One of the key skills required to achieve your goals and get where you what in life is confidence. Although you might not enjoy making presentations and speeches in front of a crowd, inevitably you will have to one day.

Accept the possible outcomes

When you start thinking that you should get a pay rise, you will need to confront your boss and ask for one. This is going to take a lot of courage. One way that can help you overcome your fear is to accept the possible outcomes. The worst possible event that could happen is that you loss your job and so as long as you are prepared for the chance of this happening, you will be fine.

Need to practice with audience

The best way to build confidence is to get used to being in front of an audience. In front of an audience you need to be able to smile and think on the spot without getting stage fright. Practice helps this a lot, but there is nothing like experience.

Sports and other team games

When you "have the ball" in a team sport, all your team mates and spectators are watching you. Think about this and the fact that you are now "on the stage".

Meeting presentations

When you are in a staff meeting, everyone is will to hear what you say.

Sing

It takes a lot of confidence to sing in front of an audience.

Dance

Dance in front of and audience and go to a dance school.

Do what you enjoy

You will be most confident when you are doing something you enjoy. Pick the topic you are most passionate about and talk about it to an audience.

Find your strong points

Has anyone ever complimented you on doing something well? Write down these comments and use them to find out things that you are good at and will do well when talking about them.

Pretend to be confident

The best step towards being confident is pretending to be confident. Do not let anyone on to the idea that you are not confident. When someone is confident their body language has specific characteristics, they:

• Hold eye contact
• Speak using emphasis and expression
• Do no talk to fast
• Use strategic pauses
• Do not um and ah

Never put yourself down or make fun of yourself

As well as never admitting that you are not confident, you should never put yourself down. You need to learn to talk positively about yourself.

Speech and Presentation Courses

If you have problems with confidence you can always try Speech and Presentation Courses. These courses are designed to help people like you get used to an audience.

Starting with a drunk audience

If all else fails, try making a fool of yourself in front of a very drunk audience. The are less likely to remember your mistakes (or you) and you can be a more worry free.

People have always had problems throwing things out. Everyone knows someone who thinks that they need to keep everything and will "err" on the side of caution before throwing something out.

I might use it

The most common reason that people are unwilling to throw something out is that they think that they might use it or need it later. They think that if the worst happens, they will be able to use the item.

One thing that people do not take into account when they decided to not throw something out is that they might not be able to find it when they need it. The more items that you "keep for a rainy day", the harder it will be for you to find what you are looking for. When you can not find the item, it gives you no reason to need to keep it. Before you decide against throwing something out, ask yourself:

"Will I be able to find it if I did need it?"

Quite a few people I know save will print out web pages of information that they find helpful. They say that they do not throw it out as it will be helpful in the future. When it comes to use the item, they just search for the information on the internet. They never really need to refer to the print outs while they have the internet.

The same idea goes for many old books. People keep them with the thoughts that they might need to refer to them latter. When that time comes, the normally just use the internet instead as it is quicker to find something on the internet than in is to find a book on a book shelf.

One way that you can keep written documents in case you need to access them latter is to scan the old documents into a computer and only keep the computer file.

If you do keep things you might use, try to throw out all the things that you have not used in the last 6 years.

It has value

Another reason that people have problems throwing out things is that they see that they item has value. It could be worth something and they might be able to see it.

If you do keep something as it still has value, think to yourself:

"Will I be able to sell it?"

If you are able to sell it and you are not going to use it, sell it now or throw it out. Do not leave it lying around to get broken, or to add to a clutter problem.

It will be valuable in the future

There is a idea that some people have that if they keep one of their old items for long enough, it will become valuable and they will be able to make a bit of money off it.

There is a lot more to keeping items for their future value than people realise. Items need to be kept in prime condition, preferably with the original packaging. To keep it in prime condition, you will find that you need good temperature controlled, low humidity storage. If it is not working, then it will definitely not be worth it.

Someone might want it

You might have problems throwing out an item as someone else might want it. If you think this is the case, give it away or get rid of it. It will not help anyone if you leave it unused.

Never before have I ever though that laziness could be good, but recently I discovered the art behind being lazy. Being lazy is not leaving tasks uncompleted or procrastinating but is all about doing things the quickest and easiest way.

On hearing this, you may think that this is a strange or relatively new idea, but it is not. William of Ockham(1287-1347) was the first to use the Occam's Razor principle. This principle generally means that the simplest solution is more likely to be better. An example is when you notice a tree has fallen down after a storm. The most likely reason for the tree to have fallen down is that the storm blew it down.  This reason requires one assumption; that a strong wind that knocked over the tree. For you to consider that space aliens caused the tree to fall down, you would have to assume that aliens exist, that they visit earthed and that they caused the tree to fall down. As the first reason uses less assumptions, it is more likely to be correct.

Can this be used to our advantage? Of course.

Occam's Razor is about using the simplest solution. When someone is being lazy, they put in as little work as possible. In doing this, they will choose the simplest solution. Occam's Razor tells us that the simplest solution is more likely to do a better job than a more complex one.

Putting Occam's Razor into practice is easy. Be lazy, choose the simplest solutions and end up picking a solution that is more likely to be better.

Yet another reason to be lazy is Pareto's Principle, or the 80/20 Rule. In 1906, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto created a mathematical formula to describe the unequal distribution of wealth in his country, observing that twenty percent of the people owned eighty percent of the wealth. This ratio is repeated throughout society. When it is applied to a project it means that a few (20 percent) things are vital and many (80 percent) are trivial.

Introducing Pareto's Principle into our pattern of laziness is easy; Only do the important 20 percent of the project. By doing this in a work environment, you can cut the costs it takes to complete a project and save time. The result is that more projects can be completed in the same budget and this is always a good thing.

Now we can justify being lazy. It is just a matter of:

• Find the simplest solutions
• Only use the simplest solutions
• Were the is a lot to do, only do the important 20 percent of the task
• Enjoy Life
• Be lazy

For years and years procrastination has been a bad trait, weeded out by self help books and generally been associated with laziness. In my opinion, procrastination can be quite an honorable trait and even bring you fame and fortune.

Un-thought of by many, procrastination has one good point, and this point is what brings the power to the art of procrastination. The point is "What do you do when you procrastinate?" Have you ever though about this?

Care for an example... I like to consider myself the best at procrastinating. If I do not want to do something like clean the house, I work on my website. If I do not want to do work that I really need done, I work on my website. If I hate doing something, 9 times out of 10  I will procrastinate by working on my website. It is quite common that you will have an activity that you will always resort to when you are procrastinating. The question is how can you use this fact to your advantage?

Knowing what you do when you procrastinate, you now can brainstorm how to use this to your advantage. If you are anything like me, you will procrastinate and avoid doing the boring brainstorming task at hand. (I find myself working on my website again). I suddenly decided to allow myself to procrastinate - I did nothing but work on my website.

One would tend to think that constantly allowing yourself to procrastinate would produce no results. In my case, it pointed me towards my career in the Information Technology industry. After all the hours I spent working on my website, a passion for programming the software behind websites formed.

For you to be the best at something, you need 2 things. A desire to do it and the time to change your desire into reality. When you procrastinate, you do what you want for as long as you want. This provides the perfect situation for you to be the best.

Forget looking for something to be good at, use what you learn from procrastination to your advantage. If you love Movies, watch as much TV as possible and become a movie reviewer.

Shyness can affect all of us in some way and if we do not learn to control it, it controls us. You are not alone when it comes to being shy as famous personalities and very successful business people experience shyness at times.

Here are a few tips to overcome shyness. If you are sacred to make conversation with familar people, you could always practice in another city.

• Try to look your best. Looking good makes you feel better about yourself and helps with your self-esteem
• Join clubs that interest you. It is easier to talk to people with common interests.
• Smile. A smile does wonders and makes you look approachable.
• Make a real effort to stop worrying about what you think others are thinking about you. People who are worth having as friends will judge you not simply by outward appearances but by the kind of person you truly are.
• Think positively
• Judge others fairly
• Learn to be sociable. Force yourself to smile, to greet others and to carry on a conversation. Remember that you have only 50 percent of the responsibility. The other person should carry the rest of the conversation.
• Try to develop a sense of humor about yourself. Don’t condemn yourself if you say something wrong. Just relax and continue with the conversation, perhaps adding, “That didn’t come out right.”
• Set realistic and meaningful goals for yourself. Start of with engaging in conversation with others, talking to people you haven’t yet met, acting in a confident manner.
• If you are faced with a tough situation like a speech or a job interview, be as prepared as possible. Practice well beforehand. Maintain eye contact with your audience and be convinced that what you have to impart is of real value to your listeners.
• But what really cured my shyness was joining a Toastmasters club (they are all nice people, honest)

Scientists have discovered a cure for the dreaded Monday morning blues - stop sleeping in on weekends.

A new study has found that lazy Saturday and Sunday lie-ins can disturb your body clock, leaving you fatigued at the start of the week.

Flinders University sleep expert Leon Lack said people often used the weekend to catch up on sleep lost during the week.

But he told the Australasian Sleep Association Conference in Perth that while this might help pay off a "sleep debt", it came at a cost.

"We've discovered that these sleep-ins are actually putting your body out of whack enough to change your Sunday night bedtime and set you up for Monday blues," Professor Lack told AAP.

His research team tested the theory by tracking 16 people over a weekend, asking them to go to bed a little later than they would on a weeknight but sleeping-in an extra two hours.

By comparing saliva samples and hormone tests he found participants' body clocks had been delayed by 45 minutes.

"That might not sound like a lot but it means that you're not quite as sleepy on Sunday night at the normal bedtime and you'll be much sleepier the next day," Prof Lack said.

Questionnaires completed on Monday and Tuesday showed much higher levels of self-reported fatigue and tiredness compared with pre sleep in days.

This was because the subjects' circadian rhythms - which determine patterns of alertness and tiredness - had been disturbed, creating an effect similar to jet lag.

By mid-week most people manage to get back on track but then they start staying up later, getting into "debt" once again and perpetuating the cycle.

"These days, we're pushing ourselves a lot, particularly during the week and the weekend is our only refuge," Prof Lack said.

The problem, he says, is that this comes at a price.

"It's a bit like paying off a mortgage - you take out a big one and you'll have a lot to pay off later on."

You've been thinking about that hot new kid all month. So when you see the object of your affection by the lockers, you take a deep breath and head over. As you approach, though, those clear green eyes turn your way and suddenly you can't breathe — much less think of what you wanted to say. So you keep on walking . . . right past your crush and over to the trophy display case, where you pretend to be fascinated with the 1992 boys' state badminton championship plaque. You gather your courage. Too late! A friend at the lockers has struck up the conversation you wish you could be having. You stare at the dusty awards and mentally shake yourself for wimping out.

Why can it be so hard to approach new people or try new things? If you find yourself hesitating because of what others might think or because of a fear of being rejected, embarrassed, sounding silly, or making a mistake, then chances are shyness is the culprit.

What Is Shyness?

Shyness is a social emotion that affects a person's feelings, thoughts, and behavior. Shyness is about feeling uncomfortable, self-conscious, scared, nervous, or insecure around others. When people feel shy, they hold back on saying or doing things because they're concerned about how others might respond. Physical sensations can be part of shyness, too — like feeling flushed, shaky, queasy, speechless, or breathless.

Shyness tends to strike in certain kinds of social situations — like the first day of school, when you're meeting someone new, initiating a conversation with someone you feel attracted to, or giving a presentation in class. People are more likely to feel shy in situations where they're not sure what will happen, how others will react, or when all eyes are on them. People are less likely to feel shy in situations where they know what to expect and what to do or say or where they are among familiar people.

Shyness can vary from person to person. People can be mildly shy, moderately shy, or extremely shy. Some people with mild to moderate shyness feel shy only in certain circumstances. For these people, shyness may feel uncomfortable at first, but it often melts away after a few minutes. They often learn to push through their immediate shyness, knowing they'll warm up to new people or situations if they can just get through that initial reaction.

People who are extremely shy find it hard to push through their initial shyness. They may avoid social situations, have trouble making friends, or hold back on trying new things. Eventually this can interfere with their self-confidence and self-esteem.

What Causes Shyness?

Occasional mild to moderate feelings of shyness are like any emotion — as with happiness or sadness, feelings of shyness can be a part of how we experience things and react. But other factors can also influence shyness:

• Temperament. People can be shy by nature in the same way that people can seem grumpy, upbeat, nervous, or easygoing. Scientists believe that temperament is determined by the genes children inherit from their parents. Someone with a shy nature is more likely to be cautious, slower to get used to changes, and prefer to stick to what's familiar. He or she is more likely to hesitate when faced with something new. People who are shy by nature are also more likely to watch everyone else for a while before joining in on a group activity. They might be more sensitive to emotions — not only their own, but the feelings of others as well. Because of their emotional sensitivity, people with this temperament are often kind and caring toward others.
• Learned behaviors. Someone's natural tendency to be shy can be influenced by what they learn from others, especially family members. If parents are overly cautious or shy and find socializing uncomfortable, their actions might teach a child (especially one with shy temperament) that socializing is uncomfortable or distressing — even without meaning to! Young children also learn to expect certain reactions based on how people respond to their actions. If children are constantly receiving critical or disapproving reactions, they may grow into adults who expect others to judge them negatively. These people are more likely to be reserved, shy, scared, or intimidated by certain situations.
• Uncomfortable experiences. What a person learns from experience can influence shyness, too. Someone with a shy nature might become even more shy if they get pushed too much into unfamiliar or uncomfortable situations. Getting teased, bullied, treated unkindly, or humiliated by peers, siblings, or adults will probably make someone who's already shy retreat even more. On the other hand, if someone who's shy is allowed to approach new things little by little, this positive experience can help them learn to feel less shy.

What Can Someone Do About Shyness?

The good news is that no one is destined to be shy. People with shy natures can overcome shyness. Old patterns and experiences can be unlearned when they're replaced with new, positive experiences that teach new skills. If you're a shy person, the key to overcoming shyness is surrounding yourself with good people.

The way others react to someone who's shy can make a big difference. When you're shy, simply having someone who understands and accepts you is really, really important. This person might be a parent, a sibling, aunt, uncle, cousin, teacher, counselor, or best friend. Knowing someone's behind you as you learn to take slow forward steps can help shyness melt.

Good friends and supportive family members know how to help a shy person approach a new experience at their own pace. Really good friends and loved ones also know not to overprotect someone who's shy. Being protected from an experience doesn't allow someone to learn to handle it. The person doing the overprotecting sends a message that the experience is too much for the shy person to handle — even if they don't really believe it. That's not a confidence builder!

Here are some tips things to keep in mind if you're dealing with shyness.

• Learn and practice social skills. People who are shy give themselves fewer chances to practice social behaviors. It's no wonder that people who shy away from socializing don't feel as socially confident as peers who chat it up a lot. Practice social behaviors like eye contact, confident body language, smiling, introductions, small talk, asking questions, and invitations with the people you feel most comfortable around. Build your confidence this way.
• Plan ahead. When you're ready to try something you've been avoiding — like a phone call or a conversation — write down what you want to say beforehand. Rehearse it out loud, maybe even in front of the mirror. Then just do it. Don't worry if it's not perfect (few of the things more confident-seeming peers do are perfect either). Be proud that you gave it a go. Next time, it'll be even better because it will be easier.
• Be your own best friend. People who are shy are concerned with how others might judge them. Because they're always tuned in to the possibility of negative judgments, shy people are sometimes pretty judgmental themselves. And the people they're the hardest on? Themselves. Notice the negative judgments you might be making about yourself. Ask yourself whether you'd criticize your best friend for the same things. If not, then treat yourself like your own best friend. Accept yourself with all your imperfections.
• Act as if you're not shy. Sound strange? "Acting as if" is a technique that can help you shift into a more self-assured attitude and let you try social behaviors that you don't normally use. Think of people whose social ease you admire and respect. Act as if you were in that person's shoes.
• Develop your assertiveness. Shy people are often less assertive, but that doesn't mean they're wimpy or cowardly. Because shy people might be overly concerned with others' reactions to them, they don't want to rock the boat. But this can mean they are less likely to speak up for themselves when they should, ask for what they want when they need to, or tell people when their toes are being stepped on (ouch!). Assertiveness skills can help people find respectful ways of standing up for themselves and build self-respect. Think quiet power.
• Focus on your strengths. What do you do best? What qualities in yourself do you feel really good about? Ask your best friend or family members what they think your strengths are, too. When you're in a situation that makes you nervous, think about your qualities and strengths. As with assertiveness, when you feel competent, you feel more self-assured. And your confidence builds.
• You're just fine the way you are. We can't change our true inner nature. (And who would want to? If everyone were perfect, we'd all be the same — which means we'd all be pretty bored with each other!) But we can learn outer behaviors, like "acting as if" and confident body language, that help us cope better with the situations we face.

When Shyness Is Extreme

For as many as one out of 10 people, shyness can be as powerful as any strong fear. With extreme shyness, someone rarely feels comfortable around others and might feel very anxious in almost any social situation.

Mild shyness might make someone blush and want to crawl under the desk when they say something silly in class. Extreme shyness can interfere with a person's ability to answer in class at all. People who are extremely shy might sit through class completely unable to pay attention because they are so preoccupied with the fear that the teacher might call on them.

People who are extremely shy might feel so uncomfortable at a party or so afraid they won't know what to say at the lunch table that they avoid these situations completely. This kind of extreme shyness is called social phobia. Like other phobias, social phobia is a fear reaction to something that isn't actually dangerous, although the body and mind react as if the danger is real. The person with social phobia who's afraid of being called on in class might stop going to class completely.

When someone is so extremely shy or so fearful about talking to others that he or she just doesn't talk in school, to certain people, or in certain social situations, that's a form of social phobia known as selective mutism. This term simply refers to not talking (being 'mute') in certain situations but not in others (selective). People who feel too anxious to talk because of social phobia or extreme shyness do have completely normal conversations with the people they're comfortable with (such as parents or siblings, or a best friend) or in certain places (like home). But other situations cause them such extreme discomfort that they may not be able to bring themselves to talk at all.

Although avoiding the situations that prompt social phobia may seem like a relief at first, it can actually make things worse. The more a person with social phobia avoids a particular situation, the more fearful he or she becomes about it. That person may continue avoiding more and more social situations until he or she feels alienated and alone.

Because of the intensity of feelings involved in extreme shyness, it can be a lot harder to overcome alone. People with social phobia or selective mutism often need the help of an expert to talk through their difficulties and help them find solutions to their problems. Professional therapists who are trained in dealing with shyness can not only help teach a shy person new social skills but also work on managing the anxiety and reducing the stress that go along with social phobia.

Avoid Avoidance

What happens when you get into a swimming pool and find the water really cold? If you jump out immediately, you miss out on the fun of swimming. Imagine if the next day you don't even put your foot in because you think to yourself, "the water might be cold and I'll feel awful." That's avoidance. It's the same thing as planning to talk to your crush but then bailing out because you think it might feel uncomfortable. Guess what? It might be uncomfortable at first. But you can handle it.

Back to the pool. What happens if you jump right into that cold water? After a bit, you feel warmer, not because the water has heated up but because you've become used to it. The same is true for shyness. If you stay in the situation, you'll get used to it and warm up. Warming up takes a little more than just staying power, though. A person could stand shivering in the cold pool and not warm up much. That's where a social situation is like the pool. Warming up means being a little active, using your skills. Talk, smile, say something (anything!), and remember your strengths. It's not easy, but it's worth it. After all, that hottie with the gorgeous green eyes may want to talk to you as well — but be too shy to make the first move.

Don't settle for topical solutions to increasing your self-worth. True self-confidence isn't an overnight acquisition. It takes dedication to realize you are a good human being that is worthy of respect and love.

Steps

1. Try to think more positively about yourself and say more positive things. People will appreciate you more if you're always being positive, and it will make you seem like a fun and interesting person, which you are!
2. Remember to look at yourself in the mirror and recognize your good points. It's a fact that most people underestimate the quality of their looks by about 25%!
3. Give yourself credit for your success in life. No one else is responsible for your achievements. Did anyone put a gun to your head and force you to go to work/school/practice today? Your parents brought you into this world, but that is all. You chose to do everything from the point of your first conscious adult thought.
4. Feel free to say whatever you please. It will be hard to talk out in class or at work for the first time, but once you've started, it gets much easier.
5. Don't let people drag you down. If they say something mean, they are obviously trying to bring you down. Don't let them, just walk away.
6. Be yourself! If you're shy, talk a little! If you feel uncool around people, remember that everyone was created equal and everyone is only human, even celebrities! You are just as good as they are!
7. Remember that nobody is perfect. Every once in a while the seemingly most beautiful and popular people get deceived or have hidden insecurities. At one point in each of our lives, we always feel that we lack something. That is the reality of life.
8. Join a club and make new friends.
9. Wear clothes you love. Being comfortable and feeling attractive in your clothes can up your confidence by several notches.
10. Find friends who will make you feel good about yourself. Make a point of being around people you can look up to and emulate.
11. Express yourself. Art, music, writing. Find something you enjoy. Everyone is born the same way- talent is nothing! If you practice really hard, anything can be done by you! Remember- you are just as good as everybody else! As an extra plus, you'll be more able to recognize your worth to the world along the way.
12. Respect and commit to your partner as according to your words, and do not do the opposite.
13. If you still cannot build self-confidence, fake it. Pretend to be confident. You can do this by pretending, or even convincing yourself that you are superior to everyone else, but remember that in the end, you are not better, only different.
14. Stick to your principles. Don't compromise just to maintain a relationship. It might be tough, but if you don't have something you can believe in, you don't have anything.
15. Everyone should be able to name a few things they do well (not necessarily an expert, just above average ability) or enjoy doing regardless of talent, without putting too much thought into making the list. If you find it difficult to name two or three things you have some ability in or just plain love to do, think about things others do that you would like to do too (within reason of course!) and take some lessons or join an enthusiasts club. Keep going until you can say something like "I love to go for walks with friends, host dinner parties and garden. My neighbors often comment about my lovely garden and my cooking gets better with each party I host!" Adding a variety of interests to your life will not only make you more confident, but it will increase your chances of meeting compatible friends!

Tips

• Exercise makes a person feel better.
• Keep a positive attitude. Name 10 positive things that you want to do.
• Your intelligence is always more important than your weight.
• Always smile brightly and be happy.
• Don't get wrapped up in your mistakes and dwell on bad points; they can contrast your good points or even give you something to improve. There's no feeling like being good at something you were really bad at.
• Find hobbies and interests that can increase your knowledge and skills, or that just make you really happy. Examples: blogging, writing, designing websites, playing football.
• Do things that will cause other people to respect you and help you to respect yourself.
• If you've got it, flaunt it! Look at your best feature (even if it's your feet!) and find ways to enhance it.
• Look in the mirror and think of all the good things about you! Not the bad.
• Everybody was created equal! You're just as good as everyone else, don't let them make you think different.
• Know the difference between jealousy and envy; whilst jealousy is wishing you had something that someone else does, envy is wishing that you had it and they didn't. Learn to turn jealousy into a motive to achieve.
• Don't be afraid to push yourself a bit - a little bit of pressure can actually show just how good you are!
• Listen to music. If there is one song that makes you feel really alive and like you can do anything listen to it before you go out. It is guarenteed to put you in a good mood.

Warnings

• There is such a thing as trying too hard, talking too much, etc. Pay attention to people's body language, and how they respond. You'll notice if you're talking too much, because they will be the one listening most of the time, and you will start to notice their silence.
• Don't confuse what you have with who you are. People degrade their self worth when comparing possessions.
• Don't talk just for the sake of talking.You could just end up saying a load off rubbish that makes you look really stupid. But also don't think too much before you speak either because you will miss out on the conversation.

The busier life becomes, the easier it is to forget names, numbers and important dates. These mnemonic tricks can help you out.

People's names

Instructions

• STEP 1: Repeat the name when you first hear it: "Nice to meet you, Harold."
• STEP 2: Think of a relative or friend who has the same name: "This fellow has the same name as Uncle Harry."
• STEP 3: Make a mental joke about this person's name: "This fellow is quite bald to be named Harry." Keep the joke to yourself, though.
• STEP 4: Find a melody or rhyme in the name, as both aid memory: "Anne Maureen plays the tambourine."
• STEP 5: Ask the person to spell the name, if it is unique, to etch it into your memory.

Phone numbers

Instructions

• STEP 1: Look for a connection between the numbers and your life (ages, birth dates, number of siblings) to anchor it to your memory. Also see if the numbers resemble a historical date, such as 1492.
• STEP 2: Find a formula that fits the number. For example, 347-8643 could be "3 plus 4 equals 7, and 1/2 of 8 and 6 are 4 and 3."
• STEP 3: If you have a phone nearby, examine the keys to see if the phone number spells anything memorable.
• STEP 4: Sing the number to a familiar tune until you've memorized it.

Birthdays and anniversaries

Instructions

• STEP 1: Fill in all important dates on a calendar at the beginning of every year. Hang the calendar in a prominent position and check it on a weekly basis.
• STEP 2: Set up the reminders available on many e-mail systems so you receive an e-mail message to prompt you on an especially important day.
• STEP 3: To remember the general time frame of a birthday, imagine the person in a costume appropriate to the birthday month. For example, imagine him or her in a pilgrim outfit if the birthday is in November or in leprechaun attire for a March baby.
• STEP 4: Use your sense of smell to remember your wedding anniversary. If you got married in May, perhaps the scent of lilacs will remind you of that special day.

Overall Tips & Warnings

• Employ as many senses as possible to fix an item in your memory. Sight and smell are especially effective at anchoring memories.
• Regular exercise, a balanced diet and adequate sleep increase your overall alertness and make it easier to remember things.
• The use of alcohol, drugs or medications can decrease memory performance.

The brain is a three-pound supercomputer. It is the command and control center running your life. It is involved in absolutely everything you do. Your brain determines how you think, how you feel, how you act, and how well you get along with other people. Your brain even determines the kind of person you are. It determines how thoughtful you are; how polite or how rude you are. It determines how well you think on your feet, and it is involved with how well you do at work and with your family. Your brain also influences your emotional well being and how well you do with the opposite sex.

Your brain is more complicated than any computer we can imagine. Did you know that you have one hundred billion nerve cells in your brain, and every nerve cell has many connections to other nerve cells? In fact, your brain has more connections in it than there are stars in the universe! Optimizing your brain's function is essential to being the best you can be, whether at work, in leisure, or in your relationships.

From my work as a clinical neuroscientist, psychiatrist, and brain-imaging expert, here are 7 ways to enhance the functioning of your own brain and enhance your life.

1. Protect Your Brain

Protecting the brain from injury, pollution, sleep deprivation, and stress is the first step to optimizing its function. The brain is very soft, while the skull is really hard. Inside the skull there are many sharp bony ridges. Several brain areas are especially vulnerable to trauma, especially the parts involved with memory, learning, and mood stability. In order to be your best it is essential to protect your brain from injury. Wear your seatbelt when you're in a car, and wear a helmet when you ride a bicycle, motorcycle, or go snowboarding. Make sure children wear helmets. My eleven-year-old knows that if she rides her bicycle without a helmet she'll be grounded from it for a month. One head injury can ruin a life. Along the same lines, do not let children hit soccer balls with their heads. Soccer balls are heavy. Repeatedly slamming a child's head against a soccer ball may cause minor repetitive trauma to the brain. At this time there are not enough studies to say heading soccer balls is safe. I encourage my children to play golf, baseball, and tennis, rather than football, soccer, or hockey.

Current brain imaging research has shown that many chemicals are toxic to brain function. Alcohol, drugs of abuse, nicotine, much caffeine, and many medications decrease blood flow to the brain. When blood flow is decreased the brain cannot work efficiently. In one study done at UCLA, cocaine addicts had 23% less overall brain blood flow compared to a drug free control group. Those cocaine addicts who smoked cigarettes had 45% less blood flow than the control group. In a study I performed on chronic marijuana users, 85% had less activity in their temporal lobes than the control group. The temporal lobes are involved with memory and mood stability. Caffeine constricts blood vessels and has been shown to decrease brain activity. A little bit of caffeine probably doesn't hurt much. Unfortunately, many people use excessive amounts, such as 6 to 10 cups of coffee, tea, or sodas a day. It is hard to be your best when brain activity is diminished. Stay away substances known to be toxic or those that decrease brain activity.

In a similar way, sleep deprivation also decreases brain activity and limits access to learning, memory, and concentration. A recent brain imaging study showed that people who consistently slept less than 7 hours had overall less brain activity. Sleep problems are very common in people who struggle with their thoughts and emotions. Getting enough sleep everyday is essential to brain function.

Scientists have only recently discovered how stress negatively affects brain function. Stress hormones have been shown in animals to be directly toxic to memory centers. Brain cells can die with prolonged stress. Managing stress effectively is essential to good brain function.

2. Feed Your Brain

The fuel you feed your brain has a profound effect on how it functions. Lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids (large cold water fish, such as tuna and salmon, walnuts, Brazil nuts, olive oil, and canola oil) are essential to brain function. Unfortunately, the great American diet is filled with simple sugars and simple carbohydrates, causing many people to feel emotional, sluggish, spacey, and distracted.

What do you have for breakfast? Do you even have breakfast? Today, many children, teens, and adults start the day with either nothing at all or by loading up on simple carbohydrates, such as sugar cereals, Pop Tarts, muffins, bagels, waffles, pancakes, or donuts. In our fast paced society these foods are simple to prepare for the family rushed in the morning, but they cause brain fog and lower performance in many people. Start the day with a healthy breakfast that includes protein, such as eggs, lean meat, or dairy products.

Many people struggle with energy and mental clarity after lunch. I have found that eliminating all simple carbohydrates at lunch (sugar, white bread or other products made from white flour such as bagels and white pasta, potatoes, and rice) can make a dramatic difference in energy and focus in the afternoon. An additional benefit of skipping sugar and simple carbohydrates at lunch is that most people do not feel hunger until dinnertime. I also believe taking a 100% vitamin and mineral supplement is important. Many people do not eat like they should on a regular basis.

3. Kill the ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts) That Invade Your Brain

The thoughts that go through your mind, moment by moment, have a significant impact on how your brain works. Research by Mark George, MD and colleagues at the National Institutes of Health demonstrated that happy, hopeful thoughts had an overall calming effect on the brain, while negative thoughts inflamed brain areas often involved with depression and anxiety. Your thoughts matter.

I often teach my patients how to metaphorically kill the ANTs that invade their minds. ANTs stand for Automatic Negative Thoughts. The ANTs are automatic. They just happen. But they can ruin your whole day, maybe even your life. For example, I once treated a college student who was ready to drop out of school. He thought he was stupid because didn't do well on tests. When his IQ (intelligence level) was tested, however, we discovered that he had an IQ of 135 (in the superior range). He just wasn't a good test taker. I have identified nine different kinds of ANT species, or ways your thoughts can distort incoming information to make you feel bad. Here are four ANT species:

Mind reading --- predicting you know that another person is thinking something negative about you without them telling you. I often tell my patients that, "A negative look from someone else may mean nothing more than he or she is constipated. You don't know. You can't read minds. I have 25 years of training in human behavior and I still can't read anyone's mind."

Fortune telling -- predicting a bad outcome to a situation before it has occurred. Your mind makes happen what it sees. Unconsciously, predicting failure will often cause failure. For example, if you say, "I know I will fail the test," then you will likely not study hard enough and fail the test.

Always or never thinking - this is where you think in words like always, never, every time, or everyone. These thoughts are overgeneralizations which can alter behavior. For example, I have a friend who asked out an attractive woman. She turned him down. He told himself that no one will ever go out with him again. This ANT prevented him from asking out anyone else for over nine months.

Guilt beatings -- being overrun by thoughts of "I should have done... I'm bad because…. I must do better at… I have to…). Guilt is powerful at making us feel bad. It is a lousy motivator of behavior.

You do not have to believe every thought that goes through your head. It's important to think about your thoughts to see if they help you or they hurt you. Unfortunately, if you never challenge your thoughts you just "believe them" as if they were true. ANTs can take over and infest your brain. Develop an internal anteater to hunt down and devour the negative thoughts that are ruining your life.

Once you learn about your thoughts, you can chose to think good thoughts and feel good or you can choose to think bad thoughts and feel lousy. You can train your thoughts to be positive and hopeful or you can just allow them to be negative and upset you. That's right, it's up to you! You can learn how to change your thoughts and optimize your brain. One way to learn how to change your thoughts is to notice them when they are negative and talk back to them. If you can correct negative thoughts, you take away their power over you. When you think a negative thought without challenging it, your mind believes it and your brain reacts to it.

4. Work Your Brain

Your brain is like a muscle. The more you use it, the more you can use it. Every time you learn something new your brain makes a new connection. Learning enhances blood flow and activity in the brain. If you go for long periods without learning something new you start to lose some of the connections in the brain and you begin to struggle more with memory and learning.

Anatomist Marian Diamond, PhD, from the University of California at Berkely studied aging in rats. Those rats who were allowed an easy life without any new challenges or learning had less brain weight than those rats who were challenged and forced to learn new information in order to be fed. New learning actually caused increased brain density and weight. Strive to learn something new everyday, even if it is just for a short period of time. Einstein said that if a person studies a subject for just 15 minutes a day in a year he will be an expert, and in five years he may be a national expert. Learning is good for your brain.

5. Make Love For Your Brain

In a series of studies by Winnifred B. Cutler, PhD and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania and later at Stanford University it was found that regular sexual contact had an important impact on physical and emotional well being of women. Sexual contact with a partner at least once a week led to more fertile, regular menstrual cycles, shorter menses, delayed menopause, increased estrogen levels, and delayed aging. Brain imaging studies at UCLA have shown that decreased estrogen levels are associated with overall decreased brain activity and poor memory. Enhancing estrogen levels for women through regular sexual activity enhances overall brain activity and improves memory.

In Dr. Cutler's study the occurrence of orgasm was not as important as the fact that sex was with another person. Intimacy and emotional bonding may be the most influential factors in the positive aspects of sex. As a psychiatrist I have seen many people withhold sex as a way to show hurt, anger, or disappointment. Dr. Cutler's research suggests that this is self-defeating behavior. The more you withhold the worse it may be for you. Appropriate sex is one of the keys to the brain's fountain of youth.

6. Develop A "Concert State" For Your Brain

Optimal performance is best achieved when a "concert state" exists in the brain. By "concert state" I mean "a relaxed body with a sharp, clear mind," much as you would experience at an exhilarating symphony. Achieving this state requires two simultaneous skills: deep relaxation and focus.

Deep relaxation is easily achieved by most people through diaphragmatic breathing exercises (learning how to breathe with your belly). This is the most natural, efficient way to breathe. Have you ever seen how a puppy or a baby breathes? They breathe almost exclusively with their bellies. A quick way to learn belly breathing is to lay on the floor and put a book on your belly. As you breathe in make the book rise as you fill your lower lungs with air. As you breathe out make the book fall as you use your belly to exhale all the air out of your lungs. Take slow, deep breaths, less than 7 a minute. One of my patients told me that it was impossible for him to be anxious or mad when he breathed in this way.

Use music to help develop concentration skills. In a famous study at the University of California at Irvine, students who listened to Mozart's Sonata for 2 Pianos (k448) increased visual-spatial intelligence by about 10 percent. Another recent study demonstrated that students who play a musical instrument scored higher on average on the SAT than children who did not play music. Music can either help or hurt concentration. In a recent study from my clinic, we had 12 teenagers play the game Memory while they listened to different types of music: rock, rap, classical, and no music. Rap was associated with the worst performance. The rock group also scored poorly. Interestingly, the group did slightly better with classical music than no music at all.

Another technique for developing clear focus is the "One Page Miracle." On one piece of paper write down the following headings:

• relationships,
• work/school
• money
• physical health
• emotional health
• Spiritual health

Next to each heading write down what you want in each area. For example, under relationships, "I want to have a kind, loving, connected relationship with my children." When you finish writing all of your goals make multiple copies of it and prominently display it where you can see it several times each day. Frequently ask yourself, "Is my behavior getting me what I want?" This exercise helps to keep you focused on the things that are most important in your life.

Work to develop a "concert state" by relaxing your body and developing mental clarity.

7. Treat Brain Problems Early

Many people sabotage themselves by denying they have brain problems until significant damage has been done to their lives. Most psychiatrists feel that there is a significant brain component to depression, anxiety problems, attention deficit disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, substance abuse problems, and even violence. Unfortunately, the stigma associated with seeing a psychiatrist still prevents people from seeking help for obvious problems.

Clearly, the earlier people seek help for these problems the less negative impact they will have on their lives. If you struggle with any of these problems you are not alone. According to the National Institutes of Health 49% of Americans will have a psychiatric illness (depression, anxiety, ADD, OCD, substance abuse problems, etc.) at some point in their lives. Successful people have problems, they are smart enough to seek help. The earlier the better.

Your life can only improve with an optimized brain.

Shyness, (sometimes inaccurately called 'social phobia'), affects most people at some time in their life. Young people in particular find overcoming shyness difficult as they improve their social skills. And for some, shyness seems to persist into adult life, almost as if it has become a 'habit'.

Shyness has its roots in self consciousness and usually dissipates as people mature and become more experienced. However, for some it can 'stick', and then action is required.

Although most people think in terms of 'overcoming shyness', it is more likely that you will become comfortable in social situations by learning the strategies of self confidence along with social skills. Then, shyness is no longer the issue, as social nerves will melt away as a new 'habit' takes their place.

Shyness versus social phobia

It is my personal opinion that social phobia is too often diagnosed where people are simply experiencing natural shyness. It is perfectly natural to be a little timid in a situation where you don't yet know the 'rules', or what to do. In fact, most people experience some degree of nerves when, say going to meet friends, especially if it is somewhere they haven't been before, or someone new will be there.

We have to be very careful not to assume that there is something wrong with this. Social nerves are natural, as long as they don't get out of hand. Focusing on them and making them into a 'big thing' will only make matters worse.

When learning about social situations, young people need the chance to find their own way, without being labeled with 'social phobia'. This is not to say that social phobia does not exist; I know it does because I have worked with people suffering from it. However, in the vast majority of cases, the solution is social skills training, and perhaps relaxation and rehearsal, rather than drugs.

If a person can maintain a degree of calmness in a situation, then they are much more likely to be able to learn about how the situation works. However, if they are highly anxious and internally focused, both their emotional state and focus of attention will make it more difficult to pick up on subtle social cues.

The other key point about overcoming shyness is that most of socialising is an unconscious process. That doesn't mean you should be asleep when you're doing it (tell that to people I speak to at parties ;-), it simply means that much of human communication is non-verbal. That is, 'it's not what you say, it's the way that you say it'.

If you become highly anxious, this will tend to focus your conscious mind on your immediate environment, getting in the way of those unconscious processes.

Tips for overcoming shyness

Check out the tips in the article on self consciousness, particularly the ones to do with where you focus your attention.

• Practise becoming fascinated by other people. Ask them about themselves, and concentrate when they answer you. Remember what they tell you about themselves so you can talk about it later, or on another occasion.
• Great socialisers make other people feel comfortable and interesting. How do they do that? By being really, genuinely interested in other people. If you are talking to someone and you feel boring or inferior, ask why that is. Is it really all your fault?
• Practise using fewer 'personal pronouns' when you talk about things. Sentences beginning with 'I' are not only a turn-off for the listener, they also keep the focus of attention on you, which increases shyness. (Note: Of course, part of friendship is giving away things about yourself, but only when you feel it is appropriate to do so.)
• Remember that the way to overcome shyness is to focus elsewhere. Like on imagining what it will be like to really enjoy the social event, on how it will feel to be full of energy, or to be having a great conversation with someone.

I have been challenging myself to be more introverted than extroverted. Doing so, I have realised there is success and recognition that comes with a more extroverted personality.

One quarter of the population is introverted . This means that one quarter of the population prefers solitary activities over social activities. The problem with being introverted is that you miss out on the opportunities that extroverted individuals get.

Extroverted individuals tend to:

• Get noticed for their achievements more (as they like to openly talk about thier successes)
• Find meeting other people easier (as they enjoy and prefer to socialise)
• Find dating easier (as they enjoy communicating with new people)
• Have more opportunities open to them (from the contacts they made when socialising)

Now being an introvert is not the same as being shy . We have all been shy at some stage in our lives, but only some of us will be introverted. WikiHow.com explains the difference well when it says:

Being introverted is not the same as being shy. An introvert genuinely enjoys solitary activities more than social ones, whereas someone who's shy stays away from social situations because of fear and anxiety. If you're someone who wants to talk to people and socialize but feel paralysed, or if you don't feel self-confident, you're probably grappling with shyness.^[4]

Years ago, I was a quiet, shy and introverted individual. I have realised that to be successful in anything you do, you need to know how to be extroverted . You do not need to be extroverted all the time, just when it matters. During this transition I noticed that there was quite a few thing stopping me such as:

• Not recognising the value of being an extrovert
• Underdeveloped social skills
• Assuming extroverts are more like pushy salesmen rather than a friendly person who is happy to introduce themselves.
• Thinking that online socializing is enough .

Once I realised that these were the only things stopping me, I set my goals to get around these flaws. If you are an introverted person, I would recommend you take the following steps to self improvement:

1. Acknowledge that your introverted personality is holding you back .
2. Picture yourself as the type of person you would like to be. Maybe a kind and friendly extrovert?
3. Set goals that you would like to achieve in your social life.
4. Challenge yourself to develop real world social skills rather than those required online.

You may find it hard and not enjoy it at the start but you will grow into it. Half the battle is to find something that you enjoy about being a socialising extrovert. Once you have something you like about it, then it will become much easier.

Some other tips that might help you are:

• When thinking about relationships, think "What can I give? " rather than "What can I get?".
• Find a social group that fits the type of person you would like to be.
• Find a group or club to belong to that you enjoy.
• Work on improving your weak points .
• Think about how your strengths can help you.

As long as you realise that there is a time to be introverted and a time to be extroverted , you should be able to improve your social skills.

Some of the advice given out by various relationship experts does not work. Some of us have found ourselves apparently 'failing' to follow their advice and then wondering, 'What am I doing wrong'. But, it is the advice which is flawed not us.

Often the advice makes a basic assumption about human nature that I believe misses the point. If the basic assumption is wrong then the advice won't work; no matter how clever, insightful or helpful it may seem.

A lot of advice I've come across makes the assumption that what blocks people creating good relationships is lack confidence of some kind. While there is some truth in this, the advice goes astray after that. They assume this is down to some kind of 'fear', or ‘nervousness’. They assume 'shyness' is just a form of fear. That is simply not true.

What is behind shyness is not 'fear'; what is behind shyness is actually 'shame'. Shyness is not a fearful state; it is a 'shame' state. Shyness is a feeling of low self-worth. Low self-worth will often masquerade as fear, anger, resentment, bitterness and so on. When that is the case than trying to tackle those issues head on (i.e. a fearful or angry attitude) does not work.

Trying to handle the 'apparent' issues head on can actually do damage, because we can end up 'failing' and our sense of self-worth sinks even lower.

Let me give you an example from the male world. This is the advice given by one notable expert (who usually gives good advice) in order to overcome 'fear around women'. He suggests that men go to their local shopping mall and walk up to every attractive woman that they see and (after talking to her for a few minutes) ask for her phone number.

This advice will either sound appallingly simple, or simply appalling, depending on whether you are a shy guy, or not. This is supposed to help men 'get over fear'. However, many shy guys will read this advice and know that they just cannot do it. Their low sense of self-worth will kick in, fill them with anxiety, and block them. Or, they may try it and crash and burn.

They have just been told that 'fear' is the root of their problem. It sure looks like fear is the problem because they feel intensely anxious even thinking about acting on the advice, never mind making any moves to try it. They then quietly assume that they are a 'coward', or something, for not being able to get over their supposed fear. They end up feeling really bad about themselves.

The presence of anxiety does not mean fear is the problem! The feeling of anxiety is just a 'warning light' that there is something deeper. It is a sign that part of us is feeling threatened and needs protection. And, maybe it is right! Maybe we ought to listen to it and find out…

Anxiety is actually a form of wisdom. Rather than trying to bludgeon our way through it, or try and ignore it, we need to work with it a bit.

One way to manage a situation we find fearful is by using our imagination to work on it before trying it for real.

Start

• Imagine yourself in the situation
• Accept any fearful / anxious feelings which come up - without trying to make them go away.
• Notice if there are any feelings of shame, or feelings of being undeserving of what you want, or that you don’t have a right to succeed.
• Ask yourself if there are things you need to do to feel both less fearful and more deserving. (Don’t worry if you draw a blank at first).
• Imagine the possibility that you could find a good way of handling the situation. Does that help? If not, ask yourself if there is another way to achieve the results you want.
• How will you feel when you can handle the situation the way you would like to? How will your life be different?

Take a couple of deep breaths and go back to the 'Start'. Go around the loop a few times to see what that does to help you overcome your fear and your sense of shame / shyness.

In doing this, you may find that the process seems to go nowhere; or you may find that your fear goes away, you feel great about yourself and you know just what to do next. Most of us will experience something in between these two extremes.

In doing this you are creating a healthier relationship with yourself - no matter what the outcome. You are giving a subtle message to your inner self that you want to work with it rather than fighting with yourself. If you use it a number of times, this process will allow you to tap into your own wisdom and build your sense of self-esteem. This in turn will help you feel better about yourself and lead you to feel more confidence and far less fear or anxiety in social situations.

In this way you can overcome shame and its symptoms of fear, anxiety and lack of confidence. In this way you can overcome the real problem. 

This article will review the use and potential of using mnemonics tactics to increase and improve memory capabilities and better memory in general. In many studies it has been shown that mnemonics have three fundamental principles underlying the use of mnemonics are imagination, association and location. By using mnemonics there is a good chance of improving your memory. These three principals, association, imagination and location can be brought to work together, and you can use these principles to generate powerful mnemonic systems.

Working together, the principals of association, imagination and location can be used to generate powerful mnemonic systems. Hopefully once you have absorbed and applied these techniques you will understand how to design and apply these principles to your own field to design your own powerful, sophisticated recall systems. Lets start by a short review of the principals involved.

Association is the method by which you link a thing to be remembered to a method of remembering it. Although association techniques are different and use the same principals, you should try and use what you know works best for you, thus it is suggested that you implant your own associations rather than adopting a foreign system. You can you association by doing these following things; tying or linking a thing to be placed on top of the associated object, penetrating into each other, Merging together, Wrapping around each other, Rotating around each other or dancing together, Being attached to the same color, smell, shape, or feeling

Imagination in memory is used to create the links and associations needed to create effective memory techniques, imagination is the way in which you use your mind to create the links that have the most meaning for you. There is a natural difference between people since images that created will have less power and impact on you, because they reflect the way in which we think. The more strongly you imagine and visualize a situation, the more effectively it will stick in your mind for later recall. Mnemonic imagination can be as violent, vivid, or sensual as you like, as long as it helps you to remember what needs to be remembered.

The third principal and the last one is location. Location provides you with two things: a coherent context, this means that you have a context into which information can be placed so that it hangs together, and a way of separating one mnemonic from another: e.g. by setting one mnemonic in one bus seat, I can separate it from a similar mnemonic located in the back of the same bus. Location spices up your memory and provides context and texture to your mnemonics, and protects and prevents them from being confused with similar mnemonics. Setting one mnemonic with visualizations in the stadium in Milan, Italy and another similar mnemonic with images of a stadium in London, England allows us to separate them with no danger of confusion.

So using the three fundamentals of Association, Imagination and Location you can design images that strongly link things with the links between themselves and other things, in a context that allows you to recall those images in a way that does not conflict with other images and associations.

Santosh Prem, a teacher at Malet Lambert School, claims that “the difference between a genius and a "normal" person is that the former "accidentally" acquired the critical combination of the appropriate environment, motivation and learning technique to excel in his particular field.” Literally it means that every student has the same potential to excel and succeed in studying without having any exceptional inborn gift.

One of the most vital components in this “genius formula”, which significance is underestimated both by teachers and students is acquiring and harnessing of ‘Learning How to Learn’ skill. “This is probably the one skill that was never explicitly mentioned in all the years that you've spent in school. But it's the one where there's the most reward for the smallest investment.”

Indeed, knowing how to learn is a universal skill which every learner can make good use of for self-education in future life. Learning how to learn is a critical starting point in studying, which promotes students’ success in the whole course of education. This drastic know-how forms not only the basis of successful learning, but develops a peculiar learning style of the person.

Some learners choose more methodical approach to learning and try to dive into the essence of processing data, breaking it into logical units in order to memorize large blocks of information in parts. Meanwhile, other approach to learning less structurally, relying heavily on loci memory improvement technique, which involves making associations between facts and visualizing things.

Thus, every learning style is unique and it is impossible to elaborate a set of standard learning strategies and methods which can be utilized by every learner. Hence, I offer you to get acquainted with the following learning techniques and experiment with some of them to see if they work for you.

Seven Principles of ‘Learning How to Learn’ Formula

• Connect everything you learn to a specific goal. Remember that you can learn anything if you have a clear cut goal, which will motivate your advance in studying. Trying to learn something reluctantly or under compulsion, is always difficult and usually doesn’t bring any fruitful results. You should create a desire and speculate over the reasons of your learning very carefully. Bear in mind that learning more implies earning more; consequently everything you learn can be transformed into your career success.
• You will learn faster if you structure and logically organize all information in hand. It’ll increase the effectiveness of memorizing and help you immensely in your studying. You can break the data into small chunks or make a general outline of what you are learning.
• Single out the most important points of new material. Use a ‘highlight strategy’, which implies processing of information, underlining its major points and brief summarizing.
• Learn how to make drafts and set out in writing all your thoughts. The main idea of drafting is stating and organizing of key information meaningfully and coherently on a sheet of paper.
• Take regular breaks. Always combine work with rest. Try to make a change of scene and look aside. Have some food or turn to some physical training. If you don’t want to interrupt your work, but still feels that learning in the same surrounding is unbearable, try to accompany your studying with background music or make some visual images that involve moving, interaction or color.
• Learn to budget your time wisely, to accomplish all your work in time and make use of every minute of your studying. Distribute your work rationally and establish priority of each task in hand. Plan your time in accordance with quantity of work you have. Never yield a temptation to postpone tasks of secondary importance. Remember if you violate your deadline once there is a great likelihood that you’ll do it again.
• Learning works more efficiently if you are relaxed and your mind is calm. Concentrate your attention solely on studying during your learning periods. Have an organized working place to avoid any distractions and don’t forget to give yourself rewards when you have completed some tasks efficiently.

Take risks and don’t be afraid to experiment with different techniques. Always remember that those who learn and do it constantly over their lifetime do much better in their career and have more advantageous position than those who stop on attained results and rest on laurels.

Mnemonic devices should probably not be used for memorizing concepts because they are designed to sidestep the deep meaning of a given material. For this reason, these techniques are excellent for remembering lists and necessary facts.

2 keys to memory

Repetition and association are two essential components to any memory technique.

Repetition

Mnemonic devices demand active participation and a constant repetition of the material to be memorized. This repetition is not passively repeating words, but instead it is meaningful practice which involves familiarizing yourself with a list, trying to memorize it, duplicating it, and then checking it yourself. This process acts as a holding pattern while links are found to retain the information permanently.

Association

New knowledge is more effectively stored in the long term memory when it is associated with anything that is familiar. Mnemonic focus on association and with a little creativity, your associations will be so bizarre that you can't help but remember them.

Some mnemonic devices

There are many mnemonic devices from which to choose; some very simple, and some very complex. Here are some examples of each:

Rhyme

If you think about it, you can probably remember rhymes from clear back in grade school: nursery rhymes, spelling rhymes etc.

Example:

Sentence

Acronym

Grouping

When you have a lot of material to be memorized, break it down into small subgroups. These subgroups should be divided into meaningful parts. If the groups are complete ideas, you'll remember them better.

Example:

If you need to memorize a Bible verse like Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart," try breaking it up into meaningful parts.

For the word of God is living and active
and sharper than any two-edged sword,
and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit of both joints and marrow
and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

One of the main factors in having success in what we do is creativity. It does not matter if we are creating a work of art, organising a date with a girlfriend or submitting a business proposal. Our success relies on our creativity.

I have in the past failed to realise just how much difference creativity can make. It can affect every decision we make throughout our lives. Creativity is not just used when thinking up new products, it is used everywhere. For example, in a business creativity can be used in every department:

Marketing

Thinking up new and creative marketing strategies

Accounting

Implementing creative cost cutting strategies that will allow products to have a lower price

Human Resources

Finding new and creative methods to find the most talented candidates for a job.

With creativity playing such an important role in everything we do, how can we encourage our creativity?

Having an idea

The best way to have new ideas is to stop thinking the same way and think outside the square. To do this we need to change what information our brain has to work with. New information equals new ideas.

So the question is now: How do we give our brain new information to help inspire new ideas?

Try something new

Trying something new lets our brain get out of its regular thought pattern. Something as simple as taking a different route to work can help us think about new things.

Change your surroundings

New ideas need new inspiration, and by changing our surroundings we get new things to inspire us. The new sights and new sounds are both key aspects in inspiring new ideas.

Try hiking up a mountain or taking a notebook to a park and sit by the duck pond. Even something very different like sitting on a roof can help inspire a writer or artist.

Change your schedule

If you always try to think up new ideas at the same time each day, you may find yourself coming up with the same results. Before lunch your ideas will be more food related and at the end of work your ideas will be more travel or home related.

Become a comedian

Comedians have a different way to see things. They twist the way they see things to such an extent that the outcome is ironic or implausible. Try to train your mind to look at things from the comedian's view point.

Assumption Challenging

While we are trying to think up new ideas to solve a problem we tend to forget that we have made some assumptions about what we need. By writing down and challenging these assumptions we can allow ourselves to consider the widest range of possible solutions. An example is a store looking to get more customers into the store. They need to stop and think "Does the store really need more customers?".

Random Presentation

Random Presentation is the act of trying to associate two unrelated items. While traveling to work or waiting for something pick items at random. Ask yourself how each item could be connected or applied to your current problem. A helicopter overhead might make you think about a way to track where the car goes when you loan it to your kids. A palm tree may lead to a new design for patio umbrellas.

When an idea strikes

When you do have an idea, you want to make sure that you do not lose it. The only way to do this is to write it down. Keep an idea journal where you can keep all of your ideas for later. Writing down the ideas is part of the creativity process. When you write an idea down you do not have to remember it and instead the subconscious part of your brain can work on improving the idea. You will find that once you write down one idea, suddenly you will have more ideas.

Through out our life, our memory is very important. It helps us with everything thing from where we parked the car to remembering those all important exam answers. Even for simple things like social interaction, we need our memory; Without it we can not even remember a persons name. Our success or failure can be determined by our memory.

If our memory is so important, is there a way to increase our memory? The association method can be used to greatly improve a persons memory. It involves finding something easier to remember that will help us recall the information we want. For example, if you think of the word “bed”, what do you remember? The very first thought that came to your mind was because of association.

Through out our lives we make associations between memories. When one memory is recalled, the associated memory will be very easy to recall. The problem is that we do not use these associations very well and when we do remember the associated memories, they are often not the memories that we wanted. The association method is about improving the associations so that we can recall the information that we desire.

There are many ways that associations can be strengthened:

• Through having fun or playing games,

• Visualising and using your creative imagination,

• Associating though actions (Have the first item doing something to the second item),

• Add emotions such as anger, fear or love,

• Keeping things simple (only focus on connecting 2 things at a time),

• Exaggerating things until they are bizarre and ridiculous,

• Practice your recall to strengthen the association.

The best way to show how this is done is with an example. For the purpose of this example we are going to try and remember the following items in sequence.

1. Aeroplane

2. Tree

3. Roses

By this time you will already have some associations building up in your mind. The problem is that trees are not easy to associate with aeroplanes. An example that could be used to associate these is a low flying aeroplane striking the the tops of trees. The aeroplane can then have an emergency landing in a field of roses.

The above example is a short chain of visual associations. It is bizarre and connects each item with an emotional connection. All you need to do now is remember the plane and you should remember the tree and the roses.

The association method can also be used to remember someone's name when you see their face. Just take their name and break it up. Try to associate something that you know to each part of the name. Now take the association you have and apply it to the most noticeable feature of their face.

Shyness is a natural part of growing up and attaining maturity. As a kid you probably had a couple of bouts of shyness, when you went to the new school, for instance or when you were the newest kid on the block. However, you are supposed to overcome this phase in life, maybe not totally, but at least appreciably. Therefore, it becomes a matter of grave concern when you find you larynx jammed when taking that hot girl out for a dinner or date. If you find it hard making eye contact with a select group of people at this matured age, then you have probably fallen prey to the power of shyness.

This article will seek to address the anomaly; and you should apply the tips mentioned here to cure your shyness.

Evaluate yourself:

Look inwards. Make a list of the things in your life that are precursors to your episodic shyness. These are qualities, physical or emotional, that often predispose you to shyness, for example. An effective way to overcome shyness will be to acknowledge these weaknesses, and try to substitute them with stronger points on your person. The idea is that if you are able to eliminate these weaknesses, then you will be left with the strengths, and your shyness will have no choice but to dissipate.

Approach that stranger:

The easiest and most convenient way to build up your confidence level and cure that shyness is to make some small talk with people you will no doubt come across in your day to day life. Learning to say the occasional “hello” and “thank you". How has been your day?” will work little wonders in your confidence. With time, these will become little conversations you will be able to endure, and from there, you can go on and on…

Let people do the talking: ask more questions:

In this case, you can effectively overcome shyness by making the people talk on and on. The key to this is to ask questions that do not allow for the monosyllabic answers. Keep your buddies talking by chipping in short, well-timed phrases as “really? Please you've got to explain that!” “I would like you to elaborate on that, please” most people naturally love talking about themselves, and it shouldn't be hard for you to set them off.

The reason why this tip is a winner is that it takes the focus off you - the shy person - and onto the person you are talking to. That way, you do not have to squirm under the scrutiny of your partners.

Although your shyness will definitely not evaporate overnight, with time, you will find that your confidence will get bigger and bigger until you have enough to take on the world.

It should, of course start small. Make a little change in your speech pattern here, your walk there and you will begin to find out that you are more comfortable around people. With that you will find yourself being more of a fun person, and ultimately, your shyness would have receded.

Moni Arora is a personal development trainer and internet marketing consultant. Discover how you can Overcome Shyness as quickly as today by visiting http://www.MasterShyness.com/ where you can sign up for free tips on how to overcome shyness.

With all the stresses in our lives in today's day and age, we all need some way to relax and unwind. Having too much stress can not only cause mental problems and anxieties, but can also manifest itself in physical problems as well. Some of these include high blood pressure, hypertension, stomach ulcers, just to name a few of the many. It can effect our sleeping habits, sex life, and make relationships difficult. It can effect not only you personally, but everyone around you as well.

So how can we relieve all of these stresses? While there are many different ways to do this, and each person has their own, many are starting to turn to meditation as a way to relieve stress and anxieties that occur in every day lives. It isn't hard to do, is cheaper than therapy, and is very effective. The idea behind meditation is consciously relaxing the body and mind, through a variety of different techniques, each that have their own methods. Some methods want you to focus on certain things, like a quiet and relaxing spot on the beach, while others simply allow your mind to wander off, like sleeping, but in a different state of mind.

No matter which method you try, there are things that they all have in common. The first is that they involve deep breathing exercises. Deep breathing does a number of different things. For one, breathing exercises get you to focus on something other than your stress. You are focusing on your breathing, counting the length of time you breathe in, and out. It also gets much more oxygen into your blood stream, which is good for your cells, and your brain, in order to function properly. It slows down your heart beat, because it doesn't need to work as hard to pump oxygen through your body. All of these work together to help you start to relax.

They next thing all of these techniques have in common is that you need to do them every day, at least once a day, for twenty to thirty minutes. Some say you need more time, some say less. Many of us don't have that kind of time throughout the day, but if you can spend just ten or fifteen minutes twice a day, then a longer period before bed time, you will get the same benefits.

Common to all forms of meditation is that you need to be in a place with little or no distractions. You can use music if it helps you, and there are verbal things you can say to get you focused on meditation, rather than what is going on around you. It is best to be sitting in a comfortable chair, with the lights dimmed. You don't want it dark, or the chair so comfortable that you fall asleep, because meditation is not sleep, but a higher state of consciousness.

Many businesses today are starting to realize the need for meditation in the work place, in order to keep stress levels down. Some companies even require employees to take a ten to twenty minute break just for meditation, and have rooms set aside for this purpose. The idea is that it more productive to do this, than the time lost from employees getting sick from the stresses at work.

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Most shy people try to console themselves with words like “I'm not shy. I'm just a quiet person.” How funny, because those two concepts - that of shyness and quietness - though they may seem similar, are from two different worlds. A quiet person has no problem mixing with crowds, but will only speak if they have something worth saying. Otherwise, they just shut up and listen. The shy person on the other hand, is bursting with the desire to speak, but is unable to because of the throat-clamping feeling of anxiety.

It's easy to overcome shyness! All you need to do is acknowledge that you are shy, and that you want to take steps to curing the defect. Here are seven tips for you to overcome shyness:

* Learn to love yourself. Appreciate that you are shy, but not retarded. Do not let the feeling that you are socially redundant because you are shy permeate into your mind. Your shyness is not a disadvantage therefore you should come to terms with it. This is the first step to banishing shyness.

* Seek out your discomfort. If you do not exercise your conversational activities, you might not lose of the feeling of shyness. Another step to overcome shyness is by deliberately seeking out social events to attend. The more you subject yourself to these events, the more you are forcing your hand - it might be stressful, but eventually it would be worth it.

* Don't run away from the situation. If you felt your last social conversation was a disaster and you have sworn never to have anything with it again, then you are running away from reality. I advice you instead to look at things differently and stay on course, it will definitely be worth it!

* Try to calm down. The thing with shy minds is that are constantly thinking: thinking up worst-case scenarios in any discussion event. As a result, with a mind so filled up with bogeys and visions of conversation disasters, it is not surprising that you become tongue tied. Take breathing exercises and empty your mind of these thoughts instead.

* Practice in mild settings: a family gathering may work the trick. Try to see how you can get along with members of the family - with whom you are more amiable - and by doing this you are building up for the grand scenario.

* Imagine a situation, and imagine what you could possibly do to feel more at ease. I have discovered that mental visualization tends to work the trick.

* Try to think more of others than all the ways you can mess up the situation. Listen to them and consider what they are saying. That way, you can get a hold on the conversation and you wont' have to stutter to respond to them.

These skills should be practiced, and you should bear in mind that it is not an overnight thing, as it will be slow, but surely you will snap out of your shyness.

Moni Arora is a personal development trainer and internet marketing consultant. Discover how you can Overcome Shyness as quickly as today by visiting http://www.MasterShyness.com where you can sign up for free tips on how to overcome shyness.