365 Exciting Ways to Live: Excitement # 69: Develop ‘One-Pointedness’

Develop ‘One-Pointedness’

Concentrate; put all your eggs in one basket, and watch that basket.

-Andrew Carnegie

What’s your longest span of concentration and focus on one single selected task without your mind wandering? Great success calls for great efforts and a disciplined mind. By nature, mind is not disciplined and will drift. We have to train the mind to ‘one-pointedness by deliberate exercise and practice. When we were children, we were able to concentrate on one thing. But as we grew older we lost this important quality, like we gave up diaphragmatic breathing!

Every day set aside one hour to concentrate on the most important task on hand such as writing, portfolio management, reading and thinking. Switch off your mobile phone, shut down your television set and tell people that you are not available. If necessary lock yourself for one hour in a room. Just disappear from the crowd! If you find it difficult to concentrate for one full hour to start with, begin with fifteen minutes and gradually improve. Treat this as a very important self-development portfolio exercise, like jogging and workout.

Sincerely do this for a month and notice your self confidence going up along with the quality of your work!

(From my book '365 Excitement Ways to Live')

NC Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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365 Exciting Ways to Live : Excitement # 65 - Grow Muscles, Destroy Flesh!

       Grow Muscles, Destroy Flesh

We are what we repeatedly do.

Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.

– Aristotle

Growth and decay are parts of nature. We have to decide which we want to encourage. In a garden, if you don’t grow plants, weeds will grow since it is natural. If you want the plants to be green and healthy, you have to do weeding out.

We either grow muscles or flesh. When we grow muscles, we become stronger and sturdier. If we grow flesh, it will create health problems. Intelligent people will take efforts to grow muscles and reduce flesh. Similarly, we either develop healthy or unhealthy habits, traits, attitudes, character, friends etc. If these are healthy, they act as muscles. Once every month, examine if you are allowing these negative elements to grow. Periodically check out if you are proactive to grow positive attitudes, habits, friends, traits, etc. Unless you invest time and resources to develop these positive elements in you, you will land up in an unhealthy environment, which will hamper your growth. If you don’t nip them in the bud, you will need a massive cleaning operation, which will be time consuming and tiring.

Invest your time on this important portfolio.

(From my book '365 Exciting Ways to Live')

NC Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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365 Exciting Ways to Live - Excitement # 64 : Talk Less, Do More

   Talk Less, Do More

An inability to stay quiet is one of the most conspicuous failings of mankind.

– Walter Bagehot

Reduce your talking by 50% and notice what happens to your concentration and productivity.

I read an interesting story. A leading company advertised for a ‘walk in interview’ for a salesman. A lot of candidates came and they were waiting in the hall, making a lot of noise chitchatting, talking loudly on their mobile phone, etc. The whole room was very noisy. But one candidate was very calm and kept observing, what was happening in the room. At that time he heard a mild announcement, which said that anyone who hears the announcement can come and collect the appointment order. Others did not hear it since they were busy talking. He went inside and collected the appointment order! All the other candidates accused him of bribing the company to get appointed. But the General Manager came out and explained that the announcement was meant to anyone, who heard the same and since he only heard it, he only got appointed!

Now tell me: isn’t silence gold?

(From my book '365 Exciting Ways to Live')

N C Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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365 Exciting Ways to Live - Excitement # 55 - Watch Your Words When You Are Angry

  Watch Your Words When You Are Angry

Not the fastest horse can catch a word spoken in anger.

– Chinese Proverb

How often do you hurt others’ feelings? You may not know every time you do so, but the concerned person will not forget. In fact people may forget when they are praised, but they will never forget when they are insulted. When choked with emotions, we may not know what we say and how we express the same. It is very difficult to build healthy relationship, but it takes only a few moments to destroy the same.  Like a broken glass, it is impossible to patch up completely.

Perhaps you can apply the following tips before emotionally bursting out:

·         Remain silent for a few minutes before you speak.

·         Be conscious about the words you are using.

·         Count ten before you burst out. Spoken words will not come back.

·         Resolve to be pleasant even when you are angry.

·         Recall what and how you spoke last time, when you blew your top and the consequence.

It makes sense to behave decently even when we are upset. It enhances our personality and image.

(From my book '365 Exciting Ways to Live')

www.thetimefoundation.com

NC Sridharan

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365 Exciting Ways to Live : Excitement # 53 - Tame the Wandering Mind!

Success in any Endeavour requires single-minded attention to detail and total concentration.

– Willie Sutton

Do you know that if you can concentrate on one thing, you can concentrate on anything?

The ability to concentrate is a skill, which can be developed. Some people may have this skill naturally in them like a mature good voice. Others can develop the same.

The quality of our concentration will decide the quality of our execution. In order to accomplish any task, we need to integrate the powers of our brain and the powers of our mind.  Brain power is natural, whereas mind power has to be harnessed.

From today, spend at least thirty minutes every day to develop and enhance your concentration quality. Have a fixed time and a fixed place. Take any one idea or thought or mantra like Om and focus all your attention on the same. Be conscious whenever your mind wanders and bring it back to the point of concentration. Start with just 5 minutes and slowly go up to 30 minutes or even one hour. Unless you take efforts, your span of concentration will not improve!

We have to tame the wandering mind. 
(From my book '365 Exciting Ways to Live')
N C Sridharan
www.thetimefoundation.com
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365 Exciting Ways to Live: Excitement # 7 . Do Brain Gym Exercises!

Brain Gym

The more you use your brain, the more brain you will have to use.

– George Dorsey

People go to gyms and work out to maintain body fitness. Work outs make the body supple. They are alert throughout the day.

Have you ever heard of ‘brain gym’? Human brain has two halves, the Right Side and the Left Side. The Right Side brain is visual, emotional, holistic and dreaming. The Left Side is logical, sequential and realistic. You should have the benefit of both sides of the brain so that your emotional dreams are implemented by logical and sequential steps. For this you have to integrate the Right and the Left sides of the brain. The left side of the body is controlled by right side of the brain and vice versa. So, by moving the left side of the body you are activating the right side of the brain.

Here’s a brain gym exercise: Practice writing with your left hand (or the right hand if you are a left hander), for fifteen minutes a day. You may not notice immediate difference, but will improve your total personality over a period of time.

Try it from today!

From my book '365 Exciting Ways to Live'

NC Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

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A Precious Investment!

Here's an idea which can change your fortunes: Don't Spend Time, Invest It!

By just changing the word 'spending' to 'investing', our approach to time and activity will change drastically and so our fortune!

Watch this video which I did long ago from my book '365 Exciting Ways to Live'!

N C Sridharan
www.thetimefoundation.com

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365 Exciting ways to live - 64

64 / 365 Talk Less, Do More

An inability to stay quiet is one of the most conspicuous failings of mankind.

 Walter Bagehot

Reduce your talking by 50% and notice what happens to your concentration and productivity.

I read an interesting story. A leading company advertised for a ‘walk in interview’ for a salesman. A lot of candidates came and they were waiting in the hall, making a lot of noise chitchatting, talking loudly on their mobile phone, etc. The whole room was very noisy. But one candidate was very calm and kept observing, what was happening in the room. At that time he heard a mild announcement, which said that anyone who hears the announcement can come and collect the appointment order. Others did not hear it since they were busy talking. He went inside and collected the appointment order! All the other candidates accused him of bribing the company to get appointed. But the General Manager came out and explained that the announcement was meant to anyone, who heard the same and since he only heard it, he only got appointed!

Now tell me: isn’t silence gold?

(From my book “365 Exciting Ways to Live”)

'365 Exciting Ways to Live' is an ideal gift for any special occasion and a good reading material for supervisory development. You can also gift this book to the school or college you studied....

www.thetimefoundation.com

 N.C. Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

365 Exciting ways to live - 62

62 / 365  ‘Connect’ with People

To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world.

 Brandi Snyder

One enviable trait I notice among successful people is their ability to sincerely connect with people. They are people oriented. ‘Connecting’ with people is different from merely knowing and being friendly with people. When you meet such people, you will know that they care for you. When you speak to them, they ‘listen’ to you and not merely ‘hear’ you. They are emotionally involved and care for you. You will enjoy your comfort level when you seek their help. You will realise this by their promptness and the quality of their help. When you share your emotions with them, they vibrate your feelings.

They will remember you on important occasions. When they promise something, they don’t need any follow up. They are there, if you want a shoulder to weep.  They are there, when you want to share your exciting moments of your life with them. They are there, when you want them to understand your feelings.

Can you evaluate how well you connect with people whom you know? Can you improve this aspect of your personality?

(From my book “365 Exciting Ways to Live”)

'365 Exciting Ways to Live' is an ideal gift for any special occasion and a good reading material for supervisory development. You can also gift this book to the school or college you studied....

www.thetimefoundation.com

 N.C. Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

365 Exciting Ways to Live - 57

57 / 365 Be a Leader

Lead and inspire people. Don't try to manage and manipulate people. Inventories can be managed but people must be lead.

Ross Perot

Are you a leader or a manager? There is a difference between leadership qualities and managerial abilities. While leading is an aligning function, managing is a control function. Leaders get the cooperation of others by empowering them, while managers use their power and authority and get the work done. Leaders are chosen due to their leadership qualities, while managers are appointed by others. Leaders look beyond today and have a vision and mission. I can go on giving you all the differences. Make it an objective to:

1. Read a book on ‘leadership’ and get to know what it means to be a leader. Stephen Covey’s‘ Principle Centered Leadership’ is an excellent book on the subject.

2.  Go to any search engine and download games and exercises to understand leadership style.

3.  Get involved in some social project and experience what it means to lead and execute a project.

In order to succeed in the long run, you have to develop leadership qualities in addition to be a good manager. It is not a choice to be a leader or a manager. You should be both.

(From my book “365 Exciting Ways to Live”)

'365 Exciting Ways to Live' is an ideal gift for any special occasion and a good reading material for supervisory development. You can also gift this book to the school or college you studied....

www.thetimefoundation.com

 N.C. Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com

365 Exciting Ways to Live - 56

56 / 365 Learn to Decide Correctly

Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide.

Napoleon Bonaparte

The quality of our life depends on the quality of our decisions. Bad decisions affect our life adversely. All of us are capable of making good decisions, if we remember the following simple rules:

·         Decide the purpose, which you want to achieve by your decision. If the purpose is not achieved, then your decision is wrong!

·         Do not hesitate to take an unpleasant decision for the only reason that it is painful.

·         List all the choices you have and not just go after one choice due to ego or obsession.

·         Collect and analyze all the available data before deciding.

·         Use trusted friends and well-wishers as ‘sounding board’ before deciding as they may have a different perspective.

·         Listen to the ‘voice of dissent’, since your views may not be always correct.

·         Take responsibility for your decision and execute.

·         Evaluate the result of your decision and learn from past wrong decisions.

Today, list at least three wrong decisions you took in the past three months and check if you have considered the above points before taking those decisions.

(From my book “365 Exciting Ways to Live”)

'365 Exciting Ways to Live' is an ideal gift for any special occasion and a good reading material for supervisory development. You can also gift this book to the school or college you studied....

www.thetimefoundation.com

N.C. Sridharan

www.thetimefoundation.com