Self-Improvement Archives

How to Change Bad Habits in 4 Simple Steps

Do you want to know how to change bad habits? What experiments can help you weed out your bad behaviors and replace them with better ones? Bad habits are difficult to kick because they are literally encoded in your brain. According to Charles Duhigg, the author of The Power of Habit, all successful habit changes begin with a process of experimentation to uncover the specific cues and rewards that drive your habits. He suggests that you follow a four-step process that relies on identifying your routine and experimenting with different rewards so that you can effectively isolate your cue and

3 Simple Steps for Setting Goals—in Life and at Work

Are you clear on your goals? Are you effective at reaching them? In the bestselling classic The Sales Bible, Jeffrey Gitomer outlines three simple steps to set goals. Whether you have sales targets, business objectives, or basic life goals, you can follow these steps to get clarity and focus on what you want to achieve. Keep reading to learn Gitomer’s three simple steps for setting goals.

Why You Must First Fail to Succeed

How to Deal With Failure at Work and Build Resilience

How do you deal with failure? How can embracing failure help you on the way to success? Most of us will do anything we can to avoid failure—it’s embarrassing and painful. However, to achieve success, you’ll need to fail a few times. Every failure teaches you how not to do something and forces you to come up with ideas you wouldn’t have normally thought of. Here is why you must fail to succeed.

The Dalai Lama’s Advice for Anger Management

How do you deal with anger? Is it ever a good idea to express your anger? According to the Dalai Lama, anger is a destructive emotion that stems from ignorance. If you struggle with anger issues, he counsels, you must first understand where your anger stems from and if it’s justified. Then, use patience and tolerance to neutralize it. You may not be able to completely eradicate it, but you can at least reduce your anger’s potency. Here’s how to deal with anger, according to His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

How to Have a Positive Attitude—in Sales and in Life

How much does attitude matter in sales? How much can you outperform the competition by cultivating positivity? Jeffrey Gitomer, in the bestseller The Sales Bible, discusses the importance of attitude when it comes to success in sales. He outlines three traits that positive people have, and he shares three ways to foster a positive attitude. Continue reading to learn how to have a positive attitude in sales and in life.

The Dalai Lama’s Tips for Overcoming Anxiety

Do you often feel anxious? What causes anxiety, and how do you overcome it? According to the Dalai Lama, anxiety, like all negative emotions, stems from ignorance. If you struggle with anxiety, educate yourself about where the anxiety comes from and whether it’s valid, recommends the Dalai Lama. Here’s how to deal with anxiety, according to His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

How to Solve Complex Problems: Embrace Imperfection

How do you approach problem-solving in day-to-day life? What do you do when faced with a complex problem—one that has no obvious solutions? Some daily problems seem impossible to solve—for example, complex optimization problems in which you need to find the optimal arrangement of a set of variables to achieve the best outcome under specific constraints. If you’re trying to purchase the cheapest airline tickets available that get you the most vacation days with good weather or trying to minimize risk in your investment portfolio, you’re solving an optimization problem. Here is how to solve complex problems with no obvious

How to Cultivate Compassion: Develop Empathy

What is compassion in Buddhism? How do you cultivate compassion? In Buddhism, compassion—the desire to free others from suffering—is one of the highest virtues you can cultivate. According to the Dalai Lama, the best way to cultivate compassion is to develop empathy—the ability to understand others’ pain as if it was your own. Here’s what His Holiness the Dalai Lama has to say about cultivating the virtue of compassion.

How to Create a New Habit and Make It Stick

Do you want to know how to create a new habit? Why are rewards so crucial in making new habits stick? In his book The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg says that the key to creating new habits is to put a reward system in place. You need your brain to crave that reward, otherwise, the habit won’t stick. Here’s how to create new habits, according to Charles Duhigg.

ACT Therapy Techniques: Expansion

What is the expansion technique? How can practicing expansion help you deal with negative emotions more productively? In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, expansion is a technique that uses our observing self to create space in our body to accept our emotions, rather than fight against them. Once we accommodate these difficult emotions, we can focus on taking meaningful action to improve our lives. Keep reading to learn about the ACT therapy technique of expansion, its benefits, and how to apply it.