a comprehensive collection of self improvement articles focusing on productivity, motivation and confidence

6 Traits that Separate Winners from Whiners

Posted on February 4, 2010 by Erin Falconer

Big or small, unexpected events will happen. You can not avoid them, you can only control how you respond to them. It is in those critical moments after the unexpected occurs that ultimately determine your long term success. Think about it: anyone can do well when everything is going great. What separates people who succeed (the Winners) from those who don’t and just complain about it (the Whiners) is how well they respond to life’s inevitable curveballs. Continue reading →

Should Your Child Be Learning Mandarin?

Posted on February 3, 2010 by Erin Falconer

Reports in the NY Times and elsewhere point to the rise of Chinese language instruction in our schools, against the backdrop of the demise of language learning in general. People justify this rush to Chinese by referring to the growth of the Chinese economy. The US government has declared Chinese a “critical language.” How realistic is this Chinese boom, and will it last? Here is a reality check. Continue reading →

Dreams

7 Reasons Why You Need to Be a Big Dreamer

Posted on January 31, 2010 by Erin Falconer

Being a big dreamer doesn’t mean that you walk around with your head in the clouds. It means that you’re seeking a purpose for your life and it means that you’re becoming fulfilled in the process. Continue reading →

Self-Discipline

Can You Learn to be Self-Disciplined?

Posted on January 29, 2010 by Erin Falconer

A lot of people have quite a fatalistic attitude towards self-discipline. They see themselves as essentially undisciplined people who lack the stamina to follow through on their decisions. They might talk about a “procrastination problem” or “no will power”. They blame their lack of self-discipline for their inability to get their business off the ground, or finish college, or successfully quit smoking or diet. Continue reading →

Personal Development

Personal Development: More Than Self-Motivation and Positive Thinking

Posted on January 28, 2010 by Erin Falconer

Personal development happens when you finally decide to change the way you live your life for the better. It must be emphasized that the whole process is not only made up of good experiences or formal workshops. Even bad experiences can help in pointing a person to the right direction in life. Continue reading →

Motivation

Use Your Mind to Get You Moving: 6 Energizing Exercise Motivation Techniques

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Erin Falconer

We lie! To ourselves and anyone who’ll listen. You see, part of me knew I had no intention of going for that run. Actually, I honestly love to exercise. And not just because it helps me sleep deeply and increases my energy.

I know that exercise motivation doesn’t come naturally to most people. It didn’t for me. I had to work at getting and keeping myself motivated to run, do yoga, and weight-lift.

The following tips work for me (and for many of my clients who need to exercise). I know they’ll help your exercise motivation, too. Continue reading →