DECIDE

To decide is perhaps one of the toughest challenges we face on a regular basis. It could be as simple as making up our mind as to what to order in a restaurant or it could be making a life altering decision like choosing a spouse or planning the next career move. The whole process of taking that plunge to DECIDE can be simply expressed to imply that we  Do Express Clearly Ideal Definite Edict.

However, as most people will testify, decision making is perhaps one of the toughest challenges that an individual faces. When we attempt to analyze why we find it tough to DECIDE, we realize that there are broadly 3 reasons for our inability to commit to a course of action. 

The first problem is information processing and our inability to completely absorb the data. In the past there was lack of credible and timely information. Today the problem is information overload, which effectively confuses and paralyzes us when we attempt to demystify it. While we could have models to process quantitative data, we have to use judgment, gut feeling and instinct to get a grip on qualitative data. In both cases the ultimate decision making is made by an individual. Even if programs are automated to trigger decisions, the logic and the parameters are by and large specified by individuals. 

The second problem is our personal craving and inability to give up something. Every decision is ultimately a choice and that implies that there is an alternative. Far too often we are unwilling to completely let go of the alternative and so we end up vacillating between the choices on hand. We run the risk of trying to compromise between the alternatives and trying to get the best of all alternatives. It won’t be long before one realizes that a compromise always has a downside which sooner than later outlines that the compromise decision was faulty.

The third problem is the fear of making that commitment which if wrong can make us rue it for a long time. It takes a lot of guts and daring to actually commit to a line of action. Once the die is cast there is no turning back and this means that one has to live with the consequences. It is the fear of failure that overshadows the possibility of success and glory and the weak hearted prefer to remain indecisive. Ironically not taking a decision too is a decision albeit it being a forced decision.

When one has to DECIDE the key is to try and have a time frame, gather as much data as possible and analyze it and then after weighing the pros and cons and the perceived outcome make up one’s mind and then Do Express Clearly Ideal Definite Edict 

Action Point

1. You hear rumors that a very close friend of yours has been involved in some undesirable activities. You are also aware that your friend is a very sensitive person and would easily take offense to insinuations. You want to quash the rumors or ensure that your friend is cautioned so that he does not get into serious trouble. You are disturbed and are keen to know the truth. How will you decide what to do next and what will your next course of action be?
2. If you had a Rs.1,00,000 and had to allocate the resource amongst the following needs how and what will your decisions be:

• Your mother wants a sum of Rs.50,000 for some major repairs to her house

• Your sibling wants Rs.50,000  to complete his education

• You have to invest an equivalent amount in a tax saving scheme in order to save 40% tax

• Your spouse / best friend wants Rs.50,000 for an urgent surgery of a family member.

 Power Act - from http://www.actspot.com/  is focused on -

 Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.

You are also invited to visit our DAILY inspirational and motivational blog http://www.actspot.wordpress.com/  

PLAN

Look back at our own upbringing and schooling and you would recall that there was a method in the daily routine that was carefully cultivated by a combination of customs, traditions, discipline and innovation. While on the home front the daily ritual follows a broad pattern, in school there is a carefully laid out timetable that governs our activities. The timetable of lectures is a typical example of a PLAN which gives an overview of the Prepared Line of Actionable Norms.

While far too often our carefully laid out plans do go wrong, we still persist in preparing the plans. There are a couple of reasons why we try and plan. To begin with a plan helps us conceptualize and clarify our thought process with respect to our goals and the way forward. When we formulate our plans in effect we are outlining the pros and cons, the opportunities and threats, paying attention to alternatives and tracing out the path to attain our goals. Plans help us ensure that we can track our progress and deviations. Without a plan we would be floundering and perhaps going around in circles. Imagine those holidays when you had nothing to do and at end of day felt that you wasted the day. On the other hand when you have chalked out something, and even if you didn’t achieve it you didn’t feel as despondent as the time when you simply wasted the day.

Plans also provide a psychological boost in getting a feeling of independence and control since we can prepare, revise, alter and change our plans as per our needs and urgencies. Obviously our plans are never in isolation for it has to fit in to the plans of world at large, the environment in which we operate and could change drastically depending on the demands of the moment. Yet we have a sense of ownership of those plans which we are an integral part of. Plans provide the momentum for progress. The blueprints of a building are the basis on which the work starts and progresses. Similarly the plans we draw up factor in the resources required, the timelines, the framework and the vision that drives progress.

Most plans are well thought out, have an inbuilt flexibility to regularly be upgraded to take care of changes and yet are robust enough to ensure speedy and successful execution. The best plans are those that take into account a long term vision, consider a holistic view of the end results and incorporate a blend of both innovation and pragmatism. By its very nature the best plans are also designed to be molded by the reality that exits at the time of the execution of the plan. The strategy adopted by sports coaches during the course of play is a prime example of this. Thus a PLAN  is developed by ensuring that there is a Prepared Line of Actionable Norms which can be followed, adapted or revised but one which will be implemented for the results to flow.

Try these:

Visit the website http://www.johngoddard.info  and go through the plans that John had drawn up and successfully executed. Attempt to prepare a similar list of actionable points for yourself.

Assume you want to organize a picnic or a party for a group of 30. Prepare a plan to be presented for approval. Ensure there is something unique/ different/ exciting to make the event both memorable and exciting.

Power Act - from http://www.actspot.com/ is focused on -

Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.

You are also invited to visit our DAILY inspirational and motivational blog http://www.actspot.wordpress.com/

THANKS

We deal with the third of the magic words in English, which we extensively use in our everyday conversation. Despite our best efforts we have to necessarily live with others and this means there is always some give and take. Therefore when we get something from others we have to be grateful and when we give, it is logical that others will be grateful in most cases. The one common way to express our sincere gratefulness is by saying THANKS which is True Honest Appreciation Nicely Kindly Shared.

It is important to note that if we say thanks as an obligation, we will neither convey our sincerity nor will we get the satisfaction of having being truthful and genuine. It is essential therefore that we should learn to appreciate the efforts and importance of others in our lives for only then can we really know their worth and contribution to our daily living. If you look back the people whom we often took for granted are our parents. They have definitely had to sacrifice so many things just to ensure that we are brought up right, given the right upbringing, education and values. They have had anxious moments when we fell sick, when we found it hard to cope with studies, when we fought with our friends and got injuries when playing; and yet did we care to tell them thanks (except perhaps when they obliged you or gave you some gifts). Perhaps we also felt foolish saying thank you to them, but thanks can be also expressed in many other ways.

While saying thanks aloud is the easiest way of expressing our sentiments, there are so many other ways to convey our thanks. A spontaneous gift in appreciation is both a token of love and thanks. Remember the little gifts we gave our lover for no particular reason than to say I love you and also to convey our thanks for their presence in our lives. A hug and a kiss are also demonstrative ways of saying thanks. If you don’t hug your parents and siblings you are missing a wonderful opportunity to express yourself fully to them. Picking up the phone and chatting with a friend is another way of saying how much you value them in your life. Speaking well of people when talking to others is perhaps a very subtle and much appreciated form of conveying your thanks about the person being spoken about. There is nothing like a personal visit with no personal agenda that conveys genuine thanks to the people you visit. Do you any particular school teacher who has had a profound positive impact on your life? Have you ever visited them after leaving school and just told them how much you value them? 

We have ample opportunities in daily life to display our upbringing and manners and motivating others by saying thanks. It could be someone who helped you pick up something you have dropped or it could be the cab driver who was courteous and professional in his work or it could be a colleague who went out of his/ her way to help you meet a deadline. Of course each day is incomplete without a word of thanks to the almighty without whose blessings our life would be meaningless and incomplete.   We can express our thanks to the almighty too in various ways mostly commonly in the form of prayers but also in strictly following rituals or in just living a good and holy life. The key to saying THANKS is in expressing it as a True Honest Appreciation Nicely Kindly Shared. 

Action Points: 

1. Make a list of people who have had a major influence on your life and whom you would like to thanks. Outline a plan of action by using the learning from above to express your thanks to them.
2. Try to identify at least 3 people whom you meet during the course of the day who could do with some appreciation and you must make it a point to thank them genuinely for what they do well, even if it is them simply doing their job.eg.it could be the postman or a courteous bus conductor or the waiter in the restaurant.

 Power Act - from http://www.actspot.com/ is focused on -

Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.

You are also invited to visit our DAILY inspirational and motivational blog http://www.actspot.wordpress.com/

PLEASE

In last weeks post we saw the first of the 3 magic words in English –SORRY. Today we focus on the another magic word PLEASE which each and everyone of us has used very extensively, primarily to get our way but mainly to seek the indulgence of others. We use it as requests, occasionally it is used because of force of habit but it is most effective when we use it as fervent entreaties. Usually the other person gives a patient hearing and accepts our pleas, when we say PLEASE especially when it comes out as Plain Lament & Earnest Appeal Seeking Empathy.  

The magic in please lies in its simplicity and its power of diffusing the toughest of situations, melting hardened hearts and softening the blows of deserved punishments. To begin with, as children we have liberally used the word please to seek parental approval for some of our pet plans which at first may have been opposed by our elders. It could be seeing late night TV on a weekend, having a sleepover at a friends place or wanting an expensive gift or toy. There were times of course when the fervent entreaties didn’t work and we got upset and angry and threw tantrums which occasionally helped us get our way but more often than not simply turned out to be a frustrating experience. Yet the next time around we still persisted with saying please.  

One of the wonders of the word please is that it can be used irrespective of one’s age, one’s social status or one’s ultimate objective. Not just children, almost every one resorts to the power of PLEASE to expresses their anguish and pain as also to get the favor one seeks. One of the oddest sights in democracy is the desperate please extensively spouted by the electoral candidates when canvassing for votes. Equally ironical is the please served as defensive pleas by the lawyers of accused criminals seeking leniency in sentencing. For the ordinary mortal, using please to get our way ahead in a line or to catch the attention of someone for help or for some physical assistance are most common place. 

Of course each of us has also resorted to using please to seek pardon for some error or mistake or to get some favors but it is when the please is a desperate attempt to hold on to affections that it has a poignant ring and pain in it. Many may have experienced the please that follows a lovers tiff. It has a ring of genuine sorry, a desperate cry and the willingness to accept once fault all to ensure that our plea is heard and accepted. The please that follows a lovers tiff is also the one that keeps losing its sheen the more often it is used. It is the please that children poignantly cry out when berated and ignored as punishment by their parents that often melts the hardened hearts and brings quick relief to a tense and unpleasant situation. Unfortunately many many times, there are people all around us who are desperately seeking affection, understanding, companionship, support, acceptance and solace but we seem to be indifferent to their needs. They do not articulate their please aloud, but it is for us to hear it in our hearts, in our conscience and in our humaneness and then we can hear PLEASE as a Plain Lament & Earnest Appeal Seeking Empathy. 

Action Points:  

1. When we are at fault are we ashamed to admit it? Do we find it humiliating to also say please and ask for pardon for our mistakes? Do we find it hard to forgive those who say please and humbly seek our forgiveness? 
2. Think of the most poignant moments in your life when you said please and was rewarded with a pardon /reprieve /forgiveness/ understanding

• When you disobeyed your parents and then sought forgiveness
• When you goofed at school and sought a teachers pardon
• When you had a bitter misunderstanding with a close friend and latter wanted to clear the air
• When you wrongly accused someone and on realizing your error wanted to be forgiven for the mistake
• When you bitterly fought/ disagreed with your spouse / lover and then sought reconciliation

PS: Here is the answer to the 2^nd Try This in the post in our daily blog www.actspot.wordpress.com  dated 19Jan11, on The Challenge of Decision Making   is ‘We would decide to try and save the painting nearest the exit.’ Logical isn’t it, for our life is more precious to us than our favorite painting.

Power Act - from http://www.actspot.com/ is focused on -

Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.

You are also invited to visit our DAILY inspirational and motivational blog http://www.actspot.wordpress.com/   

SORRY

It is said that the English language has three magic words and one of those magical words is SORRY. It often happens that knowingly or unknowingly we tend to upset people, hurt them physically or emotionally, betray their trust or simply ignore them and then when we realize our folly, the relationships is often strained if not completely yanked off. Fortunately the English language has this magical word SORRY that acts as an instant balm to heal all wounds, if said with sincerity, with feeling and with the hope of restoring relationships. SORRY is a Simple Option to Rejoin Relations Yanked

Unfortunately this word has been overused and used indiscriminately and so far too often its effectiveness has been dulled. Yet the power of the word sorry is phenomenal and when it is applied in the right context, for the right reason and in the right manner, it can transform relationships beyond imagination. The key is in using the word correctly. This is where most of us fail and perhaps the magic is lost simply because we say it without meaning the magic to work. Often, those who are offered the apology and told sorry are equally guilty of not wanting to accept the apology either because they perceive their hurt to be too deep and too malicious to be healed by the balm of the word sorry. Of course ego and thoughts of revenge too sneak in to the psyche to ensure that a SORRY is kept at bay till one has got even.

It is essential that one says sorry at the earliest possible moment when one has realized that one has made a mistake. Many of us take time to acknowledge our mistakes because the apologizing becomes an ego issue. This delay in acknowledging mistakes and deciding to say sorry could lead to misunderstanding and sour relationships which then become more complicated to restore back to normal. Equally important is the sincerity with which the sorry is said and the genuine feeling of remorse must be evident in the apology to make it effective and acceptable. Similarly it is essential that the people who have been aggrieved and to whom the apology is tendered be open and magnanimous in pardoning the mistake and being able to forgive. This takes a large heart, a soft approach and enormous patience. An apology must also be received with good grace showing respect to the person apologizing and saying sorry for it is in the manner and courtesy extended that will determine how the future course of the relationship will pan out.

A good way to view the use and effectiveness of apologizing and saying sorry is to see it as the oil that keeps the wheels of relationships moving. No matter how deep the divide, how painful the hurt, how swiftly the relationship was yanked out or how insulting the humiliation, if those who have erred can honestly acknowledge their fault and sincerely offer to say SORRY and if those receive the apology can keep their egos aside and seek a rapprochement both parties will find it the most Simple Option to Rejoin Relations Yanked.

Action Points:

1. Do you now regret not saying sorry to someone with whom you have broken off or had a dour relationship? Similarly do you now regret not forgiving someone who said sorry but your ego didn’t permit you to forgive him/ her? Remember it is still never too late to forgive and say SORRY, for it will be a big burden of your chest.
2. Look back at your younger days and recollect the following incidents and what you feel about it then and what you feel about it today

• A time when you goofed up your homework and your apology was not accepted
• A time when you bitterly disagreed with your parents and later they apologized for their tough stand although you knew you were at fault
• The number of times you quarreled with your best friend/ lover/ sibling and then made up.
• The power and feeling you got when someone apologized to you and you accepted it with good grace

Power Act - from http://www.actspot.com/  is focused on -

Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.

You are also invited to visit our DAILY inspirational and motivational blog http://www.actspot.wordpress.com/

GROW

It is the natural order of life that one has to grow. All living creatures and plants have to grow physically but it is the human race alone who has the ability to work on his/ her non physical growth be it emotional growth, psychological growth, personal growth, academic and intellect, financial growth or spiritual growth. The way to GROW therefore is rooted in ones ability and efforts in Grasping Rewarding Opportunities Wisely.

For anyone to grow there are three essential conditions; the willingness to grow, the ability to spot opportunities and the daring to grasp the opportunities no matter how difficult it may seem. Most of us are content with life as it is but we are frustrated that others seem to have more luck, more opportunities and an easy path to grow. We believe that others are more intelligent ( we do not see them burning the midnight oil in order to achieve their excellence), that they are more emotionally stable ( we do not see them venting their frustrations), others are more popular and social ( we cannot phantom the sacrifices they make in order to keep their relationships growing) etc. When we see the efforts made by others, we rationalize that the end result is not worth it simply because we are not prepared to grow if it involves a lot of effort. Hence we shy away from aiming for the success of others that we secretly envy and occasionally despise. Willingness to grow therefore is the trigger that will help us explore opportunities to grow.

Just being willing to grow is not enough because we have to be proactive if we want to grow. This means that we have to be on the look out for opportunities to expand our imagination, harness our abilities, experiment and discover and furrow a lonely path with just faith to guide us along. Ironically almost all opportunities come disguised as problems. Yet we are so conditioned to escape from problems, avoid problems and pass on the problems to others that we end up scouting for things on a platter and these are really non existent. No opportunity comes out screaming aloud but we keep our senses alert we can see it in a jiffy. Alas, when we are not willing to grow we tend to lapse into a smug and contended life style like the frog who things his well is the ocean. On the other hand if we are desperate to grow, then we would like the frog who fell into a pail of milk keep continuously paddling till the milk turned to cream and then using that surface launch ourselves to take the big leap and discover opportunities galore.

Grasping the opportunities is more tricky mainly because no one wants to confront difficulties and most opportunities come disguised as difficulties. Take the case of someone wanting to improve his physically appearance and get a 6 pack. He has no choice but to follow a strict exercise and diet regime. The same holds true for someone wanting to lose weight. Are we really prepared for that strict regimentation? Human nature would ideally want life to be smooth sailing, fun filled and bereft of unhappiness or sadness so anything that disturbs that equilibrium is shunned, despised and consigned to the back burner. What we fail to realize is that even diamonds need to be polished and cut before they sparkle and gain value. It is not just hard work that is required but also persistence, self belief, risk taking ability, courage of conviction etc. that are put to the test, when we Grasp Rewarding Opportunities Wisely and attempt to frog leap ahead in life and GROW.

Try this:

1. Click on this link and observer the image carefully. http://tinyurl.com/23lmmj6. Can you see the two images in this picture of the young lady and the old woman. Our life is like that image…it GROWS the way we see it.  
2. Outline 3 areas of growth you plan for the coming year in the following dimensions of your life

•  knowledge
•  social service
•  personal potential
•  environmental awareness

Power Act - from http://www.actspot.com/ is focused on -

Powering your Spirit to ACT Now. 

You are also invited to visit our DAILY inspirational and motivational blog http://www.actspot.wordpress.com/

 

TALENT

This post comes at a the most opportune time when we are witness to one of the most talented personalities of world sports, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar’s extraordinary career graph and phenomenal achievements culminating in his scoring his 50^th  century recently. He epitomizes the crux of today’s post TALENT where he has demonstrated that True Ability Lets Efforts Naturally Triumph.

What is remarkable about his phenomenal success is the fact that he has no real family pedigree or background to boast of. He has carved his own niche by sheer hard work, consistency and self belief. Even more amazing is the fact that he started young but more remarkably seems to be at his peak when most cricketers his age have retired or are on the cusp of retiring. The message for all his fans and for those who hope to emulate him is simple; identify ones real talent, work on improving the raw talent and honing it to a level of expertise and have the self belief to let your natural abilities guide you to the peak of success. 

Each of us is actually blessed with some strength that doubles up as a talent when the energies are directed towards positive goals. Some have natural flair for number crunching and mathematics, others for the fine  arts like writing, painting, dramatics, still others the gift of listening and empathizing and they make wonderful counselors and friends and the list is endless. The difficulty is in recognizing it because most times our modesty prevents us from acknowledging it or our ego blinds us from accepting that we have no flair. The world is also full of talented people who never realized their potential simply because they were not prepared to hone their ability by hard work and persistence. It is vital that we take the effort to fine tune our abilities and master it and even then work on raising the bar. Hard work becomes harder when the going is tough, we hit a personal bad patch and if our confidence is lost and the critics are training their guns on us. That is when self belief will help us regain our confidence restore our pride and allow our abilities to flower and bear fruit.

In day to day life too we can leverage our TALENT in innovative ways be it merely doing our regular work in an extraordinary way or using our gifts to bring good cheer to others or by being simply useful and proactive in crisis situations. That is when we realize that our True Ability Lets Efforts Naturally Triumph.

Action Points:

1. Identify a role model for your self. Now enumerate the talents that the person possessed that you believe was instrumental in them achieving success. Do you know of incidents from the person’s life where he /she overcame many odds to achieve their success? What are the two qualities they posses that you believe would be very useful for you to cultivate?
2. Identify your strengths on the following parameters

• Communication skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Academic skills
• Human Relations skills
• Creative ability
• Capacity to work

Power Act - from http://www.actspot.com/ is focused on -

Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.

You are also invited to visit our DAILY inspirational and motivational blog http://www.actspot.wordpress.com/