Personal Development Blog

by Kim Allarie

You might have read the hype about speed reading being able to transform your life by enabling you to take in information considerably more quickly than usual, thereby enhancing your skills as well as upping your value as an employee.

For a number of people, increasing their reading speed is the main objective, while for others, it is more essential that they develop their ability to comprehend and retain what they read. A high-quality speed reading program can do both, and consequently amp up both your personal and professional life.

The typical reading speed is around two words a second with standard comprehension. For ordinary reading this is probably sufficient, but with the help of a good speed reading program the average rate could be boosted to four or six words a second with similar comprehension.

But there are those who have very particular reading requirements and wish to improve their reading speed to ten-plus words per second with better than normal understanding. A comprehensive speed reading program with lots of practice and testing can help them reach their objective.

Many speed reading programs train students to rapidly search through the text to ignore irrelevant information and pick out the pertinent parts. The idea is to be able to gather the essence of the material through reading entire sentences or phrases as a block, instead of just individual words.

Improve Speed, But Don’t Lose Comprehension

Sometimes individuals who undertake to learn speed reading encounter difficulties with the practice of sub-vocalization. This is the tendency to mentally sound out each word while they read. In speed reading, a primary focus is on developing the ability to not sub-vocalize while you read. In its place, you are taught to concentrate only on the words that have significance to the general context. You will become skilled at intentional reading and will therefore increase understanding at the same time as speed.

There are various ways of teaching speed reading, as well as different ways that each individual learns. One method might work better for some students than another. Basically, speed reading endeavors to guide the brain to distinguish only important words without sounding them out mentally. If you have difficulty with one approach, find another speed reading course that teaches these skills in a way that will assist you to progress more efficiently.

Just like learning any new activity, you need to continuously practice your speed reading techniques in order to master the art.

Learn more about the time management skill of speed reading at The Speed Reading Site.

Self hypnosis is a great tool for goal setting and self improvement. Most people are surprised at how easy it is to learn self-hypnosis. And self-hypnosis, in turn, makes a lot of things much easier.

Self hypnosis is usually thought of as a person listening to an audio tape, mp3, or other mass-produced media, intended to induce a willingness to absorb suggestions centered around a specific topic such as weight loss, stop smoking, etc.

Unfortunately, this kind of hypnosis is generally prepared by someone who has never met the person being hypnotized, often presenting unwanted, even unpleasant imagery and suggestions.

For example, if you sunburn easily, that last thing you want to hear about is a slow walk on a sunny beach. In this case, the “self” in self hypnosis simply means that you listen to it by yourself.
How do you incorporate self improvement to hypnosis?

To be able to go about self improvement, there are certain aspects in you that should be addressed. Using hypnosis, the negative aspects that are serving as hindrances to improvement are eliminated.

A true self hypnosis would necessarily be designed and created by the very person who will ultimately use and benefit from it.

Unlike the mass-produced hypnosis, this hypnosis is made for the exact purpose the person wishes, including the precise words and phrases that mean the most to that particular person.

The true self hypnosis is thus crafted by the person to suit his or her own needs. The benefits derived could only be accomplished with such a personal, one-of-a-kind hypnosis. In this case, the “self” in self hypnosis really does mean that you are hypnotized by yourself!

Below is a short view of the self hypnotic process. Though lots of variations of this method have been used, these are the basic steps you have to go through in order to hypnotize yourself to accomplish self improvement.

1. Position your goals from the most important goal to the less important. If possible, your goals should be measurable.

2. For each goal, you should formulate fitting suggestions which means you have to convert your goals into specific instructions to your subconscious mind on how to achieve each goal.

3. Relaxation. Use the first minutes of your self hypnotic session to get as relaxed as possible. Try to forget all your worries and problems.

4. Start your hypnotic initiation phase by saying and repeating out loud the hypnotic words you have chosen, thinking of these words or listening to a hypnotic tape or CD customized for your hypnotic and goal fulfillment needs.

5. Apply the hypnotic suggestions you have made for reaching the specific goal you work with, say them out loud, think them or use a tailored hypnotic tape or CD.

Before you start up your self hypnotic exercises you should make a time schedule for it. Do your hypnotic sessions every day, five minutes a day is enough. Repeat your suggestions as often as possible during the day.

Measure your progress. Are you closer to your goal now than you were before you started? Ask yourself. If you answer negative to these questions, you have to rethink and reorganize your train of thoughts.

This is the only way you can find out if this method is really helping you in achieving your self improvement goals.

There has been much talk and news today about panic; perhaps more people are suffering from this condition because we live in such scary times in such a scary world, but perhaps more people are simply aware that they are having a panic attack and so are seeking treatment for it.  Unfortunately even with all the additional information that is out there about this disorder many patient still don’t know what to look for when they suspect they’re actually having a panic attack.

Panic attacks affect a person not just mentally and emotionally but physically as well.  It’s not unusual for those having a panic attack to get dizzy and lightheaded.  They also feel numbness and tingling in their arms and fingers.  Because of being panicked, they may have a hard time speaking or thinking clearly.  The symptoms of having a panic attack overwhelm them so that they have a hard time concentrating and focusing, and sometimes a sufferer can even slur their speech.

It’s easy to see why the symptoms of having a panic attack are confused with stroke or heart attack.  But the problem is that if someone assumes they’re having a heart attack or stroke and don’t realize that they’re having a panic attack they don’t get the help they need. 

They may check into a hospital and undergo test after test to find out the problem with their heart or have the doctor check for signs of a stroke, all the while ignoring the real issue.  This is not only costly and invasive, it’s also ineffective.  Being treated for a problem you don’t have and ignoring the problem you do doesn’t solve or help anything.

To be sure that you’re having a panic attack and not a stroke or heart attacks, it’s important to be keenly aware of the emotional reaction you have.  Panic is usually accompanied by fear of one’s surroundings or claustrophobia, an overwhelming urge to run away, confusion, and a sense of dread for what might happen next.  All of these emotional and mental reactions are signs of a person having a panic attack and may occur in conjunction with their physical reaction as well.

Panic affects each person differently with a variety of symptoms, so anyone that suspects he or she is having a panic attack should make an appointment with a physician to rule out physical problems and to get the help that is available as well.

The difficulty of certain tasks frequently provokes a desire to delay or otherwise waste time before getting down to business. This urge to procrastinate can affect people’s lives as an occasional temptation or as a nearly irresistible habit, hinging upon the temperament of the individual.

In three exceptional areas of activity, namely college, business and home living, procrastination can have an especially detrimental effect. A closer look at the underlying factors for procrastination in each of these settings can help illuminate some of the influences in the decision to procrastinate.

For many students, procrastination emerges as a significant problem during the first years of college. The college procrastinator is frequently an individual who, for one of several possible reasons, did not learn effective time management strategies during high school. Frequently accustomed to high school assignments that are strictly short term or that have been broken down into a series of smaller assignments by the senior high teachers, the college procrastinator is at a loss to adjust to college’s long term assignments. In a few cases, the college procrastinator undervalues the difficulty from a term paper or end-of-semester project because the prof does not constantly remind the class about the approaching deadline.

For this reason, the difficulties faced by the college procrastinator can be seen as a failure to adjust from a structured, regulated learning environment into an environment where independent time management skills are necessary. Once the need for correction and organization has been recognized, a few simple tools, such as a day planner, can help the college procrastinator organize a self-structured series of goals and deadlines for long-term assignments.

Whereas the college procrastinator might put off a difficult assignment by playing computer games or socializing, the business procrastinator is often more subtle in his or her strategy. Rather than pursuing meaningless amusements, which could be reproved if detected, the business procrastinator often wastes time on activities that are in fact part or his or her job description but that is not the most important tasks at the second.

In some instances, a lack of confidence in the ability to successfully complete hard assignments compels the business procrastinator to quest after easy, straightforward minor tasks. In other situations, an inability to differentiate between high- and low-priority assignments causes the business procrastinator to perceive that the simple chores are just as influential as the complicated ones, leaving the job procrastinator no reason to pursue the more demanding tasks.

To remedy this circumstance, the business procrastinator first must learn to recognize which tasks have the most potential to impact the success of the business itself and to affect the course of business in the long term. Once this has been established, the business procrastinator can break down long-term, complicated jobs into a series of manageable deadlines so that they are therefore not quite so overwhelming.

Rather than being unable to face a deadline, the home-life procrastinator is often uncomfortable with the never-ending nature of daily home-related tasks. Yard work, home repairs, cleaning and meal preparation can all assume the uninspiring role of routine inconveniences in a person’s life. As unfinished chores accumulate over time, the home-life procrastinator begins to feel the pressure of house work intruding on the joys of everyday life.

To counter this situation, a specific time should be set aside each week to schedule a reasonable number of weekly chores. By naming which tasks should be accomplished on which day, the home-life procrastinator can gain control over the amount of work. And by limiting certain undertakings to certain days, the procrastinator can cease feeling guilty about any unfinished tasks provided that he or she has carried through the chores earmark for the present day.

It is very rare that I actually get the time to do a major review on a product or website. But this time it is very different…

1)  This product is amazing and actually works.

2)  I am using this product right now to write this review (Intense Focus Audio).

Here’s the story…

Paul Kleinmeulman has just launched MyMindShift.com and it is a 12 audio set package with special designed to get you ‘Into The Zone’ whenever you want at anytime, by simply listening to a specific audio with a set of stereo headphones.

Have you ever heard of binaural audios before?

Me either until just a couple of days ago… but it is scientifically proven that these special type of audios can be used to influence your brain into specific ’states’. For example they can be used to…

1) Increase Motivation
2) Increase Energy
3) Increase Focus
4) Increase Creativity
5) Increase Learning
6) Increase Happiness
7) Increase Relaxation
8) Decrease Stress
9) Stop Panic Attacks

And so much more.

Anyway so I hear about MyMindShift.com from a friend of mine and to say I was skeptical is an understatement, but I have had a lot of trouble with focusing and getting motivation especially when I need to write something. So I bought the package and I decided to give them a try and because they are instant download (big bonus) I didn’t have to wait for a week for the CD’s to arrive (who doesn’t have an MP3 player these days?)

Well I purchased it was in the middle of the afternoon and I was having my usual afternoon energy slump, so I decided to download and listen to the “Pure Energy Audio” for a quick pick me up.

The results?

Well within 5 minutes my mind wasn’t groggy and I felt myself waking up very quickly. No need for coffee, all I did was pop on the audio and continue with my work. At the end of the hour I was feeling great, it was like I had just come in, totally fresh in the morning… I was impressed. 

The next day I wanted to try something else out. I was having a major problem at work and needed to come up with a major solution to get me out of this road block. So I listened to the ‘Centered Creativity Audio’ and started to brainstorm my problem especially focusing on coming up with a solution. It worked within the hour I had a notepad full of creative and intelligent ideas which I know will help me get past this problem.

And finally… I really wanted to write this review but I just didn’t get time. So less than 15 minutes ago I put on the ‘Intense Focus Audio’ and it has been practically writing itself, no distraction just efficient clear thought writing.

That’s my experience with the My Mind Shift Audios they work for me and I recommend them to you.

Instantly download them now at…
MyMindShiftBinauralBeatsAudios

All the best,

Trilochan Bhattacharya

Knowing yourself is a very important task that one has to undertake and the most challenging as well. When one knows who he is and clearly understands what he wants, then he has a better option of discovering how to reach his own success, personal fulfillment and happiness.

Knowing one’s true and inner self will be of great help in working to reach one’s goals more effectively.  It will guide one through the path to success.  It will transport one to such calmness so to improve one’s attitude as well as one’s relationships and connections with others.
 
Psychologists devote their time helping individuals see and understand things within their inner self which they have long been suppressing from their own selves.  This is natural, as people are skilled at such hiding games.  Often, when one does not wish cope with a certain circumstance or situation, one denies that it had transpired, or translate it so to fit another different perception of the world. 

Knowing yourself consequently, empowers and enables you to create different choices.

Success easily comes to those with pleasing personalities. However, this does not necessarily mean that one needs do what everyone wishes; rather, acquire a positive attitude of being respectful to the opinion of others at the same time remaining true to one’s own beliefs.

Don’t expect to suddenly go on a certain course and immediately become aware and know yourself.  This is a voyage where one can board and allow it to transform one’s life, for the better. The success of such journey depends deeply on how bravely you face yourself; on the way, you might discover certain things that you do not like and possibly opt to hide or deny it.  Be strong and accept those negative things because it is only by accepting your faults can you truly change for the better.

Be open to accept and listen to the opinion of others, eager and willing to learn. Changing your judgment and views on account of more reliable facts is not a sign of weakness but of strength in your character. Always be inclined to offer help, be caring and polite but do not forget to keep your own personality.

The basic principle of knowing yourself is that every individual is responsible, in control and generate their own life encounter. This is a process very much complex that may be severely obstructed when one is unconscious of how one functions, or if one has a misunderstanding of thyself.

Rationalizations are used by many to give justifiable explanation for their actions. One can pretend that the problem is to be blamed on the other person. This is known as projection.

You therefore need to discover and improve your true person and not what others perceive you to be, and also not who you believe you must be, but the person that you truly are. How you manage your life, guide others, take charge, perform and behave in relationships really depends on how effectively you use your strengths and identify your weaknesses that you will discover when you truly know your “self.”

Understand how you could guard yourself against responses triggered by emotions. You are vulnerable to miscalculation of judgment should you permit your emotions to interfere. Indeed, everything that one does is based on one’s emotions, but angry or careless emotions does not have a place when it comes to decision making. Take control of your emotions and delay conclusions, decisions and choices when in a very emotional state.

Develop enthusiasm in yourself. Enthusiasm draws good relationships and success. It is that positive outlook that radiates on you that individuals like dealing with. Your positive and enthusiastic outlook will contaminate and encourage those around you to also be enthusiastic and positive, therefore become cooperative.

Also, be ready to face unreasonable and negative people and never let them destroy you. Stay reasonable and calm.

Knowing yourself will enable you to develop your full potential and be happy, contented and fulfilled.  Whether one’s idea and understanding of success speaks about fulfillment in  business, friendship, love, sports, a blend of all these or another thing altogether, knowing yourself and working on to change for the better will enable you to achieve your goals. Then when you reach your goals, indeed you will turn out to be a much happier person.  And that is success in its truest sense.