[Time-Management] Arise, awake and take charge!

 

5th November 2010

"When every physical and mental resource is focused, one's power to solve a problem multiplies tremendously."

Norman Vincent Peale

We've to learn from the nature. Anything which is focussed is powerful and anything that is not focussed loses its power. Take the example of a hurricane or a tornado. When the hurricane or the tornado moves in a particular direction, it becomes destructive. The same applies to the compressed air. When the air is compressed in a closed chamber and allowed to come out through an orifice, it can move a turbine and produce electricity. Take the example of electricity itself. When the current is made to pass through a filament it glows and produces light. Take a torch light or a laser beam. When it focuses, darkness disappears. Take the example of a sun rays focussed through a lens and allowed to fall on cotton. The cotton burns. Or take the example of air and petrol vapour fired inside a carburettor. It can keep a heavy aircraft in the mid sky.

So is our mind. A focussed mind is a powerful mind. A diffused mind is very weak and cannot produce any result. Any focused resource can produce amazing results. Mind is a very powerful resource. The mind power has infinite hidden power and can produce astounding results, if properly focussed.

Problem is there everywhere. The worst problem in the hands of a focussed person becomes the best opportunity. A simple problem in the hands of a confused person becomes a worst problem. The difficulty is not in the problem, but in the mind of the person.

Think: are you focussed?

Take a problem which you have been avoiding to tackle due to fear of failure. Concentrate all your efforts for not more than thirty minutes a day for the next fifteen days and notice what happens to the problem!

N C Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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[Time-Management] Ignited Child!

 

4th November 2010

Ignited Child!

In order that our children perform at their optimum potential, they have to be focussed and work hard. It is simple common sense. But when it comes to implementing, many parents complain that their children are not working hard, their concentration is dissipated, they spend their time on trivial things etc. As I have been repeatedly writing, our children have all the resources already with them; they are very intelligent and sharp. What is required is a set of behavioural pattern.

The question in the minds of many parents is: how do I enforce discipline in my child.

The answer is simple. Disciple is an end result and it is not a process. When you do certain things, your child becomes a disciplined child. Parents should have a `discipline drill' everyday as a part of daily activity. Adhering to time discipline has to be initiated and controlled by the parents and not left to the discretion of the children. You don't expect a child to be so responsible and say that he wants to do everything in time. The parents should decide that the child should get up at 6 am; get ready for the 8 am breakfast; get ready to the school at 8 45 am; wind up play at 6 pm; do the home work between 6 30 and 7 30 pm; have dinner at 8 pm; prepare for the next day's class from 8 30 pm to 9 00 pm; sleep at 9 30 am etc.

There should be no ambiguity on this. This is the obedience drill I'm talking about.

If the readers do not mistake me, I would like to give an example just to explain what an obedience drill is in a different context. The other day I was watching a police dog in action and I was amazed at the discipline the dog was displaying. I asked the police personnel how this becomes possible. He replied that at every day the dog is given an obedience drill for two hours in the morning, afternoon and evening! He said that if for one week if the drill is not given for some reasons such as sickness, the dog will not obey!

This principle applies to the human beings also. If you know a leading sports or music personality, ask them about their daily routine and they will tell you about their obedience drill imposed by their coach.

Please understand that nothing will come out from nothing!

N C Sridharan and Radha Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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[Time-Management] Arise, awake and take charge!

 

4th November 2010

Flatter me, and I may not believe you.
Criticize me, and I may not like you.
Ignore me, and I may not forgive you.
Encourage me, and I will not forget you.

William Arthur Ward

If you read carefully, you will notice that there are four strategies discussed in this quotation. Out of these three strategies will not build up good relationship. They are flattery, criticism and ignoring people. The fourth strategy will build healthy relationship and that is encouraging someone.

Next time when someone praises you, notice if it is honest praise or flattery. The dictionary meaning of the word `flattery' is excessive or insincere praise. If someone flatters you, you may feel happy for the time being. But if think for a while, you will understand that flattery will give you a false belief as though it is true.

Similarly criticism has to be understood in the proper sense of the word. Criticism means expression of disapproval. I'm not saying that you should not criticise someone. But just think how you will feel if someone criticises you without your liking!

The third is ignoring someone. Have you ever felt ignored by someone you value most? How will you feel if someone ignores your feelings? How will you feel if someone whom you value most does not return your call?

The fourth trait discussed in the above quotation is encouraging someone. I'm sure you will feel happy when someone encourages you when you do something good. Encouragement is a powerful relationship builder.

Over this weekend think:

·         Did you knowingly or unknowingly flatter someone?

·         Did you give unwanted criticism to someone?

·         Did you ignore someone who values your relationship most?

·         Did you encourage someone for whatever that person did?

N C Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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[Time-Management] Ignited Child!

 

3rd November 2010

Ignited Child!

The most important skill a parent should have is the ability to raise children based on certain values and principles of good living. I'm sure you will agree that the present environment outside is not conducive to make children value based. There are two ways in which children `learn' how to live – from what they hear and what they see. I hope you noticed that I have used the word `learn', for learning is different from education. Education is basically a portfolio of teachers and educational institutions. On the other hand learning takes place outside the scope of schools and classroom.

If you think for a while you will understand that out of the twenty four hours, children sleep for about 10 hours leaving a balance of fourteen hours. In this fourteen hours, the children are away to school for about seven hours which leaves a balance of just three hours when they are in the custody of the parents. In this three hours, all the others activities should take place such as eating, getting ready to school, doing the home work etc! Isn't it surprising to know what little time the parents have to groom their children?

Hence the parents have just one eighth time to influence their children making them to listen and see what they should and for the balance seven eighth of the time they are exposed to hear and see what the outside world has to offer. If what they hear and see is going to add value to their life, they are lucky. But can we be sure of this?

Getting worried? Read further...

N C Sridharan and Radha Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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[Time-Management] Arise, awake and take charge!

 

3rd November 2010

"Create a story of WOW that will be retold."

 Jeffrey Gitomer

I have always been wondering on the power of the human mind which we don't use fully. We have a lot of hidden powers, which when tapped properly will make astounding results. We are capable to creating a story of WOW that will be retold by the posterity. Many of us are not aware of this and settle down to do very ordinary work.

We use many gadgets around us such as our car, our computer, our mobile phone etc. If don't understand their installed capacity, we will be under utilizing them, where as someone will be using their full capacity and hence will be outsmarting us. After all the future will belong to those who excel!

You are much more intelligent than you are aware of! For example, read the following passage!

 This is weird, but interesting!
 fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too
    Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.
  i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs forwrad it

Are you now convinced that you are much more intelligent?

N C Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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[Time-Management] Ignited Child!

 

2nd November 2010

Ignited Child!

Over the last two decades lot of changes have taken place in the life around us. We don't make an automobile the way we made ten years ago. We don't make a television the way made ten years ago. For that matter we don't cook the way we cooked ten years ago. Can you cross the road the way you crossed ten years ago?

Similarly we cannot raise our children the way we were raised by our parents. One important thing that has taken place over the years is the fact that the present day children are much more sharp and intelligent than we were at their age. They have a lot more to read and assimilate then we had. They have much more opportunities and excitement to see in their life. At the same time they also have much more threats and challenges to face. In fact our children are growing up in a less secure environment.

In this context, they have to be prepared even more carefully in terms of their knowledge, skill, capabilities and talents. They need some basic survival skills than we had at their age. Hence they need to be helped much more than we were helped by our parents.

This situation has forced the need for a new breed of `knowledge parents'. They parents should know much more on the fine art of parenting. In fact parenting has become a kind of technology! Just like you cannot make the modern automobile with the old technology, you cannot raise your children in the modern environment with the old parenting methods. For example if you try to discipline your child the way you were disciplined by your parents, it will not work out. If you communicate with your child the way your parents communicated with you, it will not work out.

In the next few articles we are going to discuss some of the specific skills you have to have to prepare your children to face the challenges in their life.

Keep reading...

N C Sridharan and Radha Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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[Time-Management] Arise, awake and take charge!

 

2nd November 2010

Behaviour Management and People Management

`Behaviour is the mirror in which everyone shows their image'

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

If you think carefully, we are hired and paid to produce some outcome. If you are a teacher, you are expected to teach so well that the student scores high mark. If you are a manager in a factory you are expected to ensure that there is good quality production at a reasonable cost. For that matter, if you are a housewife, you are expected to raise children who are disciplined and obedient. If we cannot produce this end result, we are a waste and we will be termed as inefficient and ineffective.

The reason for the expected outcome not taking place is the fact that the expected behaviour is not taking place with reference to the people concerned. For example if the child is not doing the homework, he will not do well in the exam; if the workman is not turning up for work, he will not be producing; if the student is not attentive in the classroom, he will not be able to absorb what is taught and hence will not be able to pass the exam.

When such deviations are noticed in a person, our natural reaction is to deal with the behaviour which is external. But we need to look beyond the behaviour and ask `why is this person behaving this way?'. We have to shift from `what is he doing' to `why is he doing what he is doing?. This is the difference between behaviour management and people management.

Behaviour management is easy and we can bring about a change in the behaviour through reward and punishment. But such a change will be very temporary. People management is difficult and time consuming, but will result in a lasting change. It is a pleasant experience to manage people, but it will be painful and irritable to manage behaviour.

We have to spend at least about one hour per day in trying to understand people related issues such as feelings, attitude, values etc. What is the use if you have a computer but don't have any basic knowledge of how to use the software loaded on the computer?

N C Sridharan

www.thetimefoudation.com

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