Five Ways to Be Ahead of Time

One of the greatest assets in life is time, one of the greatest delusions in life is still time and one of the greatest illusions in life is time.

The world is regulated by time, as far as life on Earth is concerned, it is timed, and every aspect of living is timed. The different categories of timing represent the diverse stages of life. In reality, time regulates seasons, seasons influence trends and trends regulate people. Thus everyone in life is either a time setter or a time checker.

Time setters are able to position themselves ahead of the time by following principles that propel them beyond the present time while time checkers follow time and are bound by the shackles of trends.

However, there are principles to follow if you desire to be ahead of time, below are five vital ones:

1) BE VISIONARY: 

What do you see? Vision is not the presence of sight, but the presence of inner sight or what you call INSIGHT. What you see for your life affects what you expect from your life and how you move in your life. Seeing beyond the present moment, gives you a glimpse of what the future can be and ultimately gives you the advantage to prepare for it. Vision propels you to move ahead of the present season and positions you ahead of the crowd.

2) PLAN. 

In advancing in life, the place of planning can never be overemphasized. You have envisioned the times ahead, then take one more step to plan your way to it. Ask crucial questions, meet strategic people, obtain the required skills and synchronize your life around your plan of the vision. Ask yourself, what does it take to get to my vision, how can I get there, where should I start, who do I need, how long will it take me to get to my vision. Be deliberate to get the right answers because they unfold your plan for the vision.

3) BE PASSIONATE. 

Passion is a fuel to purposeful living. One distinguishing factor in life is the passion we live it with. Passion keeps you moving even in the most harsh conditions. When you lose passion for living, you have lost life itself. Develop passion For the plan of your vision, and see the self limiting obstacles crumble in your face.

All through history, you will discover that the most outstanding people are the most passionate ones. These are men and women who are zealous of what they are doing, and they are not apologetic about their obsessions.

4) FORM A HABIT. 

To be ahead of the crowd, form vision sustaining habits. Be deliberate in cultivating habits that will naturally bring you closer to your vision. When you absorb great habits into your lifestyle, you automatically program your mind on what is important to you. One thing about habits are that they are hard to cultivate, and even harder to break. Consistency with these vision oriented habits gives you an edge over those that do not have them and places you on the right track for vision actualization.

5) PRAY 

Vision, plan,passion and habit are nothing without the hand of God. Prayer still remains the master key to unlocking the future. When you pray and Access God, your vision crystallizes in your spirit and you start living it out in the now. Hearing from God is an acid test to the success of every vision. Moreover, visions are birthed in the place of prayer, and prayer, brings God into every vision, plan, passion and habit. Don't make praying your last option, rather the first. Prayer simplifies complicated matters and builds your faith, which is crucial in vision actualization, especially the big ones. Therefore, the bigger the vision, the more praying is involved.

Finally, understand that life is in seasons, but you can change the season by influencing the time through these principles.

DON'T JUST WATCH TIME... 

SET YOUR DESTINY TIME...

http://ezinearticles.com/?Five-Ways-to-Be-Ahead-of-Time&id=9646800

A Resolution's Timing Problem

Goals and resolutions are very similar. Both represent desirable results we want to achieve. Why, then, do resolutions have a 97% failure rate, while goals form the foundation of most success strategies? The differences between the two, although subtle, are significant. And this article is one of several designed to explore those differences.

Law of Gestation

Both goals and resolutions are designed to lead to actions, which are supposed to generate desired results. However, the two deal with the time needed to achieve those results differently. Before I go into that difference, let me explain something called the Law of Gestation. This law states that everything needs a period of time to manifest. We can easily see this in nature; plant a seed, and it takes some period of time, usually days, before a sprout appears. The same applies to ideas and desires. After you plant a desire, you have to let enough time go by to allow that desire to manifest.

A resolution does not have this time period built in. A person forms a resolution and acts upon it; however, since a resolution does not have a time frame as part of its structure, the person does not know how long is needed for results. Given the tendency of our culture towards immediate satisfaction, the person then becomes impatient for immediate results. Seeing none, they say the resolution has failed, and forget about it.

A goal, on the other hand, has a time element built into it, if it is properly formed. (A properly formed goal has the SMART properties, of which Time is the last). So a person works towards a goal but knows that some time must elapse before manifestation occurs. This inspires patience and persistence, both of which are needed to achieve goals. Even if the time estimate is off, the person recognizes that some time must pass, and so is willing to wait for results.

Time Frames

A second problem with the lack of time awareness in resolutions is the lack of flexibility of approach. Different time frames require different approaches. A short term goal, something which is less than a year, is more action oriented. A medium term goal, which should take between one and five years, is more amenable to planning before action. And a long term goal, which includes an estimate of more than five years, lends itself to a more developmental approach.

However, resolutions are almost always immediate, which means they demand immediate actions and immediate results. The lack of planning and development inherent in the resolution making process means that any efforts towards reaching the resolution are more likely to be stopped before the necessary time passes.

Patience is Key

So how do we make resolutions more time sensitive? The key is to fight the drive towards immediacy. Take the time needed to understand the process needed to reach the desired result, making your resolutions more goal-like by incorporating an awareness of the time needed to see results, and by adapting your actions towards that time frame. A little thought about timing can have amazing effects on your success rate.

http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Resolutions-Timing-Problem&id=9310661

Master This One Skill And It Will Take You Far

Developing your communication skills will lead to success

Whether you are an aspiring leader or in a support role, developing your communication skills can impact your success. First, let's take a look at the complexities of communication. It's more than the words you use. It's how and when you choose to share information. It's your body language and the tone and quality of your voice.

These are things you should consider as you strive to improve your interactions with others:

Know the outcome. Before you begin planning what you will say in an upcoming meeting, consider what you want the outcome of your communication to be. What actions do you want others to take? How will you move people? That's the term used in Daniel Pink's "To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others." Pink contends that we are all in sales today. "Whether we're employees pitching colleagues on a new idea, entrepreneurs enticing funders to invest or parents and teachers cajoling children to study, we spend our days trying to move others."

Build a reputation. In the workplace, other people's perceptions of you don't form based on a single encounter. But never forget how valuable a good first impression is! In order to gain respect and be seen as a trusted authority, eager team member or dedicated employee, you will need to build your reputation over time. Every interaction -- from how you greet your co-workers in the morning to how you summarize a status update in an email -- contributes to how people view you.

Avoid flaunting power and intellect. Compelling communicators don't strong-arm people into paying attention or dazzle listeners by showing off how much they know. Leave your ego at the door when speaking to people. Establish an even playing field, and place yourself at the same level with your listeners. Avoid a condescending tone of voice and terminology your audience will not immediately understand. While you may be the smartest, most knowledgeable person on a particular topic, wait for the invitation to share your expertise.

Be confident. A wimpy response isn't going to gain the recognition or support you desire. Confidence is queen when it comes to effective communication. Use strong action verbs, avoid filler words, such as "um"' or "'ah," look people in the eye and sit or stand up straight when called on to speak.

Show awareness of others. Shoving your great ideas or accomplishments down throats of listeners isn't going to work. Building relationships is part of the communication process and is key to your success in conveying your message. When you deeply understand how your audience thinks and feels and what is important to them, you can use that information to craft a message that will resonate with your listeners. Your message should imply concern for others. As the saying goes, "walk a mile in their shoes" to understand what's important to the people you are communicating with.

Consider timing. There is a time and a place for everything. When you are aware of the events or emotional state of those you are communicating with, you can improve the timing of your message. Appropriate timing means you have taken the person and occasion into consideration and know when to share your message.

Master the art of listening. The most adept communicators are experts at listening and reading between the lines. Mastering the art of listening isn't easy. You will most likely feel tempted to share your own insights, opinions or assumptions while listening to someone. Avoid commentary or interjecting. Instead, ask open ended follow-up questions. This provides evidence that you are hearing and listening to the person. It shows your respect for the person speaking and for the information they are sharing. Practising good listening skills will help you gain the respect of those you encounter.

Earn respect and trust. Earning respect and trust from your colleagues, managers and customers doesn't happen automatically. Your title and role don't give you any special privileges. If you work hard to exceed expectations and deliver with integrity, you are on your way to establishing the right to be trusted. Consistently repeat these steps to earn the right to be heard.

All these things probably sound familiar. You've read them before. What you really want is concrete help in improving your communication. There are thousands of books on the topic of communication. These self-help books can arm you with more insight and tools to improve your understanding of the intricacies of communication, but there is nothing as powerful as practising what you learn.

Here's how to develop your communication skills:

Learn from mentors. Enlist help from managers or leaders you respect. These mentors can provide constructive feedback and real-time coaching.

Watch TED Talks. Learn how to present by watching innovative thinkers featured in TED Talks. In 18 minutes or less, these videos capture presentations of great communicators. Since 2006, TED has been hosting conferences and events centred around science, technology, business, culture, art and design to share – as TED puts it – "Ideas Worth Spreading."

Join Toastmasters International. Join a Toastmasters club, and build your skills in a "learn-by-doing" meeting. Toastmasters International has been around 90 years helping members improve their communication, public speaking and leadership skills.

Attend a Dale Carnegie program. Go to one of Dale Carnegie's well-known leadership development programs, which are based on his legendary book, "How to Win Friends & Influence People." According to the Dale Carnegie Training website, these programs teach you how to: "strengthen interpersonal relationships, manage stress and handle fast-changing workplace conditions." The description continues: "You'll develop more effective communication skills and be better equipped to perform as a persuasive communicator, problem-solver and focused leader. And you'll develop a take-charge attitude initiated with confidence and enthusiasm."

http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2014/09/03/master-this-one-skill-and-it-will-take-you-far/