We’re (literally) so used to (just) writing these words we may (actually) find that our writing sounds (totally) odd without them. But (generally) once you get in the habit of cutting these words, you (really) won’t miss them.If one of these words is essential to the meaning of your sentence, keep it! But if not, let it go. To decide whether the word should stay or go, ask yourself these questions:What is the word adding to your sentence?If you cut it, does your sentence lose anything?If you keep it, will you dilute your message?

Delete words that don’t add anything to your sentence

Because we figure out what we think by writing, we often repeat ourselves as we get closer to the best version of our ideas. Combine sentences and shorten it!

Cut the overlap

Your readers don’t necessarily need to follow the journey you took while you were drafting the document. They just need to know where you ended up.Example:I want to point out that our current staffing problems have been exacerbated by a combination of low salaries and the rising cost of housing for renters and buyers in our target cities.Readers will know you’re pointing out the staffing problems because you’re the author of the document that mentions that staffing problems. You don’t lose important information if you cut those first few words and start with “Our current staffing problems…”

Just do it

It’s not the end of the world if you use an unnecessary word now and then, write the occasional overlapping sentence, or tell us what you’re doing in a sentence before you do it. But the extra words add up. In this article, the author offers advice for how to make your writing shorter and sharper.

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

writing

Reading & Writing

communication

Communication

How to Write Concisely

The basics is what complexity is built on. Paying close attention to the basics is likely to get us out of sticky situations and even help us make better decisions in our day to day lives. We learn the alphabet before we build words, then we learn grammar and punctuation to construct sentences. Sentences added together can embody a paragraph's idea. And on joining the different ideas in our paragraphs a story is built. STORIES change and shape our world.Therefore putting attention to good spelling, grammar and the length of paragraphs contributes to the eventual production of a great story.

Never Forget The Basics

Building a career, finding a work-life balance, being creative; these things are hard. Showing up early, having good manners, following up; these are much easier and basic in comparison.  Though the basics alone are not enough to succeed - that is why they are basic - but without them, there is no starting point, no baseline. GET THE EASY STUFF RIGHT.

Get The Easy Stuff Right

Very articulate and interesting lesson on getting the easy commitments right. 

habits

Habits

Getting the Easy Stuff Right | No Mercy / No Malice

Vocabulary enables us to interpret and to express. If you have a limited vocabulary, you will also have a limited vision and a limited future.

It makes sense if you think about how, without realizing it, we all use set phrases, unaware of how they shape the way we think and look at reality. If you change the way you talk about reality, you might also be able to change your life.Bernard Roth, professor of engineering at Stanford University and academic director of the Hasso-Plattner Institute of Design, wrote a book called "The Achievement Habit". It talks about different linguistic formulas that lead to either success or failure.

Your vocabulary can lead either to success or failure

The word but is an adversative conjunction. That means that it puts two ideas together, opposing each other, whether to add a detail to a statement, give it more depth, or contradict it. If we look at it from a psychological point of view, we usually use this word to justify things, put them off, or not do them.One place we really use it a lot is in phrases like “Yes, but". Those two little words are really about self-sabotage. We make unnecessary or imaginary obstacles to get in the way of us doing anything.Professor Roth suggests to replace those buts with the conjunction and.

Take  'but'  out of your vocabulary

The second big recommendation professor Roth makes is to exchange the expression “I have to do” for “I want to do” When you say “I have to do” you put yourself in the realm of obligation. That’s very discouraging. It means that you might want one thing, but you have to do something else, even though you don’t want to. So using have to starts you off in an emotionally uncomfortable place.Bernard Roth says that if you do something, it’s never because you’re truly obligated to; you’ve chosen to. So by getting rid of the expression, you take responsibility for the life you live.

Exchanging  'have to'  for  'want'

<ul><li>Switch “I have to finish this ” for “I want to finish this"</li><li>Replace “I have to be patient with my partner” with “I want to be patient with my partner”</li><li>Exchange “I have to exercise” for “I want to exercise”</li></ul>Every time you switch have to for want , you immediately have to replace your negative outlook with a positive one. At the same time, you’re lifting a heavy emotional burden off your back.So that’s why you can make a huge positive change in your life if you take these words out of your daily vocabulary.

How to take  'have to'  out of your vocabulary

Language will have an effect on your emotions and brain depending on how you use it. In fact, Bernard Roth says that if you take just two little words out of your vocabulary, your life will change.

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

Taking Two Words out of Your Vocabulary Can Change Your Life

The mass exodus of nearly 48 million workers in 2021, known as the Great Resignation, is turning into regret as people realise that the pastures are not greener on the other side. However, people aren’t willing to grovel before their ex-employers or continue to be unsatisfied. Most people are tired of transactional businesses. They want their work to be meaningful. That’s why it would be wise to cultivate a level of trust that connects your team members deeply and create stronger relationships.

People desire meaningful work

We all carry emotional baggage but tend to be less compassionate when we are unaware of what others are carrying. Cultivating intimacy at work means understanding and honouring each other’s tender spots. It requires vulnerability and openness. Try a simple exercise with your team where everyone shares one emotional thing. You set the tone, so go first and share some challenging moments in your life. You may be surprised to see how many people want to open up.

Unpack issues as a group

If a stranger approached you and asked why you work for your company, what would you say? Most employees would say that they had some early success or that it was their first job. However, these answers are either tied to what is unique about the person nor does it connect to the company’s mission. Lead by example: Figure out your “why” and share it with your team. People want to work with others who feel they truly belong.

Find your why

There is value in sharing your story that explains why you do what you do. Think back to the time you first felt unsafe, then consider what you did to feel safe again. That’s your superpower that you probably used to find your way to success.  Giving people the freedom and safety to share their stories will create a positive domino effect. You’ll see your employees be more creative, innovative and confident. They’ll be more willing to take risks at work. This will cause them to realize their personal and professional growth.

Unearth a shared story

career

Career

teamwork

Teamwork

leadershipandmanagement

Leadership & Management

Cultivating a sense of intimacy and connection at work

They talk mostly about themselves. Instead of telling them to change their behaviour, it's much easier to get them to motivate themselves to change. Redirect the conversation. When they start to talk about themselves, say that you are very interested and that you know they really like to talk about it. Then change the topic. Ask if you can talk about this other thing. After you've done this a few times, they'll start to realise when they're doing it and might motivate their own change.

Some people talk way too much

Sometimes it's easier to bottle up your feelings than to have a difficult conversation with a friend. Celeste Headlee, author of We Need to Talk, answers your questions about conflict with friends. 

loveandrelationships

Love & Relationships

Dear Life Kit: Should I tell my friend they talk too much? 

Perhaps you've been eagerly anticipating your annual review or a compensation discussion but are discouraged when your boss says: "I'm sorry, but we're not able to adjust your salary at this point. So check back in six months, and keep up the good work." Despite the setback, some strategies can help you maintain momentum.

Asking for a raise

It's human nature to feel hurt and upset after being denied a raise. In the moment, try to respond diplomatically by taking a few deep breaths and identifying your emotions. You may say: "Thank you for sharing that. Not surprisingly, I'm disappointed that the company can't honour my request. However, I'm committed to bringing my best to the organization and hope to continue the conversation about how I can be more valuable."

Respond diplomatically

Unearth possible barriers and pressures that led to your supervisor’s denial. For example, you may be at the top of the salary band, or the organisation is experiencing hard times. In a non-defensive ton, get more details with open-ended questions:<ul><li>What’s contributing to your decision?</li><li>How are compensation and performance evaluated?</li><li>What could I be doing more of?</li></ul> More information can help guide your decision to stay and advocate for yourself or create an exit plan.

Dig deeper

Consider negotiating for:<ul><li>Flex time or a work-from-home arrangement</li><li>Stock options</li><li>A title change</li><li>More vacation time</li><li>Professional development funds</li><li>Funds to upgrade your home office</li></ul>

Propose alternatives

If you’ve been denied a raise, use the opportunity to your advantage. For example, schedule a follow-up meeting and explain that you want to position yourself for a pay increase. Then engage your boss about what you can do to get there.

Continue the conversation

Highlighting your achievements is vital to building a case for a pay raise. Find ways to publicize your successes and impact, such as offering to present a case study in a meeting with important executives or speaking at a conference or on a podcast.

Master the art of authentic self-promotion

Your boss may be one of several stakeholders contributing to decisions about your career path and whether you get a raise. Consider requesting a meeting with your manager’s manager to make them aware of your work and contributions. Build relationships with other key stakeholders to have more allies championing your advancement.

Seek out additional advocates

While being rejected for a raise can be a blow to your self-esteem, it’s an opportunity for development, and not a step backwards. The author offers advice on how to maintain momentum after being denied a raise: 1) respond diplomatically, 2) unearth possible barriers and pressures, 3) propose alternatives, 4) master the art of authentic self-promotion, and 5) seek out additional advocates.

So Your Boss Refused to Give You a Raise

If you have something complex to say, you should always take the space to say it. But when your writing becomes unnecessary wordy and repetitive, your audience must figure out what you're saying instead of thinking about what you're saying. Writing something long is much easier and quicker than writing something shorter. Some strategies can help you write more effectively.

Extra words add up

Many workplace documents contain words that weigh it down, such as generally, basically, actually, kind of, really, virtually, totally, essentially, completely, practically, literally, and just. We may be so used to these words that it may sound odd without them. Consider if these words are essential to the meaning of your sentence. If not, cut them out.

While we're figuring out what we think, we tend to say the same thing again in early drafts. To find overlapping sentences in your documents, try highlighting repetition as you edit.

When we draft a document, we're thinking about what we're doing, so we tell our readers what we're doing. However, your readers don't need to follow the journey. They need to know where you end up. Consider this sentence: "I will now offer you three steps we should take to improve our onboarding process". A better sentence is, "We should take three steps to improve our onboarding process."

Instead of telling us what you’re going to do in a sentence, just do it

“Raise your words, not voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.”

“This place is a dream. Only a sleeper considers it real. Then death comes like dawn, and you wake up laughing at what you thought was your grief.”

“You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean, in a drop.”

“Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.”

Impacting quotes on life by one of the most influential personality 

Rumi quotes to inspire you to live and love better. Rumi truly believed that whatever you are seeking, is also seeking you.

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

Rumi Quotes on Life, Love and Strength That Will Inspire You

The idea behind a designated worry break is not to succumb to all the stress, but to concentrate your worrying time into a productive “session” of sorts. Stressful thoughts find a way to intrude and disrupt your daily life. By scheduling a separate chunk of time to address them all, you’ll be able to focus on other things throughout your day.

Why?

Choose your time to stress. Mark it in your calendar, set a reminder, and don’t bail on yourself. To start out, carve out 15 or so minutes once a week.When your scheduled worry break rolls around, it’s time to stress. But the key is to stress constructively.Try to get your worries down in words. Writing them down in list form is daunting, but an excellent practice in perspective. It helps to take abstract, overwhelming emotions surrounding each stress item, and then transforms them into what is bothering you on a more concrete (and manageable) level.

Choose Time

Next, dedicate time to each item on your list. Circle the ones that are ostensibly in your control. For instance, “my purpose in life” is a tad too abstract to tackle in this 15 minute session. However, something like “making time for my family” is a starting place for creating actionable solutions. For each stress item, try to brainstorm several potential solutions, e.g. “ask ____ for help” or “schedule a proper date night.”Not every source of stress has an actionable solution; in fact, a lack of obvious solutions is probably the source of a lot of your stress.

Dedicate Time and Write

As you get used to attending to your stressful thoughts, here are some guiding questions to ask yourself:<ul><li>Is this worry within my control?</li><li>What aspects of this concern are in and/or out of my control?</li><li>What mental hang-ups are making this stress worse?</li><li>How would I approach this if I had unlimited time and resources?</li><li>What is getting in the way of me overcoming this hurdle?</li><li>How do I really feel about this stress?</li><li>What is the ideal outcome in this situation?</li><li>What is a first step I can take?</li></ul>

Questions to guide your worry break


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Marketing & Sales

moneyandinvestments

Money & Investments

health

Health

Why You Should Schedule Your Stress

The Accountability Mirror is a mirror on which you write what your current situation is, how to get out of it, and what your goals are.

The Accountability Mirror

When your “bully” thinks you are about to give up, double down and show them you’re much tougher than they think you are!Taking souls is a practice aimed at silencing whoever is doubting you.

 Taking Souls

Every obstacle made you strong and prepared you for this very moment.The calloused mind is a practice that helps you double down when the temptation to quit is the strongest.

The Calloused Mind

When you go back to your past and identify all of the moments when you were weak, you free yourself from them and accept what happened.

On Accepting Yourself

Once the physical prep was done, he’d take care of the mental prep with visualization.He visualised what awaited him.He would imagine himself struggling, suffering, and eventually succeeding.

Visualization

On one hand, the painful moments made you who you are so you can ultimately triumph; on the other hand, the cookie jar is a promise for many more happy moments like the ones you’ve already had.

The Cookie Jar

Mastery does not tolerate shortcuts.The only way to go beyond your limitations is to do more, and better.

No Shortcut

The governor is that little voice in our head that tells us we suck and that we won’t make it.You need to do two things to take off your governor and access your full potential:<ol><li>Don’t listen to your voice.</li><li>When you feel like you cannot keep moving anymore, push just 5%-10% more. Doing so, you will unlock more potential.</li></ol>

The Governor

Goggins believes that most people live up to 40% of their potential.The remaining 60% is locked due to the governor.If you want to go over your 40%, you need to:<ol><li>Stretch your pain tolerance</li><li>Let go of your identity</li><li>Let go of your self-limiting beliefs</li></ol>

The 40% Rule

<ul><li>To everyone that ever doubted you — including yourself — the most powerful thing to answer is what if.</li><li>What if it was possible? What if they were wrong? What if you were right?</li><li>What if opens the door of possibility. It gets you to try and see what happens.</li><li>It keeps you moving forward.</li><li>It prevents you from quitting.</li></ul>

What If?

These are the 10 concepts Goggins used to push himself beyond his limits and achieved his victories. Use them with care.

This article is a list with all of David Goggins’ mental shifts to reach full potential. Enjoy!

mentalhealth

Mental Health

All of David Goggins’ Mental Shifts to Reach Full Potential - Aure's Notes

Find 100+ Facts About Communication  - Curated from inspiring sources like Books, Podcasts & Articles - Genuine Insights from like-minded Users like You!

How to Write Concisely

Getting the Easy Stuff Right | No Mercy / No Malice

Taking Two Words out of Your Vocabulary Can Change Your Life

Cultivating a sense of intimacy and connection at work

Dear Life Kit: Should I tell my friend they talk too much?

So Your Boss Refused to Give You a Raise

How to Write Concisely

Rumi Quotes on Life, Love and Strength That Will Inspire You

Why You Should Schedule Your Stress

All of David Goggins’ Mental Shifts to Reach Full Potential - Aure's Notes

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