Real Happiness For You (By Lawrence J. Danks)

"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions. " - The Dalai Lama

Get Started Finding Happiness and Success

Truly happy people can be more effective people. No matter what your current situation is, you can be happier, learn how to motivate yourself, put yourself on a positive and realistic road to success, or reinvent yourself into the kind of person you want to be.

This website includes multiple segments of guided readings. This is followed by three of my books:

- Your Unfinished Life - Finding Happiness and Success Through Kindness

- For College Students: You and Your Future - a career and job hunting guide for college students

- It's a Matter of Life and Death: Growing Up in a Funeral Home and What I Learned Since - finding happiness, curing curiosity about funeral homes, helping those facing serious illness, aiding those who are grieving from loss of a loved one and seeking recovery

Take notes and jot down any ideas you get along the way. These resources are simply a starting point to set goals for yourself and to improve your outlook and your life.

Many outstanding happiness and success works are cited here. It's important to experience them yourself by reading from the original sources. The tests contained in some of them are valuable and are an essential element in knowing how to move forward more effectively. Also, what I've read and summarized, may not be as relevant as something else you would see that would speak more directly to you in an original work.

It's my hope that you will refer others to this site through your associations, and through social media, so that the information here may help them too. Check back in periodically. The site will be augmented and revised on a continuing basis.

Using These Resources

1. Follow through the material sequentially (which I'd recommend) Under each heading, read the introductory material, then click on the readings in order.

or

2. Scan the list of segments and select one. Some may not have the time to complete all the reading that's contained here, so if necessary, click on particular sections that interest you. While my goal is to have everyone get the full benefit of all that's contained here, I'd rather have visitors derive some value than none.

The best way to think of these resources is that they are intended to be a "bridge builder", leading you to further detailed and customized study that will help you learn more about yourself and lead to other educational experiences, and also to professionals, who are highly trained and experienced to help you. Reference to the resources shown below is only the first step. It is not an end in itself.

It's important to your success to seek out a variety of opinions. By the time you finish, you will have had many, including mine. But that's not enough. You need to consult with people who know you best and also with others who are familiar with areas you have an interest in. All the advice you're going to get from others is not going to be good. You might also not agree with all of it either. Just take it all in and evaluate it as you go along. Keep an open mind too.

The benefit of these resources, and any further courses of action it leads you to, can only be determined by the actual steps you take to improve your life. Just reading about it, while highly worthwhile in creating the proper motivation and frame of mind to help you move forward, is no substitute for setting meaningful goals and actually doing something to accomplish them.

How long should you keep at this?

Keep these two thoughts in mind as you go through life:

<I>Plan To Live To Be A Hundred</I>

The famous motivational speaker, Dr. Robert Schuller, said that this is the proper time reference. (It makes no difference how long you actually live.) The idea is to always have personally relevant goals, or a project, for as long as you live. This will give your life meaning - and meaning helps produce happiness and a feeling of success. (A feature on "Sixty Minutes" indicated that the population segment over ninety years old is the fastest growing one in the country. It's projected to quadruple in the coming decades. You might not make it to a hundred, but you might still get to be a nonagenarian!)

You're Never Done

"How will you know when your work is done?" The answer: "If you're still breathing, you're not done yet."

Always have goals, and keep at them, even if at age ninety, it's simply to speak with two friends a week, check Google News (if it's still around by then), take care of your pet, tend to your herb garden, and fill the bird feeders every other day. Keep Renoir's last words in mind: "I am still progressing."

The famed British polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton is buried on South Georgia Island in the South Atlantic, a region where, in his failure to reach the South Pole, he arguably set the standard for leadership, engendering loyalty, and team building. If you ever feel that you've have taken about as much as you can, or that you have failed at something and don't feel good about it, read Shackleton's Boat Journey by Frank A. Worsley, the captain of Shackleton's ship Endurance. It will hold you spellbound, and in awe, about how much human beings can face and still come out on top, no matter how long the odds are, even though they may not have reached the goals they initially set for themselves.

And what about the "You're Never Done?" part. Let it be said of you, as it was of Shackleton:

"Never the lowered banner, never the last endeavor." Keep fighting until the end. There is much in you to give and a great example you can set for others

Questions

I've taught over fifteen thousand college students and over five thousand real estate school students, have diversified work experience, combined with counseling of students, and have done extensive reading on topics relevant to this site. It has helped others. It can help you too. While I've created this resource bank to assist you, I am not a career counselor, course advisor, psychologist, medical practitioner or attorney. Such questions should be referred to appropriate professionals for assistance.

Recommended Books to Keep You Going

Authentic Happiness - Martin Seligman

Flourish - Martin Seligman

50 Success Classics - Tom Butler-Bowdon

The Happiness Curve - Jonathan Rauch

The Positive Shift: Mastering Mindset to Improve Happiness, Health, and Longevity - Catherine Sanderson

The How of Happiness - Sonya Lybormirsky

Peak - Secrets From The New Science of Expertise - Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool

The Power of Habit - Charles Duhigg

Grit - Angela Duckworth

Blink - Malcolm Gladwell

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience - Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi

Happiness: Unlocking The Mysteries of Psychological Wealth - Ed Diener and Robert Biswas-Diener

Thrive - Arianna Huffington

Proceed to remaining topics in the directory at the top of the website page.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Real-Happiness-For-You&id=10072918

What Is the Relationship Between Time and Motivation?

Do you use your time wisely and motivate yourself also? What is the relationship of time with motivation? Do you have an idea? Read on to find out.

The more you motivate yourself, the more you will get done in good time. If you lose your motivation, you will lose time, not being able to focus or concentrate. So it is important for you to motivate yourself all the time.

You should keep inspirational quotes, eBooks and audio around you always so that your motivation level remains high and you are able to get a lot done.

Time doesn't wait. And motivation doesn't last. You could be in the danger of losing good time. What is the remedy?

Get yourself motivated again. Ask yourself why the task at hand is interesting? How could you optimize it? How could it benefit others? What are the steps? Answering these questions gets yourself into the flow and you make good use of time once again.

This way motivation and time go hand in hand. If you are working as a team, it's important that you appreciate their input, how much little that may be so that they feel encouraged to make their contributions zealously and the deadline is met. So you see it becomes more complex. Not only you stay motivated but also your entire team needs motivation so that they work with spirit and enthusiasm, without losing time.

Since motivation doesn't last, it is recommended daily. Daily you need to boost yourself and others for beneficial output in the right amount of time. Share wise quotes, books and audio that you use with others and make them soar. They won't lag behind but rather be inspired to get ahead in their task load.

Once you and your team make it using the motivational tools, it becomes a game of life to win every time. The motivational spirit remains high that way. What more, the higher authorities notice your good contributions and may decide to reward you and your team with raises or even promotions.

That way the motivational spirit lives on and on and you become even better at the game of life with your team and each time you get wiser and more knowledgeable, gaining more expertise, which in turn makes you more in demand. You get more determined to win and hardly fail time. Remember, it all started with an effort to raise your motivation level.

https://ezinearticles.com/?What-Is-the-Relationship-Between-Time-and-Motivation?&id=10310959

Name It What You Want

ALL THAT'S INVOLVED

The more we get soiled in negative acts, the harder it gets to admit the acts are bad. What I mean is, it is bad for anyone to gossip, but a person with a gossiping mother would not want to criticize gossips. Therefore I try as much as possible to write down and criticize a lot of bad acts in case I get attached to them and thus, get silenced.

"All I require is the courage to pick up my pen and continue from where I stopped... once I start writing, the words flow", LOL, that's what everyone says.

There are two ways to be the best- by surpassing others or by bringing others down. I go for the former.

There are two ways to know how good one is; in relation to those around you and in relation to who you were yesterday- I go for the latter.

Availability is better than ability. There are lots of people who could have been Mandela, but... yes, the 'but'; a lot of people have the ability and the 'buts', but not Mandela- he did the deed.

A book no matter how stupid, small, nonconstructive and unimpressive it may be, you should know it has taken a courageous hand and an indefatigable spirit.

Everyone claims to be good at writing, "once I start writing, the paper gets full... " but really, how many people can write? How does one distinct a bombast from a good author, a good book from that by 'hungry authors'?

I've always needed a push to do stuffs and I've always got enough; but as an adult? You have to motivate yourself...

Fehintola Oparinde, a cousin of mine, would say, "Either you're writing in a jotter or typing it straight out, just make sure you keep writing".

There was a point in my life when I had difficulty writing. I knew I could write and I was sure writing was all I wanted to do apart from playing games. Still, I couldn't write. I had a thousand and one original ideas I could write about but I just couldn't produce anything. With time, I subconsciously considered myself a writer, even though I wasn't writing anything. The day of reality came though and I realized if I counted my works, I wouldn't be proud enough as I haven't justified the talent I've always believed I had. So I decided I would write on everything worth writing, and the good thing I discovered was that everything was worth putting down. All emotions can be saved up via writing.

After deciding to start small, I discovered I had a lot to learn if I was going to move beyond writing articles and essays. And till today, the learning continues.

Life is funny, depends on your sense of humour though. Some things happen and you just sit and wonder, "Vanity indeed, all is vanity".

There are times when all that's needed is taking things slowly, everything would fall into place with time. Time, they say, heals everything.

I don't play the blame game but, it's just never my fault.

When you depict any trait of greatness, people get intimidated and hate you for no just cause. That's just the way of the world.

Your actions should match your pride, if you have any.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Name-It-What-You-Want&id=9666342

7 Ways to Motivate Yourself to a Good Workout

1. Chuck all those fashion magazines away

First things first, you are not striving to achieve a healthy and active lifestyle to look a certain way or to become a certain body size. Nobody is made from the same mold - everyone's physique and genes differ. Whatever body features you have, embrace them and be proud of them. Stop reading magazines where every model has photoshopped images and have unrealistic beauty standards. Grab yourself some health related magazines or books to read on to know how you can make better health choices.

2. Get a workout buddy

It is always great to have a workout partner with you whether it is a friend, spouse, family member etc. Having a workout partner is a good idea because you can pump each other up and stay motivated if either one of you does not feel like working out.

3. Load your iPod with motivational songs and lectures

Make a separate playlist of motivational and inspiring songs that would pump you up for an awesome workout. YouTube is full of motivational speeches related to workouts that can keep you running on the treadmill for hours or jogging in the park early in the morning.

4. Build rapport with your trainer

It is always best to build a good relationship with your trainer. Your trainer will push you harder and motivate you to finish that last rep of squats or a 30kg bench press. There are many people who go to the gym and never bother to even have a conversation with their trainers and just do half hearted workouts and leave. You will be twice as likely to stay motivated in the gym knowing that there is someone watching over your exercises.

5. Workout as soon as you can

Head to the gym directly from work instead of going home because once you are home you will feel lazy and won't feel like going to the gym. Most companies have their own gym, so take full advantage of that as well.

6. Set an alarm

Set a workout alarm and reminder on your phone so that you don't have any excuses of "forgetting" to workout.

7. Find something that you love and substitute it for a workout

Gyms are not for everyone and that's OK because there are other options that you can take such as yoga, Zumba or swimming etc. All these are body toning activities and you end up feeling more energized after doing them.

Bonus tip:

It's a given that having a healthy diet goes hand in hand with an active lifestyle but every now and then if you miss a day of a workout or eat something unhealthy, don't let it make you feel guilty and give up. Everybody slips up, you just have to be persistent. And who said, a few cheat meals here and there aren't allowed?

http://ezinearticles.com/?7-Ways-to-Motivate-Yourself-to-a-Good-Workout&id=9820704

How to Use Fear As a Form of Motivation

Do you procrastinate because you feel fear of rejection, pitfalls and failure while pursuing your goals or life purpose. Fear not as this article shows you how you can use fear to motivate yourself, accomplishing your burning desires.

Here are several tips:

1) Say, for instance, you are attracted to a lady in the office. But you feel fear of rejection. It just requires a mind shift. Think of how happy the lady would be if you ask her out on a date. Think of a bright future ahead. Plan on how you can entice that lady. Work on it and it becomes a game of life, winning her victoriously in the end, which is very motivating indeed!

2) As another example, you want a raise in your job in which you have been punctual, committed and dedicated. You feel you deserve a raise but you cannot proceed with it because you fear that there will be pitfalls in the relationship with your boss. Gradually tune into positive thoughts. If you go through a valid and rational replay of the work you have done, think positively how you can influence your boss to your way of thinking. Will it need a lot of work? If yes, how much. Plan on everything. You get busy in a benign way and you feel the motivation instead of fear to win over your boss to give you a raise. Isn't that great?

3) You have to offer a presentation for a conference. You are nervous and fear the mishaps that can happen. You might get stuck and forget what you wanted to say. You might drop something on the stage. Stop sabotaging yourself. Turn the fear of failure to loving the presentation that you will offer at the conference. Think how your voice will be heard and how much your research work that you will be presenting will be appreciated. Everything will be cool and set on the stage. Accidents cease to happen. You rehearse your presentation and edit it better and better with the help of your fellow mates and supervisor. In the end you cannot wait to present at the conference. You are highly motivated.

These three scenarios help you to see the real picture. When you feel fear for something, face it right upfront and tune into positive mental attitude. Nothing will go wrong that way. This is how you can turn around timid fear to gratifying motivation for any task - you just name it.

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Use-Fear-As-a-Form-of-Motivation&id=9522150

7 Helpful Tips To Sustain Your Motivation

When it pertains to getting things done, motivation can be hard to come by. Yet, that is precisely what is required. A small amount of motivation is needed to do little, simple things, like brushing your teeth. Larger jobs require more motivation to complete.

But how do you find motivation when you have none?

Discover how to really motivate yourself and you'll achieve more:

1. Use pain. If you cannot complete a specific job, what are the consequences? It may simply be the inconvenience of having more to do the following day. Or it could be the possibility of someone stopping by and seeing how dirty your home is.

Create several good reasons why failing to do complete a task would be painful to you.

2. Use satisfaction. Saving back $25 today might not be too exciting, but the vacation getaway you'll be taking next year is pretty terrific. Remind yourself of all the advantages you'll receive. Make a long list that will help to keep the fire burning inside to effectively handle those undesirable or dull tasks.

Envision the future you expect to enjoy from getting your jobs completed. Rehearse your successes in your mind over and over. Produce an image that motivates you take the next action enthusiastically.

3. Set short-term objectives. It's hard to stay motivated on a goal for more than 8-10 weeks. So, if you have a goal that will require a year to achieve, you'll run out of gas before you achieve success.

Break objectives that take a prolonged amount of time into smaller sized goals that can be achieved within 2 months.

To paraphrase Henry Ford, "If you take a large job, and break it into small parts, you'll make it easy."

4. Make the job more satisfying. Raking the leaves might seem like a terrible way to spend the afternoon, but what if you listened to your favorite music while you raked? You could even invite a few friends over for a cookout and ask them each to bring a rake, for a "barbecue raking" party!

Ask yourself, "How can I make this task as pleasurable as possible?" then listen to the responses you get.

5. Give yourself a reward. You would not go to work daily if you didn't earn money. The benefit you get suffices to keep you returning every day. Apply the very same idea to keep your motivation high enough to get things done. Think about a couple of things you truly take pleasure in and utilize them as motivation.

Just feeling pleased with your achievements can be a type of reward. Those that struggle with motivation are often hard on themselves. Enjoy your accomplishments and you can be sure to enjoy more progress in the future.

6. Take a deep breath. Few things will drain your motivation faster than an over-stimulated mind. Stay clear on what you're attempting to achieve and concentrate on the most direct path to obtain it. Deal with one task before moving on to another.

Keep your brain focused on your current job. Meditation is an effective tool for learning how to focus better.

7. Include another person. Going to the fitness center daily can be difficult. However if you know your exercise partner is awaiting you, it's harder to stay home. The presence of others can increase your level of commitment. Reach out to a friend.

Without motivation, willpower is the only option, and willpower is far more difficult to sustain than motivation. Learning how to control your motivation comes with learning how to manage yourself. There's little that can't be accomplished when you find out how to manipulate your level of motivation. Even the most difficult jobs end up being manageable.

http://ezinearticles.com/?7-Helpful-Tips-To-Sustain-Your-Motivation&id=9522870

Fun Ways to Celebrate Small Success Within Your Budget

So you were appreciated by the boss by completing all the tasks for the week. You just smiled and got on with more tasks because there are still so much to do.

Hold up. Pause. Don't you think you deserve a little celebration to motivate yourself more? Here is how.

Write a blog about it

There is nothing like the old school diary writing to express the joy of achieving the small success. In the era dominated by mobile technology and the Internet, you can do away with writing them down in a diary and create a blog about your success. Although, writing in on your journal is perfectly fine. This does not mean bragging about it, though. Make this an avenue to inspire others, who like you, are struggling and striving to win in life.

Treat yourself to dinner

Nothing in this world can make us the happiest than our favorite food. You don't have to tag the friends along or eat at a fancy restaurant. All you need to celebrate is a takeout of from the favorite dinner place while catching up on the latest TV series. Call me a loser, but, The Big Bang Theory gang and a box of pizza will keep me happy for a week. So don't hesitate from indulging yourself with 'cheat' food. You. Deserve. It.

Two things: Cake and flowers

You can skip dinner and dig straight into dessert. Buy yourself a cake and some flowers to truly celebrate the achievement. These things are the staple gifts for commemorating huge success. But, who said you couldn't give it to yourself to celebrate the small ones? So, head out to the favorite bakeshop for that wonderful treat. While you're at it, drop by the flower shop and make yourself happy with beautiful blooms to decorate the bedroom-- a reminder of what you can become.

Sleep and relax

Doing a good job at work or in school will cost you the sleep you need. It is the high time to sleep off all the stress and relax. This will provide you with the needed energy and a healthy mind to make more success in the future.

Be happy and enjoy the congratulations

Sometimes, we fail to accept the compliment of others because we think we don't deserve or because we don't want to come out as arrogant. Let yourself experience the simple joys of being appreciated. It will feed your soul and mind to do even better.

No matter how small or big your success is, you are entitled to enjoy and celebrate simply because you deserve it. By the way, congratulations!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Fun-Ways-to-Celebrate-Small-Success-Within-Your-Budget&id=9468929

17 Quotes To Help You Through Tough Times

If you’re going through tough times it is important to keep going and to try to see the bigger picture. Remember, setbacks, failures, and tragedies are only one part of life.  These are just insignificant moments of time that will pass. And they will pass faster if you develop a more positive mindset and keep these 3 simple truths in mind to motivate yourself:

1) Problems are opportunities for growth.

2) There is always something to be grateful for.

3) You are not alone.

Trust me, I have been going through some tough times myself. 

But also, here are some of the best inspirational quotes that will lift your spirits up:

1. “Just think how happy you would be if you lost everything you have right now, and then got it back again.” – Frances Rodman

2. “Don’t wait around for other people to be happy for you. Any happiness you get, you’ve got to make yourself.” – Alice Walker

3. “An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. So when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that it’s going to launch you into something great.” –Unknown

4. “Nobody can make you to feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

5. “Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think and twice as beautiful as you’ve ever imagined.” – Dr. Seuss

6. “Don’t cry for a man who’s left you; the next one may fall for your smile.” – Mae West

7. “We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” – Frederick Keonig

8. “Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” – J.K. Rowling

9. “When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: you haven’t.” – Thomas Edison

10. “Will this matter a year from now?” – Anonymous

11. “I get it now; I didn’t get it then. That life is about losing and about doing it as gracefully as possible… and enjoying everything in between.” – Mia Farrow

12. “When you stand and share your story in an empowering way, your story will heal you and your story will heal somebody else.” – Iyanla Vanzant

13. “You have to get hurt. That’s how you learn. The strongest people out there – the ones who laugh the hardest with a genuine smile, those are the people who have fought the toughest battles. Because they’ve decided they’re not going to let anything hold them down, they’re showing the world who’s the boss.” –Unknown

14. “When everything seems to be going against you, remeHenry Ford

    mber that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” – 

15. “Stop looking at the past and all the things you can’t change. They’re done and over with. Now is the time for you to look to the future, grasp it by the hand, and decide where you want to go.” – Lacey Weatherford

16. “Bad things happen to good people all the time. It sucks. It’s not fair but then much of life isn’t fair. It’s how you live that matters. It’s how you deal with the bumps in the road.” – Maya Banks 

17. “We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.” – Kenji Miyazawa

    http://www.thelawofattraction.com/17-quotes-get-through-tough-times/
    

How To Motivate Yourself To Overcome Total Laziness

I’m lazy. That’s right. And there’s nothing wrong with being lazy at all.

To give you context, here’s what I mean when I say I’m lazy.

If I could snap my fingers and have my dinner prepared for me in a flash, I’d do it without a doubt. That would save me a LOT of time.

If I could turn my laptop on by pressing a button on my smartphone (someone should invent that), then I’d gladly do it.

If I had to decide between shopping online and shopping offline in the supermarket, I’d do it online because it takes less time and less effort.

If I had to choose between shopping in the day time and shopping at night, I’d do it at night. Because there’s less people, less queue’s, less headache and less effort on my part.

Laziness only becomes a problem when you let your lazy tendencies interfere with your life and your priorities.

If laziness is doing exactly that to you, for example – playing video games all day and night, and having your girlfriend bring you food and water because you’re too lazy to do it yourself… (Hopefully it hasn’t gotten that bad for you) Here’s how you can motivate yourself to overcome it.

1. Put the repercussions into perspective.

I used to play video games throughout the day and throughout the night. Almost everyday. Sometimes everyday. Sometimes a few days a week.

Sometimes I’d wake up at 12-2PM in the afternoon. On rare occasions it was 4PM. On a lot of occasions I’d go to bed at 3-5AM after gaming so much playing Halo, etc.

When It became a habit I had no job at the time. I was looking, but I obviously wasn’t putting in enough work as you can probably tell.

I abused my time playing games, after all. Which in business talk, has a poor ROI over the long term.

Imagine how many books I could have read, how much money I could have made, or many important skills I could have developed in that time?

So what did I do about it? Eventually the repercussions were put into perspective. Not by choice either. Here’s what those repercussions looked like.

• Will my future be something to look forward to? Will it be exciting?
• If I keep this up how do I expect to live out my dreams, my goals, and what’s important to me?
• If I keep this up for the next 10 years, I’ll be in my 30’s and 40’s, with no life, no prospects, no career, followed by a miserable future.
• If I keep this up, will I be happy with where my life has taken me 10-20 years from now?
• Will I feel better about myself and how I’m spending my time?

I’m 26 today. For the past 3+ years I’ve been working on myself harder than I ever have in my life. And I haven’t bought a video game ever since.

My priorities and my future are too important for that procrastinating BS. I’ve changed as much as a cocoon changes after morphing into a butterfly.

What about you though? Whatever your situation is in regards to sheer laziness, write out a list of the repercussions of your actions. And put a time line on it. 5 years. 10 years. 20-30 years from now.

How does your life look that far into the future if you continue to do what you’re doing today? If you continue to waste your time on foolishness?

Will your future self be happy with the life he or she has created a decade or so from now?

You already know the answer. And If that’s not motivating enough, I have another solution for you.

2. Commit to your purpose.

I know, I know. It probably sounds corny and is an overused word. But when I say purpose I’m not talking about the “find your life’s purpose, you’ll know it when you see it” BS. It’s a lot simpler than that.

At some point along my journey I realized what was important to me, what mattered, what I care about, what I want my life to look like 100%, and what my reasons were.

And that’s really all it takes to go from being lazy one day, and being so driven the next day that you can’t believe you were ever lazy in the first place.

Ask yourself:

• What do I want my life to look like?
• What are my reasons?
• Who benefits other than myself?
• Why am I doing it?
• Who am I doing this for?
• What’s important to me?
• What is it I care about doing?
• What is it I want out of my life?
• What fulfills me?
• What is it I want to accomplish?

And then write down ALL your answers. Be as detailed as possible. Make it clear. Read over it, and then get to work.

The reason this is a great solution to solving your problems with laziness and procrastination, is because it matters. It’s compelling. It pulls on your heart strings. And it means a LOT to you.

Yes It will take practice and commitment to completely rid yourself of the habit, but these two solutions I’ve laid out will be enough to get you started.

And along your journey if you do ever come to a point where you’re procrastinating, or wanting to be lazy, simply ask these questions again.

Look at your questions again. Look over your answers. Then your focus will switch to what’s important to you. And your actions will speak for themselves.

http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/motivate-overcome-total-laziness/

9 Ways Introverts Can (Quietly) Outperform All the Loud People Around Them

Introverts have great strengths. They just don't go around yelling about them.
How can introverts become successful when it seems the world only has time to listen to those who shout the loudest? 

Susan Cain's book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking has been a bestseller ever since it was first published back in 2012. Cain also recently launched Quiet Revolution, which she describes as "a mission-based company that offers parenting and educational services to unlock the power of introverts." 

She recently did an "ask me anything" event on Product Hunt. Here are 10 highlights of what she had to say about how introverts can succeed and find happiness in a world dominated by louder voices.

1. Learn to take risks.

"It's easier to take risks in the service of something or someone you really care about. Professor Brian Little speaks of our "core personal projects"--the projects and people we place at the center of our lives. What and who are these for you? Once you've identified them, don't even think in terms of risk or not-risk. Just think in terms of how do you accomplish your goals."

2. Ignore the misconceptions.

"The No. 1 biggest misconception [is] thinking introverts are unfriendly or antisocial, when in fact we just like to socialize differently, more intensely, with a smaller group of people. ... I would add to this answer that people often see introverts as less powerful (because we tend to speak more softly, not enjoy conflict, etc.), when in fact introverts possess a whole suite of powers that have moved the world--powers of persistence, of concentration, of sensitivity, of ability to think deeply, and so on."

3. Practice before preaching (literally).

"I used to be really scared of public speaking, so I spent the year before my book came out (and the year before giving that TED talk) practicing public speaking in small, manageable, low-stakes settings. Do not begin by giving a TED talk! ... You want to practice over and over with audiences before whom it doesn't matter how much you seem nervous or forget what you were going to say."

4. Leverage your strengths as a salesperson.

"[F]ollow the age-old sales wisdom: "We all have two ears and one mouth and should use them in that proportion." Truly, the best salespeople listen really well and think about--and care--what their prospects need."

5. Work by yourself if that works best.

"Just ... say so. And if you can point to examples of great work you've gotten done via such a process, all the better."

6. Motivate yourself by focusing on mission.

"I remember, when Quiet first came out, feeling raw and exposed to the world. But I really did get used to it over time, and learned to focus not on the exposed feeling but rather on the sense of mission that made me write the book in the first place. That's what I tune in to now every single day."

7. Be inspired by other introverted leaders.

"Jim Collins did a famous study where he looked at the CEOs of the 11 best performing companies, and found that all 11 of them were described by their peers and colleagues as quiet, unassuming, low-key, soft-spoken, even shy. Gandhi was this kind of leader, as was Eleanor Roosevelt. Look around Silicon Valley today ... from Larry Page to Bill Gates and beyond."

8. On being an introverted entrepreneur.

"[W]hile sometimes you will have to act outside your comfort zone, it's much better to figure out how to communicate passion and conviction while still being yourself. ...  If it is coming from an authentic place, people will feel it. It also helps to have an extroverted partner or senior colleague who can do the things you don't like to do, and vice versa. My favorite example of this is Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's introverted CEO, and Sheryl Sandberg, extroverted COO. They are the ultimate yin-yang pair."

9. Learn to "advertise yourself."

"I would look for ways to showcase your expertise--whether through internal company blogs, small speaking roles at a company conference, etc. Second, if you have expertise that your colleagues could benefit from--share it! Send them emails with info they can use, etc. And finally, ... [make] a list of some of your accomplishments. ... Even if you never share the list with anyone, it will help center you emotionally around the value you bring."

http://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/heres-how-introverts-can-quietly-outperform-all-the-loud-people-around-them.html