How To Stop Being Lazy : by Rotem Cohen

I know. I've been there. You have long to-do list waiting, but instead, you find yourself oversleeping, watching TV or wasting time in other unproductive activities.

It obviously comes from a combination of low energy, and lack of motivation and self-discipline.

Try to figure out what causes it.

If you have too much on your mind and find it hard to even start thinking about all the things you have to do, it's time to write it down. Write everything that comes to your mind, things to do, things to think about, things that bother you. You'd probably realize soon enough, that things aren't as bad as you thought.

You may need to change the way you do your "self talk". Do you talk to yourself like a parent talks to a child? You're grownup now. It's time to change the way you think about tasks and responsibilities. Instead of thinking "YOU have to do this", think- "I want to do this because…" and give yourself a really good reason why.

You may not be getting enough rest from your sleep. Learn how to improve the quality of it. When your sleep is optimized, you could actually sleep less, but have more energy then you've had before, when you slept longer. Start by reducing the amount of caffeine you get during the day, especially in the evening. Remember, caffeine is not present only in coffee, but also in soda, tea and chocolate, to name a few.

You should go to sleep only when you really need to, and not only because of a schedule.

Have you noticed that the times that you're most tired are the times that you have no reason to be? You know what I'm talking about. You just woke up from a long nap and since then all you've been doing is lay on the coach, but still, all you want to do is rest, and sleep.

It's a bit of a paradox, but when your activity level is very low, so is your energy level. Start moving yourself. If exercising is too much for you, the least you can do is stretch. Also, climb the stairs instead of taking the elevator,walk those few yards to the grocery store instead of driving to it, play with your dog, or your kids.

A few changes in your diet could greatly increase your energy level. You should probably start by doubling the amount of water you drink daily. Also, instead of starting your day with coffee and a muffin, how about Cereal and orange juice?

These were just a few ideas to get you started, but you have to find the power within you, and become determined enough to change your ways.

Earl Nightingale once said: "The key that unlocks energy is desire. It's also the key to a long and interesting life. If we expect to create any drive, any real force within ourselves, we have to get excited".

Get excited!

About The Author
Rotem Cohen shares the secrets of how he overcome laziness, tiredness and an oversleeping habit, and became an Energetic Early Riser, in his new web-site: http://a-sleep.com.

Key To Success: Motivation by: Donovan Baldwin

Motivation is not a new concept to most of us. We have felt that first burst of enthusiasm. Perhaps it was an ad or news story on TV, an article in a magazine, a chance remark, or an embarrassing moment that brought us that sudden rush of certainty that something needed to be done...could be done. We felt a strong, perhaps overwhelming desire to DO SOMETHING...something that would change what had been or create something new. Often, this is accompanied by a clear and certain knowledge of what to do, how to do, and what the result would be.

Maybe we decided to lose weight, start a business, or write a book. Still bolstered by our reaction to what we had seen, heard, or felt, were certain of success! We would start that exercise program, or open that savings account tomorrow; we would begin writing a chapter a day...tomorrow. No! Tomorrow was too far away! We knew what we wanted and how to get it and we were going to start today!

Nothing could stop us!!

Of course, we know what happened over the next few hours, days, or weeks.

The clear image we had of our success dimmed and blurred; perhaps disappeared all together. The daily exercise routine, became a couple of times a week, and then was dropped all together. We quit making the deposit, or the notebook we bought for writing our great novel suddenly seemed too full of blank pages to ever fill.

The dream ended. If we were lucky, that's all that happened...it ended. For some, however, it lingered on as one more reminder of all the unfulfilled dreams and became part of our self image. It was another defeat to add to the stack.

So! What happened and how do we change it?

What happened was a combination of life, human nature, and personality or character.

Life supplies us with a constant stream of information, events, and opportunities. It is difficult to keep sight of the goal and the process while maintaining the initial level of motivation which burned so brightly when it was the new kid on the block.

Human nature has defense mechanisms and weaknesses which combine to cause us to lose the fervor we felt...before we begin to become aware of the obstacles in our path. Sadly, an obstacle does not have to be real to be effective. The well-intentioned doubts of friends and family, whether real or imagined, are both equally effective in extinguishing the fires of desire.

As with many things in our lives, our personalities and characters have a great impact on our success or failure in any given situation. Whether they contribute to our success or become obstacles does not, however, define us as failures! It is also important to note that the factors of personality or character which may be in the way are NOT always set in stone and may be altered so that success becomes a more common state.

Ways to maintain motivation keep our dream clear, bright, and fresh after the first giddy rush of elation we felt when we first felt we knew "the answer". We cannot change life in general, but we can change how we live it and alter the human nature and circumstances which would rob us of success.

1. Write it down: Whatever the goal or dream, commit it to paper. Often, the dream simply becomes harder to see, more difficult to focus on, as new events and factors evolve. Writing it down allows us to refocus and see the goal again as we saw it when it was fresh.

2. Read it: Carry the paper you wrote it on with you. Make an extra copy and put it on your bathroom mirror, another on the refrigerator door. Take it out several times daily and read it...out loud is best, but silently in the bathroom is better than nothing.

3. Revise it: Things change, we grow, we learn. Be real. Having to alter a dream or the process of achieving it is not failure. It is reality.

4. Log it: Make note of what you did to achieve your goal or what you can do tomorrow or next week. Don't worry about how far you got, or how much you did...just that you did it.

5. Learn it: Study the subject. You don't have to go back to school for a degree, but regularly delving into the subject will help keep you focused and perhaps give you new ideas to help you on your way.

6. Share it: If you dare, you are the judge. Letting people know what you're doing, while being aware that they may have a negative view of it, can be motivating.

7. Read about motivation: These few words are not the only ones written on the subject. There are other ideas out there, and a sentence in another article or a book may be the key you need to go farther than you have ever gone before. The goal is to keep the motivation level somewhere near the level it was when you started.

About The Author
Donovan Baldwin is a Dallas area writer. He is a graduate of the University of West Florida, a member of Mensa, and retired from the U. S. Army. You can find more insights on motivation and other self-improvement topics at http://web-home.ws/self-improvement/.

Tony Robbins motivates you in 20 minutes: TEDTalks

By Tony Robbins

Tony Robbins has changed most of the people life by his motivational talks. He gives you the tools and the strategies to create and uphold a better quality of life. Do listen to this video and you'll know what I mean.

Brian Tracy: You Are What You Think

You are what you think by Brian Tracy

Super Self Confidence - How To Lose It And How You Can Get It Back by: Steven Harold

It is well worth discussing what self-confidence is, before describing how you can change your low self confidence into healthier and empowering confidence.

As human beings, we action many tasks automatically and without having to think too much about it. An example would be riding a bike. Even though we might have gone through a few years of not using a bike, if we needed to, we would not find any difficulty in getting back on a bicycle and riding again. This is because we have done it so many times before that we know just what to do and do not have to give it too much conscious thought. So if you were to ask someone, how confident are you that you can ride a bike, as long as they had learnt to ride a bike in the past, they would probably say 'very confident'. They feel confident about it because they have done it many many times successfully before. In fact they now give very little thought to actions required to ride a bike. It all happens automatically.

This can be called a type of self confidence. Knowing something so well, that as the saying goes, you could do it with your eyes closed or you know it like the back of your hand.

Now when someone says that they have low confidence, they can so easily make the mistake of encompassing their whole life with this label. They might even say 'I never have any confidence in myself'. By saying this out loud to others who will listen, or even thinking it to themselves, they will be setting up a self-fulfilling prophecy. The label you give yourself or the label you accept as being true will invariably mean that you start to fit yourself to that label, and, can make it your own living reality.

However, that person above will be able to successfully accomplish many things confidently but, and here is the big 'but' they will not use these successes as evidence of confidence. They will dismiss or belittle them in some way (e.g. saying "I was lucky") so that they can maintain this need to say they have no confidence. This is a pity as it is only through taking a realistic view of what happens in their world, will they then be able to feel more confident about themselves.

It can be quite startling how someone will say they have no confidence and yet 5 minutes later they will tell you about some amazing things that they do such as talking in front of 10,000 people, or they go mountain climbing. Despite undertaking these events, which ordinarily seem nerve-wracking events, they may still say that they have low confidence.

So confidence or the lack of it, has a lot to do with how you view yourself. If this is the case then really it is down to a perception. Perceptions are not a true reflection of reality all of the time. Often perceptions, even between just 2 people, can be remarkably different even though these 2 people have in reality, experienced exactly the same thing.

Perceptions are the filters we use to process what happens around us. Our perceptions can make us feel good, bad or indifferent. They can give us a boost of energy or deflate us into an anxious and fearful mass. Our perceptions have power.

Our perceptions are, more often than not, based on our past conscious and subconscious experiences. They are our way of analysing what happens around and enabling us to decide the implications for us. When experiencing anything, our minds will very quickly compare the current experience to past experiences and, these past experiences will indicate how we should react to this current experience. If we have had a bad experience that seems very similar to the current experience, we will feel in a similar way to the feeling we associated with that past bad experience.

So our perceptions are based on past experiences and what we have learned from them.

This gives us a clue about how we can change and become more confident. Our perceptions can be so inaccurate and if they were formed at a young age may also have lacked understanding. Most of us have had the experience of perceiving someone or some situation in a particular way, only to realise that we got it completely wrong. With this in mind, although our perceptions are a form or protection and are meant to enable us to weigh up a situation quickly, they can also be wholly inaccurate.

Healthy and robust self-confidence begins by accepting that your perception of yourself may be wrong in certain matters. For example, some friends will be astounded when someone announces (may be on a drunken evening), that they have low confidence. These friends will say will all sincerity that they find this hard to believe as they always appear confident and in control. Yet that person will still insist that they lack confidence. Obviously the signals that they are externalising are not the same as those that they are internalising. Often the person who appears to be the most confident and out-going will have terrible doubts and internal conflicts. The external bravado will be their way of masking how they feel inside.

Balanced self-confidence begins by admitting and accepting more evidence of what you can do well. It also begins by accepting positive and complimentary comments made to you as well as other forms of evidence. In the past you may have dismissed a positive comment that was said to you because you didn't know how to handle it. You may even have made a joke of it or tried to dig up the tiniest fragment of evidence as to why you don't deserve such praise. Many people say something like this 'Oh, it was nothing'.

It would be virtually impossible to retain your self-confidence if you are someone who always dismisses or belittles their achievements. So make up your mind from today not to do it. Decide from this moment onwards to say just two words when someone says something nice or complimentary to. The two words are 'thank you'. Try it out next time and see how you feel about it. It will help you start to feel the confidence that has always been theyre waiting for you.

About The Author
Steven Harold Clininical Hypnotherapist http://www.hypnosources.com Confidence Hypnosis Cd

The Positive Power of Saying "NO" by: Niquenya D. Fulbright

Knowing when and how to say "no" is a constant battle for many people. This becomes especially difficult for business professionals who are looking to please and impress higher-ups. Almost from birth, the world has conditioned us to do what others ask without question for any number of reasons. We, too often, get pushed and pulled in all sorts of awkward directions that had not been on our intended agenda due to the inability to confidently speak that singular two-letter word.

Why do we allow ourselves to be ruled by people or things that make us uncomfortable? Does going the extra mile for that prospect result in cognitive dissonance in regards to your own morals? Is the undue stress caused by bending over backward for an overbearing manager worth the possible reward? What value does inviting such negativity into our lives really afford us?

Just say "NO".

Saying "no" is a very reasonable response to any request no matter how big or small. If you can't do what is being asked or even just don't want to, it is truly okay to say "no". No further explanation is required. The fact that you don't want to is more than enough reason. If you are a person that has trouble saying "no" outright then respond by saying "I'll consider it and get back to you". This is alright too. It is much better to give no commitment at all than to commit to something you didn't want to do in the first place. Mastering the art of delegation is another way to lessen the burden of being so agreeable. Don't be afraid to request help from others of similar competence. By delegating tasks that you are either unwilling or unable to perform, you can focus your attention on matters that are more pressing or important to you.

There is so much additional stress that develops when a person attempts to perform a task unwillingly. Think about times when you have worked at something you truly enjoyed. How easy was it for you to complete the task successfully? Now think about a time when you have agreed to a task that was not really your cup of tea but you just couldn't say "no". Did you give the task your complete 100%? Was the task completed and completed on schedule? How did you feel during the process?

Saying "no" firmly and asserting your position can give you power beyond your wildest dreams. Speaking "no" is to overcome your fear of rejection. It is to embrace independence. It is to get in touch with your true values. What do you stand for? How do you want to live your day? Saying "no" gives you back the control over how and with whom your time and energy is spent. So where does one begin? By just choosing the positive power of saying "NO".

About The Author
© 2006 by Niquenya D. Fulbright, Professional Life Coach All Rights Reserved
Niquenya Fulbright is a Chicago area executive life coach, professional speaker and corporate trainer with over 10 years experience specializing in business, career, life and relationship coaching. Niquenya helps her clients to improve the quality of their personal and business relationships through positive goal-setting, self-assessment, business plan/proposal writing, management consulting, resume writing/review and a number of other career and consulting services. For more information or to schedule a complimentary coaching session, visit http://www.niquenyafulbright.com, send inquiry to contactme@niquenyafulbright.com or call 773-368-3575. All coaching sessions are performed via telephone.

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. This article may not be used on illegal websites or websites that promote illegal activity of any kind. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.