16.3K Shares Can you choose whether you are an interesting person or a dull person? To a large extent you can. There are things you can do to make your company and your conversation interesting and there are things you can do that will make you boring. If you want to be dull try the following list. If you want to be interesting do the opposite: Talk a lot about yourself. Tell people about your and your life. Don’t ask questions. Don’t show an interest in other people and above all do not listen... More »
3.1K Shares One of the biggest bandwagons that has rolled through the self-help community in recent years is the so-called Law of Attraction (LoA). This claims that you attract into your life whatever you think about. Before I explain why I believe that this is not a law, not true, and not helpful, let me differentiate the LoA from some associated but different self-help concepts that actually do work. 1. Positive Thinking. There is considerable evidence that having a positive, optimistic, can-do frame of mind will lead to much better outcomes in many circumstances... More »
48 Shares Bank savings accounts currently offer paltry rates of interest. If you put leave all your money in banks it should be safe but will not grow much. The stock market offers much more interesting returns but because of the element of risk many people avoid it. Worse still they might enter the market at the top and then sell out later at the bottom. Here are some simple rules to help you navigate the market and build a large stock portfolio over a long period. 1. Diversify. Spread your risks by investing... More »
457 Shares Brilliant thinkers are very comfortable with ambiguity – they welcome it. Routine thinkers like clarity and simplicity; they dislike ambiguity. There is a tendency in our society to reduce complex issues down to simple issues with obviously clear solutions. We see evidence of this in the tabloid press. There have been some terrible crimes committed in our cities. A violent offender received what is seen to be a lenient sentence. This shows that judges are out of touch with what is needed and that heavy punishment will stop the crime wave. The... More »
Einstein said that all great original ideas at first appear absurd. This is why it is so easy to dismiss radical suggestions when they surface. We point out that they are absurd and so miss great opportunities. How would you react if an unorthodox business idea was presented to you and you could immediately see problems with it? Imagine that you are the boss in each of these situations: 1. Spectacles manufacturer in the 1960s Employee: I think we should investigate a new idea I have heard about called contact lenses. Boss:... More »
155 Shares The most common method of thinking is verbal thinking. We have a range of intelligences including numerical, musical, spatial, emotional, verbal and kinaesthetic intelligences, yet it is verbal intelligence that we depend on most. We tend to think and express ourselves in words. Mastering the use of words is the most important skill we develop because acquiring further skills depends on our comprehension of language. A tremendous proportion of the early learning for an infant is in developing verbal skills – learning to speak, to understand speech, to read and to... More »
Take a moment for a reality check. Ask yourself these questions – how many positive answers do you get? 1. Is what I do really worthwhile? In other words: Does my work make a difference to people? Does it help people? Am I adding something of value to the world? Doing something worthwhile makes us feel worthwhile and can compensate for other shortcomings in the position. 2. Do I enjoy my job? Do you you get a buzz from what you do? 3. Am I learning? If you are still developing and... More »
What should you do if you really cannot get on with your boss at work? Maybe there has been a breakdown in trust, in communication or in respect. In any event it is ruining your time at work and making you frustrated and unhappy. Let’s call your manager “John” and see how we can approach the situation. (The advice here works equally well whether your boss is a man or a woman). 1. How do other people find him? Does everyone have a hard time with John or is it... More »
98 Shares Pastimes to Challenge and Entertain Thinkers relish the challenge and stimulation of brilliant games. They enjoy games for the pure thrill of exercising their minds and judgments in pursuit of victory. You can take pleasure in any number of great games. Here is a selection of recommended pastimes. Add them to your Christmas list: 1. Chess Chess is the king of games. It represents a pure cerebral struggle between two minds. It teaches strategy, tactics, positional play and the benefits of absolute concentration. Every home should have a set. Every child should... More »
90 Shares Let’s be clear. Your email is not your work; it is simply a tool to help you do your work. But like any tool it can be ineffective or even dangerous when used wrongly. Here is how to make email your servant not your master. 1. Check your email inbox at set intervals. Do not have your email on and active in front of you all the time. For most people it is better to check email no more than three or four times a day. For example you could check email... More »
An important speech can be a worry. The keys for success are good preparation and confident delivery. If you have prepared your talk well and memorised the key points then you are ready to give a great performance. And it is a performance. Giving a talk should be much more than simply conveying information – it involves an element of drama and of theatre. Here are some tips: 1. Be confident. You will be nervous and that is natural. The best antidote is to rehearse a clear and confident opening to your... More »
14 Shares If you have to give a keynote speech, an after-dinner talk, or an address to a group of customers or colleagues then preparation leads to success. Here are some key tips: 1. Investigate the audience. Find out as much as you can about your audience, their interests and their likely mood. What is it that they will want from your session – information, entertainment, tips, ideas, guidance? What will they have heard or done just before you come on? Will they be impatient to eat? Will they have had something to drink?... More »
57 Shares I told my friend Graham that I often cycle the two miles from my house to the town centre but unfortunately there is a big hill on the route. He replied, ‘You mean fortunately.’ He explained that I should be glad of the extra exercise that the hill provided. My attitude to the hill has now changed. I used to grumble as I approached it but now I tell myself the following. This hill will exercise my heart and lungs. It will help me to lose weight and get fit. It will... More »
Many of the rules that apply in businesses were set years ago and have endured by force of habit. A good example is the QWERTY keyboard, which is in use on all desktop computers. The original QWERTY layout of keys on the typewriter keyboard was designed in the 1870s to slow down the speed of typing because fast operators were causing typewriter keys to jam together. By putting the most commonly used letters e, a, i, o away from the index fingers of the hands, speed was reduced and jams were avoided.... More »
73 Shares Babies are wonderful bundles of joy. They are easy to love. Nature has cunningly designed them to be irresistible. This helps new parents cope with the hardships of getting up at night and caring for their infant’s immediate needs, which tend to be food, drink, exhalation of wind and clean diapers. So far so good. It is the next part that is more difficult and which many parents flunk. As well as fulfilling their physical needs you have to cope with other important demands for growing children. Here are some key rules... More »
