Mind Tools

Before my college days are over, I jotted down everything I want to do with my life after I graduate. After doing so, I am so sure of what I want to do for my future career, and that is to write and practice what I enjoyed doing most. Unfortunately, I came to realize that something is lacking in my plans. That is when I noticed that my goals are very definite and fast skipping that I might encounter consequences while pursuing such plans.

So I started dividing my oh-so-wanted dreams into short-term goals and into long-term ones. In doing so, I prioritized my long-term plans than dwell on the short ones. I imagined what I want to become for the next 20 to 30 years of my life. I also wrote the actions and the possible consequences that I might stumble upon reaching my goals. After I'm done writing all my major goals, which are, by the way, consist of what I considered to be the most important for me-career, family, financial matters, physical goals, and others, I then made a break down of my to-do lists to be able for me to easily achieve my written goals. Afterwards, I treated my to-do list as the Bible of my life.

Of course your dreams are not going to materialize at a blink of an eye. You have to act to be able to make it happen. If you're a newly graduate and you find yourself also jotting down the bits and pieces of what you want to have and be in life, do not be discouraged if you need to revise something on your list. What you need to remember is to stay focus and review your list every time you feel uncertain on matters regarding your goals and plans.

When I am at work, I make sure to focus all my energies into what I am doing. But what happens when someone else who is not from the company AND who does not have the right to tell me the work tasks that needs to be done suddenly barges into the door and declares himself or herself unto your personal space? Uh-oh. That can only mean one thing: visitor distraction.

Of course, when the visitor is a client or a higher boss, then that would require your utmost attention. But for casual people as visitors... well, they should not be always welcome, especially when they're eating away the your hours in the office. Think: Are they gonna provide you the paycheck for savings? Hell, no. So, the next time you encounter visitors who are so annoyingly bothersome, those who chat too loudly or walk around the place a lot, put your foot down and muster all that concentration. Set up some barriers like desks or tables, put up notices like "Don't Disturb", or simply will your mind to the distraction. Otherwise, directly inform the visitor to stay in the receiving area where he or she cannot bother people.

When the visitor is a friend or someone you know, then that's another issue, I'm sure. I, for one, make exceptions to the rule and that's where this comes in. Well, just make sure that the person stays long enough or is sensitive to the callings of your job. Or, you can just ask the visitor to come next time when everything settles and you're not busy anymore than usual. Discipline like this is powered by a healthy mind, so practice and I'm certain you'll get it.

In the corporate world, you will usually go about a day meeting hundreds of people that you will probably remember by face; that is if you're not good enough at remembering names. Almost always, busy people have hard time keeping in mind the names of their employees, business partners and acquaintances that they're secretary will do the remembering for them or if they have a Personal Digital Assistant with them.

Even the biggest corporate leaders make this mistake. But didn't you know that there are ways to easily remember the names of people that you meet at work? And they are proven to work all the time.

You can use the face of the person you meet in remembering his name; by looking closely at his face and picking out the facial feature that stands out the most and associate it with his name. It may sound funny or discriminating but it usually works. Also, when you are introduced to a person, make it a standard habit to ask him to repeat his name. Through repetition, you will likely not forget his name. Then make a mental note or simply scribble them on your PDA.

Above average systematized analytical prowess, excellent social marketing skills, good leadership, superb time management, a healthy lifestyle, etc. - all these don't mean a damn thing if you don't have presence of mind each and every waking moment of your life. That's right, the converging factor, the adhesive, whatever you want to call it - it's called presence of mind.

We all have it, 'cause if not we'd be walking vegetables. But it also needs to be practiced so as to be developed more and more. Everything - all the skills we have, all that information in that head of yours, such things can't be accessed so as to be implemented without functional mind control. One factor to look after, which could greatly affect presence of mind, is mental stress.

So think positive, eat right, sleep well, and enjoy what you do. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride - don't think of anything you do as unattainable or impossible, for you wouldn't even think about doing something in the first place if it actually is impossible! Thus, think out of the box, even go beyond the area outside the box and think within the area containing the area outside the box (am I confusing you?).

We encounter problems and certain unavoidable situations everyday. Many times, you have to act on them right away to avoid worst-case scenarios. Sometimes, we tend to act on impulse and we don't think about the consequences of our actions. Impulsive reactions more often than not, results to poor outcome. To avoid unwanted outcomes, it's best that you have a simple process of creativity. The most practical mind tool is the DO IT process.

The DO IT process helps you to calculate the situation without going overboard. It's the simplest way for problem-analysis. The letter "D" from DO IT stands for, "define problem". "O" is for "open mind and apply creative techniques". "I" is for "identify the best solution" and "T" is for "transform." Now, every meaning of the letter is self-explanatory. You have to do this process on a step-by-step basis. So, you can properly and carefully come up with every possible idea and solution. This process would help bring out the creative side in you. So, when you encounter another problem, you need not panic. DO IT is a quick and easy way to figure out your problem. You don't have to be stressed-out anymore. Remember, being stressed and problematic all the time, can also make you physically unhealthy. You can apply the DO IT process like a regular meditation routine.

Have you ever been in a situation wherein you had to come up with instant solutions or ideas? Being in this kind of situation can be hassling and pressuring. It even leads to stress when you don't know how to begin and where to start. So, how can you dissect the jumbled thoughts from your head when you don't have much time to actually think about them? The most effective way is to brainstorm.

Now, what is brainstorming? It's actually the process of "generating" or coming up with several ideas. Then, you would narrow them down to the most possible solutions or ideas for your situation or problem. The first thing you have to do when brainstorming is to "define your problem" or your situation. After you know the ins-and-out of your problem, you can already move on to a time limit. Because brainstorming is for instant ideas, you'll have limited time to actually come up with the best idea. Then, when you start coming up with several ideas, you decide what the most plausible one. Brainstorming actually organizes your thoughts and gives you options. So, in the end, you'll know what you really need to do and what to apply in your situation.

Brainstorming can be applied anywhere. In office meetings, brainstorming is usually done in groups so that there are will be more ideas from several heads. Good brainstorming skills can actually bring you a step closer to being in "The Apprentice" show! It's not just for the business realm, you can apply brainstorming in your own problems, in family talks, and in school. Wherever you are and whatever the situation is, it's all in your head. You have the power to come up with your own ideas.

Have you ever been in a situation wherein you had to come up with an idea on the spot? Perhaps, you have experienced this spontaneous situation. I think everyone does. Random inputs are unavoidable. You can never tell when you're required to have a certain solution to a problem. More often than not, you have to come up with a quick input to certain situations. Random inputs are never found in books. It's also not answerable by anyone else. You come up with your own ideas. Random inputs are also very useful in the workplace sector.

I once read that a random input is a "lateral thinking tool". Usually, you come up with inputs based on your own knowledge, your own understanding and opinions, and your own experiences. You should never be scared to share your thoughts because they are constructive and helpful, whether your inputs may be inclined to the negative side. You'll never know what it can contribute to the situation at hand. Random input is an immediate "link" to another thinking pattern. This would give you options and variations to your problem or situation. Sudden and spontaneous inputs open another window for a new concept and understanding. Having these random inputs would enhance and hone you. It's good for a more efficient thinking and quick mind. Random inputs can just pop up from a single word or idea. From there, you can navigate your way through the situation. It's also the best way to have a new "perspective" on a problem or situation. So, don't let your imaginative ideas go to waste. They might just be the best solution to your problem. Don't you think you can also use random inputs for fresh pick-up lines?

"Cogito ergo sum" is the most famous quote of the father of modern western philosophy, Rene Descartes. It is translated in English as "I think, therefore I am". There are wide researches about Descartes' works but let us approach this quote in a way that laymen can understand. We won't verge into the details that only those with degrees in philosophy can decipher.

How did this quote help me in my improving my skills as an individual? Well, for starters, this quote will give you self-confidence.

I once attended a job interview. The human resources assistant was interviewing me. Then this gay person, who apparently is one of the head of the company, approached us and listened in on the interview. I was trying to get through the interview successfully.

I was talking about my talents when he butted in and asked me what made me talented. I tried to collect the answers in my head. The best possible answer I could get was "I think I'm talented because I know I am." Unfortunately, it wasn't the answer he was looking for. He was looking for answers like "I'm talented because I don't have to edit my work..." or "...because I have read a million books," something like that. My ears suddenly started to ring. And for about half a year, I was homophobic.

Later, I remember this Descartes quote. I regained my self-confidence and realized that that gay prick was either intimidating me or he was just plain stupid.

The point is, if you think you are, then you are. If you think you are beautiful, then the thought will shine through you. I have a girl friend who is fat but she dates more than I do. It's because she believes she is god's gift to men. It exudes in her and men get it.

Think about what you have, and what you are. Think about what you want to be. You need to put it in your head before it displays in your aura. It's all in the mind.

The quote says it all. If you think about your skills and believe that you are what you say to yourself, then it will show -- and the world will surely notice.

Research says that we are only using a few percent of our brains. Although it is still not proven as a fact, many say that if we can use our brains at its full capacity then we would be able to control things, energy or even the thoughts and action of those less 'intelligent' than us.

With this in mind, you can now imagine the power of thinking positive. If you think positive, your goals will be likely met. Besides, being optimistic is also good for your health. It lowers stress thus increasing the body's blood flow. It also makes us more lively and energetic in the things we do.

Optimists also laugh more because they have a happy view of the future. We know that "laughter is the best medicine" is not only a saying but is backed up by several medical researches. If we are optimistic then we can face the failures of our lives head on. Pessimism makes us wallow on the mistakes we have done. It also makes us expect the worst in everything, thus making us more stressful and easily agitated.

Being optimistic also helps in managing relationships. If we can first look at the positive side of our significant other's words or actions then there will be less arguments and more understanding. As it has been said, communication is the key in any relationship. If we know how to look at the positive side of any conversation then there'll be less hurt feelings, less divorces or break ups.

If you believe that the mind is powerful then you will realize how beneficial thinking positively is. Try to look at the bright side everyday and see the changes in your life and career. You can have it, if you think you can.

Our mind is so complex that we do tend to get bored if we can't employ all of its capabilities at once. Not all of the words that we read, for instance, could be stored in our memory. Why is this so? I figured it's because we have several senses and words are just making us "see" and not smell, touch or taste objects. That is why mnemonics is a perfect strategy for boosting the brain's capability to store information.

If we associate everything that we perceive to all of our senses then we are likely to remember everything we have perceived. Some techniques in mnemonics include association, the link method, the alphabet system, the roman room method, the number-shape mnemonic and the number-rhyme mnemonic. You can try these techniques as a way to improve your memory skills--a practical tool for high-level performance at work.

Many companies see their costs as it relates to their people as expenses, rather than investments. This in turn will devalue them in the eyes of the corporate higher-ups, and thus lead to a cold, emotionless relationship between a superior and his staff.

This shouldn't be the case. When managers begin treating their staff like disposable coffee cups or expendable machinery, they will lose any rapport or camaraderie with them and demoralize the people he supervises. This is not a pleasant picture by any measure.

Managers should learn to treat their staff like investments that will pay off sometime in the future. As they stay on their jobs, the better they will become and the more valuable and skilled they will be, and therefore become an asset instead of an expense. The experience they gain from their employment will surely make their stock rise.

A good manager knows his limits, just how far he can go, and works within them. This is all well and good, but it just results in maintenance of the status quo, and mediocrity will be the end result.

A great manager is well aware of his limits, but he will not let that stop him from doing the best that he can. He finds his limits and he exceeds them for the betterment of not only his, but his co-worker's lot. He sees limits as a challenge, not an excuse to engage in mediocrity.

The difference between a good and a great manager is in the handling of the resources at hand. In the face of limited resources, a good manager makes do, while a great manager does more than is expected.

Optimistic thinking is a powerful tool, not only in our personal lives, but also in our professional lives as well. The mind is a powerful thing. It can give us the motivation to do things our bodies tell us not to. And by thinking positively we can overcome many, many obstacles.

Some people, when faced with a setback, choose to dwell and brood on it. This mindset will not get anyone anywhere. This negative thinking limits those who indulge in it.

A healthy, optimistic outlook, on the other hand, can only help a person dealing with a setback. It can give them the motivation to try again, to learn from their mistakes and to never lose hope.

Visualization is a powerful tool. Envisioning that you have achieved your objective is already half the battle. Practicing your routine, knowing your presentation and finishing a race can all benefit from this practice.

How does one visualize? It's really very simple. Just imagine yourself doing whatever you set out to do, and being successful with your goal. That's it! Play it like a movie in your head. Do it over and over inside your mind, and pretty soon you'll be convinced that you can do it!

Visualization can be considered a form of self-hypnosis. In effect, you hypnotize yourself that you can do what you set out to achieve. For my money, if anything can help me get what I want, then I'm all for it!

Visualization is a great way to train your mind to be mentally tough. Although usually used in sports, it can also be applied to our daily lives.

Of course, all the visualization in the world isn't going to help you if you don't get off your ass and do what you've set out to accomplish.