you achieve equilibrium in your life

Step 3 Secondary topics can be added

Strategies and steps will help you undertake the things that you want to achieve This will reflect under the goal that consists of your context role

If you notice that you map is becoming too cluttered because of too much goals, try considering the creation of sub-maps wherein you can tolerate a more detailed planning for each role in your life plans In this way, you wouldnt be confuse of your plan and not result to a cease

You have to remember that mind maps are flexible enough to define obvious goals and at the same time, monitor your progress There are several mapping programs that give you the chance to attach specific deadline and dates to the assigned branches; some can even let you transfer to Microsoft Office

Numerical ranking can also be attached to the steps of your action to make it easier for you to see the sequence of your plans from the first to the last part Furthermore, there are mind mapping details that can let you attach markers or symbols to the branches in order to show you the percentages that you have completed or achieve or what needs to be attended to first

Using mind mapping will drive you to see things clearly in achieving your goals

For more information please visit Examples Of Mind Maps Continue reading →