[Time-Management] 100 Days Improvement Plan!

 

1st Aug 2011

 

Day 28

 

The quality of listening is very important in the process of communication. How do you listen when someone talks to you? What is the quality of your listening? Do you feel restless and butt in when others speak to you?

 

If you do all these, stop!

 

Listening is different from hearing. The difference lies in the quality. There are two types of listening: active listening and passive listening. Active listening will make encourage the communicator to speak to you. Passive listening will discourage him. Active listening is also called `whole body listening'. In this the listener also participates in the communication process.

For active listening, the following parameters are important:

v     Your body language

v     Your eye contact with the communicator

v     Asking relevant questions and clarifications

v     Paraphrasing what the communicator says

v     Facial expression

 

You may not know how you listen. From today, be conscious and look for the above in you when you listen to someone. Ask your close friends to give this feedback on the quality of your listening.

 

Most importantly, do active listening when they give the feedback!

 

Try this today!

 

N C Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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[Time-Management] 100 Days Improvement Plan!

 

29th July 2011

Day 27

 

Have you heard of `Thanks Giving Day'? Why not every day is a Thanks Giving Day? We cannot do what we want to do alone. We need the help of many. We need the cooperation and active involvement of many. In fact we also need the complete lack of cooperation and inaction of others! If everyone cooperates and provide an ideal environment, we will not mature in life! Isn't true?

 

We should recall people's help and thank them. While thanking both the person thanking as well as the person receiving feel happy. People yearn for recognition and reciprocation as much as they yearn for help and support. When we recognise and reciprocate, we build healthy relationship and emotional wellness.

 

Today, try this. Make a list all those who helped in someway or other – small or big. Everyday, send a thank you card to one person and don't go to bed unless you've done this! In this electronic era, it is very easy to do. You can sms, you can e mail, you can use your mobile…

 

Notice what happens to the quality relationship and emotional wellness!

 

N C Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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[Time-Management] 100 Days Improvement Plan!

 

28th Jul 2011

Day 26

Do you irritate others? If so, do you know how? We may not know how we irritate others. It may be some mannerism or traits. For example, interrupting when someone talks; speaking with a loud voice; wounding someone's emotions or feelings with words; talking too much; talking too much about yourself; snoring while sleeping; making noise while eating or drinking; making unconnected or inappropriate comments; seeking undue favours. The list can be endless!

Many may not tell you, but you need to be aware.

Social skills are very important. There is a whole range of subject called `etiquette and manners' and we need to know the same. It changes from culture to culture. Especially when you move with a heterogeneous body of people drawn from various cultures, you need to know what is not acceptable in each culture.

Today why don't you do an exercise: talk to some of your very close friends and ask them to give you some feedback on how you irritate others? Encourage them to be frank. Work out an action plan on how you want to get rid of the same!

N C Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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[Time-Management] 100 Days Improvement Plan!

 

27th Jul 2011

Day 25

I any organisation once every year a complete inventory will be taken. The purpose is to take stock of the assets and the liability so that the balance sheet can be drawn. The health of an organisation can be seen not merely looking at the profit and loss account, but also at the balance sheet. The investors will be keen to know the liability side of the balance sheet. As individuals, we should also know our liabilities. One area we have to be sensitive is our bad habits.

Today, make an inventory of your bad habits! Sit calmly and list at least ten bad habits which you want to get rid of. As against each bad habit, honestly write down how the same has affected your life. Just visualise how your life would be now and in future without these bad habits.

The law of nature is very clear: what is noticed alone will grow. The same applies to remove something bad. Unless you notice a bad habit you cannot remove the same. It's like garbage removal. Unless you notice, you will not remove!

Today is inventory taking day!

N C Sridharan

www.thetimefouncation.com

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[Time-Management] 100 Days Improvement Plan!

 

26th July 2011

Day 24

Are you comfortable take criticism and feedback constructively? This is an important quality all of need to develop. Think of the consequence complete absence of feedback and criticism about you. Many of us do not encourage criticisms from others. The more you dislike feedbacks and criticisms, the less others will be free to offer the same. Many of us will be thinking that what we do is right. Sometimes it may not be true.

Try this exercise to know the other side of yourself. Choose five people whom you trust most. Ask them to write down three things which they don't like in you! Do this exercise sincerely and honestly.

From out of the various things pointed out, choose five most important issues and list the `areas for self improvement'. Focus on one issue per week and try to eliminate the same from you.

This may look odd, but do it: stand in front of a mirror and openly criticise yourself! Suggest changes to the person in front of you and notice what happens to your own personality over a period of time!

Try this out?

N C Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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[Time-Management] 100 Days Improvement Plan!

 

25th July 2011

Day 23

Developing an eye for details is an important quality. Great people have this. This is a mindset and attitude which clarity on what they want and what exactly they need to do.

Going into the details is a left brain function. Getting an overall perspective is a right side function. We need both to succeed in life. There are ways to enhance our ability to improve our eye for details.  

Here is an exercise you can do to develop an eye for details.

Take any object and look at it for a few moments and set it aside. Recall to your mind what all you noticed in the object. Now, take the same object again and this time look at the same object and go into details. Improve the quality of your focus; imagine that there is nothing else existing in the world other than the object. Have a close look at the object and write down more things about the object. You will be surprised to notice what all you missed! Repeat this exercise as many times as possible.

Notice what happens to your life!

N C Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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[Time-Management] 100 Days Improvement Plan!

 

22nd July 2011

Day 22

Have you thought about the trait of `getting noticed'! In order to succeed in life, we have to get noticed by others. We live in a society and we have to be of some value to others.  We may have all the talents and we may be contributing, but we may not be noticed.

When you go a departmental store next time, notice how the products are displayed to catch your attention. Even if the product is very good, people should know in what way it is different from that of the competitors. This is what is projected by the marketing agency.

Check what is that you have to get noticed. How do you `package' yourself to others? What talent you have which is unique? Is your communication skill different from others? How is your image – both internal and external? Are you an inspiration to others? Is there something which you alone can offer which no one else can? If so how do you communicate this to the world?

Today ponder over the above and jot down a few points which come to your mind.

N C Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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[Time-Management] 100 Days Improvement Plan!

 

21st July 2011

Day 21

We cannot manage time as we have no `control' over time. But we should control the `productivity' of time by turning maximum quantifiable output within the time available.

Our time will be fragmented and dissipated by interruptions. We will take much more time to complete the task than what is required. Time is precious and should not be wasted on interruptions. Interruptions cannot be eliminated all together. A perfectly normal day will be full of interruptions like telephone calls, drop in visitors, meetings, people etc. If you are not at all disturbed, it means that you are not required.

We should manage the interruptions and keep them short by studying the nature of interruptions and work out a strategy. One way of doing it is to have an `interruptions log', in which you meticulously note down every interruption and study them to know who and what interrupted you and how long. Then we will know why we were interrupted. After this homework, we can work out a strategy to deal with that interruption which takes away a lot of your time.

Try this from today!

N C Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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[Time-Management] 100 Days Improvement Plan!

 

20th July 2011

Day 20

Yesterday I wrote about remaining silent. Today I am going recommend that you learn to deliver a speech. Many people are afraid to speak in public next only to dying! Presentation skill is a very important skill you have to develop. As you go up in your life, you will have many occasions to make presentations to convince people. In some functional areas such as marketing and customer service, presentation skill will assume a very important dimension in career growth.

Many of us honestly believe that since we have been speaking right from the time we are born, speaking is a natural skill. For many it may not be true. Like you learnt cycling and typing, you can also learn to be a good public speaker.

Here's another simple exercise. Deliver a `one minute speech' to a tape recorder and listen to your own voice and evaluate. Recall to your mind your role model who is a good public speaker, and visualise how he will deliver the same speech. Try this exercise at periodic intervals and make continuous improvement.  Watch your presentation skill growing!

Start today!

N C Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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[Time-Management] 100 Days Improvement Plan!

 

19th July 2011

Day 19

Have you heard the old adage `speech is silver and silence is gold'? Here's another very difficult exercise – keeping quiet! Set your timer and decide not to speak even one word during the next one hour. You will realise how difficult is this simple exercise.

The power of communication is a very unique gift which only human beings have. This skill distinguishes the human beings form other living things. But it is also the most misused and over used skill. When you develop an ability to remain silent, you will notice that it substantially enhances your energy. You may question how your energy and speaking are connected with each other, but it is true. In addition, this `self imposed silent hour' will also give you the gift of `thinking time'.

A journalist friend of mine will maintain complete silence every Wednesday and he says that it's his `writing day'.

There is another context where you can practice silence – when others speak. Some people cannot wait for others to complete their communication and will interrupt. From today notice if you also belong to this `club'!

N C Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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[Time-Management] 100 Days Improvement Plan!

 

18th July 2011

Day 18

I come across people who do not like even small changes in their life. They sit in the same seat, eat the same food, meet the same people during lunch etc. There are some people who will be very inflexible even in very small things like the bed they sleep on, the route they take to office etc.

Flexibility is a very important trait. If there is life, there will be flexibility. A live plant or tree is flexible. If the tree is chopped and dried, it becomes inflexible. So is the case of a human body. As long as there is life, the human body is flexible.

Try this from today. Take a different route to your office. Sit in a table different from where you used to sit in the canteen. Dress differently. Eat in a different restaurant. Order a different food and enjoy. If you have a home office, change the direction of the table and notice how you feel. Do you feel shy to speak to new people, get yourself introduced to the first stranger you meet today!  

Do it today!

N C Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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[Time-Management] 100 Days Improvement Plan!

 

15th July 2011

Day 17

There is a very powerful NLP Presupposition `there is no such thing as failure, only feedback'. Failures and mistakes teach us much more than success and correct actions could teach. As we carry on our various activities, we may commit mistakes and there could be slips. Error is human.

Like you carry an idea book, why not jot down at least one mistake you did every day. For example, `today, I shouted at my colleague unnecessarily', ` I forgot to charge my cell phone and went through a crisis and tension unnecessarily', ` I misplaced my air ticket and searched for it with hardly an hour left for the flight departure' etc.

The main advantage of this exercise is the fact that you will develop the attitude to notice small mistakes and this is a very important trait in great people. Not only that. Since you will become so sensitive to such mistakes, you will become very careful at a very unconscious level. This mindset is a good insulator of mistakes. You ability to get into the nitty-gritty details will improve.

Try this from today!

 N C Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

(PS: The next `IGNITE' open programme is on 16th July (Sat) @ Chennai. Please send your mail to thetimefoundation@gmail.com for details)

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[Time-Management] 100 Days Improvement Plan!

 

14th July 2011

Day 16

Some time back I wrote about an idea book which I suggested that you carry everywhere you go to jot down every idea that pops up in your mind.

How about a `learning book'? The other day I met a very important person, who showed me a book in which he writes every day what new thing he learnt that day. It's not a diary, which is different. A diary is a planner and a scheduler where you write down appointments. On the other hand a learning book registers something you learnt that day.

Supposing you miss a plane, write down one new thing you learnt while you went through the tension of missing the flight; if you meet with a minor accident, jot down what you learnt out of that experience; if you mess up something in the office and your boss shouts at you, jot down one learning point.

Once every month read all the learning points that you've registered and you will be stunned at the richness of the experience!

It's a simple, yet powerful self improvement plan.

Do it from today!

N C Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

(PS: The next `IGNITE' open programme is on 16th July (Sat) @ Chennai. Please send your mail to thetimefoundation@gmail.com for details)

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