Most self-evaluation consists of making long mental lists of one’s faults, shortcomings, inadequacies.It’s well to know our inabilities, for this shows us areas in which we can improve. But if we know only our negative characteristics, we’re in a mess. Our value is small. Here is an exercise to help you measure your true size. I’ve used it in training programs for executives and sales personnel. It works

1. Determine your five chief assets. Invite some objective friend to help—possibly your wife, yoursuperior, a professor—some intelligent person who will give you an honest opinion. (Examples of assets frequently listed are education, experience, technical skills, appearance, well-adjusted home life, attitudes, personality, initiative.)2. Next, under each asset, write the names of three persons you know who have achieved large success but who do not have this asset to as great a degree as you.

When you’ve completed this exercise, you will find you outrank many successful people on at least one asset.There is only one conclusion you can honestly reach: You’re bigger than you think. So fit your thinking to your true size. Think as big as you really are! Never, never, never sell yourself short!

This is one of the best books you might have ever read! The following quotes are from the 5th chapter: "HOW TO THINK BIG".

The timeless and practical advice in The Magic of Thinking Big clearly demonstrates how you can: <ul><li>Sell more</li><li>Manage better</li><li>Lead fearlessly</li><li>Earn more</li><li>Enjoy a happier, more fulfilling life </li><li>With applicable and easy-to-implement insights, you’ll discover:</li><li>Why believing you can succeed is essential</li><li>How to quit making excuses</li><li>The means to overcoming fear and finding confidence</li><li>How to develop and use creative thinking and dreaming</li><li>Why making (and getting) the most of your attitudes is critical</li><li>How to think right towards others</li><li>The best ways to make “action” a habit</li><li>How to find victory in defeat</li><li>Goals for growth, and</li><li>How to think like a leader</li></ul>  "Believe Big,” says Schwartz. “The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief. Think little goals and expect little achievements. Think big goals and win big success. Remember this, too! Big ideas and big plans are often easier -- certainly no more difficult - than small ideas and small plans."

books

Books

David Joseph Schwartz PhD (March 23, 1927 – December 6, 1987) was an American motivational writer and coach, best known for authoring The Magic of Thinking Big in 1959.He was a professor at Georgia State University and also began his own work as a self-help coach and life strategist. Later, he founded his own consultancy firm focusing on leadership development called 'Creative Educational Services Inc'.He became well known through his motivational publications and self-help books, especially for The Magic of Thinking Big, published in 1959.

David J. Schwartz

The Magic of Thinking Big

Our souls need affection. If we want a balanced life, this is a must. Having someone to love and be loved by, warms our hearts and gives us a reason to be!

First Pillar: Love

Our family is the root of the tree of our souls. This treasure has to be lost, to become important. Make sure to be grateful for having a family before it's too late.

Second Pillar: Family

A good friend has less expectations and loves us no matter what. This is a hole that cannot be filled by anything else.

Third Pillar: Friends

We are meant to be productive and also make money. This can be achieved by a career that fits our personalities. A meaningful life depends on a meaningful career path.

Fourth Pillar: Career

Not everything we do should be about money. We need to pursue what we deeply like, just because. This pillar guarantees our growth, if done properly.

Fifth Pillar: Self Improvement

<ul><li>If you want a balanced life style, make room for these five in your weekly schedule. Otherwise you'll find your train out of rails.</li><li>In tragic circumstances like a divorce or losing a job, you have to compensate that pillar's lost by other pillars.</li></ul>

Final Notes

The root of most of our problems in life, is the imbalance of our lives. If you want to have a balanced life style, make sure to pay attention to these five pillars:

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

mindfulness

Mindfulness

habits

Habits

mentalhealth

Mental Health

Five pillars of a balanced life

Understanding your habits is the first step to effective time management. Reflect on how you currently spend your time and identify areas for improvement. How?<ul><li>Make a table to record your activities over the course of a week, tracking how you spend each hour of every day.</li><li>This log will serve as a baseline for your time management.</li><li>Keep in mind that everyone has a unique approach to time management!</li></ul>

1. Self-Awareness

Tasks fall into four types:<ul><li>Important and urgent, do them immediately.</li><li>Important but not urgent, schedule them.</li><li>Not important but urgent, delegate them.</li><li>Neither important nor urgent, ignore them.</li></ul>

2. Urgency v.s. Importance

Recognize that 20% of your efforts often produce 80% of the results. Focus on those high-impact tasks to maximize productivity.

3. Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule)

<ul><li>Short-term goals should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). </li><li>Long-term goals should be desirable and challenging but not so hard that they discourage you.</li></ul>

4. Goal Setting

Plan with different time frames in mind—daily, weekly, and monthly—to maintain a balance between immediate tasks and future objectives.

5. Time Horizons

Organize tasks with checklists to ensure nothing important is overlooked. They help track progress and boost accountability.

6. Checklists

Use checklists to fit tasks into available free time slots or "capsules." For example:<ul><li>If you have 15 free minutes, choose a task from your list that can be completed within that timeframe.</li></ul>

7. Time Capsules

Begin your day with calm and focus, such as a mindfulness practice, to set a positive tone for the rest of the day. It's a proven technique to maximize your performance.<ul><li>A silent mind is our target! It's difficult at the begging, but achievable with persistence.</li><li>Avoid any kind of disturbance, specially your smart phone and social media at the beginning of your day.</li></ul>

8. Silence As Breakfast

Prioritize tasks based on their significance and required quality. Not everything needs perfection—some tasks just need to be done.

9. Task Quality Levels

Adjust your schedule based on whether you're a "day person" or a "night owl." Leverage your most productive hours to tackle high-priority tasks. Not everyone is meant to join the 5 a.m. club!

10. Personality Type

Be kind to yourself and avoid self-blame. Take care of your inner well-being and include enjoyable, creative activities in your day to stay motivated.

11. Inner Child

When you accomplish necessary but undesired tasks, you push your boundaries and grow personally and professionally.

12. Unpleasant Necessities

Limit meeting durations and keep discussions focused to save time. Use agendas to ensure clarity and productivity.

13. Efficient Meetings

Align tasks with your natural energy levels. Schedule demanding tasks when your energy is at its peak. You can use POMODORO technique:<ul><li>25 minutes of deep work</li><li>5 minutes of absolute rest</li><li>After 4 cycles of 25-5, 15 minutes of a long rest.</li></ul>

14. Energy Preservation

Balance the five pillars of life: <ul><li>love</li><li>friendship</li><li>family </li><li>job </li><li>self-improvement</li></ul>Allocate time to each in a week, to maintain overall well-being.

Implement the 5S technique (Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain) to keep your workspace efficient and distraction-free.An organized desk is an organized mind

16. Organized Environment

Politely decline unnecessary commitments to protect your time and energy for priority tasks.If you are always available, you have no priority and no vision for your life

17. Importance of Saying "No"

Push your boundaries by:<ul><li>striving to be 10% better each time or </li><li>committing to an extra 10% effort or time on tasks.</li></ul>Tell yourself: only 10% more!

18. Only 10% Rule

Value your own time and boundaries. Treat them as a resource to be used wisely.

19. Self-Respect

View time management as an ongoing journey of learning and adjustment. Regularly refine your strategies to suit evolving needs.

20. Continuous Process

These 20 tips/lessons are from several books, authors, and my own life experience. I have taught them several times in my workshops. Let's dive into them🥰

The Magic of Thinking Big

Five pillars of a balanced life

20 lessons on time management

Mostafa Nasehi