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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Making Goals Real for Creative Minds

Do you avoid stating your personal goals, making resolutions or creating a business plan? Why not consider some alternatives to traditional goal-setting and future plans? If a list of written goals in linear fashion doesn't appeal to you, then consider goal-setting alternatives like those below and maybe you'll find one just right for YOU!
Experiment with new ways to visualize your future. What if revisiting your goals was FUN and creative, and you begin to look forward to this visualizing exercise. Here we explore some different ways to create goals with pictures and images in order to actually visualize life when they have been reached. Daily focus on these images helps to change and improve inner beliefs and has a significant impact on the subconscious mind.



Source : http://www.squidoo.com/visualize-goals-journal

Friday, March 18, 2011

Mind-to-Mind Connection: How to Influence People With Your Mind


It has long been suspected that your right cerebral hemisphere, when in the alpha state, operates in a realm where time and space are of no consequence. What you think affects others... and what others think affects you!
It is rather like the invisible connection between the earth's magnetic field and every magnetic compass on earth. They are interconnected. If the earth's magnetic field were to suddenly shift then every compass in existence would swing in unison.

Likewise, if you suddenly move a magnetic compass, or any magnet for that matter, this movement will have a slight effect on the earth's entire magnetic field. Admittedly this would be so small as to be immeasurable but it would still be there.

Similarly, when you have a thought it “twitches” the entire human consciousness "thought field".

Rupert Sheldrake calls this the Morphogenetic Field. Karl Jung called it Collective Unconsciousness.
Jose Silva found a practical method of evoking and controlling this marvelous human ability at will.
The technique, which is amazingly simple, has been developed over the years but to this day more than 99% of the population are unaware of it.
In the United States it is used extensively in business to "sway" the outcome of a business proposition in favor of the person using Subjective Communication.
In personal life it has been used to resurrect a dying marriage, to name but one of its many applications.

And one of the most extraordinary applications is to use it to make people aware of your advertisement in the Yellow Pages!

Its effectiveness appears to vary between 20% and 500%. That is the results can be up to 500% better than they would have been without it.
If you consider two identical competitive businesses both vying for superior market share then the one that learns to use Subjective Communication will forge ahead. This has been tested and thoroughly proven.
Car dealers in the US who use this direct mental contact technique have reported a sharp improvement in sales. The usual comment is it brings customers out of the woodwork and actually closes more deals. US real estate agents use it also - it makes a vast difference in their commissions when used properly.
And it is a strange thing that most people are using it continually without being aware of it. Unfortunately they are also conveying mentally their fears and apprehensions. So it can work against them.
But used properly and with the correct protocol it can (and does) produce quite astounding results. Sometimes the results leave the practitioner somewhat startled. They almost seem too good to be true! Some beginners have had such amazing success that the result has literally left them "awe-struck!
If you decide to apply this magical mental technique to other areas of your life ...then things suddenly become much more interesting. You seem to be able to achieve anything you set out to and for some "strange" reason; even total strangers fall over backwards trying to help you.

Welcome to the world of direct mental influence... Subjective Communication!



source : http://www.mindpowernews.com/Connect.htm

Sunday, March 13, 2011

5 Powerful Creative Thinking Techniques


There are all sorts of situations wherecreative thinking comes into play.
Generally, we might associate creative thinking with art: writing a story,creating a painting, or composing music, for example.  In reality, creative thinking is something that even the lay person uses on a daily basis, especially when it comes to problem solving.
When you find yourself in a quandary about how to solve a dilemma or create your next masterpiece, here are some powerful creative thinking techniques that can get the ideas flowing.

The Random Element

One problem we often face when trying to solve a problem is that we tend to think in a straight line. 
The Random Element Technique allows us to take our mind in different directions to hit on solutions that may have never occurred to us using a more conventional approach.
To use this technique, start by defining your problem.
For example, let’s say that you are having trouble getting along with a coworker.  Look around you and find something completely unrelated to your situation, say a jar of jellybeans on your desk.  What kind of inspiration can you get from applying that jar of jellybeans to your problem?
Some possibilities include:
  • Jellybeans are sweet.  Maybe I need to be sweet to this person and “kill him with kindness.”
  • All colors of jellybeans are mixed together.  Maybe I need to recognize that it takes all types of personalities to make the world work and accept our differences.
  • There are a whole lot of jellybeans in a jar.  Maybe this person and I spend too much time in close proximity to one another.  Would moving to a different desk or cubicle make a difference?
It’s amazing when you discover just what kinds of connections your mind can make, and it gives you a whole new list of possible solutions to try.

Reverse Brainstorming

Most of us know the basics of brainstorming.  You define your problem and then make a list of all the possible solutions you can imagine before going back to evaluate the list for the gems. The Reverse Brainstorming Technique works in a similar fashion, although instead of coming up with solutions, you brainstorm ways to make the problem worse.
Let’s continue with the example of the coworker conflict.
What ways could you come up with to make the situation worse?
  • I could stop working on projects with this person so we miss deadlines.
  • I could antagonize him or her, maybe even going so far as to start a fistfight.
  • I could ignore the problem altogether and let it grow into something even more unmanageable.
From each of these anti-solutions, you may be able to draw a parallel solution by doing the opposite.  For example, you could work extra hard on your projects and improve your coworker’s opinion of you, you could try being extra nice to create camaraderie instead of irritation, or you could sit down with the person to work through the issue so it doesn’t get worse.

Morphological Analysis

This technique goes under many names, but the overall concept is the same.  Instead of getting overwhelmed by the need to solve an entire problem, try looking at its component parts and discern what kind of changes you can make to them.  You then take it one step further by mixing and matching these changes to come up with a variety of new ideas.
A great example for this technique is product improvement.  Let’s say you need to develop the next great thing in eyewear.
Start by listing the component parts of eyewear, such as:
  • Frames
  • Lenses
  • Hinges
  • Nosegrips
Other important aspects of eyewear include:
  • Comfort
  • Fashion
  • Ease of use
For each component, consider how you can change it through the use of different materials, shapes, alternate uses, etc. Then try rearranging your lists to see what you come up with. You may just invent the most comfortable nosegrips or most fashionable new shapes for lenses.

What If?

Most of the things that we take for granted today would never have come into existence if someone, somewhere along the line hadn’t said “What if?”
“What if you could turn the cooking fire on only when you need it?” (Stove.)
“What if I could talk to my family on the other side of the country?”  (Phone.)
“What if I didn’t  have to tend livestock in order to have transportation?”  (Car.)
We face a problem when it comes to creative thinking, because we often get to a point where we just decide something isn’t possible, so why spend any time thinking about it?  This creative thinking technique encourages us to do just that.
Let’s say your problem is that you are planning to have a baby and want to take time off of work to stay home.  Our logical minds will often think, “I have to have money for the bills, so it’s impossible for me to stay home with my kids.”  Instead of ending your internal monologue there, however, ask “What if I didn’t have to go to work everyday?”
Some of the things you might think about include:
  • I feel like I could be a better parent.
  • I could do things I enjoy instead of punching a time clock.
  • I would have more time for personal development.
  • My house would go into foreclosure because I didn’t pay the mortgage.
  • I’d get bored after a while.
It’s not all about just following a positive train of thought, as you can see.  But what you might realize from putting this list together is that while you do need to earn money to pay the bills, you might also want to find ways to do so that you enjoy and that allow you to be home more often.
You may even realize that you have a particular passion you’ve always wanted to pursue, and maybe this is just the time to do it so you can be the parent you want to be without becoming bored or losing your house.

The Lotus Blossom

Yasuo Matsumura of Clover Management Research in Japan is credited with developing this powerful creative thinking technique.  It reminds me of mind mapping, although there is a bit more structure to the overall process, which can be very helpful for right-brained people who are trying to tap into their creativity.
Start by writing your main problem or idea on a small piece of paper, say a sticky note.  Surround this note with eight others.
These make up the center and the petals of your lotus flower.  Use each of these eight “petals” to record potential solutions to your problem or improvements to your idea.  Now, take each of the petals, and make it the center of a whole new lotus flower.  Surround it by eight more petals, and continue on in the same way.
In this case, let’s say that you are looking for ways to stretch the family budget.  The center of your first lotus flower would read, “Don’t have as much money as we would like to meet monthly expenses.”
The solutions to this problem could be:
  • Make more money
  • Decrease unnecessary spending
  • Decrease necessary spending
  • Sell car/get rid of car payment
  • Etc.
Take each of these solutions, and make it the center of a new lotus flower.
For the first one, “make more money,” you might create petals that say:
  • Ask for a raise
  • Get a different job
  • Get a second job
  • Sell items on Craigslist
  • Etc.
For the suggestion to “decrease necessary spending,” some of your petals might read:
  • Shop the sales
  • Use coupons
  • Buy generic brands
  • Shop at thrift stores
  • Etc.
At this point, you can make each of these ideas into a new lotus flower to continue on with your brainstorming, or you can stop, if you’ve found a solution (or two, or ten) that will work for your problem.
The problem with, well problems, is that we often get so wrapped up in what we can’t do, that we completely overlook what is truly possible.
By using these five powerful creative thinking techniques, you can encourage yourself to think in new directions, whether for solving the daily dilemmas that plague us all or for creating the newest invention or most innovative work of art.

Friday, March 11, 2011

What Does Imagination Have to Do with Creativity?


Why do we associate creativity with “having a broad imagination”?

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, imagination is “the ability of the mind to be creative or resourceful.” Thus, it is traditionally believed that creativity is the manifestation of the imagination. From the way in which we use the term “imagination,” it appears that it is thought that the two can be equated; that telling someone to “be more creative” is exactly the same as saying, “use your imagination.” That the imagination can be associated to creativity is clearly indubitable, but it is the type of association that is questionable. Does the imagination have a central role in creativity, or do we give it more credit for our creativity than it deserves?
Before we can investigate the link between creativity and the imagination, it must be stated first what constitutes creativity and secondly what we mean by the term “imagination.” According to Gaut there are three conditions of creativity. First, creativity must be original. There would be no point in creating a sonnet in which I compare my love to a summer’s day, as it would not be original. Even if I did, the sonnet would be of no value – the second condition of creativity. Kant has pointed out that even the most nonsensical work of art can be original, but it is not creative unless it is exemplary i.e. of value. The third condition of creativity is that it has to have flair; an artist must have the intention to create the work in that way. If I splatter ink across a page, it may be original, but since the end product is arrived at inadvertently, I (the artist) must have had no style or flair and thus it is not creative. Subsequently, in Gaut’s words, “Originality, value and flair are the vital ingredients in creative making.”
There are a number of different uses of the term “imagination.” First, “I imagine” can mean “I falsely believe” such as in a situation whereby a person is told that he is “imagining things” in the context that he has misperceived something. Secondly, “imagination” can be used as a close synonym for creativity (as in the sentence, “Use your imagination.”) Finally, it is used to mean mental imagery, as in the case that someone is describing a person to me and I can imagine his face. Whilst all these definitions of imagination are correct within their contexts, it is widely agreed between philosophers that imagination cannot be defined in one way. It does not necessarily have to entail a false belief, nor does it need to involve mental imagery.

Source: http://socyberty.com/philosophy/what-does-imagination-have-to-do-with-creativity/#ixzz1GIxyWURl

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Working Smart Vs Working Hard




There is a great difference between hard-work and smart-work. People however have a wrong notion; they think they can bring about great changes in their career if they work hard. This might be true to a certain extent, for nothing can be achieved without hard-work. However, if some specific strategies are followed, we might start working smarter by lessening the amount of energy we put on to accomplish each task
As far as I am concerned, managing priorities is one of the most important tasks to work smarter. From now on, let me start working smarter. Let me start putting down the methods to work smarter using bullet points rather than writing a BIG essay. Trust me! It saves lot of time.

1. Writing down the tasks to be carried out through bullet points helps a great deal. Using concise language to jot down things quickly in a planner will take less time and process than a long essay.

2. Prioritize the to-do list everyday and note down in the pocket scribbling pad

3. Using processes, - creating a framework and making templates for all the tasks will help us to do our work systematically and quickly.

4. We should take shortcuts wherever possible., If we save a few minutes for every task, it might add up to serious time.

5. We should avoid doing rework for every task. Rework will cause great wastage to time and resources.

Hence, if all the above points will be called a "Smart-worker" rather than a "Hard-worker."

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Why hard work means success at work?

Here are some advantages of putting in hard work at your job.
Your Performance Increases
True hard work never goes unnoticed. If you work hard, your work and dedication will definitely be noticed, and you will get your these rewards at the right time.
Also, when your performance levels increases, you will gain a recognition and prominence not only in the company that you are working in, but also outside the company in your profession.  This will surely work for you when you are creating your job reputation & professional profile.
Career growth
Hard work is so important for you to grow in your company, because all said and done, even the company that you are working for is in the business for making money.
If the company itself is not productive and is not a profitable venture, it is your job security that is at stake. Therefore, hard work is not only important for success at work, but it is also important for the basic stability and existence of a company, and therefore yourself.
You Solve Problems
Some people believe that problems are just opportunities in disguise, and that can be true, but only if you have the will to do the hard work to unravel the disguise and convert the problems into opportunities.
A problem solver is always one of the most respected individuals in a company.
Therefore, if you solve problems, you also gain recognition and this makes your life much easier in the corporate world.
You tend to think out of the box
Any company would like an employee who is thinking out of the box.
Though thinking out of the box seems quite difficult and even impossible, it comes naturally when a person gives hundred percent of their time and dedication to their work. Thinking out of the box finally converts into new, better ideas that might just be the next big thing – making the company a success and therefore gain a name for you.
These are just some of the correlations between hard work & success in work - and indeed: hard work is clearly the key to success in the corporate world.

HKSYE7NRYDUP