Date :

LIFESTYLE FOR SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS

Module 1 Orientation & Analysis of Lifestyle

Importance of OptimismBoth optimism and pessimism are defined as generalized expectations about things that happen to one in life andsuch expectations are considered to be stable features of personality.

But do these different styles of coping have an impact on a persons mental health?Several studies have found that people with positive expectations of the future optimists - will tend to prolong the efforts towards the goals, even if they have to face serious obstacles.On the contrary, people with little confidence pessimists - will be more inclined to avoid adversity, enhancing in temporary distractive activities that will not help to solve the problem. These efforts to face or to avoid problems are translated in different behaviors, which constitute what is named coping strategies.While optimists will mainly use coping strategies centered on the problem and on positive emotions, in addition to working to accept the reality with the best possible view, pessimists will tend to focus in their negative emotions, mental detachment and denial of reality.The relation between optimism and stress examined in several studies have shown that optimism is, in all the cases, related to lower stress levels when facing difficulties.Thebenefitsof having an optimistic way of thinking are evident, and its much tied to the form of connoting life events.At the end, having a more positive way of approaching stress will keep away any potential mental disorder by promoting a healthier state of mind and a better adaptation to reality.

Fostering optimism can shuttle you into positions of leadership by preserving a mindset that is directly correlated with attaining success. Consider the myriad world leaders that have induced positive change on our planet. How many of these leaders approached their work with a pessimistic mindset? It is of the utmost importance that you thwart the pessimistic thoughts that can ultimately riddle ones mind if left unchecked. In the same vein, it is extremely important to prevent pessimistic thoughts and negative energy from others from detracting from your pursuit of success.

Optimists are undoubtedly more successful in all of their pursuits. When one maintains a positive mindset and expects success one is more driven to achieve his or her goals. Have you ever seen a pessimistic person be successful, happy or have a grand accomplishment? I doubt you have ever witnessed this rare occurrence, as it happens rather infrequently. Pessimistic people are left behind and have few accomplishments.

Our society thrives on the concept of survival of the fittest. The optimistic conquer great feats and hurdle obstacles that pessimists couldnt. Rather then focusing on whatever negative possibilities, they choose to fixate their minds on actively finding solutions using their new vision to thrive and succeedbut youre Elite, you already knew that.

The sweet taste of success and pleasure derived from silencing all critics around is what keeps an optimistic person going. Always remember that there is always a possibility of mishaps occurring. What makes the difference is how one addresses and endures the hardship.

It is important that these hardships not be associated with bad luck. View your obstacles as mere tests of your might and actively destroy them as they arise. These tests of your will and determination will get you where you want to be.

It is important to understand that no one miraculously attains success. In each success story you run across you are likely to encounter these three key principlesoptimism, determination, and perseverance. If you wish to attain success it is imperative that you emulate these crucial ideals. There are two kinds of people in this world: those who are complacent with stagnation and the go-getters who thrive on their accomplishments. It is your choice which party you get lumped into.

Winners are winners because they have embraced failure as a fact of life and risen above it. Its not what happens to them that determines their rewards; its how they perceive these events.

Champions view negative events as being one off incidents, whereas losers think of them as being permanent and pervasivehere to stay. Losers allow minor setbacks to affect them in the long term, thus nullifying the possibility of progress before an attempt is made.

Optimism allows us to move on despite our setbacks and our bruises. There are no failures if we learn and decide to bounce back from such obstacles. Unfortunate circumstances are only truly failures if we decide to remain defeated. Keep our words in mind and you will have a level of optimism that will give you the strength to endure any test.

Cultivating Internal Locus of Control

Research has shown that those with aninternal locus of control--that is, they feel that they control their own destiny, rather than their fate being largely determined by external forces--tend to be happier, less depressed, and less stressed. Fortunately, if your locus of control isn't as 'internal' as you'd like it to be, there are things you can do to change your locus of control and empower yourself. Here's a process to practice:

Here's How:1. Realize that you always have choice to change your situation. Even if you dont like the choices available at the moment, even if the only change you can make is in your attitude, you always have some choices.

2. When you feel trapped, make a list of all possible courses of action. Just brainstorm and write things down without evaluating them first.

3. You may want to also brainstorm with a friend to get more ideas that you may not have initially considered. Dont shoot down these ideas right away, either; just write them down.

4. When you have a list, evaluate each one and decide on the best course of action for you, and keep the others in the back of your mind as alternative options. You may end up with the same answer you had before the brainstorming session, but this exercise can open your eyes to the amount of choices you have in a given situation. Seeing new possibilities will become more of a habit.

5. Repeat this practice when you feel trapped in frustrating situations in your life. In more casual, everyday situations, you can still expand your mind to new possibilities by doing this quickly and mentally.

Tips:1. Notice your language and self talk. If you tend to speak in absolutes, stop. If your self talk is generally negative, read this article on the effects ofnegative self talkand how to make yourself talk more positive.

2. Phase out phrases like, I have no choice, and, I cant You can replace them with, I choose not to, or, I dont like my choices, but I will Realizing and acknowledging that you always have choice (even if the choices arent ideal) can help you to change your situation, or accept it more easily if it really is the best of all available options.

3. Your attitude affects your stress level more than you may realize. This article can help you to learn more about mental andpersonality factors that influence your stress level, so you can make changes to keep stress down.

Goals for HappinessMany people pursue goals that they expect will make them happy, but happiness isnt always the end result. We all know people who have put everything they have into their careersat the expense of their personal livesonly to wonder why theyre successful and still unhappy. Its also all too common for people to be surrounded by a beautiful home, expensive cars, designer clothes (and sometimes mounds of debt) and still have less personal satisfaction with life than they had without all the stuff. How is one to know which goals will garner personal happiness and which wont?Another quick look at the list offactors that promote happinessshows that many things contribute to personal happiness; finding a balanced lifestyle so that you can include social support, personal development, physical health and meaningful pursuits in addition to career success and financial security (features that more often steal the focus) is much more likely to bring happiness than a lifestyle where only one or two of these facets receives the lions share of energy and resources, to the exclusion of other important lifestyle factors.

As you set your goals, rememberallof the areas of life that are important to you. Map out a detailed description of how you would like your whole life to look. Use a pie chart to represent your life, and put the goals for different areas of your life into the different pieces. Or, set goals and develop healthy habits for a different area of your life each month. For ideas, see this article onoptimum changes for personal happiness, or this article onhealthy habits for a balanced lifestyle. And dont forget the importance of knowinghow to say noto too many activities in your life!

Whether setting goals as New Years Resolutions, or as part of a quest for an improved life, many people sabotage themselves from the beginning by expecting too much and setting themselves up to fail. For example, many people expect themselves to immediate change their habits out of sheer willpower; any slip-ups are experienced as failures, and too often contribute to an abandonment of the goal and feelings of defeat.If youre trying to make positive changes in your life, its important to set yourself up to succeed:

1. First, set small, attainable goals.Work your way into a new habit with baby steps, and youll feel more successful every step of the way, and be less likely to give up.

2. Next, reward your progress; for each small goal you reach, allow yourself to feel pride, and perhaps give yourself a small reward.

3. Dont forget to enlist social support!Tell the supportive people in your life what youre attempting to acheive, and tell them of your successes. This will give you added strength, and will make it less appealing to give up (and have to explain yourself to those close to you)!

See this article for more onmaking positive changes. Or, for a more spiritual approach, see these articles onunderstanding the law of attractionandusing the law of attraction for positive changes.Module 2 Seeking Contentment through MindfulnessWhat is Mindfulness?Have you ever started eating a snack bar, taken a couple of bites, then noticed all you had leftwas an empty packet in your hand? Or been driving somewhere and arrived at your destination only to realise you remember nothing about your journey?Most people have! These are common examples of "mindlessness," or "going on automatic pilot." In our modern, busy lives, we constantly multi task.Its easy to lose awareness of the present moment as when we become lost in our efforts to juggle work, home, finances, and other conflicting demands.

As humans we are often "not present" in our own lives.We often fail to notice the good things about our lives, fail to hear what our bodies are telling us, or poison ourselves with toxic self critism.

Human minds are easily distracted, habitually examining past events and trying to anticipate the future.Becoming more aware of our thoughts, feelings and sensations may not sound like an obviously helpful thing to do, however learning to do this in a way that suspends judgement and self-criticism can have an incredibly positive impact on our lives.

Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to, and seeing clearly whatever is happening in our lives. It will not eliminate life's pressures, but it can help us respond to them in a calmer manner that benefits our heart, head, and body. It helps us recognise and step away from habitual, often unconscious emotional and physiological reactions to everyday events.It providesus with a scientifically researched approach to cultivating clarity, insight, and understanding.Practicing mindfulness allows us to be fully present in our life and work, and improve our quality of life.

It is 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.Nurturing Strengths, Resilience and Emotional Health

How do people deal with difficult events that change their lives? The death of a loved one, loss of a job, serious illness, terrorist attacks and other traumatic events: these are all examples of very challenging life experiences. Many people react to such circumstances with a flood of strong emotions and a sense of uncertainty.Yet people generally adapt well over time to life-changing situations and stressful conditions. What enables them to do so? It involves resilience, an ongoing process that requires time and effort and engages people in taking a number of steps.

This brochure is intended to help readers with taking their own road to resilience. The information within describes resilience and some factors that affect how people deal with hardship. Much of the brochure focuses on developing and using a personal strategy for enhancing resilience.

What Is Reselience?

Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems or workplace and financial stressors. It means "bouncing back" from difficult experiences.Research has shown that resilience is ordinary, not extraordinary. People commonly demonstrate resilience. One example is the response of many Americans to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and individuals' efforts to rebuild their lives.

Being resilient does not mean that a person doesn't experience difficulty or distress. Emotional pain and sadness are common in people who have suffered major adversity or trauma in their lives. In fact, the road to resilience is likely to involve considerable emotional distress.

Resilience is not a trait that people either have or do not have. It involves behaviors, thoughts and actions that can be learned and developed in anyone.

Factors in ResilienceA combination of factors contributes to resilience. Many studies show that the primary factor in resilience is having caring and supportive relationships within and outside the family. Relationships that create love and trust, provide role models and offer encouragement and reassurance help bolster a person's resilience.

Several additional factors are associated with resilience, including:

The capacity to make realistic plans and take steps to carry them out.

A positive view of yourself and confidence in your strengths and abilities.

Skills in communication and problem solving.

The capacity to manage strong feelings and impulses.

All of these are factors that people can develop in themselves.

Strategies For Building Resilience

Developing resilience is a personal journey. People do not all react the same to traumatic and stressful life events. An approach to building resilience that works for one person might not work for another. People use varying strategies.

Some variation may reflect cultural differences. A person's culture might have an impact on how he or she communicates feelings and deals with adversity for example, whether and how a person connects with significant others, including extended family members and community resources. With growing cultural diversity, the public has greater access to a number of different approaches to building resilience.

Some or many of the ways to build resilience in the following pages may be appropriate to consider in developing your personal strategy.

10 Ways To Build Reselience

Make connections.Good relationships with close family members, friends or others are important. Accepting help and support from those who care about you and will listen to you strengthens resilience. Some people find that being active in civic groups, faith-based organizations, or other local groups provides social support and can help with reclaiming hope. Assisting others in their time of need also can benefit the helper.Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems.You can't change the fact that highly stressful events happen, but you can change how you interpret and respond to these events. Try looking beyond the present to how future circumstances may be a little better. Note any subtle ways in which you might already feel somewhat better as you deal with difficult situations.

Accept that change is a part of living.Certain goals may no longer be attainable as a result of adverse situations. Accepting circumstances that cannot be changed can help you focus on circumstances that you can alter.

Move toward your goals.Develop some realistic goals. Do something regularly even if it seems like a small accomplishment that enables you to move toward your goals. Instead of focusing on tasks that seem unachievable, ask yourself, "What's one thing I know I can accomplish today that helps me move in the direction I want to go?"

Take decisive actions.Act on adverse situations as much as you can. Take decisive actions, rather than detaching completely from problems and stresses and wishing they would just go away.

Look for opportunities for self-discovery.People often learn something about themselves and may find that they have grown in some respect as a result of their struggle with loss. Many people who have experienced tragedies and hardship have reported better relationships, greater sense of strength even while feeling vulnerable, increased sense of self-worth, a more developed spirituality and heightened appreciation for life.

Nurture a positive view of yourself.Developing confidence in your ability to solve problems and trusting your instincts helps build resilience.

Keep things in perspective.Even when facing very painful events, try to consider the stressful situation in a broader context and keep a long-term perspective. Avoid blowing the event out of proportion.

Maintain a hopeful outlook.An optimistic outlook enables you to expect that good things will happen in your life. Try visualizing what you want, rather than worrying about what you fear.

Take care of yourself.Pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Engage in activities that you enjoy and find relaxing. Exercise regularly. Taking care of yourself helps to keep your mind and body primed to deal with situations that require resilience.

Additional ways of strengthening resilience may be helpful.For example, some people write about their deepest thoughts and feelings related to trauma or other stressful events in their life. Meditation and spiritual practices help some people build connections and restore hope.

The key is to identify ways that are likely to work well for you as part of your own personal strategy for fostering resilience.

Steps To Nurture Emotional HealthWhen you are emotionally healthy, you can control your thoughts, feelings, and behavior. You feel good about yourself and have healthy relationships. You can put problems in perspective. But from time to time, most of us run into situations that challenge our emotions. Stress, illness, or troubles with family, work, or school can wear you down physically and mentally, and that can lead to health problems. Here are some tips from the American Academy of Family Physicians (www.familydoctor.org) to help you cultivate emotional health.A Glimpse Inside StressWhen youre feeling over-challenged by work, relationships, or responsibilities, your body responds by creating stress hormones. If your body makes too many stress hormones over a long period of time, your body and emotions will begin to feel worn down. The result might be that you feel anxious, irritable, depressed, and generally overly emotional. It might also manifest in the form of taking unhealthy risks or having trouble managing your anger.Take ChargeA first step is to recognize your feelings, emotions, and behavior. The second step is to sort through them to find the causes. Once you identify causes, you can begin to manage and nurture you emotional health in whatever ways are effective for you. But if youre having trouble with risky behavior or anger management, talk with your doctor or a counselor about getting assistance soon.Strategies for Self CareOn your own, you can cultivate these ways of dealing with your emotions: Express your feelings appropriately.If you keep sadness and anger bottled up, they will sap your energy and cause problems in your relationships at home, work, and school. Let people close to you know when something is bothering you.

Think first.Try to consider the consequences of anything youre considering saying or doing before you say it or do it. Make sure its not something you will regret.

Balance your life.Focus on positive things in your life, and make time for things you enjoy. Dont obsess about problems at work, school, or home.

Stay physically healthy and rested.Your physical health affects your mental health, so invest in your physical health. Exercise regularly, eat healthful meals, and get enough sleep.

Developing mindfulness and spirituality in young mindsMindfulness is hard to convey adequately using words as it is essentially about developing forms of awareness which are not verbal but are meta-cognitive, i.e. being aware of the inner processes involved in doing, feeling and thinking and aware of impulses, thoughts and feelings as they arise in the mind and body. It is a sometimes elusive process which lies and above, in some sense behind thoughts and words. Learning to be mindful includes gradually acquiring the ability to be aware of and pay close attention to inner states such as thoughts,

emotions and physical sensations, as well as to what is happening in the outside world, and with curious and interested attention rather than critical and premature judgment. These meta-cognitive forms of awareness are developed through practice, supported by some discussion to process and embed the experience. On mindfulness courses, participants will generally initially be led by the teacher in simple mediation and concentration exercises. They typically include becoming more aware of, and giving close attention to sensations as they happen in the body, such as the sensations of breathing, the feeling of contact with the floor or the chair, and the fluctuating sensations that arise in different parts of the body. Practices carried out in class and for homework also include sensitising to feelings and sensations provoked by everyday actions such as walking, eating, hearing, seeing or showering.

Over time participants who practice regularly report that they gradually learn to sustain and focus their attention for longer periods of time and accept their experiences in a more curious, interested and open minded rather than a judgmental way. They discover how to use felt physical sensations of the breath and the body as anchors to return to when their minds wander and ruminating repetitive thoughts take over. They come to see that thoughts are mental events rather than facts and can be allowed to let come and go, rather than turning into distractions that preoccupy the attention. This realisation helps loosen the grip of habitual, mindless activity and produces less reactivity and impulsiveness, and a greater ability to examine thoughts more rationally and experience with greater acceptance and kindness. This gradually modifies habitual mental and behavioural patterns which otherwise create and maintain negative mental states, such as rumination, stress, anxiety and depression, and makes for greater mental stability, calm, acceptance, appreciation of what is rather than hankering after what is not, and thus higher levels of happiness and wellbeing. Clearly teaching mindfulness to children and young people has to be rather different to teaching it to adults, and teaching it to conscript audiences using a universal approach different again to teaching it to those who opt to learn it out of need or inclination. The various mindfulness programmes are empirically discovering what the best methods, content and materials are to reach children and young people of different ages and in various contexts. In their efforts, although it is hard to generalise, some similarities are emerging. Practice remains at the heart of and with the same basic content and aims as for adult mindfulness (such as paying attention, focusing on the moment, noting

sensations in the body, following the breath, mindful walking, mindful eating etc). The degree to which students engage in home practice very much affect the impact of the course. Practices are generally shorter than for adult mindfulness, and based on concrete experience, and with less time spent on enquiry (unpacking the experience). Having an explicit focus on meta-cognition (standing back from thoughts, seeing that they are not facts, and being aware one is thinking) is generally introduced in later childhood and adolescence as it is hard for young children to grasp. Given that the time available is not generally as long (two to three hours for an adult mindfulness course compared with a lesson time of usually three quarters of an hour) aspirations are often lower and focus on awareness raising and student engagement as the goals. Methods, materials and activities are generally more pacey and lighthearted, with a focus on fun and seeing it as a game, and with less emphasis on long periods of silence.

Mindfulness and the young : Work on the effects of mindfulness and young people is not yet as extensive as

work with adults but is now growing rapidly, particularly in developed countries such as the US and to a lesser extent the UK, and is results are promising. Research has developed rapidly in the last thirty years and two recent reviews (Burke 2010; Harnett and Dawe, 2012) which analysed the findings from around twenty recent studies concluded that mindfulness interventions are promising, generally acceptable and well liked by the young people who take part, and there have been no reports that any of them did any harm.

MODULE- 3 REDESIGNING SUCCESS AND HAPPINESSFocus on Making Relationship Happier

1. A happy relationship is based on realistic expectations2.It requires work and thoughtfulness3.A happy relationship values communication & turns negatives into positives4. Every person and relationship is different.

5. Listen to each other openly, without judgment.

6. Say what we mean and mean what we say.

7. Support each other through good times and bad.

8. Be loyal & will live by the truth.

9. Spend quality time with each other & appreciate each other and help each other grow.

10. Settle disputes peacefully.

11.Love and respect ourselves as individuals too.Plan Execution and Management

Program your Subconscious MindActually, subconscious mind is nothing but the neural pathways that have been established in your brain as result of your past beliefs and conditioning. During your unconscious existence, when you werent aware enough, you ended up imbibing a lot of limiting beliefs, negative conditioning and misguided perceptions about life, that you took to be true and hence believed in them enough to create strong neural pathways in your brain about them causing these patterns of thought to become subconscious. Neural pathways are physical links, they are real and they are no different from a strong rope made from interweaving several layers of strings. Once you consciously see through a negativity, or a negative belief, within you, the neural pathway associated with that negativity will take time to come down, even when you are no longer supporting it consciously it could well take a few months for a neural pathway, associated with a pattern of thought, to come down fully.A lot of people who realize certain truths, and gain clarity, feel frustrated that their brain is not able to sync up with this understanding. The basic deal is that your conscious mind has gained the understanding, but your subconscious mind is yet to get programmed in it it still has strong neural pathways associated with the old beliefs, conditioning and thought pattern. The conscious mind can get it immediately, and you can feel a sense of relief and elation on getting the clarity, but the very next day you can come up against the subconscious mind that starts churning out the old patterns. When you lack an understanding of how the subconscious mind works, you can easily start beating yourself up for being slow, or for regressing back to negativity after a day of being enlightened/clear about it and of course this behavior of feeling bad about yourself just reinforces the old patterns of negativity.

Bringing down the past neural pathways

To program your subconscious mind, with the present conscious understanding that youve gained, will take time, and you need to make an allowance for it, understanding that its a physical process of bringing down the old neural pathways in your brain. In fact these neural pathways are constantly reinforced by your current reality, because your present reality is by itself a web that youve interwoven through your thought patterns, so for a while you would need to create a rift in this unconscious reinforcement by consciously dis-identifying with the negativity in your present external reality. The word dis-identification is confusing to a lot of people, but all it really means is that you stop buying into the negativity stop showering it with your belief, stop finding identity in it and stop defending it.

Lets say youve managed to create a disconnected/negative reality for yourself through the various negative thoughts patterns you are holding subconsciously, and now youve become conscious of it and want to break out of this pattern, so that you can change your reality into positive. Your brain, however, will subconsciously want the negative reinforcement because its neural pathways are vying for the same to sustain themselves, its like a creature wanting food to survive. Its just like how a smoker is addicted to nicotine because his/her brain is so used to the presence of nicotine in the blood stream, over the months of smoking, that it takes it to be necessary for survival. So when you quit smoking, cold turkey, the sudden absence of nicotine can make the brain go into a panic, creating a strong sense of survival fear within, and it takes a few weeks of conscious abstinence before the brain can readjust to the absence of nicotine. Its the same for negativity, the brain gets so used to a certain pattern of negativity that when you start dis-identifying with it, there is a period of withdrawal (If you want to understand this mechanism in a more detailed manner, you can read this post The Brain, The Heart, and the Law of Attraction).

The reason why staying in a space of relaxed awareness works at bringing down patterns of negativity is because,

1. You stay consciously relaxed instead of reacting/panicking to your brains negative cycle, this ensures that your inherent vibration is one of being fearless, or open, which ensures that you are not fueling negativity (through your fear of it), thus breaking the cycle

2. You are not trying hard to sort out the brains noise, instead you are just allowing of it, this ensures that you are not buying into the loop of trying to solve the minds problem with the same pattern of thinking that created it. This state of allowing causes you to connect with the space of being, or space of your life-stream (or your inner being, whatever you want to call it) that allows for true solutions/understanding to come through to bring a lasting transformation to your mind and reality.

3. You develop the ability to consciously hold a space between your brains reactive movement and your awareness. This ability, as it grows, is what allows you the feeling of freedom from being a prisoner to the minds pull.

4. As you develop a stability in this space of awareness, you start understanding that the mind is not a big deal, its just a machine which can be worked with, instead of being fearful of it. You realize that you need to understand your mind, get to know its natural makeup and align with it, while letting go of negativity/resistance that keeps you from living your expression, or which resists the unfolding of your desired reality.

Staying inrelaxed awarenessautomatically re-programs your subconscious mind to align with your conscious understanding. This is because, your awareness holds your conscious understanding and thus just staying in a space of awareness allows you to not only let go of reinforcing negative patterns but also allows you to register this conscious understanding into your subconscious (to build new neural pathways that contain this new understanding).

The gap between realization and the living of it

Realization, or a moment of awakening, can happen as soon as you have a conscious understanding/insight coming in. However, a realization does not automatically ensure that you start living it immediately. For example, you can realize that you dont have to fight with the outside reality, and that all you need to do is align within yourself to attract the reality of your choice, but your past behavior may be of struggling against the outside and this behavior is present at a subconscious level, and thus your realization may not immediately create a shift in your behavior you are not yet living your realization. You can only truly live your realization (at a 100%) when it gets programmed into your subconscious. This is the reason why people who have a low awareness may have a moment of realization but fall back into unconsciously reinforcing their old patterns quite soon this is because they lack a stability in their awareness to sustain a gap between their minds subconscious pull and their conscious understanding.

Developing a stability in awareness is the pre-requisite, for anyone who has a low awareness of their mind, before they can re-program their subconscious patterns. By low awareness I just mean the tendency to be lost in the minds conditioned pull without ever having the space to question it, or observe it a lack of self-awareness. Some people naturally have a high awareness, where they are observant of their mind, and have a tendency to question its conditioned movement. Some people need to develop their power of awareness the best way to do this would be to spend time just observing your mind as a detached witness, as if you were watching a movie or listening to a radio station, you can do it as a practice for 20-30 minutes a day or you could just do it everytime you are self aware.

Its one thing to understand that you dont have to struggle in life, and that struggle by itself is just a mindset, while its totally different thing to really live this understanding, so that you life is an example of it. The mindset of struggle is so ingrained in our subconscious that it almost feels like a sacrilege to question it a lot of spiritual traditions (like Zen), or self-development resources, still enforce the mindset of struggle by asking the seekers to keep working on self-discipline of living a regimental life of forced discipline, instead of allowing them the freedom to align with their natural expression. Self-discipline when enforced becomes a force of suppression, however when you start aligning with yourself by letting go of the mindset of struggle you notice a natural discipline coming up on its own (because now you are aligned with the inspiration coming from your life-streams intelligence) this discipline is not rigid, but has a leeway based on wisdom of the moment and hence ensures that you dont end up over working yourself or do unnecessary/unproductive/counter-productive work.

If these understandings dont take you towards a struggle free life, then there is no real point to it. Experiencing a struggle free life, in this physical realm you are existing in presently, is the bottom-line of understanding life, and if your realizations are not taking you towards this mindset, you could well be holding on to your subconscious patterns of struggle through your fear of letting go of it may be you are yet to gain a clear understanding of the well-being inherent to your life-stream (thus you dont trust it), or you are not staying true to your understanding and succumbing to your minds fear-based pull. Unless you stand true to your understanding, consciously, you would not be able to deconstruct the subconscious patterns of negativity operating in your mind.

Strategies For Programming Sub Conscious Mind

Strategy 1: AffirmationsAffirmations are an effective way to plant positive messages into your subconscious. It is one of the most effective ways to change a limited or negative belief. You must be careful of what you affirm as it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you continuously say this is never going to work, then it is highly probable that things never will.

Repetition of an affirmation changes the neural pathways in your brain over time to produce the new belief. Dr. Mona Lisa Schulz, MD, PhD, a practicing neuropsychiatrist and associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Vermont School of Medicine says, We can rewire the patterns in our brain with cognitive behavioral therapy or affirmations. Affirmations change the way our brains are wired and the brain lights up differently.

Here are some examples of affirmations:1. I am a genius and use my mind, talents, gifts and abilities to produce wealth.

2. I am living a life of divine purpose and destiny.

3. I am emotionally, mentally and psychologically sound.

4. I am focused and driven to create the life I want and deserve.

5. I am a money magnet; money flows to me.

Strategy 2: VisualizationVisualization is a technique that involves focusing on positive mental images in order to achieve a particular goal. It is the ability to vividly imagine somethingto see it in the minds eyebefore it exists in any physical reality. Steve Jobs had a clear mental image of what the iPhone would look like and its functions and features before he and his team began to design and build it. Visual images have a huge impact on your brain, both consciously and subconsciously. Consequently, visualization is a great way to program/reprogram your subconscious mind.

Strategy 3: MeditationMeditation plays a vital role in reprogramming the subconscious mind, because it helps to still the mind. In thisstate, yourbrain becomes more receptive; it becomes fertile ground for whatever you want to implant into the mind. Your conscious mind engages in the activities of writing powerful goals, creating a vision state, and developing affirmations. To have those seeds take root and flourish into reality, we have to get those words and images soaked deep into our subconscious mind. Placing yourself in a meditative state is an excellent way to help that process. Regular meditation trains your mind to hold its focus without getting distracted. Over time, meditation helps you to become laser focused.

Strategy 4: Positive Self-TalkSeveral years ago, I read a powerful book, titled What to Say When You Talk To Yourself, by Shad Helmstetter about the power of the mind and using positive self-talk as a tool to reprogram the subconscious mind.

On a daily basis, we spend more time talking to ourselves than any other person. Whether its a verbal tirade, an analytical discussion orthe incessant chatter that takes place within our mind. Our self-talk dictates our mood, behavior and guides our choices and decisions. Perhaps the most powerful influence on your attitude and emotions is what you say to yourself, and believe. As I always say, It is not what happens to you that really matters, but what you say to yourself about what happened. Your response to the event or situation is what determines your thoughts and feelings and ultimately, your actions. By effectively managing your self-talk, you can begin to live your life on a higher level and create the life you truly want and deserve.

Your subconscious mind will believe whatever you tell it most. Therefore, you must spend time each day intentionally speaking positive self-talk to yourself. It is only through repetition that your subconscious mind will adopt its new programming. Then and only then, will you begin to change the autopilot of your mind to think these new thoughts automatically.

Power of Dreams A frail man called Gandhi, clad only in loin cloth, became a driving force in India that shook the might of British Empire.A nun started a small order with twelve others that grew into Missionary of Charity. Mother Teresa and her order has helped more number of people across globe than many put together has done in history of mankind.

Starting with a small amount of Rs 10000/- a software engineer Narayan Murthy started Infosys that employs more than 70,000 people today and is a software giant.Two cycle mechanics, Wright brothers, conceived an idea to build a machine that will fly, and invented the airplane, a heavier than air machine that actually flies. Rest is history.

With Rs. 15000/-, a 350 sq feet. Room with a telephone, one table and three chairs Dhiru Bhai Ambani started Reliance Commercial Corporation that became the only Indian business to make it in Fortune 500 and to be featured in Forbes 500.A small boy who sold newspaper, to substitute his fathers small income as boat builder, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, became one of the greatest defence scientist and a visionary who became the President of India.

M. S. Oberoi started a career as a front desk clerk in a hotel at a salary of Rs. 50/- became the father of hospitality industry in India and built the Oberoi group of hotels, one of the most respected hospitality brands internationally.These are just a few examples of great people. There are numerous super achievers in this world who seemingly never had a chance, but still made it.

They have one thing in common They are Dreamers.

All great things in the world start with a dream. The size of your success will depend on the size of your dream.

Dream is nothing but an idea conceived in your mind that you get passionate about. Dream is something that makes you feel that Yes! This is the purpose of my life. Dream gives you the courage, to overcome obstacles. It makes you achieve the impossible. Dream sets you apart from rest of the people. It is your dream that can make you great. There are two kinds of people in this world One who have there own dreams. Other, who follow other peoples dream. Which one is You?It is the human being who has been gifted with the power to dream. We all have that power. As children we have vivid imagination and fantasies. We do not know what is possible and what is not. We just imagine.But as we grow old, we face the harsh realities of life. We come to know about the limitations of our circumstances. We start knowing why something is impossible. And what is the first thing we do? We bury our dreams.But the people who make it are the one who refuse to give up their dreams. They understand that their dream is the gift of God, and they cherish it. They are not ignorant of their circumstances but they believe in that if the Dreams are big enough, facts dont count.Fuelled with the power of dream, they take risks, face challenges, and rise above their circumstances. They achieve.You can do it too.Just get a dream.Module 4: Entrusting Sense of Accountability at Workplace

Imagine a work environment where all employees are fully engaged in what they do and go to extreme lengths to fulfill their responsibilities each day. They feel connected to the mission and vision of the organization because they see a clear connection between what they do and the success of the organization. As a result, they see their work as meaningful, they look forward to coming to work, and they have a sense of pride in what they do and the organization they work for.Create the Right Environment: People cannot be held accountable; they can only choose to be accountable. Accountability is the natural outcome of a person deciding to take responsibility for something. Self-directed peoplethose who see themselves as responsible for their behavior and performance want to be held accountable. They want to have a sense of ownership in their job, to have some input into how things should be done and to have a say in how their performance will be measured. Employees who feel like they have no say will tend to react in an other- directed way. Other-directed people tend to be either compliant or rebelliousdoing what they feel they have to do or doing the opposite of what you want them to do.

Other-directed employees have switched off; they become disengaged and resist accountability. And they usually blame someone or something else when they dont perform well. The natural outcome of using an authoritarian or control-based approach to enforcing accountability is exactly what you dont wantself-directed people leave, and other-directed people stay.

Instead, you need to hand over some of the control. However, many managers fear entrusting employees with the responsibility of defining their own success and determining how to reach it through their performance. As a result of this fear, managers attempt to hold people accountable by insisting on compliance with policies and procedures, establishing goals and performance standards for employees, or offering incentives in an attempt to motivate people to comply.

The research does not support this fear; in fact, the opposite is true. Employees who are trusted and given more say over how they do their jobs are more engaged, more committed and more productive. They achieve more. People who know they are being trusted to be responsible do not want to let their manager down.

The primary fear employees have about being held accountable is that there will be negative consequences if they dont succeed, maybe even the loss of their job. It is safer for them to avoid risk and to do just what they are told and stay out of trouble. Employees who will not accept responsibility do not trust management enough to take the risk.

Build Relationships Based on Trust: The foundation of a responsibility-based culture is a high level of trust throughout the organization. When trust between management and employees is high, the following situations occur: Information is exchanged freely, feelings and opinions are openly discussed, and people do not harbor hidden agendas.

Expectations are clear, disagreements are discussed and resolved, and individual performance is discussed and agreed on without the need for a formal process.

Differences are valued, employees feel respected for their contribution, and they have input into how the organization can be more successful.

People keep their commitments, strive for excellence in everything they do and can count on each other for support.

Managers cannot get accountability without trusting employees to take ownership of their jobs and believing that they will do the right thing by the organization. Employees will not choose to be accountable unless they trust management; they need to know that they will get the support they need to do their best and that mistakes will be treated as learning experiences rather than as opportunities for blame and punishment.

The most important factor in building trust with employees is to understand that being trustworthy does not mean your employees will trust you. Building trust is a skill that must be learned. There are four behaviorscalled the elements of trustthat must be present for trust to develop: Congruence. People see you as congruent when they know that what you say is on track with what you believe and what you know to be true and is aligned with what you do. Congruence means I walk my talk. It means saying and doing what you believe, being honest and saying what is true, even if it is bad news or not exactly what the other person wants to hear. Sometimes people will sugarcoat the pill they want someone else to swallow, or will be so gentle that

the real message is not fully communicated. It is not done to be deceitful; it is done out of consideration for the other person.

But in the long run it doesnt work. Even if you are temporarily able to smooth over a rough situation or take the pain out of an unpleasant encounter, sooner or later it will catch up and trust will be diminished or destroyed.

Openness. People tend to cooperate with people who will level with them and give them the whole story, even though some of the details may be a bit unpleasant. The president of a large successful company keeps this saying in printed form on his desk: I can take good news or bad news, but I cant handle surprises. If you discover there has been a change of plans that affects other people, or you are displeased with their work results, they should be the first to know.

If you are open with people, they will perceive you as a straight shooter and will want to perform for you.

Acceptance. All people want to be accepted for who they arenot judged, criticized or made to feel inferior.

It isnt always easy for a manager to do that. Managers are in their position because they are competent, know the company and know what can and cant be done. It is easy to give the impression to others that they are slightly stupid or inadequate for not understanding as much about the company, department or project as the manager understands.

Another way some managers display a lack of acceptance for employees is making them feel less than by using technical jargon or an obscure reference that they are not familiar with. This doesnt mean you have to accept poor performance or unacceptable behavior, but there is a difference between judging a person for who they are and judging what they do.

Reliability. People you relate to want to know if you do what you say you will do. Dont make promises you cant keep, even if you think it will get the job done for you now, or appease an angry situation. In the long run it will hurt you. All four elements of trust must be present for trust to develop and be sustained. If any one of them is missing, trust is diminished, and, along with it, personal responsibility and accountability.

Responsibility-Based Leadership: A lot of leadership development is focused on the leaderthe qualities or characteristics required to be a great leader. All this does is focus leaders on themselves, often resulting in an egocentric approach. The emphasis should not be on leaders but on the environment they create.

Building a responsibility-based culture can only happen if leaders at all levels of the organization understand that they are responsible for the work environment they create, and that the work environment has a significant impact on whether people will choose to be responsible and accountable.

There is a mountain of evidence that indicates that the more control leaders exert over employees, the less creativity, productivity and profitability they will put out. Consider this same principle in the context of countriesdictatorships are usually the most underdeveloped and poorest countries, whereas the most successful democracies are the richest, most productive countries in the world.

For managers, it is tough to relinquish control. But, on the other hand, managers should not let go of control completely; that could result in chaos. The challenge is to learn how to work in partnership with employees and to encourage their input into how they can do their jobs better and help create a great organization.

So how do you build leadership that can support and maintain a responsibility-based culture? The first step is to believe in people. If your leaders dont believe in people, they wont trust them or let them have any inputtwo things employees need to feel valued and become engaged.

The most successful leaders understand that without the best talent on their staff, the company wont achieve its full potential. Leaders have to believe that people really do want to make a contribution, and then create opportunities for them to do so.

In his best seller Good to Great, author Jim Collins says: First, get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats.

If you have the right people, then trust them, believe in them and partner with them to create a great company. If you have people who arent performing, make sure that you have created an environment where they can perform, or that they are not just in the wrong seatsbefore you get them off the bus.

You really wont know whether you have the right people until you have given them the opportunity to show what they are capable of in a responsibility-based culture.

Risk analysisA risk analysis is an important step in protecting your workers and your business, as well as complying with the law. It helps you focus on the risks that really matter in your workplace the ones with the potential to cause real harm. In many instances, straightforward measures can readily control risks, for example ensuring spillages are cleaned up promptly so people do not slip, or cupboard drawers are kept closed to ensure people do not trip. For most, that means simple, cheap and effective measures to ensure your most valuable asset your workforce

is protected.The law does not expect you to eliminate all risk, but you are required to protect people as far as reasonably practicable. This guide tells you how to achieve that with a minimum of fuss.This is not the only way to do a risk analysis, there are other methods that work well, particularly for more complex risks and circumstances. However, we believe this method is the most straightforward for most organisations.

What is risk analysis?

A risk analysis is simply a careful examination of what, in your work, could cause harm to people, so that you can weigh up whether you have taken enough precautions or should do more to prevent harm. Workers and others have a right to be protected from harm caused by a failure to take reasonable control measures. Accidents and ill health can ruin lives and affect your business too if output is lost, machinery is damaged, insurance costs increase or you have to go to court. You are legally required to assess the risks in your workplace so that you put in place a plan to control the risks.Health and Safety Executive

Follow the five steps in this leaflet:

Step 1 Identify the hazards

Step 2 Decide who might be harmed and how

Step 3 Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions

Step 4 Record your findings and implement them

Step 5 Review your analysis and update if necessary

Dont overcomplicate the process. In many organisations, the risks are well known and the necessary control measures are easy to apply. You probably already know whether, for example, you have employees who move heavy loads and so could harm their backs, or where people are most likely to slip or trip. If so, check that you have taken reasonable precautions to avoid injury.

If you run a small organisation and you are confident you understand whats involved, you can do the analysis yourself. You dont have to be a health and safety expert. If you work in a larger organisation, you could ask a health and safety advisor to help you. If you are not confident, get help from someone who is competent. In all

cases, you should make sure that you involve your staff or their representatives in the process. They will have useful information about how the work is done that will make your analysis of the risk more thorough and effective. But remember, you are responsible for seeing that the analysis is carried out properly.

When thinking about your risk analysis, remember:

a hazard is anything that may cause harm, such as chemicals, electricity, working from ladders, an open drawer etc;

the risk is the chance, high or low, that somebody could be harmed by these and other hazards, together with an indication of how serious the harm could be.Health and Safety

Step 1 Identify the hazards

First you need to work out how people could be harmed. When you work in a place every day it is easy to overlook some hazards, so here are some tips to help you identify the ones that matter:

Walk around your workplace and look at what could reasonably be expected to cause harm.

Ask your employees or their representatives what they think. They may have noticed things that are not immediately obvious to you.

Visit the HSE website (www.hse.gov.uk). HSE publishes practical guidance on where hazards occur and how to control them. There is much information here on the hazards that might affect your business.

If you are a member of a trade association, contact them. Many produce very helpful guidance.

Check manufacturers instructions or data sheets for chemicals and equipment as they can be very helpful in spelling out the hazards and putting them in their true perspective.

Have a look back at your accident and ill-health records these often help to identify the less obvious hazards.

Remember to think about long-term hazards to health (eg high levels of noise or exposure to harmful substances) as well as safety hazards.

Step 2 Decide who might be harmed and how

For each hazard you need to be clear about who might be harmed; it will help you identify the best way of managing the risk. That doesnt mean listing everyone by name, but rather identifying groups of people (eg people working in the storeroom or passers-by).In each case, identify how they might be harmed, ie what type of injury or ill health might occur. For example, shelf stackers may suffer back injury from repeated

lifting of boxes. Remember:

some workers have particular requirements, eg new and young workers, new or expectant mothers and people with disabilities may be at particular risk. Extra thought will be needed for some hazards;

cleaners, visitors, contractors, maintenance workers etc, who may not be in the workplace all the time;

members of the public, if they could be hurt by your activities;

if you share your workplace, you will need to think about how your work affects others present, as well as how their work affects your staff talk to them; and

ask your staff if they can think of anyone you may have missed.Health and Safety Executive

Step 3 Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions

Having spotted the hazards, you then have to decide what to do about them. The law requires you to do everything reasonably practicable to protect people from harm. You can work this out for yourself, but the easiest way is to compare what you are doing with good practice.

So first, look at what youre already doing, think about what controls you have in place and how the work is organised. Then compare this with the good practice and see if theres more you should be doing to bring yourself up to standard. In asking yourself this, consider:

Can I get rid of the hazard altogether?

If not, how can I control the risks so that harm is unlikely? When controlling risks, apply the principles below, if possible in the following order:

try a less risky option (eg switch to using a less hazardous chemical);

prevent access to the hazard (eg by guarding);

organise work to reduce exposure to the hazard (eg put barriers between pedestrians and traffic);

issue personal protective equipment (eg clothing, footwear, goggles etc); and

provide welfare facilities (eg first aid and washing facilities for removal of contamination).

Improving health and safety need not cost a lot. For instance, placing a mirror on a dangerous blind corner to help prevent vehicle accidents is a low-cost precaution considering the risks. Failure to take simple precautions can cost you a lot more if an accident does happen.Involve staff, so that you can be sure that what you propose to do will work in practice and wont introduce any new hazards.

Step 4 Record your findings and implement them

Putting the results of your risk analysis into practice will make a difference when looking after people and your business.Writing down the results of your risk analysis, and sharing them with your staff, encourages you to do this. If you have fewer than five employees you do not have to write anything down, though it is useful so that you can review it at a later date if, for example, something changes. When writing down your results, keep it simple, for example Tripping over rubbish: bins provided, staff instructed, weekly housekeeping checks, or Fume from welding: local exhaust ventilation used and regularly checked.Health and Safety Executive

We do not expect a risk analysis to be perfect, but it must be suitable and sufficient. You need to be able to show that:

a proper check was made;

you asked who might be affected;

you dealt with all the significant hazards, taking into account the number of people who could be involved;

the precautions are reasonable, and the remaining risk is low; and

you involved your staff or their representatives in the process. There is a template at the end of this leaflet that you can print off and use.

If, like many businesses, you find that there are quite a lot of improvements that you could make, big and small, dont try to do everything at once. Make a plan of action to deal with the most important things first. Health and safety inspectors acknowledge the efforts of businesses that are clearly trying to make improvements.

A good plan of action often includes a mixture of different things such as: a few cheap or easy improvements that can be done quickly, perhaps as a temporary solution until more reliable controls are in place;

long-term solutions to those risks most likely to cause accidents or ill health;

long-term solutions to those risks with the worst potential consequences;

arrangements for training employees on the main risks that remain and how they are to be controlled;

regular checks to make sure that the control measures stay in place; and

clear responsibilities who will lead on what action, and by when.

Remember, prioritise and tackle the most important things first. As you complete each action, tick it off your plan.

Step 5 Review your risk analysis and update if necessary

Few workplaces stay the same. Sooner or later, you will bring in new equipment, substances and procedures that could lead to new hazards. It makes sense, therefore, to review what you are doing on an ongoing basis. Every year or so formally review where you are, to make sure you are still improving, or at least not sliding back. Look at your risk analysis again. Have there been any changes? Are there improvements you still need to make? Have your workers spotted a problem? Have you learnt anything from accidents or near misses? Make sure your risk analysis stays up to date.When you are running a business its all too easy to forget about reviewing your risk analysis until something has gone wrong and its too late. Why not set a review date for this risk analysis now? Write it down and note it in your diary as an annual event. During the year, if there is a significant change, dont wait. Check your risk analysis and, where necessary, amend it. If possible, it is best to think about the risk analysis when youre planning your change that way you leave yourself more flexibility. Time management

Goals of Time Management To be able to have control over your life - manage your time, don't let it manage you!

To be healthier and happier (less stress).

Seven Suggestions for Effectively Managing Your Time

1. Be Organized

Use time saving tools: appointment calendars, "to do" lists, e-mail, answering machines, file folders, etc.

Have an organized workplace (don't waste time constantly looking for your work).

Use your appointment calendar for everything, including listing study time.

Use "to do" lists for both long-term and for each day/week.

2. Plan Ahead (Schedule it and it will happen!)

Determine how long your tasks will take (do this before agreeing to take on a task!)

Consider whether any activities can be combined.

Determine if big tasks can be broken down into smaller tasks that may be easier to schedule (such as studying for exams and visiting the library as part of an assignment to write a term paper).

3. Prioritize Your Tasks

Use an A-B-C rating system for items on your "to do" lists with A items being highest priority.

Set goals for both the short term and long term as to what you want to accomplish.

Look at all of your "to do"s to gauge the time requirement and whether additional resources will be needed to accomplish them (if yes, schedule time to obtain those resources). Don't postpone the small tasks (a sense of accomplishment is good and overlooked small tasks can become larger tasks.)

4. Avoid Overload

Include time for rest, relaxation, sleep, eating, exercise, and socializing in your schedule.

Take short breaks during study and work periods.

Don't put everything off until the last minute (for example, don't cram for exams).

Learn to say "no" when appropriate and to negotiate better deadlines when appropriate.

5. Practice Effective Study Techniques

Have an appropriate study environment.

Split large tasks into more manageable tasks.

Read for comprehension, rather than just to get to the end of the chapter.

Be prepared to ask questions as they come up during study, rather than waiting until just before an exam.

Do the most difficult work first, perhaps breaking it up with some easier tasks.

Don't wait until the last minute to complete your projects.

Read the syllabus as soon as you get it and note all due dates (and "milestone" times) on your calendar.

Be a model student! (be attentive and participative in class, and punctual, prepared, and eager to learn)

6. Be Able to be Flexible

The unexpected happens (sickness, car troubles, etc.); you need to be able to fit it into your schedule.

Know how to rearrange your schedule when necessary (so it doesn't manage you - you manage it).

Know who to ask for help when needed.

7. Have a Vision (why are you doing all of this?)

Don't forget the "big picture" - why are you doing the task - is it important to your long-term personal goals?

Have and follow a personal mission statement (personal and career). (Are your activities ultimately helping you achieve your goals?)

Know what is important to you. (What do you value most?)

Have a positive attitude!

Managing multiple tasks and projects.( accountability for ones action and action for the group)Management consultant Todd Herman defined personal accountability as "being willing to answer for the outcomes resulting from your choices, behaviors, and actions." When youre personally accountable, you take ownership of situations that youre involved in. You see them through, and you take responsibility for what happens good or bad. You dont blame others if things go wrong. Instead, you do your best to make things right. In the workplace, accountability can go beyond your own tasks. For example, you may be held accountable for the actions of your team.Sometimes it can be tough to take personal accountability. However, you'll find that it offers many advantages.

First, youre likely to have healthier relationships with your friends, family, and colleagues. A 2005studyfound that children who were encouraged to take personal responsibility for their actions also had more positive social interactions.

Accountability alsobuilds trustwithin teams and organizations, because people know that they can depend on each other. Leaders who are accountable are more likely to be trusted and respected, because people know that they will keep their word.

Personal accountability can save time and money, too. People who take responsibility for their actions speak up, and they look for solutions when there's a problem. This not only prevents the situation getting worse, but it stop costs and delays from escalating.

Last, personal accountability can boost your chances of promotion. When you show senior colleagues that youre dependable, you mark yourself out as someone with leadership potential.

Personal accountability isnt a trait that people are born with, its a way of living that you can learn. Use the strategies below to become more accountable.

Know Your Role

Its hard to be personally accountable if you're not clear what youre responsible for.

If this is the case for you, ask your boss to provide ajob descriptionthat sets out your tasks clearly. If responsibilities are unclear within the team, ask your manager to outline who is responsible for different team tasks, and to share this information with everyone involved.

Be Honest

Success in life only comes when youre completely honest with yourself, and with others. This means setting aside your pride, and admitting when youve made a mistake.

So, tune into your "gut feelings" when things are difficult, and learn toask for helpif youre struggling, so that you dont let others down.

Tip:

Honesty is always the best policy, but dont use it to blame others, or to make excuses. Instead, focus on your own role in a situation, and think about how you can resolve the problem.

Say Sorry

Accountability doesnt stop with honesty. If something has gone wrong and you were responsible, then you need toapologize.

Focus onmaking amendswhen you apologize show what youll do to make the situation right. This allows everyone involved to move on, and helps them focus on the end goal, rather than the problem.

Note:

Be aware of the legal implications of saying sorry: in some countries and states, this can be taken as an admission of liability.

Take advice from your boss or a legal professional if you need to apologize on behalf of your organization.

Use Time Wisely

Procrastination is a common way to avoid responsibility, as it delays dealing with a problem, meaning that someone else may solve it instead. Your colleagues may feel that they cant rely on you, and this will affect your professional reputation.

You canovercome procrastinationby identifying why you do it. Is the task dull? Do you lack information or resources? Or is there some other cause? Once you understand why you put things off, you can take steps to fix the problem.

Next, practice good time management, so that you make time for whats important. Use tools such asAction Programsto manage your time more efficiently.

Don't Overcommit

When you take on too much, something will eventually fall through the cracks. That means that you've let someone down.

So, before you agree to a new task, think carefully about your schedule and whether you'll be able to fulfill the task to the best of your ability.

If you're not sure that you can complete it, say"yes" to the person and "no" to the taskso that you maintain a strong relationship and a good reputation.

Make Changes

Accountability can open up powerful learning opportunities. When something hasnt gone to plan, ask forfeedback, and look for ways to do things differently in the future.

Reflect on your actions, too: spend some time at the end of each day running through these simple questions:

What could I have done differently today?

How can I build this change into my job from now on?

In time, youll build new skills and better ways to deal with difficult situations.

Tip:

In some failing organizations, managers who avoid being accountable can get ahead, while those who take responsibility may be ejected if some small thing goes wrong.

If your organization has this type of culture, then it may be time to behave accountably, and find a new role in a better organization.

Key Points

When youre personally accountable, you take ownership of what happens as a result of your choices and actions. You dont blame others or make excuses, and you do what you can to make amends when things go wrong.

To become more accountable, make sure that you're clear about your roles and responsibilities. Be honest with yourself and others, so you can admit when youre wrong, apologize, and move on.

Make the most of your time, and manage it carefully so that you don't take on too much.

Last, think carefully about situations where you didnt take responsibility but should have. These mistakes and failures can be valuable teaching tools, if you have the courage to learn from them.

Adaptability: innovation and resourcefulness. Team orientation Working in a team oriented environment can be tough, especially when each person in the group wants to implement their best ideas, show their worth to the group and have a strong impact on the project and company as a whole.

Tips for Getting Employees to be Team Oriented In the modern work environment, almost every task is too complicated to be handled by just

one employee. While it is still very important for each person to do their job efficiently, there

also needs to be an emphasis on ensuring that a team spirit takes precedence over personal

objectives. Typically, the way a manager behaves will have a profound impact on building a

team oriented outlook, as well as maintaining it. Fortunately, there are a number of ways that

a manager can ensure each subordinate keeps a strong focus on the team effort.

1. Clearly State That You Expect Everyone to Work Together in a Way That Benefits

the Organization. As obvious as it may sound, you need to put this in writing. When your

subordinates know that you want them to work together as a team, they will make an effort to

do so. In many cases, this can help diffuse tension, as well as help focus each person on

keeping a positive outlook.

2. Explain Organizational Goals on a Routine Basis. When a person does not understand

why they have to perform a specific task, it can create any number of insecurities. For

example, if a person is assigned a task, they may feel that it is a prelude to being demoted or

let go. On the other hand, when you take the time to explain how the job advances the

organization and the team, you will get higher levels of co-operation.

3. Choose Individuals for Jobs Based on Ability. There is nothing worse than assigning

individuals a job that they will not excel in. While they are struggling to do what has been

assigned, they will secretly be thinking they be doing much better with a different task.

4. Build Morale When You Match Skills to Tasks. When your team mates are able to

excel in their position, you will have more opportunities to congratulate them for a job well

done. Do not miss this opportunity to help build good sentiment with your team members.

This, in turn, may also inspire them to react in a more positive manner when unexpected

challenges come up.

5. Offer Examples of Maintaining a Positive Outlook. Regardless of how often your team

encounters a specific task, problems may come up. It will not be of much help when anger or

blaming behaviors develop. To avoid these problems, you can act as an example by not

blaming staff members when problems happen. In many cases, if you find a way to roll

forward with a smile, your team will be more than happy to follow you.

6. Reward Team Behavior Over Personal Focus. Something a simple as a bonus for the

entire team can inspire each person to do just a bit better. If one member of the team wants to

take a longer lunch break, they will be reminded that the team will also suffer for these

decisions. On the other hand, putting the team first will help everyone get a reward.

7. Encourage Each Person to Do Better. If someone is not doing well, you need to take

the time to retrain them or help them overcome their obstacles. These situations should be

viewed as an opportunity to grow, as opposed to points where you assign blame.

8. Let Team Members Solve Problems Together. If a problem develops, there is always

an instinct to jump and try to give orders. This will not give your team a chance to work

together in a harmonious way. Take a step back and allow each member to be part of the

solution. 9. Allow Team Members Shine in the Role of Service. There is nothing worse than a

manager that takes all of the praise for a job well done. If your supervisor makes note that

your team is performing well, let him/her know that it was a team effort. Do not be afraid to

ask for a bonus or incentive to Encourage continued progress in beneficial directions. When

your subordinates hear that you negotiated this kind of arrangement, they will know they are

appreciated in a team capacity.

10. When Subordinates Recommend Procedure Changes, Take it Into Consideration.

There will always be times when your policies do not help subordinates deal with real time

situations. As a result, you may need to make changes based on the reports you receive. As

long as the recommendations serve the overall goals of the company, you should make

changes to your policies as needed.

Effective commitmentModule 5: Own Your Future.

Project management and task efficiency.

Personal and group health and safety practices.

Developing pro-active: inclination to respond purposefully to events.

Enhancing Employability skills