Key Qualities of a Successful Entrepreneur - Part 2

Openness to Change

If something is not working for them they simply change. Entrepreneurs know the importance of keeping on top of their industry and the only way to being number one is to evolve and change with the times. They're up to date with the latest technology or service techniques and are always ready to change if they see a new opportunity arise.

Competitive by Nature

Successful entrepreneurs thrive on competition. The only way to reach their goals and live up to their self imposed high standards is to compete with other successful businesses.

Highly Motivated and Energetic

Entrepreneurs are always on the move, full of energy and highly motivated. They are driven to succeed and have an abundance of self motivation. The high standards and ambition of many entrepreneurs demand that they have to be motivated!

Accepting of Constructive Criticism and Rejection

Innovative entrepreneurs are often at the forefront of their industry so they hear the words "it can't be done" quite a bit. They readjust their path if the criticism is constructive and useful to their overall plan, otherwise they will simply disregard the comments as pessimism. Also, the best entrepreneurs know that rejection and obstacles are a part of any leading business and they deal with them appropriately.

True entrepreneurs are resourceful, passionate and driven to succeed and improve. They're pioneers and are comfortable fighting on the frontline The great ones are ready to be laughed at and criticized in the beginning because they can see their path ahead and are too busy working towards their dream.

Concluded

Key Qualities of a Successful Entrepreneur - Part 1

Being an entrepreneur is about more than just starting a business or two, it is about having attitude and the drive to succeed in business. All successful Entrepreneurs have a similar way of thinking and posses several key personal qualities that make them so successful in business. Successful entrepreneurs like the ambitious Richard Branson, have an inner drive to succeed and grow their business, rather than having a Harvard Business degree or technical knowledge in a particular field.

All successful entrepreneurs have the following qualities:

Inner Drive to Succeed

Entrepreneurs are driven to succeed and expand their business. They see the bigger picture and are often very ambitious. Entrepreneurs set massive goals for themselves and stay committed to achieving them regardless of the obstacles that get in the way.

Strong Belief in themselves

Successful entrepreneurs have a healthy opinion of themselves and often have a strong and assertive personality. They are focused and determined to achieve their goals and believe completely in their ability to achieve them. Their self optimism can often been seen by others as flamboyance or arrogance but entrepreneurs are just too focused to spend too much time thinking about un-constructive criticism.

Search for New Ideas and Innovation

All entrepreneurs have a passionate desire to do things better and to improve their products or service. They are constantly looking for ways to improve. They're creative, innovative and resourceful.

To Be Continued ....

Tips To Reduce Stress

1. Contribute to a good cause.


2. Drink plenty of water. Minimum of 8 glasses per day.


3. Read good books to divert mind.


4. Quit smoking and alcohol consumption.


5. Make a 'To do list' and a time table for each day well in advance.


6. Share your feelings with friends and loved ones.


7. Forgive others. Don't remain angry for long .Be frank and open-minded.


8. Concentrate on hobbies.


9. Take breaks in between work. Don't work too long .


10. Get enough rest. Sleep at least 7 hrs a day.

EIGHT CLUES TO HAPPINESS ......

Having lived a reasonably contented life, I was musing over what a person should strive for to achieve happiness. I drew up a list of a few essentials which I put forward for the readers' appraisal.

1. First and foremost is GOOD HEALTH. If you do not enjoy good health you can never be happy. Any ailment, however trivial, will deduct from your happiness.  

2. Second, A HEALTHY BANK BALANCE. It need not run into crores but should be enough to provide for creature comforts and something to spare for recreation, like eating out, going to the pictures, travelling or going on holidays on the hills or by the sea. Shortage of money can be only demoralizing. Living on credit or borrowing is demeaning and lowers one in one's own eyes.  

3. Third, A HOME OF YOUR OWN. Rented premises can never give you the snug feeling of a nest which is yours for keeps that a home provides: if it has a garden space, all the better. Plant your own trees and flowers, see them grow and blossom, cultivate a sense of kinship with them.  

4. Fourth, AN UNDERSTANDING COMPANION, be it your spouse or a friend. If there are too many misunderstandings, they will rob you of your peace of mind. It is better to be divorced than to bicker all the time.  

5. Fifth, LACK OF ENVY towards those who have done better than you in life; risen higher, made more money, or earned more fame. Envy can be very corroding; avoid comparing yourself with others.  

6. Sixth, DO NOT ALLOW OTHER PEOPLE to descend on you for gup-shup. By the time you get rid of them, you will feel exhausted and poisoned by their gossip-mongering.

  

7. Seventh, CULTIVATE SOME HOBBIES which can bring you a sense of fulfilment, such as gardening, reading, writing, painting, playing or listening to music. Going to clubs or parties to get free drinks or to meet celebrities is criminal waste of time.  

8. Eighth, every morning and evening, devote 15 minutes to INTROSPECTION. In the morning, 10 minutes should be spent on stilling the mind and then five in listing things you have to do that day. In the evening, five minutes to still the mind again, and ten to go over what you had undertaken to do. 

How to say you’re sorry after a fight with a loved one !!

 

1. It’s important not to make a big fuss about saying sorry. Though sorry is just one word, don’t forget that it can either make or break your relationship.

2. Say it with flowers or things that your partner loves. If he/she loves dancing, use this as an opportunity to say you are sorry. If he/she loves a sport, go out for a game together and say you are sorry.

3. Never ever argue as to who started the fight first. There’s no point in looking back on something that is just not worth it, else, you will be back to square one.

4. Don’t try to fake up feelings. After all, it could happen to you too someday.

5. Last, but perhaps the most important, is to always remember to value your partner. Learn to respect his/her feelings and don’t do things to hurt him/her deliberately.

 

 

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Emailers - Part 2

4. Be clear. If something could be misconstrued or misunderstood, requiring a 20-email chain to clarify, pick up the phone or go talk in person.

5. Spell correctly. Use correct grammar. Not only does it look more professional, in this day and age you never know when emails will wind up in the newspaper or forwarded somewhere you never intended. You’ll look like a fool if you type like a tween sending texts.

6. Leave the iPhone or Blackberry at your desk sometimes. You don’t need to check email in line at the deli counter. Really. It can wait. Say hi to the person making your sandwich instead.

7. Remember, email is not your job. Like meetings and conference calls, it is a tool to do your job. If all you’re doing is filing and answering emails, you’re probably not getting anywhere. Focus on results, not your inbox, and you’ll get a lot more done.

Concluded

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Emailers - Part 1

How often does this happen? You start the day with great intentions for barreling through a list of priorities. But at quitting time, you’ve only accomplished one: getting (most of) your email answered and filed. You congratulate yourself on having done that, though a nagging voice in the back of your head whispers that, really, you haven’t done anything at all.

Email doesn’t have to consume your life. Here are 7 ideas for turning email into the tool it is, rather than the be-all and end-all of your days.

1. Lower the volume. When you email the same people too many times per day, they pay less attention. Ideally, your emails will be like eagerly awaited letters that, as a kid, you used to check the mail box for (remember that?)

2. Don’t ask to be kept “in the loop.” Trust your employees to do their jobs without your constant oversight. If you don’t think they’ll execute against goals you’ve set unless you’re cc-ed on every email, get a new team.

3. Return email in batches. Rather than answer each email as it comes in, set windows twice per day (when you’re not concentrating on more focused work) when you can crank out 10 replies at once.

To Be Continued ....

How to Free Up More Time for Yourself !!

One thing many of us want, especially during the warm summer days and the weeks of vacation or summer break, is simply to free up time so we can do more of what we really want to do.

So today I'll share three simple tips that have enabled me to find more time for myself to do so. I hope you will find these three tips helpful too to get more time out in the sun, to work on your book or blog, to play some Frisbee or just relax and take it easy.

1. Find out where your time is really going.

This is like when you are trying to lose fat. It's very easy to fool yourself and think you are doing "pretty good" when you in actually are not doing really that good. Thinking that you are doing "pretty good" won't get you're the results you want though. Actually doing what is needed gives you the results you want.

An easy way to stop fooling yourself in both cases is to use a log. If you are trying to lose fat, use Fitday.com to keep an eye on how much you are really eating.

If you want to find out where your time is going during a normal day (or even better, during a week) then create a simple time-log in a Word-document or something similar and simply type down notes about everything you are doing during a day.

I have for example found that I have spent too much time on browsing random personal development posts on various blogs over the last few months. I will cut that stuff down to a minimum to be able to have more time to relax and rejuvenate. And to keep up with the writing and other important stuff.

2. Realise that you don't have to do everything you do.

And that the sky might not fall if you do/don't do something. One thing that's stopping people from improving themselves or just finding time for themselves is all the things they "have" to do. You don't really have to do anything.

Try to look at it as you choosing what to do instead.

Of course, if you choose to do or not to do something there will be consequences. Sometimes big, sometimes small. Sometimes bad, sometimes good. Sometimes one thing disguised as the opposite.  

But the point is to take control of your life and feel like you are choosing. Instead of having your world choosing and controlling your life. This makes it easier to find out what isn't really that important and eliminate or reduce to free up time for more interesting things.

You may also find it helpful to ask yourself questions like...

How can minimize the time I spend on doing this?

Can I eliminate doing this thing altogether with small or no negative consequences?

...when facing some task during your day.

3. Show up and just do it.

When you have found out what you are actually doing with your time and let go of some of the things you "had to do" then show up and just do the rest.

Instead of procrastinating, instead of thinking, instead of hoping someone else will do it or take an initiative, instead of rationalizing and inventing excuses for not doing something establish the habit of just doing it.

Most of the time you need to do it anyway sometime in the future and until you are more or less forced you'll just waste a lot of time procrastinating and thinking - and feeling bad - about having to do whatever you need to do. And if you wait for someone else to do something about it can take a lot of time before someone does so. Establishing this habit can be a bit difficult if you are used to thinking - or overthinking - a lot.

I still think you should think a bit. But after that it's most often just better to get up and go and do whatever you want to do.

I hope this email will help you to find more free time for yourself to spend as you wish this summer,

Eight Important Manners to Teach your Little Ones !!

We all want to raise our little ones to be polite and well behaved, and learning those lessons starts at home.They won't remember them all, or get them right every time, but patience and perseverance should get you through:

1.    Always say please and thank you.

Whether they're activities as small as giving your little one a snack, or them asking if they can play in the garden, always reinforce the importance of saying please and thank you. No matter how young your children are, you can't start enforcing this rule too early!

2.   Table manners

When your tiny tots are just learning to eat at the table, start teaching them the manners you'd like them to have for the rest of their lives! Rules like not eating with their mouths open, or not putting their elbows on the table, are good life lessons for your children to learn as soon as possible.

3.   Play dates

When you're little ones go on play dates, or to birthday parties, remind them to thank their friends parents for having them over. If you aren't going to be attending the play date or event with your little one, ensure your little ones know they should treat their friends parents (and all grown-ups) with the same respect they treat you.

4.   Birthday party etiquette

It's often said that kids go wild at birthday parties - all the sweet snacks and fun can make little ones get excited, and sometimes forget their manners. But no matter how excited your little one is on their birthday, there are some manners they shouldn't forget: to open their presents thoughtfully (not ripping off the paper, or tossing the present to one side as soon as they've seen it) and to say thank you for every gift, and to every attendee.

5.   Mind the language

There will come a moment every parent dreads: the moment your little one swears. And then finds it funny! The worst thing you can do in this scenario is laugh. Let them know that you already know that word, you think it's unpleasant, not funny, and ask your little one not to use it again!

6.   Don't be mean

Kids tease each other, and they find it funny. But this can sometimes go a step too far and lead to bullying. Make sure your little ones don't call others mean names, and don't make fun of anyone for any reason. Ganging up on someone else is cruel, not clever.

7.   Excuse me!

Once your little ones have mastered saying please and thank you, teach them to say excuse me. It's the polite thing to say when you have to interrupt someone, or bump into somebody.

8.   TMI ( Too Much Information )

There are some things that are too much information, and that your little ones shouldn't talk about in public! These include genitals, poo, nose picking, and all the other gory things that amuse kids!

Six Tips for dealing with Underachievers !

Here are six of my favorite tips for helping motivate chronic underachievers. These work in almost any situation or job role:

1. Recognize that you, as supervisor, are in the best position to deal with your less-than-perfect performers. It’s tempting to call in HR or even an outsider to “fix” the issue when people are involved, but you know Paul, and the job requirements, best.

2. Deal with it head on. This is the time to flex your manager muscles. I’m not saying that you should lose your composure, but you need to tell Paul that he is not performing satisfactorily. Find out if anything’s wrong, or if there are problems you need to know about it. That includes stuff outside of work.

3. Verify his perspective. Does he clearly know what his performance metrics are? Use open-ended questions starting with Who? What? Where? When? and How? and drill down to ascertain that he understands his role and what’s expected quantitatively. How does he regard his performance? You may find out he thinks he’s doing as much or more than others already.

4. Check if you have the right tools in the tool chest. Poorly performing Paul may have problems with his tools of the trade. This is a common issue for those working with computers.

5. Determine if team players are playing well together. Every department head has seen how certain people simply rub each other the wrong way. Track performance history to see if new a coworker’s arrival has impacted the performance or productivity as far back as possible.

6. Evaluate leadership issues. This is often the issue. It’s possible that you’re the problem. How often do you discuss goals, objectives, and results openly in a team environment? The best leaders do, and their team members recognize it. So, share successes and failures openly. Salute the good performers and encourage everyone to up their game. Help weak players to understand that they need to improve because they’re holding the team back.

Source : DSDG Mail

Be Careful While Microwaving Water !!

Microwaving Water!

A 26-year old man decided to have a cup of coffee. He took a cup of water and put it in the microwave to heat it up (something that he had done numerous times before). I am not sure how long he set the timer for, but he wanted to bring the water to a boil.. When the timer shut the oven off, he removed the cup from the oven. As he looked into the cup, he noted that the! Water was not boiling, but suddenly the water in the cup 'blew up' into his face. The cup remained intact until he threw it out of his hand, but all the water had flown out into his face due to the buildup of energy. His whole face is blistered and he has 1st and 2nd degree burns to his face which may leave scarring.

He also may have lost partial sight in his left eye. While at the hospital, the doctor who was attending to him stated that this is a fairly common occurrence and water (alone) should never be heated in a microwave oven. If water is heated in this manner, something should be placed in the cup to diffuse the energy such as a wooden stir stick, tea bag, etc..., (nothing metal).

General Electric's Response:

Thanks for contacting us, I will be happy to assist you. The e-mail that you received is correct. Microwaved water and other liquids do not always bubble when they reach the boiling point. They can actually get superheated and not bubble at all. The superheated liquid will bubble up out of the cup when it is moved or when something like a spoon or tea bag is put into it.

To prevent this from happening and causing injury, do not heat any liquid for more than two minutes per cup. After heating, let the cup stand in the microwave for thirty seconds! Before moving it or adding anything into it.

Here is what our local science teacher had to say on the matter: 'Thanks for the microwave warning. I have seen this happen before. It is caused by a phenomenon known as super heating. It can occur anytime water is heated and will particularly occur if the vessel that the water is heated in is new, or when heating a small amount of water (less than half a cup).

What happens is that the water heats faster than the vapor bubbles can form. If the cup is very new then it is unlikely to have small surface scratches inside it that provide a place for the bubbles to form. As the bubbles cannot form and release some of the heat has built up, the liquid does not boil, and the liquid continues to heat up well past its boiling point.

What then usually happens is that the liquid is bumped or jarred, which is just enough of a shock to cause the bubbles to rapidly form and expel the hot liquid. The rapid formation of bubbles is also why a carbonated beverage spews when opened after having been shaken.'

Source : DSDG Email

How To Identify Scams on Facebook !!

Various type of viruses, hackers, freebies, etc travel on the Internet. They are sent through various attractive outer coverings to lure you to click on them. Try to identify which of them are SCAMS :

• If the same link is shared by multiple people and if it is all over the Facebook newsfeed, there is more than a fair chance that it might be a SPAM.

• Any application that promises to tell you who checked your profile on Facebook is definitely fake.

• Any post that is baiting : Shocking images, unbelievable news, contest that will grant you millions....

• Links that promise freebies. It's usually a chance to win a free ipad or some other very expensive gadget.

• Links that have been posted on your Facebook wall or direct messages from Twitter friends you hardly interact with.

• If the link comes in a language or writing style that doesn't  match with the personality of your friend, there is a big chance that it might be a spam.

• Also be very careful with links that have been shortened using a URL shortening service as these services can easily be used by hackers to direct you to a malicious site.

Source : Mahesh Benkar, TOI

How To Restrict Being a "People Pleaser"

'A People Pleaser' might not seem the best tag to earn. Here's when to draw the line.

People Pleasers are and addition in the modern psychology, defining people who take decisions in an attempt to get everyone to always like them. It is said, that people pleasers can be the most annoying of the sorts, but being the same in a limited extent can also do good to you. Here are ways how to play it right :

1. DISTINGUISH

Sort out your friend list. Distinguish between a friend, and acquaintance and a frenemy.  You don't need o be smiling soul always. Know whom to say yes and whom not to; also when to say yes and when not to. At times, it is ok to reject a friend's proposal. Then again, if it benefits you, it's alright to please a frenemy.

2. SLOW IT DOWN

If you are the kinds who is used to say yes to people, no matter what, start slowing it down. it will be a gradual process, but in the long run you will learn when and where to draw the line. Don't always say yes, just because you want to be in the good books of someone, instead say yes when you think you it feels right.

3. COMMIT

Commit to your decisions. When you are willing to please a person, learn to go on with the decision. Don't just say yes for the moment. Say no if you think you will be unable to commit to the person.

4. STOP EXPECTING

Don't expect the same from all. Just because you are a people pleaser, don't expect everyone to behave the same with you. It's a personal choice, respect it instead of just feeling bad that if someone's rejected your proposal while you have been extremely generous in turn. They surely ain't people pleasers, so don't feel bad.

Source : TOI

10 things to look out for when buying a Laptop - Part 2

6. Vying for video RAM

If you're not planning on doing much graphics work or playing 3D games, shared memory should be fine. But if you have a choice, aim for a graphics chipset that shares at least 64MB of system memory.

7. A slot for all reasons

Like a PCI slot in a desktop, a PC Card (or PCMCIA) slot in a notebook provides expansion opportunities. Additional USB and FireWire ports, wired and wireless modems, and wireless LAN radios are all available in PC Card form. PC Cards and slots come in three sizes: Type I, II, and III. Type I cards are normally used for memory, Type II for input/output devices, and Type III for mass storage and firewalls.

8. Get connected

Ports, especially USB and FireWire, are necessities, but on notebooks they're usually in short supply. At a minimum, look for two USB ports, and if you have any legacy devices, such as parallel printers, look for those ports, too. If you'd like to use a digital camcorder or iPod with your notebook, make sure the notebook has a FireWire (IEEE 1394) port. Connecting a monitor will require a VGA port. And if you want to output video to a television, find a notebook with an S-Video out.

9. Go wireless

Integrated wireless networking (Wi-Fi) has become an indispensable feature. Most notebooks ship with a choice of 802.11b or 802.11b/g. Capable of data throughput of 11Mbps, 802.11b is fine for ordinary use. Public hotspots typically use 802.11b or 802.11g.

10. Power on the go

Lithium-ion batteries have all but replaced nickel-cadmiums because they're lighter, have a higher energy density, and don't suffer from recharge-inhibiting memory effect.

Also look out for battery capacity (measured in milliamp hours, or mAh), and the number of cells. Typical batteries have a mAh rating between 2,000mAh and 6,000mAh; higher is better. Cells are the actual compartments where power is produced and can range from four to 12; the more the better.

Concluded

10 things to look out for when buying a Laptop - Part 1

1. Portable form factor

Ultraportables excel for frequent fliers who need just the essentials while on the road. Screen sizes are small - usually 10 or 12 inches – and their keyboards petite. Also, to make these machines so small, features such as internal optical drives, large and fast hard drives, and extra ports are frequently absent.

Mainstream laptops are like budget desktops: They're good for general tasks but won't win any contests for their performance or features. Though they don't qualify as thin or light, they still offer some portability. With 14-inch or larger screens, a standard selection of ports, and big keyboards, they're suitable for everyday use.

If you want desktop power, you need a desktop replacement. With screen sizes of 15 to 17 inches, travel weights as heavy as six kilos, and average battery life of less than three hours, these behemoths are not for people on the go. They can accommodate a wide range of performance parts, however, and are just right for power users of all kinds.

2. The processor and you

When it comes to processors, go with the fastest you can afford, regardless of the notebook's form factor. You have a lot of options, so here are the basics.

Intel's Pentium M CPU line offers speed while enabling great battery life. These chips, combined with Intel's wireless LAN electronics and either the

915 Express or 855 chipset, make up Intel's Centrino mobile technology. The biggest downside is price -- Pentium Ms are still costly.

AMD's mobile processors are more affordable than Intel's, but they generally lag behind Intel's on our MobileMark tests. AMD's Turion 64 processors may change that, however. AMD says the chips will offer optimisations for high performance, wireless capability, and long battery life.

3. Screen sizes

Wide-screen notebooks, which have an aspect ratio of 16:9, offer larger, sharper, and all-around better images than their 4:3 standard-screen cousins. They're great for allowing you to have two documents or Web pages open side-by-side. A spacious 17-inch wide-screen laptop is a nice luxury if you're not planning on traveling with it.

4. Memory memiors

Having enough memory is vital to system performance, and lots of RAM lets you run more applications simultaneously. Sufficient RAM is also necessary

for graphics work, image editing, and video editing, and crucial for 3D gaming. This is especially true in notebooks, because notebook graphics processors frequently have little or no memory of their own and share the main system RAM.

5. Typing and mousing

As notebooks shrink in size, so do their keyboards. If possible, try some simple typing exercises before you buy. Pay particular attention to the spacebar, Shift, Ctrl, and Backspace/Delete keys. Be sure all are in a good location for your hand size and typing style.

Computing today relies a lot on mousing. With a notebook, all you get is a touch pad or pointing stick. Test the notebook's input device for comfort and responsiveness. Some touch pads include extra features, such as a dedicated area for scrolling.

To Be Concluded.....

Giving Second Chance To A Cheating Partner !

Should i or Shouldn't I .. ??

With your trust broken, giving a second chance to a cheating partner might be difficult. Here's how to go about it :

At times, it is natural to be attracted to someone else and cheat on your partner. Though cheating is not acceptable, you may want to give your partner a chance if it's happened for the first time. It is natural to be hurt if you are at the receiving end of infidelity. but if you are willing to pardon the grievous fault of your partner and give him a second chance, here are some things you should keep in mind so you don;t scar your relationship again.

SORT YOUR MIND

Before starting the second phase of that once-broken relationship, calculate the reasons why you are willing to take the risk. Clinical psychologist Mansi Hassan says, "Be clear as to why you want this relationship all that much. Keep in mind, if it's just because you feel you can't get anyone better than your partner. Because that's no reason to give someone a second chance. Does your partner who has cheated on you also want to make an effort for the same? Only after sorting out these confusions, can you really assess if it's worth it."

ASSESS OBJECTIVELY

It's important you have a reality check before deciding to give him another chance. Clinical psychologist and psychotherapist Anjali Chhabria says, "Be objective and assess if the cheating was 'accidental' or if it;s a personality flaw of your partner. You need a sufficient span of time because if someone has cheated regularly, he might do it all over again. Evaluate before you decide.

DON'T DOUBT YOUR DECISION OR PARTNER

Once you are determined to work it out with your partner, have patience. Chhabria says you should work on strengthning the flaws of your relationship. Hassan adds that you should be vigilant and not suspect him or be hawk-eyed just because of your insecurity.

Source : TOI

Twelve ways to keep your ego in check !!

Twelve ways to keep your ego in check  :          

• Monitor the danger sign of a runaway ego

• Realize that your success depends on the efforts of others.

• Remove self-serving and egoistic expressions from your language.

• Stop talking and start listening.

• Study the best “balancing acts” you can find.

• Place your stature in context

• Identify the motive for self-aggrandizement.

• Learn to laugh at yourself

• When you have offended or embarrassed someone, apologize.

• Associate with many different kinds of people.

• Serve the downtrodden.

• Become a servant leader.