| "Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." |
| - Thomas Jefferson |
| 37 - Maintaining enthusiasm (view seperately) | Rating   | |
| Many of us start stuff - science projects, new exercise regimes, tai chi classes - with a lot of enthusiasm, only to have it fizzle out in a week or two. It's because we forget what originally inspired us. We lose direction and our new activity starts to look pointless. Keeping a journal is one way to maintain enthusiasm. A journal lets us capture those inspiring events, allowing us to relive the past more vividly. | ||
| Author: insightbox.org | Linkback: insightbox.org | |
| 31 - Keep your surroundings clean (view seperately) | Rating | |
| I've found that cleaning my room and clearing my desk of clutter boosts my motivation. While a messy, disorganized environment puts me in a cluttered state of mind. My two principles:
- If you find yourself procrastinating, or if you're feeling a bit low, stop and clear up some mess, it could be your room or your backyard, and you could spend just 5 minutes doing it. - Try organizing your stuff before you start your day's activities. There's something therapeutic about knowing everything is where it should be - try it. |
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| Author: insightbox.org | Linkback: http://insightbox.org/ | |
| 29 - Observe your thoughts (view seperately) | Rating | |
| Observe your thoughts whenever possible. Pay particular attention to negative thoughts and try to see why their existence is unjustified. For example, you might ask: 'Will being negative help me come up with a solution to the problem I'm facing?'. You'll soon find yourself understanding your thought process better, and channelling negative thinking into something more constructive. | ||
| Author: insightbox.org | Linkback: http://insightbox.org/ | |
| 35 - Living In The Now (view seperately) | Rating | |
| Most of our stresses, if not, ALL of our stresses are caused by thinking about past or future happenings. Think about it, you may have had an embarrassing moment in your past, and every time you re-think about that moment you re-live that embarrassment. You may worry about your future and may ask yourself, for example, 'what would they think?' Both scenarios create unnessesary negative emotions; the past is long gone and the future cannot be predicted.
If you were to live in the now, this EXACT present moment, you'll find you have no problems. Living in the NOW is the answer to being free of mental anguish. A great way to practise this is through meditation. |
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| Author: Ivy | Linkback: http://www.ivyology.com/ | |
| 30 - Balance in life (view seperately) | Rating | |
| Life is about dichotomy - it is black and white. It is your choices and decisions that form a mix that is grey. Be sure that mix doesn't become too black or too white and enjoy a wonderful life! | ||
| Author: Dom_B | Linkback: http://www.footballsalvation.com/ | |
| 32 - Go with your first instinct (view seperately) | Rating | |
| With multiple choice exams, ALWAYS go with your first instinct. Often you would erase the correct answer and go for the incorrect one if you re-check your answers. This is because by rechecking you actually cause the information in your brain to overlap. | ||
| Author: Sameet | Linkback: | |
| 28 - Walk faster (view seperately) | Rating | |
| Walk fast. It's good exercise for your heart and body. It improves your posture. You appear more confident to observers, you feel more confident and you get to places on time. | ||
| Author: insightbox.org | Linkback: http://insightbox.org/ | |
| 34 - Do something difficult or unpleasant everyday (view seperately) | Rating | |
| Self-discipline is an important tool. It is vital for success virtually everywhere. You need it to get school assignments done, you need it to survive if you were stranded on an island, you need it to maintain emotionally healthy relationships, and so on. Some of us are gifted with will power and some aren't.
The good news is that self-discipline can be developed over time. The basic idea is taking up tasks which aren't so pleasant to do everyday. The basic recipe includes 3 steps:
- Start with one simple activity / day. Maybe you could go for a 5-minute run everyday (if you're not a big fan of exercise, like the author). |
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| Author: insightbox.org | Linkback: http://insightbox.org/ | |
| 33 - Smile (view seperately) | Rating | |
| Putting this one into practice is easy, yet the effects are far-reaching - smiling releases endorphins in your brain which enhance your mood, boost your immune responses; these in turn, reduce stress and make you feel healthier, happier and more confident. Picture a stranger carrying a pleasant smile. What other traits does your mind immediately ascribe to him or her? Satisfied with life, thoughtful, fun to talk to, etc. Now, picture a second stranger carrying a negative expression, a frown maybe. Who would you ask if you wanted to know what time it was? Who would you pick if you were an employer, hiring? Smiling creates vibes of confidence and optimism around you. Add all the terms in the equation and you've got a long and successful life in your hands. Fake a smile - now. :) |
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| Author: insightbox.org | Linkback: http://insightbox.org/ | |
| 36 - Repetitive Strain Injury (view seperately) | Rating | |
| Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is common amongst regular computer users. To prevent an injury, one must stretch arms, legs, neck and back several times a day. If you work in an office or computer related environment, this can be done in your breaks. Even just walking outside for 5 minutes will help get the blood flowing.
Remember: prevention is better than treatment! |
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| Author: Ivy | Linkback: http://www.ivyology.com/ | |