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Archive for the ‘Problem Solving’ Category

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People come into your life for a reason

Monday, March 8th, 2010

You are the lead actor as well as the director of your life. Apart from you, there are others characters in your life a well.
Now look at your life.  Who are these other actors and co-actors?  Yes, you have guessed them right.  They are your parents, your spouse, your children, your grandparents, your siblings, your in-laws, your friends, your neighbours, your teachers, your club members, your colleagues, your bosses, your customers and your suppliers.

Now let us zoom in, at random.  You may have a difficult colleague who is a pain in the neck.  She is grumpy and flares-up at the slightest matter.  Worse still, she is domineering and likes to boss around.  You must be thinking, how unfortunate to have her in your life.  Believe it or not, she is here for a reason.  She has been sent by the high-powered director to deliver lessons to you.  Probably on tolerance and empathy.  Do not judge.  Do not label.  Try to put yourself in her shoes.  See where she is coming from.  Understand why is she behaving in that manner.  Try to see the lessons she is bringing you.  Then get on with the lessons.  Until you have learned the required lessons, she will be here to stay.

A new chief comes on board.  He implements drastic measures.  He downsizes the company.  He issues punishing deadlines.  Yet he is fickle-minded.  You cannot take his nonsense and decides to leave the company.  Don’t bear a grudge against him.  Instead, be thankful.  He is here for a reason.  He is here to force you to take actions.  You may be comfortable in your current job.  But it may not be the right place for you.  He is here to help you move to a better place, a place that is truly your calling.

Think about the people in your life.  Past and Present.  Think about their roles in your life and the lessons they bring along.  Have an open mind.  It may just turn out to be a significant discovery.  A turning point in your life.

Posted in Attitude, Life, Problem Solving, Stress, Thoughts to Ponder | 4 Comments »

Effective to-do lists – Work Planning

Monday, December 7th, 2009

It is not enough to know what is important and what are the priorities. You also need to know how long it would take to complete a task – how much time you would have to devote to them. Therefore, when preparing your to-do list, add a column where you mention the estimated time each task should take and an adjacent column with the cumulative total.

Then do a simple time study. As you do each task, write down what you did and the start and end times. Keep track for an entire day. Then repeat it a couple weeks later on a different day. It isn’t an exhaustive survey by any measurement, but it will give you some insight. If you work 10 hours a day, you will notice that the important tasks on your list require only four hours which gives you remaining six hours for other tasks. If you feel that much of your day is taken up by interruptions – dealing with events that happened, crises that came up, or problems that had to be solved,  then on average these interruptions consumed four hours a day, you still have six hours a day for the things on your to do list.

Each night, before you leave the office or before you go to bed, update your to do list. Delete the things that you have completed, delegated, or downgraded, add the new things that had come up, rearrange the priorities to get the most important tasks on top, and assign estimated time to each. Then go down the list to the six hour mark and draw a line. That becomes your target for the next day.


Posted in Problem Solving, Procrastination, Time Management | 4 Comments »

Assumptions Are Worse Than Reality

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009
are three ways of knowing about something or someone: what we know, what we don’t know, and what we think we know…….and it’s usually what we think we know that gets us in trouble. When we assume things, we gamble; the bigger the assumption, the bigger the risk.
In any endeavor based on assumptions we can absolutely count on some of them giving way, like support timbers under a house collapsing. Some assumptions may hold for a long time, some almost forever, but most will collapse at a bad time and cause damage. When we make decisions based on facts and when we acknowledge all that we don’t know, the long term outcomes are better.
Practical Tip: When analyzing a situation write down what you know, what youdon’t know, and what you assume. Naming assumptions is key. Want to play it safe? Don’t make assumptions. How? Catch yourself making assumptions.
There are three ways of knowing about something or someone: what we know, what we don’t know, and what we think we know…….and it’s usually what we think we know that gets us in trouble. When we assume things, we gamble; the bigger the assumption, the bigger the risk.

In any endeavor based on assumptions we can absolutely count on some of them giving way, like support timbers under a house collapsing. Some assumptions may hold for a long time, some almost forever, but most will collapse at a bad time and cause damage. When we make decisions based on facts and when we acknowledge all that we don’t know, the long term outcomes are better.

Practical Tip: When analyzing a situation write down what you know, what you don’t know, and what you assume. Naming assumptions is key. Want to play it safe? Don’t make assumptions. How? Catch yourself making assumptions.

Posted in Communication, Decision Making, Problem Solving, Thoughts to Ponder | No Comments »

QUESTION AND OPEN YOUR MIND

Saturday, May 23rd, 2009

Geniuses first ask, “What exactly is the problem?” and “Why is this problem in the first place?” They then ask, “What would be an ideal solution to this problem?” and “What holds us back from achieving such a solution?”

They ask: Why does this situation exist? How did it happen? What caused it? Where and when did it first occur? Who is involved in it? What are the different ways that we could solve this problem? Of all the different ways, which solution seems to be the most acceptable, all things considered?

The very act of questioning opens our mind and expands your options. It increases your creativity and stimulates your imagination. Questioning enables you to think more effectively about the problem, and ultimately reach a better decision.

Posted in Problem Solving | 10 Comments »

Face The Mirror

Sunday, April 19th, 2009

Well, it’s now time to face your problems directly. Face it before it overcomes you.
Stop hiding from yourself. Everyone has difficulties and problems that persist over time. You are not alone in this. It is time to face your problems with courage and honesty.

Technique:-

FACING THE MIRROR
This is a simple technique for overcoming denial. Admitting you have a problem can be difficult, embarrassing or shameful. Therefore, we many a time avoid thinking about it, hoping it will magically resolve itself. Perhaps you are noticing a symptom of some physical problem and afraid of getting it checked, addicted to shopping, smoking or something else and finding yourself out of control OR you know you are beyond overweight. It is only human to have problems. What is important is that you face them.

Try this technique when you feel you are avoiding your problems.
Find a time when you can be alone. Stand in front of your bathroom mirror or a full-length mirror.
Look at your reflection. Speaking out loud, tell yourself three things you like about yourself. It could be that you are a good listener, a very intelligent person or a great cook. Love the person looking back at you. Tell yourself you know you are struggling, but it is important to admit to the problem that has been dragging you down.
Out loud, in a clear voice, tell yourself the problem you have been avoiding. For example: you might say ‘I am overweight and I need to lose it for my health and well-being.’ Repeat your statement three times.
You also need the solution. So now, instead of thinking the origin of the problem or the results of it, you are now going to commit to taking a step to resolve your problem within the next 24 hours. Say out loud what you plan to do. Repeat it three times.

REMEMBER: You have to speak it loud. Loud enough, so that it enters in your sub-conscious mind.
Complete the technique with a smile on your face on your face the happiness of accepting the problem and now working on the solution. Congratulate yourself for your courage and honesty.

Posted in Problem Solving | No Comments »

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