Learning is a process which brings together your personal and environmental experience and influences for acquiring, enriching and modifying one’s knowledge, values, behaviour, skills, attitudes and world views.
As learning in inevitable, you cannot not learn. We all need to learn and huge part of learning takes place during our academic years. However , nobody formally teaches us how to learn effectively. There are number of techniques which can help us in accelerating learning process.
Pomodoro Technique : Pomodoro technique is one of the Time Management Tools developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. The technique uses a timer to break down task into intervals, traditionally for 25 mins and then relaxation time of 5mins. After fourth Pomodoro take a long break, continue this until calling it a day. This technique is very effective for people who work under strict deadlines and even otherwise also. It has three important elements
How many of us really understand our own emotions? How many of us really know the difference between thinking and feeling? Sometimes when you ask someone “What are you thinking ? and “What are you feeling?” the answer is just the same. It is vital to make people understand the importance of knowing, understanding and managing their emotions.
A person who has high EQ are the once who are more successful in their personal and professional lives. Emotional Intelligence is something which can be developed over a period of time but many a times people do not focus or give importance to.
The ability to recognize our feelings and those of other people, to manage our emotions and actions, and to skillfully interact with those around us are the people who have high Emotional Quotient. People with strengths in EI maintain emotional balance, even amid difficult situations. They understand unspoken emotions and dynamics among individuals or groups. And they cultivate positive relationships personally and professionally, All that makes an effective leader, team member or parent and spouse for that matter. People who lack EI have hard time at work and in their lives. They find difficulty in achieving their goals, lose their temper easily especially under stress. Leader who lack empathy can’t be an effective or a good leader.
“You never get a second chance to make a great First Impression”- Will Rogers.
So why not make some extra effort to make your first Impression work’s in your favor. The four elements of first Impression which helps in creating positive image are Clothing, Grooming, Body Language including Etiquette and Vocal Communication. When you use them judiciously, they help you project the right image and thereby create powerful First Impression. Since First Impressions are formed during the first few seconds of meeting the stranger, they are largely formed on the basis of visual cues. Over 80% of the message you covey is visual in nature therefore visual cues form the critical Elements of First Impression.
The elements that hit the stranger in front of you first are clothing and Grooming. The next element to seep in is your Body Language and Etiquette. Last is the Vocal Communication by which you are judged. Yet, they work in tandem when creating First Impression.
Remember, First Impression aren’t about creating inaccurate impression that are not true to the Inner You, but of keeping away wrong impressions that fail to reflect the Inner You accurately.
How will you know out of these four elements which require greater focus and how can you implement them? Well as I already mentioned about three important factors that influences First Impression i.e You, The Stranger and The Situation, plays a vital role here. More importantly, none of the individual pieces of these Elements live in a world of their own. They are interlinked and all linked to the Inner You, your Inner Life. It goes without saying that a little knowledge is your worst enemy. In such a case ignorance is better than implementing a few and letting the others lie as they are. It is the artist in you who would know how to implement the four elements, not only to create positive First Impression, but also to make sure you don’t send out conflicting signals.
While the ground rules and the technique come from the science, skill in creating powerful First Impression is the Art. Art is about taking what Science has on offer and putting it to use in differing situations. When you use a combination of the artist and the scientist, you will end up creating unique First Impression that turn out to be Lasting Impression. They will not be the replica of all the impressions that others are creating around you.
Take care of the Elements and implement what is right for the Inner You and the Outer situation. You shall automatically project a unique you.
First impressions are not only quick to form , they last forever. You owe it yourself to create powerful First Impression because your success, happiness and fulfilment depends on them.
Every first impression is contextual. It is based on a situation where a stranger in front of you is trying to maximize benefit to herself/himself company and minimizing pain. It also depends on stranger and their perceptions, knowledge and experience. It is what the stranger considers important in the given situation and the characteristics they want to see in you and the way they sees themselves. And the most important factor is “YOU“. What kind of image would you like to portray? Image is your identity, it’s you in the eyes of others.
To create a postive you need to put in extra effort as negative image or impressions are tough to correct.
The unforgiving thing about First Impression is that, once formed, they are imprinted on the brain practically forever, making them lasting Impression.
Once the first impressions are formed there are certain repercussions:
I remember those wonderful days When you wrapped me tightly in your arms, close to your heart I remember when you helped me in every decision of life because that’s the toughest time, I remember your tight hugs when I am feeling low because you have all the love to show I remember you supporting me When whole world seems to be accusing me I remember you wiping my tears when I face my deepest fears I remember when you shout at me because you wanted best for me Mom,I wish I have you by my side I love you and thank you for all you did for me and hope someday I make you proud for whatever comes to be I wish you were here, mom I miss you so much no one knows what I would give for just one touch.
In my previous write up you read about self-image. Today we are going to know about certain strategies which can help you in building positive self -image. Lets get started..
Avoid exaggerations
Correct your internal voice when it exaggerates , especially when it exaggerates the negatives. Try to avoid thinking in extreme terms.
Nip negative thoughts in the bud
Sometimes putting a stop on negative thinking is as easy as that. The next time you start giving yourself an internal browbeating, tell yourself to “stop it” If you saw a person yelling, insult at another person, you would probably tell them to stop. Why do you accept that behaviour from yourself.
Accentuate the positive
Instead of focusing on what you think are your negative qualities, accentuate your strengths and assets.
How we think and feel about ourselves influence the way we react or respond to life stressors. A positive self-image affects our physical, mental, social, emotional and spiritual well being. Self-image can determine the quality of our relationships with others.
People’s self-image, how they see themselves is normally based on the compliments and criticism received throughout their life, especially when they are young and vulnerable.
Have you ever asked yourself ” What was I thinking?” or thought to yourself “That was stupid” when doing something? That was your internal voice judging you. In some people that internal voice can be too critical and harsh , leading to low self- esteem. In others, it may be so weak that they don’t notice when they are mean or insensitive to others.
Listening your internal voice and judgments of yourself is the first step to changing your self-image and esteem. One way to gain a better understanding of your current self-image is to imagine your reactions to different situations you encounter.
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