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How seeking Clarity can help you be more productive? 5 Anchors to keep you grounded

September 10, 2020
Seek Clarity when you are Confused

We all love achieving our goals and dreams. Whether these dreams relate to our Professional or Personal lives. There is a lot of motivation to take huge action. 

To begin with a Plan and to work on it. But one would wonder why we don't always achieve them. 

We take Massive Action, we visualise and yes most of understand that we may have to adapt and improvise along the way.

So how can we move ahead? This may be a confusing experience. It may leave us sad and anxious even.

Like all of us, I have had my share of not achieving some of my dreams. It can be painful. 

But I think we must seek in moments this very important thing. We must seek 'Clarity'. 

Some of the problems we encounter are due to changing situations. We may not be sure how to move ahead.

Clarity means getting down to the basics. It means trying to understand the reasons rather than the outcomes behind your actions.

Results matter, but good motivation and vision matter more. According to the way I see it, Clarity is understanding the relevance of what we are trying to achieve in New situations.

I have collated some anchors that can keep us grounded when times seem confusing.

5 Anchors to keep you Grounded.

During the confusing situations in my experience, the mind can react differently to different people. For me, it is interesting sometimes and sometimes it is like ...' Why God, Why!!'

But I found some practices that help and it keeps me focused...I have listed 5 of them.

What are you seeking?

Visions are not just for companies. You could have one too. 

It does not need to be professional and huge. You can keep it Tweet sized, as long as it helps remember what you want to achieve for yourself and others.

I believe include others in your vision to keep it more relevant and realistic without sacrificing the Audacious part.

This Vision is going to help you remember and focus when you lack clarity. We can use our Vision for our projects as a guiding light.

Have you decided on your Destination or Target?

If you are finding your visions to be abstract. It is not a problem, having a target could help you.

Target or we could call them goals help you chart your way to achieving your vision. 

If you do not have targets we do not know to focus on. Focus is where the magic happens.

A singular focus on Goals can be rewarding. So keeping in mind your vision, create targets.

If you are stuck or not achieving these goals, it just means you have to find better goals or strategize better.

Breaking your Goals

One of the other reason that we may not achieve something can also be that we are not organised.

Discipline helps us get more organized. We can organize our efforts by breaking our goals into actual workable plans.

Massive action needs proper planning. As someone with a background in both IT and Management, I can't stress enough the benefits of planning.

Understanding what is required to achieve our Goals can be a starting point. Getting a mentor or friend to listen to what we have planned to achieve.

Giving Flesh to your Strategy

Massive Action is only part of achieving our goals. Plans must include strategies that would help you get closer to success.

Include small tasks in your plans. This will give us something to work with. So if you are (an example) Dieting keeping a diary and recording what you eat could be a Tactic. 

Strategic Thinking can keep us be more agile and clear. Things don't go the way we plan. But we can always prepare for change.

Losing The War, Winning the Battle

 Just remember your victories and successes. You will remember the sacrifices you have taken. 

I think sometimes it is a part of achieving something worthwhile. But there are moments when we give our best and things work differently.

This can leave us confused. Should we try harder or just let it slip?

I think this is Where Clarity makes a difference. Exiting a project should be a possibility.

I know it is human nature not to give up. But sometimes it is okay to lose some battles to win the game.

There are some decisions we need to make after pondering on them or probably speaking with someone we trust. Continuing a project or leaving one should be a well thought out decision.

In Conclusion

Life and key decisions can confuse us, It is one thing to be confident. But it is quite another thing to deal with consequences. 

Gaining clarity and keeping ourselves grounded will not do away with every consequence of our decisions. But it will remind us of the point where we started this journey.

'Why' is quite a powerful question to motivate us to achieve our goals and achieve the successes we seek.

Thank you for reading this blog, I hope it got you thinking about the importance of Clarity. 

Do share this blog and like my Facebook Page. Ciao!


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Startup Mindset is important to be Successful, 5 interesting points from an Educator

March 08, 2020

Startup Mindset is important to be Successful, 5 interesting points from an Educator


Is Startup just a Buzz word?

A Startup's mindset is not always about the profit motive


Entreprendre is the root word for Entrepreneurship. It is a French word that means to undertake. 'Startup' is more than a buzz word. It is something that is more than just doing business, it is creating solutions and enhancing our daily lives.

A Startup's mindset may not always have a profit motive driving it, but could be more than that. I have seen it as a way of creating something a great value. Value to customers and the market.

I don't think it is a millennial fad. It is actually applying what they have understood about their field and using business to enhance the effectiveness of their venture.

So today, Let's look at five interesting points that I believe are important to a Successful Entrepreneur.


1. Being Action-oriented

Massive Action



This is one interesting aspect of a Successful Entrepreneur. The ability to move beyond the ideating phase to actual execution.

A lot of times it is the overthinking that kills the project.

Moving to action is what is needed. I remember seeing one of my ideas years later becoming an actual product. (I had thought up something similar...Won't tell you what! :))

It made me interested in Entrepreneurship even more. Sometimes we need simple ideas to begin our journey as an Entrepreneur, not a complete roadmap.


2. Moving away from Perfectionism


Perfection can seem like a very noble task as a person. But sometimes it stifles any action.

Rather than getting stuck in Perfectionism, we can move away from it to something more achievable, namely Excellence. 

Now it is more about a journey and not a destination. 

We are now focused on the daily activities and processes that enhance or kill our dreams rather than an illusory event.

3. Always being ready


One thing in life that is constant is change ( I thought Buddha said it...maybe he did). I think it is true and like death all of us experience it.

So how do we prepare for it? We can build a process or a plan for change. A successful Entrepreneur builds processes and systems to deal with change.


4. The Compounding Effect

I found this idea on many books but in this podcast 'The Mindset Mentor'. It got me thinking about it again, but more in the context of Entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship is also about a compounding effect of various tasks and responsibilities carried out daily.

Small Steps that we take daily has the potential to add to our success or failure. It is something that we determine.

5. Uncovering the Reasons

Having a Strong Foundation


The reasons behind our actions or even the dream projects we undertake are important.

It should be something as firm as a rock. 

A Successful Entrepreneur understands the benefits he is proving stakeholders and himself by the projects he undertakes.




Conclusion

Entrepreneurs create value and opportunities for a lot of people including themselves. They bring about positive change (most of the time). But it is some important points that I just covered that make them more effective. 

There will surely be some points you find interesting in Successful Entrepreneurs that you see, please share them in the comments section.

If you have come this far, please consider subscribing to our Facebook Page. We share more ideas and content there, Click Here.

Further Reading



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Motivational Quote: Is it okay to wait and do nothing? Does it help?

September 13, 2021

 

Doing nothing can be something (Something fruitful)

G.K Chesterton is a very insightful and well respected Thinker. He would put forward the most complex ideas into simple and insightful thoughts.

I must confess I have not read everything he has written. I usually read because I learn something from it and It spurs my thinking and imagination to help me grow better.

I used to never believe in Destiny or Luck, After a lot of horrible experiences (Which everybody goes through) it helped me realize the importance of doing nothing.

I don't believe in Luck still, But it made me think about situations that are difficult to deal with and with no possible solutions.

We can feel crippled by this and even have life ending situations. I think if you are feeling suicidal, Please seek help from a licensed Mental Health professional.

Personally, I have learnt that it is important to accept certain things the way it is. Some things can't change, but we change the way we deal with it.



Waiting and giving time to certain plans may cause you to lose certain opportunities but it can also open up your thinking to new potential ideas and realities.

When we choose to do nothing, we are actually choosing to pay attention to other things. We give a certain amount of control to Destiny or Luck.

We allow ourselves to focus on choosing our struggles and dealing with what is important. Even no action is a choice and a Strategy.

If this thought resonated with you, Do join the discussion on my Facebook Page.

Thank you for your time. I have a Free Newsletter I would you to subscribe to it, Click here☝🏼

Further Recommended Reads

Quotes for Success

May your day to awesome

Importance of Self Image

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How to write a Vision Statement that gives you a hard knock? Some ideas bordering on a rant

May 23, 2022

Writing a Vision is putting your dreams to paper

Casting a vision can sometimes be like casting a spell, If you do not know where and how you just have some vague outcome you are chasing.

I think visions are so important in terms of a project or a dream. We need to make our dream a reality, but how about starting with verbalizing it.

Putting things in writing can be like a miracle. It shakes off all the vague parts.

I think the best part of writing a vision is that covers so many things. It captures a lot in a few words, it is simply amazing.


How to begin? 

Starting a journey; Crafting a vision

I think just focusing on writing one statement can be painful. We look at all the inspirational vision statements pasted all over the internet and go "Damn, I wish I could write like this".

I have been there and I can relate with that. So I decided to focus more on what I wanted to do. I asked myself did I have clarity and so I thought giving it more thought would not be useful. I decided to keep a note or a journal of the impressions I had.


Just Begin...Imperfect is perfect

Having a poorly written statement is a beginning

I wrote a Personal Vision statement and it seemed overly ambitious to me. Sometimes I would think it is overly exaggerated and sometimes I felt it captured how I felt.

Instead of getting sucked into the dilemma of things I decided to just write one down and use it.

I wrote one down, It was just me using words and not trying to keep it impressive or wordy.

I wanted it to relate to my dreams. That was all I wanted.


Testing your vision

Sign up for our Newsletter! Get inspired

Now Just don't write it, you need to test it as well. Create small targets that you could use.

Keep these targets time bound. Review your performance regularly.

Action tells you a lot about what is happening, just relying on feelings is not enough. We need concrete feedback to understand if we are going in the right direction.


Re-write and move on

Rewrite and move ahead

You want to re-write your vision statement for whatever reason. I think you must do it after a lot of forethought and reviewing all that you have learnt from the process.

You have a lot of matter to work with. Don't take it as starting a new journey but approach it like a sequel to something awesome.


Conclusion

I do believe in the power of a good vision, but having said that I do think that verbalising it is also quite powerful.

A lot of times lack of clarity can stifle us from making healthy decisions, but action pushes you ahead.

I hope this article got you thinking on crafting a better vision statement.

That's it for now, catch you in the next post, Ciao!

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Gary Vaynerchuk's 5 Powerful Hacks to Starting out as an Entrepreneur

February 06, 2020
"Ideas are shit, Execution is the Game" - Gary Vee


Gary Vaynerchuk is one of my favorite internet marketers. Why Do I Like Him? I kind of resonate with a lot that he speaks about life and especially marketing.

Besides being a successful internet personality Gary Vee is also a successful businessman. He is the founder of many businesses and successful startups.

Today I shall try looking at some of his quotes and try sharing some of the insights we can derive from them.

As an Entrepreneur, we face a lot of ups and downs, moments of ecstasy and moments of discouragement. It is great to hear from people who share some of their experiences that helped them succeed, along the path we are treading.


Entrepreneurship more than a buzz word

As an Educator, it is not uncommon for me to hear and also meet students who have a deep interest in Entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship is something that is encouraged and thought of as a great way to develop societies and communities at large.

So whether it is Social or Profit oriented ventures, I am sure Gary has some insights that could help you.


Entrepreneurship and Life

'Work and Play' has become 'Work that is play', people want work that is more than just a routine. Some of us would like to monetize our hobbies or at least make our work a hobby.

We spend so much time honing a skill or mastering a job. Besides this, it eats into a lot of our time.

So Entrepreneurship or start-up culture can be a good route to achieving that ideal work, that incorporates work, business, and self-development. 

But there is no quick formula or path to achieve it ( At least that's what I am aware of )


Powerful Hack #1 Skills are cheap. Passion is Priceless

Of course, the point is not that skills are not important. But to think it is a substitute for being passionate about what you do is a wrong idea. Passion and relevance to people can be monetarily beneficial.

So a successful Entrepreneur tries to combine his passion with what the market wants.

Just being passionate will not make you a successful entrepreneur, if what you are not creating products and services that are relevant to people.


Powerful Hack #2 Hoping + Dreaming will result in nothing. Executing against your skills is the road to success.


Courtesy: Pexels


So As an Entrepreneur, Action is very important, without it we must forget about succeeding or failing. Since to fail you need to first act.

So like our New Year's resolution, we must set a goal and work towards it every day. So if shaping up is your goal, joining a gym or dieting can be the first step. Not doing these activities properly is a different issue. Execution is always key. Similarly in Entrepreneurship, setting proper and well-defined goals is key.


To be honest, a lot of us can be guilty of this ( Lack of Execution). Hoping & dreaming things and having great ideas is something quite common. But if we do not pursue our Goals, it won't be a reality.

It is important to couple our Goals with Execution, it is quite essential for an Entrepreneur to do this to succeed. Execution coupled with constant constructive feedback can have a transforming impact. We must also see that our Goals aligned with our Company's Vision.


Powerful Hack #3 Fear kills Growth

Courtesy: Image by John Hain from Pixabay


You must have heard the acrostic F.E.A.R, False expectations appearing real or this one False expectation about risks? When it comes to entrepreneurship I believe both hold true.

Do, Entrepreneurs not get scared? I think it's far from that. It is important to move beyond  FEAR and allow it to push us towards action rather than stifling us.


Powerful Hack #4 The Best Marketing Strategy ever: Care.


 Finding your niche or developing your product begins by understanding your customer's needs


It can be quite a head spinner to think of what to produce or what business to get into. Finding that perfect niche can be difficult. I think the word 'CARE' ( As Gary suggests) can really help with that one too.

Whether it is finding your niche or developing your product, understanding your customer's needs can take you a long way towards making your product a success. A good marketing strategy will reflect exactly how your offering satisfies your customer's needs and also showing that you care can create quite an impact.


Powerful Hack #5 "Winning" is not defined by me or your parents or even the market...It's defined by you.

Allowing others to define what success means or looks like, is not so motivating. You define what success means to you nobody is there to stop you. 

Define your success and achieve it...Hear it from Gary Vee


What defines success for you? Courtesy: Gary Vee

In Conclusion

There are many quotes, videos, and Content by Gary Vee. It has helped understand people and customers better. I think most of us want to balance our work and personal lives, Some of these ideas are simple and impactful.

Do use them, Let me know in the comments section how they have impacted you.

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5 Things to do when things get difficult; how to survive tough times?

June 22, 2021

Battles are not won by luck, but by strategy and the will to fight

Encouraging people in a world faced with a lot of uncertainty is a duty and a vocation to me.

I think with the scale of issues we face everyday (famine, poverty, discrimination, crimes of all sorts and diseases) it is the most obvious thing to do.


7 Highly Effective Strategies to a Superb Presentation...Bring out the Motivator in you

May 28, 2019

Prepare yourself with these 7 Strategies to a Highly Effective Presentation


Speeches and Presentations


In India, we have just had a General Election and we have chosen the leader to guide us into the future. One very striking quality of Narendra Modiji, our Prime Minister-elect is that he is a very good orator and politician. He has a well-seasoned personality and captivating side to him, his presentation and thoughts are put forth quite clearly and succinctly.

I believe that a good presentation depends on various factors. They all combine to bring the message to the audience. Of course like anything else, practice and proper feedback will help you master it. That's the thing about skills regular practice and good feedback helps you succeed.

My Personal Experience and Boring Speeches

As an educator, I have been more into teaching young adults and presenting to people from the industry. It was quite an opportunity to deliver training at a School to students of Grade 4. I just used less lingo and adapted the topic to their needs. My delivery was quite similar to what I have been used to. I got good feedback and experience. Let me be clear, I am a good speaker but not the best. I strive every day to be better. Here are 7 highly effective strategies that I have noticed good Speakers use. One thing amazing about good Speeches they not only inform you but also have the ability to move you to action.

So Let me start with some of these powerful but simple ideas.

Use Pointers not paragraphs:

The first pointer for a good presentation is to use pointers and not paragraphs to explain your ideas. So a proper arrangement and planning are required. One should start with a goal and points that you would want an audience to understand. Please keep in mind the aim is not to Impress people but to share an idea or help people understand a concept (whatever it may be).

Every Presentation does not have to be on Powerpoint, it can also be explained using a whiteboard. So don't get fixated on using only one medium. If you're using a whiteboard mention the topic that you are presenting and then enlist the points while you are explaining them. The points must be legible and should be read clearly to the audience.

Tell a captivating story

I have also been through many very boring lectures and talks like anyone else. And to be honest I have delivered some boring ones too...Lol. It feels horrible. But I can tell you that a good story can get a lot of peoples attention and can get many points across. I don't think it is a coincidence that people like Buddha or Jesus used stories that explain complex ideas. So find a story that brings out the issue you are trying to explain.

If you are using a real-life example, try respecting people's privacy. You could change some information that could reveal a person's identity. Getting a person's consent would be essential and the right thing to do. So a good story would really make your presentation more interesting and more human as well.

Ask a good question

One thing I learn from life, and this is not just regarding presentations. Asking a good question is an art and a thought-provoking one can shed a light on a lot of points and also force the audience to think about the points you are bringing forth. So when asking question trying keeping it open-ended unless you want an immediate response like a show of hands etc. You could use questioning at the beginning of the presentation as well. It could help you in engaging the audience and also drive your point across to them.

Use an eye-catching statistic or  ear-grabbing headline

This one is a very common practice that is highly effective but must be used with caution. Some times there are chances that you have misunderstood the statistic. So thoroughly research the issue before firing one of those stats. If you are using a Newspaper Headline see that it is not a satire piece or fake news. By now you might have realized that good Speakers do a lot of hard work and it is not a walk in the park. I think it is quite a responsibility. But yes to my experience Statistic or Headlines can be quite an attention grabber.


Use an Inspiring quote

Inspiring quotes are very often inspiring and not just me people love hearing them too. But they shouldn't be cliched unless it is like an emergency. Maybe one could use it in a certain kind of circumstances. Quotes can be used in presentations and due credit should be given to the person you are quoting. Don't make someone else's words as your own, it would be plagiarism. Quotes can also be used to build a more interactive presentation where you could also ask questions to the audience and get their views. It would also get feedback to understand if the audience is understanding the points you want to get across to them.

Photos speak a thousand words

While giving presentations it is important to understand that all of the audience are not auditory learners and there are also visual learners. Actually, most of us have been primed to learn visually. So using relevant images would be really helpful. There are a lot of good resources online that are either paid and free photos. It is important to see that the photo used is relevant to the topic you want to discuss and that it supports the idea your presenting. Well, Do you think the image I used at the beginning of the article is relevant, do let me know in the comment section.

Use a prop or visual aid

People consume a lot of content these days. So adding a bit of theatre won't kill. You add some props to make your presentation interesting. You could use a simple chart you have prepared to a Print ad etc. You could prepare these props before you deliver the presentation.

People love a short video

Videos are used so often to convey ideas. You could you use one too. There is a lot of Video stock available online or also content on Youtube that can be used during your presentation. If a picture speaks a thousand videos, videos can do much more. So use them only when they are relevant and they can help you take your presentation to another level altogether.

Bonus one:

End Well and Practice:

I think this point is self-explanatory. But yes a good conclusion is what the audience is going to take home with them. You must reinforce the ideas you put forth at the beginning of the presentation with a summary of the proposed solutions.

Lastly, I believe, Like one of my Theatre mentors used to say, It is not about impression but expressing your ideas well. Practice, Practice and get good feedback is very important to a Superb Presentation. These are some powerful ideas. Please do share your experiences in the comment section with presentations. And also answer the question I mentioned in the article. Thanks

Ciao!


References:

Presentation Tips

Planning a Presentation

Effective Presentations

Giving a Killer Presentation


Credits: Article Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay
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5 Things not to do when things get difficult, Life Strategies for Tough times

April 03, 2020

Things not to do when times are difficult


 Most of us have learned great and good ideas from School, our experience in a job or business and life in general. There are phases when things are great and high, there are times when things are not as great as we expected them to be. 

These moments besides being quite defining moments can be opportunities.  It helps us incorporate all that we have gained from our reflections and learnings to the test. These are moments we should treasure and cherish (though the difficulty).

But to be cautious these are times we can make stupid and regretful decisions. I have made some of those kinds of decisions. But looking back I do see how they have affected my life for the better.

So I thought of sharing some ideas and pointers that can guide us during such moments. 

There is an interesting quote that goes like this 'Tough times don't last, Tough people, do'. But what does it mean to be tough when confusion and chaos rule your life situation. It could be toughness in the sense of having the courage to pull through the situation. Pull through it with all our imperfections and all our hopes.

Here some ideas I would like to share that we should do during such times.

Life is pressing the Reset button

Life sometimes directs our course to a different route. Difficulties could be signals for changes that are going to come into our lives. Changes can be difficult. 

Sometimes 'Why' may not be the question that helps. 

So, how do we respond to such difficult times can help us. 

Our response gets directed by our Perspective and attitude. These are the moments when we need to realize that can be a great opportunity to learn and grow as an individual.

Gratefulness  as a habit

Powerful Quotes on Gratitude

When things are going downhill we get more clarity about our situation. We know what is normal and how valuable the simple things in life are. 

Practicing gratefulness is putting positivity into action. It is gearing up to be solution-oriented.

Gratefulness helps us focus on the better side of life. It helps us realize that life is more than us.

Getting spiritual

Homo Divinicus


The way I understand religion and spirituality is that religion systematizes spirituality. 

Spirituality to me is rising above our current situation. It is practicing purposeful living. It surpasses and is above our belief systems.

I see it as an innate ability every human being has.

Putting on our Creative Hats

It's an opportunity to practice creativity. I am not saying its a silver bullet to solve your problems. 

But you may never know it could be a useful self-discovery tool.

Learning about our own abilities can be enlightening. Difficult situations bring out the best in us. These are those moments that can show us abilities we thought we never had. 

Hang on, do your best...I mean practice creativity. 

Forgetting Self

Self-care is not self-centredness

Yes, All or at least most of us will at times sulk or fret about difficulties and problems. 

But by forgetting self-focus and looking at other people's needs can be a useful strategy. 

Learning how others resolved their problems can get us ideas that can be useful to us. 

It can bring resolutions to our own problems.

So what are things we must not do...

Right Choices for not so Right times

I have seen from my own experience the tendency becomes to react to situations. 

If luck or whatever doesn't favor you, things could get bad to worse. So First things don't Panic.

Freaking out may not be the best or useful thing to do. 

The next on the list is thinking that life has been unfair to you. 

The main assumption here is that my current situation somehow defines us and our future. This is not necessary, things go very differently from what you expect.

Killing this fatalistic thinking can help us get more resourceful and can conserve a lot of wasted energy. 

Another one is self-deception. We can fool ourselves into thinking that somehow the problem will solve itself. 

It won't solve itself, we need to focus and work on them.

Praying and meditating can be useful, God may intervene. But magical thinking may not be useful.

Confusing self-care with being self-centered. ( Since life has not been fair or whatever else) Yes, they are different and it is for another blog post.

In conclusion


I would like to say rather bluntly 'Shit happens'. 

Getting through it and successful is the aim. Beating yourself or throwing yourself a pity party is not. 

If you are facing anxiety or personal difficulties do consider getting help. Speaking to someone you trust does help, But qualified help is much better

Consider speaking to a qualified counselor or professional mental health expert.

Further Reading


https://www.mhanational.org/deal-better-hard-times

https://www.marcandangel.com/2014/04/06/9-things-to-stop-doing-during-hard-times/

https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/7-things-people-forget-when-they-are-down-and-going-through-the-tough-times-life.html


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If you believe you can't, you can't...

August 21, 2019

Learn how to be Deliberate: Christonanda Style

Being Deliberate can be like walking on a tight robe. It can feel so intimidating and discouraging. We get cold feet and just gone a loop thinking about possibilities. How do we overcome this predicament?


"My Mantra is Fuck it and Fake it."

I felt the same way a lot of time, Be it sharing my feelings with the opposite sex or receiving an award for the best teacher of the year. It just very scares for most of us. 

My Mantra is Fuck it and Fake it.

So start by telling yourself Fuck It. What it means is telling yourself that you will face the consequences. You consider the pros and cons and then move ahead. Moving ahead would mean taking action. It will mean giving it your best. Remember there are consequences to all of this. Don't think there are no repercussions.


Now Step 2, Fake it, This is how you can approach this situation. Calm down, Sit in a chair and just calm your mind, your body and your entire being. Find yourself an affirmation that can motivate you or else some gibberish would also do. When you feel anxious repeat your affirmation. Now calm down again. So are faking it now.


" Find yourself an affirmation that can motivate you "


Benefits of faking it:
  • You learn your shortcomings
  • You get feedback to improve
  • You could actually deal with issue productively.

It all sounds simple, as always believe in yourself and God. Everything will possible to those who try.


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Incredible Power of Self Learning, 10 Steps to Become an Effective Self Learner

December 09, 2020

 

Powerful ideas to be an Effective Self Learner


Introduction

Change is a scary word and one loaded with surprises. We don't know about the twists and turns life can throw at us. But Change always remains our constant companion.

Recently I came across a person from a New religious movement or as some may call a 'Cult'. I was able to treat the person with respect and educate him whilst hearing him. It was a very interesting interaction.

I have been a self-learner for a very long time. It has helped me tremendously, not just professionally or with self-development but also with making good choices in Life.


What is Self Learning?

Self Learning is also called as 'Autodidactism

 

Self Learning is when a learner teaches him/her/zer self to learn a body of knowledge, without a Teacher, Master or an Institution.

It is also called as Autodidactism. Quite a heavy word to learn. I am sure most of may not realise but at some point, we all have been Autodidacts or as we may say Self Taught.

Isn't it really Awesome? To Learn by yourself, Just having your curiosity lead you and Trial & Error be a guide. Can it be heartbreaking, yes it can be.

I personally love studying world religions and different worldviews. It's just a hobby, exploring tough questions can be eye-opening and difficult but transformative at the same time. Sometimes one can misunderstand the information we are reading.

That is where online communities are kind of helpful, but not a good replacement for a Good Teacher.

Personally speaking, I love Self Learning with all the joy and pain that comes with it.


Power of the Internet (and some Consequences)

Internet is powerful for Learning


Over the years, there has been a lot of purposeful disinformation. This can be really dangerous. It can take us on a rabbit trail to a place we don't want to be.

I must say healthy scepticism and critical thinking can really be useful. So one place topic to begin learning or taking a course is on Critical thinking and logic.

Over the years, there has been a lot of purposeful disinformation.

The internet is a powerful tool, but the disinformation part of it besides the many avenues to time-wasting can be quite detrimental.

I would like to repeat the cliché, 'Don't believe everything you read on the internet'. But that is not to say that there are no good or great resources available online.

There are many. I have listed some of them on the Resources page on this website.

So what are some consequences we may face from learning the wrong information? Firstly, it will give us a wrong view on things and in some cases even lead us to bad decisions.


How to Start Self Learning?


So How does one begin teaching oneself? I would say it begins with passion. The next required is a healthy sense of enquiry.

Yes, there are many quick to learn guides and resources available online. Are they good? I would maybe or yes, it depends on the course or book and the topic.

But the way to decide could be by first doing a little bit of research into the topic you want to learn. Then maybe after reading a few articles or books getting deeper into the subject.

Note making is something that could really be useful. I have listed some keys pointers to help effectively Teach yourself.


10 Steps to Effective Learning

Create a Plan to Learn


  1. Scan the topic and related topics: Before you commit to learning something new, read a bit about it. Find related topics and get a basic understanding of the topic.
  2. Do a bit of enquiry: Enquiry is like a shorter version of research. It doesn't need to be professional, but it could be thorough. You could find material related to the subject and try to understand a bit more about it. You will be able to understand the gaps in your knowledge and skills you would need to learn the subject.
  3. Understand your motives before you commit: Remember time is a limited resource. Understand your motives behind learning the subject and how it is relevant to you.
  4. Take Action: Start learning, do what you planned. 
  5. Commit Time: It can get interesting initially and if you do not commit time, it could be a fad that fades away. Don't make it a fad, get serious, commit time to your new Learning project.
  6. Take Notes: I think this is one of the most important skills to learn as a learner. Recording and systematically learning a subject. Note making is a very important skill for any good learner.
  7. Revise your learnings: Take time to evaluate what you learned. Reflect on it and probably do a short project or maybe write an article on it. 
  8. Find a good group or online forum: It's priceless to join a community of like-minded individuals. It motivates you and gives a forum to discuss what you are learning. You could even share what you learned.
  9. Find a good mentor: Find someone who has mastered the subject you are learning. It is very helpful and it could help you get a deeper understanding of various aspects of the topic you are studying.
  10. Read articles or whitepapers published on the topic: Keep yourself updated on the latest research and case studies on the topic you are studying.

Conclusion

I would say learning is life and all of us at some point need to understand the gaps in our understanding. This is only possible if we evaluate ourselves and begin the process of learning.

Learning does not end at a course or with professional Education. It is an ongoing process, it is transformative to learn and share ideas with people

Share your ideas and this article with people if you found this post interesting.

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