They shape your actions. If you think of yourself as lazy or weak, you act in accordance with that label.

Instead of placing labels on yourself, try making statements indicating you’re in the process of improving. Change “I am” to “I’m working on it.”

For most, extended warranties are bad investments, because we never use the coverage they pay for.

For a warranty to be worth it,

• Something needs to fail that is covered.
• We need to use the warranty during the repairs.
• The cost of the repairs should exceed the price we paid for the warranty.

Instead of buying warranties, consider setting up your own warranty coverage by putting the money aside in an interest-bearing savings account. Then you have full control over the money and can re-purpose those funds.

This strategy will work in your favor more often than it won't. Consider setting aside about half of the cost of the item you bought.

• If I worry, I'll never have a bad surprise.
• It's safer if I worry. We believe that the act of worrying itself somehow lowers the likelihood of a dreaded outcome. 
• I show I care by worrying. We need to distinguish between caring about a situation and worrying needlessly and fruitlessly about it. 
• Worrying motivates me. We need to differentiate between unproductive worry and productive concern and problem solving.
• Worrying helps me solve problems. Extreme worry is more likely to interfere with problem-solving. 

• Calm the nervous system with guided muscle relaxation, meditation, and exercise. 
• Notice when you're worrying and any beliefs that reinforce worry.  Awareness of the process gives us more choice in how we respond.
• Embrace uncertainty. Most of the things we care about in life involve uncertainty. It takes considerable practice to begin to embrace it.
• Live in the present. Practice focusing your attention on the present in everyday activities like taking a shower, walking, or talking with a friend, as well as in more formal practices like meditation or yoga.
• When we face our fears head-on, they tend to diminish. Deliberately accept what you're afraid of: "It's possible I'll miss my flight." 

If you’re lucky, brain fog will attack when you’re blocking someone from the coffee machine. They will startle you when they ask you to move aside and apologize for frightening you.

Don’t come clean. Smile graciously and make a joke about the funny weather you’ve been having. 

If brain fog attacks on a date or at work, don’t sweat it! Make sure they don’t catch that moment your eyes start to glaze over. Take a sip of coffee, make a joke. 

Remember your cues: maintain eye contact, nod at regular intervals and keep a neutral facial expression. Worst case scenario, they’ll think you’re conceited.

• Tell everyone what you plan to do and talk about your goals. Tell friends, employees, and employers your intentions and you won’t want to let them down. 
• Start documenting and sharing your journey. A blog or vlog where you share the projects you’re working on and your progress will encourage you to get things done. 

If you’re a chronic procrastinator and simply can’t resist the temptations of things like Facebook and Youtube, it might be time to cut out temptations.

There are tools such as Rescue Time, SelfControl and Focus that will temporarily block access to distracting websites like Facebook. Less aggressive tools such as Facebook Newsfeed Eradicator and Distraction Free Youtube will allow you to have access to Facebook and Youtube but block the distracting parts of these websites (such as the newsfeed).

Make a list of all of the awkward, uncomfortable realities that haven't been discussed out in the open. 

Set aside time to consciously think through, what's actually bothering you right now and write down these elephants to enable you to resolve these issues.

Be honest with yourself: Are you contributing to the situation negatively or doing anything to help?

Write down the ways in which you've contributed, and identify how you can personally take responsibility. 

• Outcomes: changing your results - losing weight, publishing a book, etc.
• Process: changing your habits and systems - implementing a new routine at the gym, developing a meditation practice, etc.
• Identity: changing your beliefs - worldview, self-image, judgments.

1. Decide the type of person you want to be;
2. Prove it to yourself with small wins;

You have to become the type of person you want to be, and that starts with proving your new identity to yourself.

• It improve self-awareness.
• It allows you to understand and see things from a different point of view. 
• It allows you to respond, not react.
• It facilitates a deeper level of learning.
• It improves confidence.
• It makes you challenge your assumptions.

• STOP: Take a step back from life or a particular situation.
• LOOK: Identify and get perspective on what you notice and see.
• LISTEN: Listen to your inner guide, the innate wisdom that bubbles up when you give it time and space to emerge.
• ACT: Identify the steps you need to take moving forward to adjust, change or improve.

Whether you’re speaking up in a team meeting or you’re conducting a presentation, it’s important to be clear that you'll need to get all of your ideas out there before opening the floor to questions and contributions. 

This sets the tone right from the get-go that you’re aiming to share your ideas free of interruptions. This also makes it easy to halt an interrupter in his tracks.

Sometimes you can only fight fire with fire.

Refuse to pause for interruptions, and instead continue moving forward with your ideas. If needed, you can even pause for a second to address the interrupter and say, “one moment,” and then finish off your thought.