#32 Remember People’s Names 1% Better

Our name is something we are all given at birth and it accompanies us our whole lives. Some people are better at remembering names than others, but no matter who you are or what you do, there is nothing better at making a good second impression than remembering somebody’s name. I’m very fortunate, because I have always been very good at remembering the name of somebody new. It is also something I have worked at improving, and I’d like to share some tips I use to help you do the same.

I would say the most critical factor in remembering somebody’s name is making it important. Think about how YOU feel when somebody you’ve only met once or twice comes up to you and says YOUR name. Well, the same is true when you have made an effort and get somebody else’s name right. If it’s of importance to you to really remember their name, the likelihood of you doing so is much higher.

Don’t be in a hurry. When you first meet somebody new, don’t rush the introduction. As you shake their hand, observe their face and repeat their name back to them in your greeting, “Hi John, it’s nice to meet you.” As you look at their face, is there anything striking or particular about their appearance that can help you remember their name? Do they look like another John you know? If other friends are around you, introduce your new friend – repitition is a great tool to memory – “John, I’d like you to meet my friends. John, this is Mandy… Mandy, this is John…” and so forth.

Building upon repitition, if you are at an event with others, test your memory. Ask your friends questions, “Isn’t that John over there by the buffet?” The more you make a practice to remember, the better you will get.

If it’s a business event where you exchange cards, write some notes on the back: Tall, dark hair, big nose, has a Great Dane. In this case, I’d actually categorise this person as “Great Dane John” and picture him with his dog. The more images you can create in your mind associated with the person, the stronger the memory.

Try this simple exercise the next time you wish to remember names and faces. You’ll be surprised with just a little practice how much you’ll improve, AND how much it improves your memory as a whole.

This is a great added bonus to self-improvement, it is almost impossible to improve one area of your life without it improving other areas too! See how quickly all these little 1% improvements can add up to a whole new you very quickly indeed.

Have fun with this exercise and notice the change…

#31 Be 1% More Encouraging

By now, you will most probably realise I like to change and adapt old sayings. In an earlier post, I talked about ‘giving what you lack more’, and this post builds on that idea:

“From tiny acorns great oak forests do grow…”

I enjoy taking most thoughts and ideas to their fullest and greater end. Why stop with an oak tree? One oak tree produces many more acorns, which continues the cycle. Just stop and marvel at the Creator for just a second. You could take a barron field, plant just one acorn, and return in just 100 years and not recognise the field. This is a great, natural law: one small seed that grows will produce many times over.

No matter how successful we are, or wish to be, we can all do with more encouragement along the way. Have you noticed how much better you feel when somebody else encourages you? Have you seen a change in productivity or emotional state when you encourage somebody else? Isn’t any environment better when it is filled with positive, uplifting and encouraging people? Cheerleaders may seem unimportant to a sports game, but can you image how much harder the team would have to play to win, if they didn’t have fans and cheerleaders encouraging them?

Today, as you go about your everyday activities, be more encouraging to those around you. Recognize the good work being done. Don’t focus on the little things that people haven’t done, or have done wrong, focus on what they have done well and right. With your children, congratulate them on getting ready for school, remembering their book bag, having a smile on their faces. The more you encourage those around you, the better you will instantly feel, because you are focussing on the positive, but also you will be surprised at the encouragement you receive as a result.

Encourage as many people as you can today: the bus driver, the road sweeper, the doorman, tell them what a great and important job they are doing. Tell your parents what a great job they are doing at raising a family (whether you realise it or not!) Focus your mind on noticing where you can encourage people rather than criticise them.

Spread the encouragement 1% more today and observe what positive changes happen in your environment. You are planting the seeds of a great oak forrest today… enjoy!

Weekend Post: Tame the Wild Horses

Our thoughts and minds are like wild horses; they naturally wish to roam free. Before they will allow themselves to be ridden and take you where you wish to go, they must first be tamed and controlled. Just like with horse riding, initially as children we are led around by a rope on a small pony by our parents and close friends (this represents their thoughts, opinions, beliefs, etc.) It isn’t the fault of our parents, friends and relatives that they unknowingly give us wrong or false paradigms to follow and believe in – they probably didn’t know any better. The important thing for us to learn is that, if we never take the time to catch, tame and control our own horses (our thoughts and minds) we will forever be led around on that little pony by others that are holding the rope.

Read that again, it’s simple, yet powerful stuff. Is somebody else holding the reigns to your pony still? Have you ever tamed your own wild horses? Perhaps you are wondering how you do that. One of the greatest motivators and self-help practicioners of the last century was Napoleon Hill. There are many videos on YouTube worth watching and acting upon, he has also authored many incredible books, the most popular being, “Think and Grow Rich.”

The best way I have found to begin to take control of your thoughts and mind is to first be aware of your thoughts and mind more. It will take time, practice, and some effort on your part – exactly like taming a horse! – but the rewards are well worth the small price you will have to pay. Our thoughts and the power of our mind are incredible gifts, if used correctly. Everything you see, touch, feel and use around you that was man-made was born out of thought first.

You have the power, once you have tamed the horses of your mind, to take full control of your life and create whatever your heart and mind desires: more money, a bigger house, a better job, better health, anything. Allowing your thoughts to dwell less and less on negative things, and focussing more and more on positive things you want, very quickly you will start to see good things manefest in your reality.

Like everything, it takes practice, time, and a little effort, but one day at a time, one small percent change at a time, you’ll see, you too can move mountains in your world. Enjoy taming your wild horses, enjoy the wonderful changes that you will experience…

#30 Celebrate Your Uniqueness 1% More

Whether people around you tell you that you are or not, you are special, and you are unique.

What a marvel that is. Think about it, there are over FOUR BILLION PEOPLE on this little rock hurtling through space, and every single one of us is different, unique and special in their own individual way…! Isn’t that amazing? Doesn’t that just make you stop in awe of the power, love and energy that masterminded the universe…?

Even “identical” twins, triplets, etc. are different: their atoms are different, their thoughts are unique, and they act independently of each other.

Commodities like gold, diamonds, etc. are given value because of demand, but mostly because of scarcity or rarity.  Did you know there are many, many more diamonds in the world than there are people? Does that mean you are more valuable than a diamond…? De Beers actually holds approximately one third of the diamonds available out of circulation to “artificially” keep up demand and inflate the value!

Likewise with gold, there is more gold already in circulation than there is a tangible need for (most of it is in bullion, and only a tiny fraction of the gold in existence is actually put to any real use!) Does that make you more valuable and useful than gold…?

Perhaps your paradigm of what is valuable, unique and special is now starting to change. In the whole scope of things, you are as special and unique as a tiny snowflake – surely that’s something you should celebrate, and celebrate often! When was the last time you looked yourself in the eye in the mirror and declared, “I love you, because you are unique and special!”

Go do it right now! “I love you, because you are unique and special!”

Feel any different? Today, and every day, remember your uniqueness: there is only one of you, and there are many things that only you can do. You have a very special gift to give to the world. Be your own radiance and bring that glow to your world.

Perhaps you have great eyes… a warming smile… maybe you are a great comforter… or you may have many other special gifts. Whatever it is about you that you know makes you special and unique, be very pleased about it, enjoy it, share it willingly and often.

Celebrate your uniqueness 1% more today… notice what happens…

#29 Focus on the Positive 1% More

As much as many scientists agree that we merely use a tenth of our brain’s true capacity, it is a very simple muscle: it will enhance and manefest what we allow into it and focus our attention on. I’m going to repeat that below, just so you give it the attention it deserves:

Our brains  will enhance and manefest what we allow into it and focus our attention on.

To our brain, there is no positive or negative, it’s all just stuff. If we focus on bad things and negative stuff, guess what, our brain will try to make us happy by helping us focus more on that, and that in turn will help to manefest negative things around us.

On the other hand, if you focus on positive things, your brain will help you focus on more positive things, which will then manefest in more positive things around you. Don’t you think it would be a good idea to practice focussing on the positive, good things in your life – even to the extent of trying to find the good in everything – rather than the negative, especially if you know it will change your physical conditions?

Today, as you go about your regular activities, become more mindful of your thoughts and what you allow into your brain. If negativity starts to arise, nip it in the bud and replace it with something more positive. Over time this will be a natural habit and be second nature for you to do.

Make it your goal today to focus more on the positive in all things just 1% more, be sure to notice the difference as it starts to manefest…

Weekend Post: Turning Up Is Half The Battle

I’m in Dallas, Texas, right now, and I’ve just completed the first week of a very successful training class. I found myself telling the attendees over and over, “You’ve already done 90% of the work: you woke up and you showed up!”

Planning is great… dream-building is great… making strategies is great, but the magic ingredient is the work. If you’ve woken up and shown up ready to be more successful, and are WILLING TO PUT IN THE WORK… you’re already more than half way there. Like most, you’ve probably heard others (or yourself) make statements like, “I’d really love to do…” or “If only I could…” Well, what action are you prepared to put behind that thought or word or wish…? 

Yes, turning up is half the battle, but half is nowhere near the whole. Many people fall down and fail right before the finish line. The only thing that matters is finishing, winning and succeeding. Now, you may have many failures – or learnings – along the way to achieving your goals and dreams, in fact, almost all successful people will tell you that they FAILED their way to success. What separates the successful from the mediocre is their unceasing ability to pick themselves up and go at it with exactly the same energy (or more) time and time and time again UNTIL THEY DO SUCCEED.

Ask yourself, “Are you so passionate and convinced you will get it done that you will do everything and continue onward until you have achieved your goal, dream or ambition?”

However, one thing is for sure, if you don’t show up you are guaranteeing 100% failure. This was one of the driving forces behind this blog, 1% is easy to do. Nobody can’t muster the effort and energy to make 1% change a day, a week, a month, or a year. A tiny change can make all the difference. If you recognize that you talk about a lot, but don’t show up or follow through, make that your goal: turn up 1% more. Take the next step and be happily surprised at the change that happens.

Enjoy your weekend…!

#28 Give What You Lack 1% More

There is no better way to show strength and trust in an abundant universe and the never-ending well of spiritual power than to give what you lack. Like many ancient truths, at first there seems to be a conflict. How can you give away what you are lacking in? And, how will giving away something you think you have little of create more of it?

Like any truth, the full power is not in knowing, believing, or accepting, but simply in trusting and just doing.

If, for example, you desire more money, do not penny-pinch and miser your money away. This will simply send the message that you do not wish the energy of money to flow freely and the universe will oblige by not sending you more to share. Likewise if you desire to be loved more, not sharing your love will stop more love flowing to you.

Instead, today when you focus on things you are lacking, make a definate attempt to give more of it away – and do so happily. Be strong and condident in the fact that the more you give away, the more will come back to you. Just like a bucket in a rain storm, once full, can only fill up some more after it is emptied. Rather than trying to make yourself a ’storage place’ for things you want, hone yourself into an exquisite conduit to funnel good things through to share with all.

“In giving away, we receive in abundance.”

Try especially hard today to give more of what you lack, and you will be very pleasantly surprised at how much you receive – and even some things more you were not even expecting. This is the natural way of the universe, and all the riches are there for the asking and the giving!

#27 Hold Your Head Up High 1% More

Have you noticed when people are glum their physical appearance reflects how they feel? In deflated or depressed regions, many folks shuffle along with their heads hanging low like cow bells. No small wonder that these people feel bad and stay feeling bad.

It’s not surprising that our physical demeanor has a very strong impact on our emotional and spiritual self. We are a delicate balance of mind-body-spirit. Try putting your head on your chin and staring at the floor whilst thinking happy, uplifting, positive thoughts.

Our journey of self-improvement and development begins and ends with ourselves. If we are not 100%, we are 0% of use to others. You are as important as you think you are, and you have exactly as much value as you place on yourself. Begin today by making the move to physically hold your head a little higher 1% more. Not only will holding your head higher make you feel almost instantly better, it helps better posture, and it’s amazing the things you will notice as you walk around.

As you go about your day, wake up holding your head high. You are important, you have much to offer the world, and with your head held high you’ll be able to see where you can make a positive impact more. Observe what happens…

Weekend Post: I Am The Change

Some of you reading this may not feel totally at ease with what you are about to read next, but it is true, and if you allow the truth to take root within you, you will realize the illumination that can occur. The root of ALL your problems lies within you.

I told you it was a biggie! Now, rather than jump up and down and get all hot and bothered, or grab ahold of all the jumble of thoughts and justifying statements to the contrary, still your mind, and read it again:

“The root of all your problems lies within you.”

This is a good thing! In fact, it is a GREAT thing! Most of us perceive our problems to be external, coming from others, beyond our control or influence. This is all wrong. Our external world is merely a reflection of the inner energy we project out. The only thing – the ONLY thing – we have any control or influence over 100% is ourselves… our “Self”. We are on a journey of Self-improvement, not “change-everybody-else-to-suit-me”. As much as we think we might like the latter, it is immeasurably more difficult to achieve, and actually accounts for most of the global stress, turbulance, and unheaval we experience around us every day.

If everybody around the world just took a few short minutes every day to focus on where they need to change, adapt, accept, and integrate just 1% more, this would be a very different planet indeed. Not much would really change, but everything would be different.

YOU ARE THE CHANGE and the change is you. You are in control of “you-world” and how you are totally effects everything around you. Have you ever truly wondered why when you fall out of a relationship, all you seem to see around you are couples madly in love with each other? It’s simply because at a very deep level all you are focussing on are the strong emotional feelings you once had when you were in a happy, loving relationship (even though your conscious mind is thinking sad thoughts and lamenting your loss!)

As you reflect upon all the ‘problems’ you perceive around you, turn your attention inward: why are they problems? What is your real role in the problem? Take the other parties out of the equation, if you were to blame, how were you to blame? Take responsibility for your life. Live with integrity and respect, don’t try to fool yourself that you are the victim of circumstance.

We’ve all heard the saying, “You’ve made you bed, now lie in it.” Well, you wouldn’t sleep well or long in an uncomfortable bed, would you? So, wake up, get out of bed and remake it into a more comfortable one!

You are the beginning and the ending of “you-world”, you are ruler and master, you are also the servant. Wear your crown with pride, but feel the heaviness of the true responsibility that comes with it… or stop complaining that you are letting another King or Queen rule “you-world” for you!

Remember always: You are the Change, now…

#26 Improve Your Memory 1% More

Supposedly, as we age, our memories weaken. Personally I don’t buy into this belief. The mind is just like every other muscle in our bodies and if you take care of it, exercise it, and feed it, it will continue to serve you very well long into your later years. However good your memory is now, we can all benefit by improving our memorization skills.

In another post here, I specifically give you my tips and advice on remembering names, this post will be more general to simply remembering things, and I offer you a simple memory tool to help you easily remember any list of ten things.

Practice and a desire to remember are both key here. This simple tool uses images related to memory. Additionally, because of the way the two halves of our brain are made up, the more left-right hemisphere links we can make, the better the success of longer term memory. By using a system of image-hooks from 0-9 (it’s also possible to make image-hook combinations, if you want to remember more items) anybody can remember a short list of practically anything.

Below I give examples of image-hooks to use or adapt into your own – the more personal to you the better:

0. I like using the image of a doughnut, but you could equally use a life-ring, an innertube, or any image personal to you that looks like the number.

1. A flagpole. Again, you could use the image of a finger, a collumn, or anything that looks like the #1.

2. A swan, an iron works just as well, too.

3. Breasts, or a double chin, a ‘bottom’, some people use an uncoiled spring.

4. A sailing boat, you could also use a folding chair (on its side)

5. A crane or fishing hook.

6. A racquet, a tadpole, or a fish.

7. A cliff face, an upturned nose, a book shelf.

8. The infinity sign, a ‘fat’ person, a snowman, etc.

9. A balloon on a string, or ideas from 6 (be careful not to confuse the two!)

To memorize any list of ten things, simply create an image of the thing to be remembered interacting with the image-hook. For example, if you are remembering a shopping list, here’s what I would picture:

A chicken eating a doughnut, box of cornflakes squewered on a flagpole, a white swam made from milk, some tinned vegetables poking out of a pair of breasts, a sailing boat filled with candy, a loaf of bread hooked by a crane, and so on…

Try it with a list of things you wish to remember, you’ll be very surprised at how much you remember more than you used to! Observe what happens.