Jumpstart Your Initiative, You Have Waited Long Enough

We all have a desire to "make a difference"; to make improvements in our lives (may be even others lives). Yet, for a various reasons, when it comes to taking initiative many people face a magnitude of challenges.

I bet you already have what it takes to get yourself moving, but chances are there are some barriers that are inhibiting your progress. Given below are some worthy points on intensifying your initiative, from the book, Personal Brilliance, Mastering the Everyday Habits that Create a Lifetime of Success.

You don’t have to be inspired to begin

It’s a common belief that you have to be inspired about a project or idea to get it going. Of course, being inspired can help a lot. Inspiration and initiative are a little like the controversy over whether the chicken or the egg comes first! Do you agree?

Give yourself permission to move forward

If you know that you have a good idea or a plan that will work, give yourself permission to move forward with the plan. Waiting for others to join you in your initiative can slow the wheels of innovation and drag out the process. As you build momentum, others will naturally want to jump on board.

Meaningful motivators feed initiative

If you don’t have a good reason to accomplish a particular goal, you probably won’t do it. Compelling reasons are the fuel that initiative needs to grow and thrive.
What are your compelling reasons?

Shorten the time line between your idea and your first action step

Many people have the tendency to put off that first step in favor of conducting more research, increasing their education, and basically trying to learn everything they need to know before they begin.
If toddlers viewed the idea of standing up and walking the way many adults approach
taking a first step, most people would still be crawling!

Live by your word

People who accomplish what they set out to do, keep their word to themselves and to others. Make a firm commitment to yourself that you will keep your promises, no matter what.
The only permissible exception is your being truly too sick to get out of bed. Without living by such a strict standard, our lives can become a series of justifications and rationalizations.


Is initiative something you struggle with as well? Or does it come naturally?

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7 Different Types Of Punctually Challenged People. Which One Are You?

Some of us are annoyingly late despite our best intentions and many years of trying to improve!
I have read many books on subject, but Never Be Late Again: 7 Cures for the Punctually Challenged by Diana DeLonzo was a no-nonsense book, with many "A-HA!" moments! It is a must read for the punctually challenged. (Don’t take my word for it, read the Amazon reviews for the book.)

Reading Diana’s book I began to think differently about time and what could be achieved in a specific amount of time. I also learned that there are many different personality and character types associated with being late. Many of which we can relate to personally!
Which character type can you relate to the most?

1. The Absent-Minded Professor

Someone who is caught up in his own world, and never thinks about time. A person who forgets most things and can be distracted very easily.
They are usually slow and leave their things here and there (ahem…). They often jump from one activity to another or get lost in what they are doing.

2.The Rebel

A person, who truly hate stereotypes, everyday rules and schedules. By being always late they try to resist authority and underline their courage of breaking the laws.

3. The Indulger

A person who wastes time doing unimportant things and lacks self control. They don’t have a good concept of time and always put important things off that leads to chronic lateness.

4. The Rationalizer

A person who is very often late for work or meeting, but always justifies such behavior by various outside circumstances. Such people hate being reminded about their being late because they do not acknowledge their responsibility for lateness and blame everything or everyone but themselves.

5. The Evader

Someone who always feels the necessity to control own environment, and this idea makes him/her anxious. Such people have problems with self-organization, and their inability to do the things properly makes them feel helpless and stressed out. At that, the Evaders’ own needs or routine takes precedence over their being on time.

6. The Producer

A very busy person who tends to squeeze incredible amount of tasks into every minute and do several things at the same time. They are always late because they can not properly schedule their time and have to go on doing something they have planned.

7. The Deadliner

Someone who truly enjoys running behind the schedules and looks for a crisis to get motivated and win the battle. However, it always leads to being desperately late.

So, which character type can you relate to the most? Leave a comment and let me know.
I am the type where discipline is the main problem; my mom is the type who rationalizes away how her tardiness affects others; and my dad is the Absent Minded Professor!

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When Confronted With Criticism You Don’t Really Want To Hear, What Should You Do?

It’s that time of the year where I need to carry out appraisals for my team members. This is by far one of the hardest parts of my job responsibilities! Do I hear you ask “Why” ?

Just like clay is molded in to pottery, we are all shaped by the feedback we receive from those around us. The way a person perceives criticism, will have a powerful impact on their future reactions and how they feel about themselves.

So, how you keep your pride and career intact, when you are getting a dose of criticism you’d rather not hear?

1. Listen (Withhold Immediate Reaction!)

If you’re like most people, you won’t like to be criticized! You might feel you are not being appreciated. You might feel that it’s a blow to the ego. Your natural reaction might be to defend yourself or lash back.

This is exactly what I thought….when I initially started my career. I suppose I was lucky I had good mentors, who persistently showered me with constructive feedback. As time went by, I began to realize what Randy Pausch said in his bestselling book The Last Lecture

And when it was all over, one of the other assistant coaches came over and said, yeah, Coach Graham rode you pretty hard, didn't he? I said, yeah. He said, that's a good thing. He said, when you're screwing up and nobody's saying anything to you anymore, that means they gave up. And that's a lesson that stuck with me my whole life: when you see yourself doing something badly and nobody's bothering to tell you anymore, that's a very bad place to be. Your critics are your ones telling you they still love you and care.

2. Identify The Intent Of Criticism

People will always have opinions about what you’re doing and how you’re doing it. And yes, it sometimes stings, in unbearable ways.

The question you need to ask yourself “WHY is this person criticizing me?”
Is it to prove they are right?
Is it because they are annoyed/angry with you?
Or are they criticizing your actions? Do they really have your best interest, in grooming you to be better?

Criticism can be a powerful tool when used with the intent of helping, improvement, or offering solutions. It’s helpful when someone – in a friendly manner – offers an honest opinion about you that fosters improvement.

3. Clarify

Does what is being said, make sense to you?
Is there a mismatch of expectations? What you expect, and what they expect?
Can you recall situations that might align with the criticism? If you are confused or unclear, ask for examples.

4. Assess The Criticism

Can you acknowledge the criticism and except your imperfections? Do you disagree? If you disagree, in a calm manner state your reasons and work with the other party.

How useful is the criticism? Something you were aware of? Something you never realized before?
What's the extent of impact? Major, minor, good to have, negligible etc

5. Figure Out The Kind Of Support You Will Need, To Improve

Can the person giving you negative feedback, help you get on track?
Can you manage to improve on your own?
Do you need training in certain areas?

6. Make An Action Plan

Once you figure out the kind of support you need, put together a plan of action. Set goals for the time period and make sure to follow through. Also, make a note of how progress can be measured.

7. Life Must Go On

Usually, when you are criticized, self doubt seeks in. Depending on the type of person you are, you might be “stuck” in the criticism for days or even weeks; you might keep thinking about the criticism, until it start to affect all areas of your life!

So, don’t dwell too much on the criticism. Remember that there are other areas where you are good or even excel at.


I would like to hear your thoughts on how you handle criticism. Leave a comment and let me know…, do you immediately react? Do you dismiss the criticism?

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How To Re-focus When You Lose Focus

Lately, I have noticed a common theme amongst a few people I know. It seems we are all struggling with the same issue – the ability to stay focused on a single task for a
prolonged period of time.

Focus is what you direct your attention to, what you allow into awareness.

Focus is a blend of intention, discipline and skill. It can be achieved by anyone who is willing to put forth the necessary effort.

Focus is something that must be fought for (it doesn’t happen just because you want it to, either!) Most often, it depends on why we lose focus.

Reason 1: Activities Don’t Interest You

Sadly, all tasks we do(or rather have to do!) are not equally enjoyable. If you find your mind wandering frequently during disliked tasks, this is a focus barrier well worth breaking through.

How to re-focus:
13 Ideas To Make Boring Jobs Bearable And A Little More Interesting
Have Powerful Reasons
8 Stress-Busting, Spirit Lifting, Body-Boosting Ideas To Brighten Your Day With Music

Reason 2: Too Many Concurrent Tasks

Sometimes, we find ourselves working on a number of concurrent tasks at any given time.

How to re-focus:
Get More Done In Less Time
Learn To Prioritize & Say No Where Required

Reason 3: Interruptions & Distractions

Beeped and pinged, interrupted and inundated, overloaded and hurried: that’s usually part of our daily routine. We are constantly bombarded by things competing to attract our attention.

How to re-focus:
Regain Control When Distractions Are Eating Your Time
Regain The Hours Television Steals From You

Reason 4: Difficulty In Managing Work Life Balance

Other people will have wants and needs that don’t always coincide with your own. As we attempt to balance the various areas of life, we become more stressed out than ever before.

How to re-focus:
How To Achieve Life Balance Amidst Chaos
Are You Constantly At The Mercy Of Circumstances?
Minimize Stress, Maximize Success!

Reason 5: Emotionally Drained

It’s perfectly OK to get frustrated, angry, etc when circumstances don’t line up as you’d prefer.

How to re-focus:
Tired & True Ways Of Recovering From Setbacks
Getting Past Your Past
The 5 Emotions That Drag Us Down Or Shape Our Destiny
Give Yourself An Attitude Tune-Up

Reason 6: Too Tired

Sometimes we don’t have the energy we had before and often find it slow to get back.

How to re-focus:
7 Ways To Revive Your Tired Body And Stay Energized
9 Healthier Ways To Forget The Stresses Of Your Busy Day


We spend millions of seconds doing certain things, and yet it takes only one second to lose direction. So it does take practice to master the art of remaining focused. You can see results at the end of the day when you accomplish the things you most wanted to do, rather than feeling your day was empty because you were distracted by things you consider less important.

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