Tag: habit

Posted on

Making decisions…

Image may contain: text

“Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.”  – Tony Robbins

A lot of us, myself included… tend to wait for the right moment to make decision – the right decision… is there really a right decision?

Image result for meme on decisions

What I have learnt from some of the audio books, we have to just make the decision and manage the decision we have made… fine-tuning it along the way – to make it a good and sound decision (at the time we made that decision with the resources that we have). We have to learn to be resourceful and have the grit (persistence) to pursue what we have decided upon (as long as we can).

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela

At times we have the fear to make the wrong decision… well, if we do not make that decision, will you be able to know whether you are able to achieve it?

Some recommendations I have in mind…

Image result for meme on tada

  1. Use the Benjamin Franklin method (a good article to read: https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/how-to-make-a-decision-like-ben-franklin/)
  2. Discuss with the people that you trust (to bounce off some ideas) and you will have to make the decision, anyhow.
  3. This is the time when you know, having a mentor and / or a coach helps (let me know if you need any help, i will be more than willing – if both our schedules permit).
  4. Do your research, write down the possible outcomes (depending on the goal that you have set), “sleep on it” for a few days and refer to item #2 or #3.
  5. Just Do It… NOW! (If you do not, will you regret it… at a later stage in life?)

In my humble opinion, it is not how you start, it is the journey of learning, to keep going and persist until you finish what you have started.

Image result for quitting a habit quotes

So what… if you made a mistake? Evaluate the experience and move on…

I am sure there are a lot of good reading materials you can get pertaining to making decisions. You can read as much as you can or want… ultimately, you have to make that decision to either start or not.

Image may contain: text

Opportunity does not come to you… You have to SEIZE IT!

Let me share some quotes that I like on making decisions:

  1. “A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows the public opinion.” – Grantland Rice
  2. “When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier.” – Roy E. Disney
  3. “I made decisions that I regret, and I took them as learning experiences… I’m human, not perfect, like anybody else.” – Queen Latifah
  4. “Sometimes it’s the smallest decisions that can change your life forever.” – Keri Russell
  5. “Our daily decisions and habits have a huge impact upon both our levels of happiness and success.” – Shawn Achor

I look forward to your success and please share your story / journey with me.

 

“Change your habits, change your world!”

“Your habits, your future!”

 

Posted on

12 Weekend Habits of Highly Successful People

Have you ever thought of what successful (depends on what success means to you, in this case, people who are busy and had made a name for themselves in the business world) or we can identify them as effective leaders (people who get results)  do during the weekends?

I have come across these twelve leaders and what they do during weekends;

1. Robert Iger (CEO of Disney) – get up early (and never experience “Monday Blues”…)

2. Benjamin Franklin (Founding Father of the United States) – have a plan (fail to plan and we plan to fail)

3. Timothy Ferriss (Author; one of his books, “The 4-Hour Work Week”) –  do not multitask (focus to get better results)

4. Anna Wintour, OBE (Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief) – stay active (and gain more energy to achieve more)

5. Steve Jobs (Apple) – prioritize what’s important (clarity on what gets you closer to your goal and breakthrough)

6. Warren Buffett (CEO of Berkshire Hathaway) – make time for hobbies (life has more meaning in doing what you love)

7. Oprah Winfrey (Media Proprietor) – practice stillness (meditation for 20 minutes a day will improve your mind)

8. Randi Zuckerberg (Businesswoman) – forget FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and embrace JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) 

9. Bill Gates (Microsoft) – take time to reflect (this is how humans improve themselves and learn more)

10. Richard Branson (Business magnate) – give back (release oxytocin and feel happier)

11. Jack Dorsey (CEO of Twitter Inc.) – get ready for the rest of the week (plan ahead and expect the unexpected)

12. Jay-Z (Rapper) – keep up the momentum (once you get going, it’s going to be tough to stop… keep moving forward)

There you go… some great tips and sharing on what we can do with our weekends. Enjoy your weekend.

“Change Your HABITS, Change Your World…”

Posted on

Good Habits of Leaders

Image may contain: one or more people, ocean, sky, outdoor, nature and water

Get up early

Majority of the top people in organisations (especially multi-nationals; and they are made known to the public), they wake up early… of course, there are some who prefers to do the opposite 😉

As what Anthony Robbins and other leadership gurus mentioned about having your own time… “the Golden Hour”, “Power Hour” or “Hour of Power”… the time for you to reflect, do your journaling, exercise, meditate, plan your day, strategise your project, do your prayers, read books, and your own important things to boost your motivation.

Of course there are some special people who prefer to do it late at night; anytime is fine as long as you get to utilise your own precious time to add value to yourself.

A lot of people that I have met, they shared with me that they do not have the time. My recommendation, just start with 5 minutes a day and work from there… increase to 10, then 15 minutes and so on… you will need to find time to do what you want to do and get the results.

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” – Abraham Lincoln

Exercise Regularly

What do you have in mind when you hear the word “exercise”?

Walking, running, cycling, swimming, going to the gym, stretching, skipping, doing push-ups?

Yes, by exercising, we build and strengthen our muscles. Making ourselves fitter and stronger… having more energy throughout the day.

What I have realised, while we are working on our physical strength, we will also need to exercise our brains… the brain is a muscle, the more you use (exercise) it, the stronger it becomes.

How do we exercise our brains?

Reading helps, solving problems, taking on challenges, thinking about solutions, having discussions to share ideas, being curious, asking great questions, having open mind to learn, relax by playing Legos, some puzzles, games, sports… yes, our brains need the workout to be stretched and strengthen.

“Exercise is the key not only to physical health but to peace of mind.” – Nelson Mandela

Attitude of Learning

From the cradle to the grave, I believe that we are in a journey of learning. No matter how young or old you are, we are constantly learning. Whether we are doing well or facing failure (by the way, failure is a feedback – not the end… just a stumbling block experience that we can learn something from). As long as we have positive attitude to learn, we are growing to be a better individual; leader.

In this age of technology, we have access to multiple media to learn from, the YouTube, TED talk, Vimeo, social media – all the good, the bad, beautiful, ugly… everything that we can learn from; it is our choice to select what to learn. And of course, for those who prefer the books or audio books… they are also available.

The term role modelling; learning from a successful individual that we admire – we can learn by watching their interviews, talks, workshops, speeches, etc. In a way, they are like your virtual mentors or coaches (learn from their great questions). WOW! There are really a LOT to learn.

Another good place to learn will be the car; it is also known as “University on Wheels”; how much time do we spend driving everyday?

For instance, if it takes you 20 minutes one-way, you have a total of 40 minutes to listen and learn from self-improvement or any learning topics’ audio books… or you may choose any knowledge or skills that you would like to learn. Definitely a good choice for those who do not like to take the book to read; you can get your player to read to you and learn about the contents. SUPER AWESOME!

Positive Growth Mindset

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” – Henry Ford

Life is a journey and I guarantee that, there is no perfect journey; like the weather, it changes and it is not fixed… and we are affected by the weather and how we go through the journey, depends on us… what mindset are we practicing?

We can choose to have negative, fixed mindset and feel miserable – having the weight of the world on our shoulders (that’s the price to pay for having negative thinking) or have a positive growth mindset…

What we can learn from Dr. Carol Dweck on Growth Mindset:

Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset

Another learning that I captured from one of my mentors… the people that we constantly mix with will somehow influence us, “birds of the same feather, flock together.” Hence, it will be better for us to surround ourselves with people who are positive and having skills to complement us… not compete but complete us.

In my humble opinion, start our day with positives; having the attitude of gratitude (be thankful – so many things to be thankful for), read motivational quotes, stories, inspire ourselves… be alive. Or simply SMILE having positive thoughts. Imagine our mind like a garden, if you are the gardener, how are you going to tend to your precious garden? Are you going to leave your garden full of weeds or flowers? (weeds = negatives, flowers = positives). Your choice.

Talking about choices, I have a model (ABC-BCD) that I have learnt and would like to share with you (feel free to contact me, if you need more information).

 It starts with Awareness; perfect practicing mindfulness, then we decide on the habit / behaviour that we want to change and carry out the action. After some time doing the routine, it will be automatic (unconscious competence).

I believe that from birth to death (cradle to grave), we are constantly making choices and whether or not, we are willing to pay the price (for the choices that we have made)?

“Change Your Habits, Change Your World!”

#habitchange

#habitchange2dot0

#worldofhabits

#dionhabits

 

Posted on

10 Easy ways to practice Mindfulness

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”   – Victor Frankl

Definition of Mindfulness (Google):

a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.

How can we practice mindfulness? Here are 10 easy ways…

1.  Live in the moment (be aware and present… enjoy the moment)

2.  Accept things as they are (events happened and we can control our responses)

3.  Use the power of visualisation (practice positive thinking, see everything in your mind)

4.  Practice mindful eating (know what is going into your body, the quality of the food)

5.  Start your day without any gadgets (there are many other things that you can do 🙂 )

6.  Accept your weak points (focus on your strengths and further strengthening them)

7.  Take small steps (start small and go for small wins)

8.  Wait patiently (patience is key… take a deep breath and let it go…)

9.  Free yourself from all distractions (be aware of the thoughts and focus on what you want)

10. End your day on a positive note (start with positive and end with positive…)

Different people have different ways of achieving the above… find your own way and if it works for you… keep doing and achieve MINDFULNESS.

If it our CHOICE to have a better life, habits, be happy, be healthy… make your choice and enjoy the journey of life.

“Change Your HABITS, Change Your World!”

Posted on

I am Habit…

As I was going through some articles and poems about Habits… came across this interesting poem that shared in one of the training I attended years ago.

I trust we can all benefit from this poem. Enjoy reading…

The Habit Poem

I am your constant companion.
I am your greatest helper or your heaviest burden.
I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.
I am completely at your command.

Half the things you do, you might just as well turn over to me,
and I will be able to do them quickly and correctly.
I am easily managed; you must merely be firm with me.
Show me exactly how you want something done, and after a few lessons I will do it automatically.

I am the servant of all great men.

And, alas, of all failures as well.
Those who are great, I have made great.
Those who are failures, I have made failures.
I am not a machine, though I work with all the precision of a machine.

Plus, the intelligence of a man.
You may run me for profit, or run me for ruin; it makes no difference to me.
Take me, train me, be firm with me and I will put the world at your feet.
Be easy with me, and I will destroy you.

Who am I?

I am a HABIT! 

“Change Your Habits, Change Your World”

“Your Habits, Your Future!”

Posted on

What is your daily routine?

How do you normally go through your day?

What do you start with?

What is your daily routine like?

Different people have different ways of running and starting their day. After doing some reading and learning from others on their daily routines, I would like to share some observations…

There is an ex-SEAL high ranking officer shared in his commencement speech with the university students, first thing to do in the morning is to make your bed right. Some of us will be wondering why, making our bed is important and what is the significance of making the bed?

According to the Navy officer, when we make our bed right, we start our day right. We have accomplished the first task of the day and by doing that, we feel productive and there is a sense of accomplishment. And we will be looking forward to completing more tasks for the day.

At times, our day may not be good and when we return home, when we see our made bed, at least one thing is done right. That, in a way is a source of motivation. That is what the Navy officer is sharing and I believe that starting your day right is important for our well-being.

I would like to share some ideas on starting the day… you can make a choice and make it your own personal project or experiment to make your 2018 and beyond better.

Set theme of the day

What is your theme for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and the rest of the days of the week? For example, Monday is to focus on completing administration work (management, operations, etc.), Tuesday for Sales, Marketing and growth of the company… the key is the power of focus. When there is a distraction, at least you know where to focus on that day.

Start and End with questions

Like Benjamin Franklin, he starts his day by asking the question, “What good shall I do this day?” and ended his day with the question, “What good have I done today?”

As for Marshall Goldsmith, he has his daily active questions;

Did I do my best to…

  • Set clear goals?

  • Make progress to achieve my goals?

  • Find meaning?

  • Build positive relationships?

  • Be fully engaged?

  • And many more…

The power of questions that can trigger deeper thinking and unleash the potential in you. And you will need to put them into action to get the results and get motivated.

Start with exercise

Some leaders start their day with exercise, moving the body to gain positive energy and get fresh morning air. It may not be for everyone, as some may only exercise middle of the day or in the evening. In my humble opinion, as long as you keep moving and be active, it should be all right.

There are a lot of goodness that comes out from an active lifestyle, just do it in moderation. Too much of a good thing may not be that good.

SAVERS Morning Routine

This interesting routine comes from Hal Elrod, author of “The Miracle Morning,” and they are as below;

S = Silence, A = Affirmations, V = Visualization, E = Exercise, R = Reading and S = Scribing.

The way we start our morning can make or break the rest of our day. The SAVERS acronym reminds us of six habits or rituals that can improve our morning routines.

Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail

For those who prefer planning, it can be done in the morning or evening (for the next day). Planning can help us to focus on the things / tasks / activities to do for the day.

Some leaders focus on the top 3 most important things for the day, and they plan their day using calendar (or to-do list and there are a lot of apps that can be used for planning / scheduling).

Just sharing one of the best practices, some leaders will plan for own time and family time.

Blessed are those who are flexible…

Every day is a new day and for some, they do not have any fixed schedule nor routine. They are different every day, how interesting is that?

Different people have different styles, flexibility may stress out some people… and some really love the flexibility and spontaneity. “One man’s meat is another man’s poison…”

My recommendation is for you to do the different routines and experiment, then decide which one is the one suitable for you. You know yourself best.

All the very best in 2018 and beyond.

 

“Change your habits, change your world!”

#habitchange2dot0

#dionocl

Posted on

10 Habits of Lifelong Learners

 

Today I attended a preview for an Executive MBA and from the presentation, there was a slide which caught my attention.

“Habits of a lifelong learner…”

When I returned home, while spending the balance of my weekend… reflected and remembered that I have not written for quite some time now.

I would like to share the top 10 habits of lifelong learners as below:

1. Never stop learning as learning is a journey.

Albert Einstein shared this interesting quote,  “Once you stop learning, you start dying.”

2. Spread out the learning – chunk it down.

There is no point cramming everything in one learning. So let us take one day at a time. Like what I have shared during workshops, imaging if you improve 1% a month, you will improve 12% a year! How about 1% per week? It adds up to 52% a year… what is stopping us from learning?

3. Action will get results.

“You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do.” – Carl Gustav Jung

I do believe that when we put in the action, we get the results and when we get the results, we will be more motivated as well.

4. Visualise the goal (as if you have already achieve it).

“What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” – Napoleon Hill

When we know where we are headed (and see it clearly in our head), chances are better we reach the destination in no time. Example when we want to finish fixing the jigsaw puzzles, we will refer to the picture on the box (begin with the end in mind). Then comes the strategies and execution…

5. Seek out to learn.

One of my mentors used to share with me… “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear…”

Once we have decided to learn (ready with the right learning attitude), somehow we are more receptive and will be able to absorb the learning better.

What are the areas that you can further learn? Take it as a “mini-project” to work on enhancing yourself.

6. Coach and Mentor others.

“You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.” – Zig Ziglar

It is also true when we make others happy, in return, we are happy too.

I have decided to coach and mentor as many people as I can because when I do that, I can learn from others that I am coaching or mentoring. The questions we prepared before the coaching sessions, planning and organising, research and development and not forgetting the questions that others asked (especially when we are mentoring).

There is no limit in learning as long as we have an open mind.

7. Challenges are opportunities in disguise.

If it does not kill us, it will only make us stronger… take a rest if you must, just do not throw in the towel! As long as you keep moving, one day you will arrive.

As I looked back (reflected), I have learnt that problems / challenges that I went through have taught me A LOT! We may not be able to have control over the events, with enough practice and awareness, we can learn how to respond (or react) to the situation and get better outcomes. Even if we fail, we can learn from the failure (via reflection, feedback, coaching, mentoring… and many other ways to learn).

8. Be part of learning via participation and collaboration.

There will be a lot of opportunities presented when we attend seminars, workshops, conferences, networking or any social events… let’s do our part to participate and collaborate.

It could be running projects in the organisation, corporate social responsibility, or tasks… look out for ways to be part of the team to contribute (at the same time, learn!).

9. Use technology.

What is stopping you from utilising the technology to learn?

Articles, e-learning, YouTube, TED Talk, GoogleTalk, Feedly, Twitter, Podcasts… and many others… there is an endless streams of media that we can have access to…

Turn your commute to work as “university on the move” or you can listen to audiobooks while exercising… be creative… what is needed is to prioritise when and how we want to learn.

10. Have fun and enjoy the journey.

Oh… might as well enjoy it while we are at it… YES?

Ultimately, it boils down to the choice that we make… to learn or not to learn?

Whatever choice we make, we got to pay the price.

Have fun and enjoy your learning journey.

“Let go, let life, and enjoy the journey…!”  ― James A. Murphy

One last thing, when was the last time you visited the public library? 🙂

“Change your habits, change your world!”