Turning knowledgeable contacts into friends requires an approach that goes beyond professional topics, focusing on shared interests, mutual support, and gradually deepening personal connections. Here are some effective steps to make the transition:
Identify Shared Interests
Look for common hobbies, sports, books, or mutual acquaintances that provide natural points of connection. Shared interests build rapport and create a bridge beyond work-related conversations.
Show Genuine Interest in Their Lives
Ask about their lives beyond work: family, hobbies, or weekend plans. This helps show that you’re genuinely interested in them as a person, not just as a contact. A simple follow-up on something they mentioned previously—like a recent trip or event—can also make a big difference.
Suggest Casual Meetups
Propose meeting for coffee, a meal, or even a casual walk. Meeting outside of formal settings helps break down professional barriers and allows more natural, relaxed conversations.
Be Helpful and Supportive
Offer support or share valuable information if you come across something you know they’d appreciate. Whether it’s a helpful article, a podcast, or a suggestion related to their interests, sharing resources thoughtfully can strengthen your bond.
Show Vulnerability and Openness
Share a bit about your own life beyond work, allowing them to see a more personal side of you. This doesn’t mean over-sharing, but letting your guard down occasionally encourages a more reciprocal connection.
Keep Consistent but Natural Contact
Send a casual text or email now and then, just to check in. This could be a “How have you been?” message or sending something that reminded you of them. Regular, small gestures keep the connection warm without feeling forced. Be Patient and Respect Their Boundaries
Not every contact will turn into a friend. Some people may prefer to keep things professional, and that’s okay. Building a friendship takes time and patience—don’t rush it.
Involve Them in Social Settings
If the timing is right, invite them to a group gathering or event where they might meet others with similar interests. This eases any pressure of one-on-one and lets your contact see you in a more social context.
gradually shifting the focus from purely work-related interactions to more personal, genuine exchanges, you’ll increase the chances of converting these contacts into real friends.
Find Common Ground
Identify shared interests or values. Whether it’s a hobby, a favorite TV show, or similar work challenges, finding mutual topics makes the conversation enjoyable and relatable. Participate in shared activities. If they’re into something like hiking, reading, or even attending specific events, consider joining them. Shared experiences help bond people and provide memories to reflect on together.
Engage Outside of Professional Contexts
Plan informal meet-ups. Invite them for coffee, lunch, or an event, aiming for a relaxed setting. This casual environment helps people open up beyond formal interactions. Use social media thoughtfully. Interact with their non-work posts, comment, and show interest. Just make sure not to overdo it—authenticity is key!
Show Vulnerability and Share Personal Experiences
Open up a little. Share your own stories, challenges, and aspirations in a natural way, so they feel comfortable reciprocating. Vulnerability creates a stronger emotional connection. Support them during tough times. If they mention a personal struggle, offer a listening ear or a simple gesture of support. Friendships grow deeper when people support each other emotionally.
Be Consistent and Patient
Follow up periodically. Send a quick message or suggest a catch-up now and then, showing you genuinely want to stay connected. Respect their pace. Some people may take longer to transition from contacts to friends. Let the relationship grow at a natural pace without forcing it.
Show Appreciation
Acknowledge them. Compliment their strengths, or thank them for any help they’ve provided in the past. Genuine appreciation fosters warmth and helps solidify a deeper bond.
Good friends are good for you.
“Good friends bring so many colors of happiness in your life by relieving stress, giving comfort, and removing loneliness,” says Amber O’Brien, PsyD, a psychologist with the Mango Clinic in Miami.
Healthy friendships are also linked to better cardiovascular health, lower blood pressure, less depression, and a longer life. So it never hurts to try to make new friends.
How to Start a Friendship
Friendships take time, but you can take steps to spark a relationship and nurture a connection.
Say yes. When you’re invited to a gathering or event, accept the invitation. Return the favor by inviting them somewhere. Extend your own invitations and ask a friend or acquaintance to get coffee or lunch.
Take the initiative. “You don’t need to wait for anyone to reach out to you and take the first step. Instead, become the kind initiator, even if you’re an introvert,” O’Brien says.
Start the conversation. When you’re with someone you’d like to know better, start a conversation. “Share something about yourself,” O’Brien says. “Likewise, let them share about themselves.”
Show interest. Even if you’re just meeting someone, you can make them feel comfortable by asking the right questions and being a good listener. Ask open-ended questions. Encourage them to open up by saying things like, “Tell me more.”
Smile. Make eye contact and smile. “Smiling while keeping good eye contact will create a positive effect on the other person,” O’Brien says. They’ll feel more comfortable and interested in the conversation.
Share. As you get to know each other, try sharing small but more personal things about yourself. “If you’re open with them, it gives them permission to be open with you,” Grossman says. But don’t go overboard. Take it one step at a time.
Build Professional Friendships
My relationship with each of these people is evolving and I believe I will continue to find ways of engaging, working and collaborating with them. I respect and like them, have learned from them, and consciously thought about ways I could deepen my relationship with each of them.
Does that make me opportunistic? Not unless I am not giving as much as I am receiving. I prefer to think that I maximize personal connections in ways that help both of us. Intentional, thoughtful interaction leads to productive, innovative, and fulfilling relationships that are more like professional friendships than professional relationships.
I’ve met people who feel that to be successful and safe, you should erect and maintain a wall between your personal life and your work life. In my experience, there is no right or wrong and the beauty of maximizing your connections is that you are in the driver’s seat. You and only you, can determine how much you share about yourself with anyone you meet, regardless of the context or pretenses under which you meet them.
Ways to Encourage Teams to Form Deeper Relationships
Create fun and off beat opportunities for groups to share information about themselves.
Take the time to participate in after-hours group chats. They can be purpose driven or a mixture of shop talk and fun stuff.
Engage team members in contests that require them to share their thoughts to purposely draw them out of their shell and encourage group participation.
Take the time to check in on individual team members virtually, by phone, email or snail mail.
Start meetings by asking each participant to tell the group about one good thing that has happened to them in the past 24 hours — responses may run the gamut, but the exercise will create levity — humor is always a great icebreaker and social lubricant.
Happiness is a complex and subjective emotion characterized by feelings of contentment, joy, fulfillment, and satisfaction. While it can vary greatly from person to person and be influenced by numerous factors, there are some common elements that contribute to a sense of happiness:
Positive Relationships: Meaningful connections with friends, family, and loved ones often bring happiness. Nurturing these relationships and spending quality time with loved ones can foster a sense of belonging and support.
Purpose and Meaning: Having a sense of purpose or meaning in life can contribute significantly to happiness. This could come from pursuing meaningful goals, engaging in activities that align with your values, or contributing to something larger than yourself, such as through volunteering or helping others.
Gratitude: Practicing gratitude involves focusing on and appreciating the positive aspects of your life, even during challenging times. Regularly acknowledging and expressing gratitude for the good things in your life can enhance feelings of happiness and well-being.
Self-Care: Taking care of your physical, emotional, and mental well-being is essential for happiness. This includes getting enough sleep, eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, managing stress effectively, and engaging in activities that bring you joy and relaxation.
Mindfulness and Acceptance: Being present in the moment and accepting things as they are without judgment can contribute to happiness. Mindfulness practices, such as meditation or deep breathing exercises, can help cultivate a greater sense of awareness and acceptance of both pleasant and unpleasant experiences.
Personal Growth: Continuously learning, growing, and challenging yourself can contribute to long-term happiness. Whether it’s developing new skills, pursuing hobbies, or seeking out new experiences, personal growth fosters a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment.
2) Importance of health in happiness?
Health plays a pivotal role in happiness, as it influences various aspects of our lives. Here are several reasons why health is crucial for happiness:
Physical Well-being: Good health enables us to carry out daily activities without hindrance, allowing us to enjoy life to the fullest. When we’re free from physical ailments and discomfort, we’re better able to engage in activities that bring us joy and satisfaction.
Emotional Balance: Physical health contributes to emotional well-being. When our bodies are healthy, our minds tend to be clearer, and we’re better equipped to cope with stress, anxiety, and other negative emotions. Conversely, chronic illnesses or pain can significantly impact our mood and overall happiness.
Relationships: Our health influences our ability to form and maintain relationships. When we’re healthy, we can participate in social activities, spend quality time with loved ones, and contribute positively to our relationships. Poor health can isolate us and strain our connections with others, leading to feelings of loneliness and unhappiness.
Sense of Accomplishment: Achieving and maintaining good health often requires effort and discipline. When we make healthy choices and see positive outcomes, it boosts our self-esteem and sense of accomplishment, contributing to overall happiness and well-being.
3) Importance of money?
Money plays a multifaceted role in our lives, influencing various aspects of our well-being, security, and opportunities. Here are some key reasons why money is important:
Basic Needs: Money provides access to basic necessities such as food, shelter, and clothing. Without sufficient funds, meeting these needs becomes challenging, impacting overall quality of life.
Security: Having financial resources provides a sense of security against unexpected events such as medical emergencies, job loss, or natural disasters. A financial cushion can help weather such storms without falling into crisis.
Opportunities: Money opens doors to opportunities for personal and professional growth. It can fund education, training, and skill development, enabling individuals to pursue their aspirations and improve their standard of living.
Freedom: Financial independence affords freedom and autonomy. It allows individuals to make choices aligned with their values and goals, whether that involves pursuing a passion, traveling, or starting a business.
Quality of Life: Adequate financial resources contribute to a higher quality of life by enabling access to healthcare, leisure activities, cultural experiences, and other enriching pursuits that enhance well-being.
Investment and Growth: Money can be invested to generate more wealth over time. Investing in assets such as stocks, real estate, or businesses can lead to long-term financial growth and prosperity.
4) Importance of Communication Skills?
Communication skills are essential in almost every aspect of life, playing a crucial role in personal relationships, professional success, and societal interactions. Here are some key reasons why communication skills are important:
Effective Expression of Ideas: Communication skills enable individuals to articulate their thoughts, ideas, and feelings clearly and confidently. Whether in verbal or written form, being able to convey messages effectively ensures that your intended meaning is understood by others.
Building Relationships: Good communication fosters healthy relationships. Whether it’s with family, friends, colleagues, or clients, the ability to listen actively, empathize, and express yourself respectfully strengthens bonds and builds trust.
Career Advancement: In the professional world, communication skills are highly valued. Effective communication enhances your ability to collaborate with colleagues, negotiate deals, lead teams, and present ideas persuasively. It can be a deciding factor in career progression and leadership opportunities.
Nobody else did.
It’s lack of understanding by you, your mind. It’s difficult to conceive the
vastness of the ocean. But it is even more difficult to imagine the vastness of
the mind. Sea is often very calm only sometimes it is turbulent.
While an ocean is turbulence only at some occasions, the mind is at peace on only
sometime. The confusion of the mind primarily arises due to the
contradictions experienced in the fast paced life today. There is nothing that
we can do for turbulence of the ocean. We can certainly tame our mind to
achieve calmness and peace.
In fact peace of mind requires only your focus and consistent reminders to yourself. It has no tangible cost. It’s free Nature – what it does? When it does? It remains unknown to mankind. Though there is no doubt that extensive study of nature has given us the knowledge and power to predict. But when we talk of mind it is our choice to train it to be at peace most of the time. We have to understand the difference between peace and bliss. Peace is not bliss but peace offers you an ability to get into state of bliss when you want. At work place, if you are doing something that you don’t like to do yet you have to do it under compulsion, your mind cannot be at peace. When you are lost in your work and you know that the work is important for you, you are a peace with yourself. Further, if you enjoy your work then every milestone that you achieve will give you bliss. There are the number of Dos and Don’ts which help you to gain peace of mind. First, let us enumerate the don’ts:
1. Don’t get too much involved in reading the negative news. Our newspapers and electronic media are full these. You may scan through the headlines to be abreast with what is going on. Read books that will give you positivity. So many are available choose what you like and read to follow good suggestions.
2. Avoid spending too much time with people having negative attitude. Interaction with them will sink their negativity into your subconscious mind. Be always pleasant and nice. But instead of spending your valuable time, give them a broad smile and excuse four self.
3. Regard each person as an individual. They are entitled to hold their opinions. Do not be judgmental. Negative emotions like envy, jealousy, criticism of others will affect your peace of mind. So avoid these. But at the same time don’t just agree with anyone just to please humor her. Stand up for yourself.
4. Past is history. It does not have any significance except the lessons you have learnt. So don’t dwell on your past. Its human nature that your thought will hover round events in the past- unpleasant or even pleasant. Just follow lessons that you have learnt.
5. Become friends with members of your family. Children are very intelligent today and they should be treated as friends. Likewise you should be friendly with your spouse. When you talk to your family, particularly, don’t be casual taking them for granted. It’s important what you speak but it is even more important how you say it.
6. Your speech controls your relations with others including members of your family. Therefore use your words with care and discretion. The way you say something is as important as what you say.
7. Don’t be too much attached with your possessions. Practice detachment. What we have today, we may not have tomorrow.
Now about the dos!
1.Learn to focus your mind. Cut the clutter. On and average there comes as many as fifty thousand thoughts in one day. Try to reduce this number by focusing your mind.
2. Practice meditation. It will help more than one can imagine.
3. Cultivate a habit to enjoy only healthy food. Decide that you must eat slightly less than your hunger.
4. Go on vacation periodically. The cycle of routine work needs to be broken as often as possible.
5. Give yourself some quality time. Talk to yourself. Talk about what you like about you. And, further improve the same.
6. Make it your habit to consider that challenges are your opportunities. When you face these challenges with success, it gives you happiness and your mind becomes peaceful.
Before
talking about the secret to sensational success or even outlining a formula,
it’s important to define success and just what it means to you. Everyone has
their own individual definition of success. But there’s absolutely no way we
can talk about the secret to success without first creating some definition of
what success actually means to us.
Success
in life has nothing to do with where you start. Sure, people who start
advantageously in one area or another might have a leg up, but it has almost
nothing to do with where they end up in life. Sensational success transcends
circumstances.
Many
people talk about success. They say they want to be successful at something. But,
when prodded, they don’t provide specifics because they haven’t really created
those specifics in their minds. Sure, they might want to earn more money, drive
a nicer car, get a better job, or travel to some far-off destination, but
they haven’t set specific and measurable goals that are written down
on paper.
Secret No.1
HOW TO BREAK BAD HABITS AND BUILD ONES?
Habits
become hard to break to because they are deeply wired by constant
repetition into our brains. Bad habits interrupt your life and prevent you
from accomplishing your goals. They jeopardize your health — both mentally and
physically. And they waste your time and energy. But habits are also patterns
of behavior and it is the breaking of patterns that are the key to breaking the
habits themselves. Usually there is a clear trigger to starts the
pattern. Sometimes the triggers are emotional — the wanting a drink or
cigarette or nail-biting driven by stress. Other times the trigger is
more simply situational and environmental: You see the TV and couch
as soon as you hit the front door, and now your brain connects the dots, and
eating dinner in front of the TV on the couch is not far behind. More
often it is a combination of both — the mix of social
anxiety and the party environment leads to your heavier
drinking.
Choose
a habit you care about doing regularly. Don’t worry about whether other people
think it’s important. For instance, don’t try to exercise every day because you
think you should. It won’t be long before your motivation for doing that habit
will wane and you’ll be relying on willpower alone to get you through (not a
great idea—we only have so much willpower, so you want to find a way to build
habits without relying on it too much).
If
you choose, on the other hand, to walk your dog every day or to play outside
with your kids, those habits might come with a lot more motivation for your
personally than going to the gym. And yet, they happen to include some
exercise. See how that works?
Find something you’re motivated to do. You’ll
need that motivation to keep you going, since habits can be an uphill battle
until they become ingrained.
The more often you do your habit, the stronger
it will become. Each repetition enforces it as a behavior and strengthens the
pathways in your brain related to it. Eventually, all that repetition makes the
behavior automatic, something you do without thinking about it, which is when
we call it a habit.
If you’re only doing something once or twice a
week, it’s going to take a long time for that behavior to develop into a habit.
You’re spending more of your week not doing it.
Try to find a habit you can track every day,
or every weekday at least. The more you do it, the faster you’ll develop it
into a real habit.
If
you aim to run 5km every day after not exercising for the past two years, you
probably won’t keep that up for long. To keep on track with your new habit you
need to choose something achievable so you’ll always feel that if you
make the effort you can do it.
The
last thing you want is ability getting in the way when you’re already battling
with your willpower.
If
you need to choose something tiny to start with, go for it. Better a tiny
habit that you do every day than a huge
one you hardly ever complete.
Secret No.2
HOW TO IDENTIFY WHICH ARE WASTEFUL HABITS?
Habits
can be difficult to change, but it is possible to replace them with new
behaviors. When you replace bad habits with activities that focus on that
worthwhile 20 percent, you’ll find yourself much more successful in the same
amount of–or perhaps even less–time per week.
People
will always want to schedule meetings. It makes them feel more productive, but
if there is nothing to gain, it ends up being just a big fat waste of time.
Know what you’re getting into before stepping foot into a meeting before you
just waste time talking about what could be or what could have been.
Getting
rid of bad people is probably even more crucial than bringing in great
people. If you don’t get the wrong people out quickly, you’re only doing
half your job. It might sound like a rationalization, but it is quite
likely that you’re doing a favor to this employee if you make that decision
sooner, and let them go. It can be beneficial to everyone involved, with no
hard feelings.
Cut
those customers who always want something but don’t pay. The ones that don’t
value what you have to offer, and constantly question your prices. If they
don’t value you now, they never will, and you’ll constantly be justifying the
work you do, no matter how cheap.
Cut
them loose. Give them the heave-ho. tell them goodbye and never look back. Only
work with clients who appreciate your value.
We
have been trained to look for shortcuts. Copy-pasting, plagiarizing,
repurposing, skimming, the list goes on and on. But in my experience, shortcuts
always lead to failed projects and unhappy clients.
Hopefully,
someone will catch the mistakes inherent in shortcuts and make you fix it, or
start over from scratch. You spend more time fixing the mistake than you saved
by taking the shortcut; if it’s the who client catches these mistakes, not only
will it cost you time and money, but also their respect and confidence.
Do you come into the office with a plan? Do you have an agenda for that day or week? Do you know what items you need to tackle today and in what order
If
not, then congratulations: you’re “winging it”.
To “wing” something means to enter any situation without a plan of action. When you “wing” your day, you get pulled into every meeting, and you usually respond to every call.
By
starting your day with a plan of your priorities, you don’t waste time, and you
know what items take priority; not only do the most important tasks get
accomplished first, but you are able to finish more tasks overall because you
waste less time leaving items half-finished and coming back to them later.
Secret No. 3
HOW TO VALUE YOUR TIME & LEVERAGE IT TO MAKE ITS BEST USE?
Sure,
tactics like maintaining “to-do” lists (or “done” lists), setting goals, and
decreasing the amount and time of meetings can all help. But really, these are
all tactics that fall into a strategical category of leveraging our time.
Leverage
is an awesome force–it allows us to multiply our abilities by applying a little
pressure to something.
What
a sharp contrast from our modern day! Now, words are cheap: they are everywhere,
constantly bombarding us with useless information and trivial tweets. Heartfelt
letters to a lover are rare. More often, we see texts sent with emoticons and
mutilated misspellings.
The
sad truth is, few of us place value in the words we speak. We open our mouths
to hear the music of our own voices, rarely considering the worth of what we
are saying.
A
man’s reputation can be ruined by loose lips. Just look at politics. The
more we say, the more likely we are to say something stupid. The sheer volume of
words issuing from our mouths statistically invites idiocy. We all have had
moments when we’ve made everyone laugh a few times, but it all stops when we
say something off-putting. The humor quickly evaporates, leaving us with
reddened faces.
Especially
when dealing with our bosses or members of the opposite sex, we can be tempted
to avoid awkward silence by filling it with even more awkward chatter. This can
inevitably lead to saying something regrettable and possibly offensive.
The
less we talk, the more we observe! Our idle words that flow from our mouths
with little consequence, are often the outpouring of our minds chattering away.
When we stop talking, restraining our words, we will find that that the voice
inside also grows silent. This allows us to get out of the world in our heads,
and look at the world around us, seeing things that we might not have noticed
before.
On
the range, inattention to the world around you was dangerous. The very land
itself was ready to kill you at any moment. If you were idly talking about
nothing with your guard down, you wouldn’t have noticed a hostile enemy
creeping up behind you with knife in hand.
While
we don’t necessarily need to be worried about being scalped at the office,
being absorbed in our world is still dangerous. It can range from not seeing
the car pulling out in front of you or failing to observe a girl is interested
in you. When we pull ourselves from the constant flow of words in our minds and
out of our mouths, it frees us to really see what is going on in our lives.
When
speaking to others, it is good to keep what you are saying in the right tone.
Telling jokes while attending a funeral isn’t often a great idea.
Is
there impact to what you are about to say? When you speak, you should have a
better reason for what you say than, “I wanted to.” Ideally, everything you say
should have a purpose or reason. Maybe your friend is feeling down and you know
that he loves a good joke. Your girlfriend has had a bad day, so you tell her
something encouraging that you love about her. The goal is to reduce the amount
of unnecessary things you say, because it’s usually the unnecessary words we
later regret.
No
doubt, at times a cowboy would give someone a piece of his mind, regardless of
whether or not it hurt the other’s feelings. This was done with courage because
it could easily provoke a gunfight and had more behind it than mere spite.
Today, we don’t often come to blows or gunfire over insults, but that doesn’t
mean we should weigh the consequences less. Speaking the truth hurts at times.
Saying off-handedly to your wife or girlfriend that the dinner she made was OK
may not seem harmful; but the comment may hurt them more than you realize.
At the end of the day, we don’t have much more than our
reputations. A Cowboy certainly didn’t. We should take care that our words
don’t reflect badly on ourselves. The easiest way for a powerful man to seem
foolish is to run his mouth off, revealing to all how little control he
actually has over himself. What we choose to say often reveals our
character.
Secret No.4
HOW TIME LOG SHOULD BE USED TO MAINTAIN YOUR FOCUS?
The
problem with working harder is that it simply doesn’t work. The human brain
isn’t designed to operate at full power all day long. Rather than helping you
get closer to your goals, trying to focus for extended periods of time can fry
your mental circuits, making it impossible to think clearly. As a result, your
decision-making and creativity suffer, and your work slows to a crawl. Focus
also involves an understanding of what is worthy of your distraction.
Many
people wish they had more time to do all they want to do, but they’re
‘just so busy’.
Keeping
a time log is a simple and surprisingly effective way to boost your
productivity, get what needs to be done actually done, and realize just how
‘busy’ you’ve really been.
In
many respects, it’s the first step you need to take because it makes you aware
of just how you’re spending your time — the key to managing yourself more
effectively.
Just
by making the effort to record and analyze how you spend your day will itself
raise awareness of your time and how you’re using it.
The
time you invest to do it will almost certainly be paid back to you many times
over as you become more conscious of how much your time matters?
Keeping
a personal time management log helps you identify what you’re spending too long
on… or not doing enough!
It’s
surprising just how disruptive and destructive a break in focus can be for your
productivity.
Often,
it’s only when you look back that you can see just how much time was wasted on
low value activities that you could easily outsource to others, or not get
involved in at all.
Spot patterns that highlight what times of day you’re most likely to be productive, and also when you’re less so. Knowing your patterns of productivity is useful for planning.
Secret No.5
HOW TO WATCH YOUR PERSPECTIVE OF LIFE AND KEEP UPDATING
IT?
Perspective
has many definitions, such as the ability to understand what is important and
what isn’t, and the capacity to view things in their true relationship or
relative importance. If you are only thinking about problems and sorrows,
that’s exactly what are you going to attract in your life. If you change your
perspective and start thinking about solutions and opportunities, you are
sending vibrations to attract an abundance of them.
Are
you having trouble looking for the silver lining? Feeling burned out can
negatively affect your life as well as your career.
Try
writing a page or two on what you would like to do with the rest of your life.
Don’t worry about grammar, practicalities or priorities. Just create that dream
list.
Record
your thoughts, feelings and hopes, or tell them to a trusted friend. With
someone to witness them, you’ll feel responsible for making some changes.
Secret No.6
HOW TO ALIGN YOUR ACTIONS WITH YOUR GOALS?
It’s
nice to have goals. The act of setting goals along makes you much more likely
to achieve them.
But
having goals isn’t enough. It’s far too easy to jot down some goals that make
you feel good about yourself, only to then get distracted and forget about them
altogether.
The
key to achieving your goals is really simple. It comes down to aligning your
actions with your goals — every single day.
If
you want to lose weight, you need to eat better. If you want to build muscle,
you need to lift weights. If you want to write a book, you need to start
writing.
And
if you want to grow your business, you need to start doing some marketing.
Goals
are helpful to direct your steps. But more important than goals is the strong
reason “why” you work for those goals.
When
you know the deep reason why you seek for them, you’ll be more motivated
to push through.
You’ll
intentionally seek for opportunities that align with your “why”. You’ll filter
your actions that do not support it. You’ll start your day with clarity. It’s
never impossible for you to enjoy life and make a living at the same time. You
can work hard or do more and still feel fulfilled.
You
lose your journey to a fulfilling life when you settle your eyes on the metrics
of others.
When
you examine yourself, you slowly find out why you do certain actions.
When
employees don’t know their company’s mission, vision or core values, they
are left with a lack of direction. Instead, they need to be aware of how their
projects fit into the overall organizational framework and how their specific
contributions impact company strategy.
The
key here is alignment. Employees at all levels need to be aligned on their
companies’ larger goals, and those goals need to be broken down to
a smaller scale to ensure that people remain engaged in day-to-day
operations.
Managers
who consistently provide feedback can help keep employees focused on their
performance. Feedback acts as a reminder. Without it, employees get too caught
up in their daily tasks and lose sight of the bigger picture.
Employees
see the value in feedback, as well. Work board found that 72 percent
of employees surveyed thought their performance would improve with more
feedback. Job feedback should focus on growth and forward thinking by and
how employees can learn from their mistakes.
Additionally,
employers should seek feedback from their staff. If employees feel that they
aren’t informed properly or are missing information, they should be able to
speak up.
If,
for example, a tenured employee finds new directives to be off track, he or she
should be able to express concerns and ask how a particular project
contributes to the overall organizational goals.
Employees
should know their role in each of their projects. To help them do this, you can
use visuals to explain the company’s overall strategy and how each role
advances toward its goals. Some project-management platforms provide real-time
goal-tracking and present it in charts and graphs to demonstrate individual and
group progress.
It’s
also important to assign the right tasks to the right people. Use feedback and
performance reviews to understand each employee’s level of competency and what
his or her strengths are, to maintain and even improve productivity. If particular employees
excel at closing sales deals, put them on the front line on client
presentations.
Tasks,
further, should challenge an employee to grow. Consistent feedback lets
employers know their employees’ plan to evolve, which in turn informs the assignment
of projects. If, for example, a tenured employee wants to expand his or
her skill set and learn more about research and development, the employer can
integrate that individual’s role with that department.
Engagement
is essential to keep a company growing and reaching for its vision. When
employees aren’t recognized, they lose track of their purpose. But in contrast,
when wins are celebrated, employees want to win more.
A
simple expression of gratitude, such as a thank-you note or gift, shows employees
that management is paying attention and notices that they are consistently
working hard and succeeding at their individual goals.
When
recognizing top talent, explain how employees’ efforts are pushing the company
toward large-scale goals. Show how their performance is meeting and exceeding
expectations to encourage more hard work and dedication.
Secret No.7
HOW TO KEEP IN MIND THAT YOUR FIRST DUTY IS TO YOURSELF FOR BRINGING SENSATION SUCCESS IN YOUR LIFE?
It’s
the easiest thing in the world to give up from a failure. The only way to push
on is if you have the true burning desire to succeed, to not be moved or
dissuaded from your goals.
What
is success to you? How to be successful in life?
To
some, when they think of success, they imagine wealth; others want power; some
just want to make a positive impact on the world.
All
of these are perfectly valid, indeed success is a concept that means different
things to different people. Though no matter what success is to you, it almost
certainly isn’t something will come easily.
There
are countless guides and books to being successful, however, as success is
personal and unique to each individual. The advice contained in these books can
often not be relevant. Therefore following the advice of a single individual
can often be unhelpful.
With
this in mind, considering the advice of a great many people, people whose ideas
of success were different both to each other, and quite possibly, to you can be
a good alternative.
Understand
that life is the ultimate video game: It keeps leveling up, and
you have to level up with it. Do something well enough that you make it look
easy. Even if it takes 10,000 hours to get there, it’ll be worth it in the end.
Figure out what your values are and stick with them. Kindness is a
scarce and valuable resource. Cherish it.
Fear is the number one thing holding you back from what you want
to do. Be brave enough to follow your heart. Not enough people will be.
Perspective
comes when you’re not in the middle of the situation. The best view of the NYC
skyline is in New Jersey, not on Fifth Avenue.
Trust your gut. When your spidery sense is tingling, pay close attention.
Somehow it knows better than you do when something is right or wrong.
You
will never know how much space you take up in someone else’s world.
Wounding
people binds them to you more deeply than kindness. Just look at the Joker and
Harley Quinn.
With
that said, try to leave people better off than you found them. Leaving
them worse off will have repercussions for them far beyond just you, touching
everyone they interact with in the future (i.e., if you’re the first
ex-boyfriend who broke her heart, she will be guarded around every man she
meets after you. If you’re that first terrible boss at work, he will be jaded
for the rest of his career. Just something to think about.)
Try
not to use people as a means to an end. They can tell. So can you.
Most
of the time, people are not trying to hurt you on purpose. Usually their
actions are driven by self-interest, not malice.
Give
people a second chance, if they deserve one.
Insecurity
is a bitch; it bleeds into everything and can come out in unexpected ways. Be
careful with your insecurities and especially careful with those of others.
The
easiest way to be happy is to not be outcome-dependent.
The
best relationships are like fine wine: They get better and better over time.
Whenever
you can, pay it forward.
You
have to have a reason for being. If your whyis strong enough, then your how will fall into place. You
will figure out a way.
If you’re wondering why it’s so important to do what you love,
it’s because work takes up so much of your life. The vast majority of your most
productive waking hours will be spent at work, so in order to love your
life, you have to love what you do for a living.
Introduction of good habits in your daily life is the first step to improve productivity. Habit is a routine of behavior that is repeated frequently, and tends to occur unconsciously. Bad habits intrude your life and prevent you from accomplishing your goals. Breaking any habit can be difficult. For instance, if a person smokes regularly, it becomes his habit and even if he wants to quit, it becomes difficult for him to give-up. Psychologist and philosopher William James proclaimed that the entire life is nothing but a series of habits that we form repeatedly. The power of habit has been explained by various authors, world leaders and motivational speakers. One of the famous Authors, Stephen R. Covey, wrote a book titled “The 7 Habits of successful People” describing an approach to being effective in realizing your goals. One can create excellence in big things, by developing good habits even in small matters. Keeping the desk clean, using mobile with discretion, removing the clutter from your mind, etc. All these can be practiced again and again easily. When you instill these habits into your life, you create the foundation for achieving your goals. Here are 8 Habits of highly productive people that you may adopt to get the best out of you!!
1.Form a habit to ruthlessly cut away the unimportant
That’s right. Try to focus only on the important things, and cut away everything that’s unimportant. There is no point doing something that is not needed for the desired results. So push yourself to quit wasting time, and bring yourself back to the production mode. Ensure that you do it everyday to experience the power of good habits.
2.Allocate breaks strategically
Productivity declines over time without taking brakes. Take many small breaks during the day. The rule of thumb would be to take a 5 to 10 minutes break every 2 hours of work. Breaks are a highly effective way to boosting your productivity. Importance of good habits needs to be experienced by putting them into practice.
3.Importance of habit information.
It’s necessary to understand your habits. Things that limit your productivity must be thrown out. It can be the loud music you listen to when you work, your phone calls, alerts from your inbox, your slow computer, the internet, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc. These things trap you and prevent you from getting things done.
4.Advantages of good habits need to be counted .That will inspire you.
No matter what field you’re in, your inspiration is the key to your output. So, channel your inner muse. Keep on thinking and contemplating the things that motivates you. And definitely you will find that your focus increases thereby up surging your productivity.
5.How to practice good habits?
You may have defined good habits that you want to develop. But how to do that and more importantly how to practice these good habits on daily basis needs your urgent and consistent attention .Don’t make yourself too accessible. If you’re too accessible, then you will face a lot of interruptions. Nowadays, people can connect with others very easily- with the touch of button (text, emails, calls, etc.). Therefore, guard your time to improve your productivity.
6.Optimize time pockets
Make the best of every minute. For instance, if you’re working for 10 minutes, ensure that you achieve maximum outcomes in those 10 minutes and then you can take time off. You usually get time pockets while waiting for people, commuting, chess app, reading books, or planning.
7.Set time limit for all your project.
Unless you do a thing in time, it may loose its significance all together .Delay is most damaging. Be clear on what you want to achieve, and then set your timelines for them. When you set timelines, you commit to yourself to complete the work on time, hence, paving the way for the reality to manifest.
8.Automate everything possible
Technology today has made automation possible for a lot of things we do. Hence, find a way to automate every task and let it be your habit. If you outsource, delegate. Delegation and automation wherever possible will enhance your productivity. By no means, this is a complete list. But as you focus on improving productivity by adopting good habits you will be inspired to adopt more such habits which are particularly useful to you.
Everyone in his/her life pursues various objectives and goals with the ultimate objective of achieving happiness. ‘Pursuit of the happiness’, these words initial used by US president Jeffereson Devis. Subsequently they were made popular by Martin Luther king in his famous speech ‘I have a dream’. No doubt, everyone has a right to pursue happiness in whichever way the person likes. However, very often we are so much involved in daily routine that we are carried away by the string of events. In the process, we lose focus on what we are trying to achieve. It will be a good exercise for each one of us to reflect on these words and work out and define what is how you plan to pursue your happiness. Firstly, we must understand that happiness is not just momentary pleasures of life. I do not say that pleasures of life should not be there. But that these should be only a part of our larger plan, which should addresses some or all of the related features of happiness. The following aspects are of immense importance in an individual’s life. Your attitude to life. One must have a positive attitude. Life is full of ups and downs. There could be challenges, successes and failures. Positive attitude means just to accept these as a part of life. You become a witness or an observer of what is going. At the same time, use your discretion to take decisions. It’s only then that we understand that we can remain composed and maintain our poise in turbulent times. In fact, it is necessary to maintain our poise even in the happiest time. None of the two situations last forever. Like every night is followed by the day. Every day is followed by night. But in life it may not be in the same order and the duration may also vastly differ.
Importance of your Goals: In order that you pursue happiness, you must define your
goals: in all of the following aspects.
Health goals. Good mental and
physical health is extremely important if you want to lead a happy life. Doing
what is necessary to keep good health is everyone’s duty. Regular exercise,
following proper food routine and maintaining positive attitude can ensure that
you are moving towards your health goals from day to day. Yet, it is a
continuous process to pursue throughout the life.
Career/ financial goals. If you are
successful in your career it expected that you will also do your financial and
remain comfortable but you have to find tune of your objectives and follow the
plan as devised.
Your family is undoubtedly equally
important and should feature in your pursuit of happiness, according to our own
Indian tradition. The importance of finance and family are critical in your
pursuit.
Then comes to your social goals.
What do want to contribute to the society and what you actually do, determines
how successful you are in following social goals. Here again, you need to
define and then follow your plan of action. The amount of success you achieve
in your social goals will add up in your happiness. It will also determine how
the society perceives and respects you. In other words, it means your
reputation is reflected by what and how you contribute to the society.
For leading a fuller, complete life
you must pursue some hobbies. At least one. It could be music. It could be
painting .It could be some sport. It could also be travelling, writing etc. But
the important thing is that you have atlaest one hobby on which you able to
spend some time. It must not only for name sake.
Last but not the least your
spiritual goals are also important. We all know that no one has to stay here
forever. Sooner or later we must depart. We don’t know where. This uncertainty
needs your spiritual pursuit. Whichever religion you may follow, you must
define your spiritual goals. These will eventually define how you are
remembered after your departure.