IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO START READING

To start with, you can make an account on Good reads, so as to discover good books and to keep track of all that you have read and all that you want to read. Also, don’t just read about everything and anything available out there. Don’t read trash because there are many useless books out there. It won’t help you. Read good stuff and do productive reading.

While reading books:

• If the book that you are reading doesn’t interest you, then just leave it and move to another one. There are so many good books out there, don’t just hang around with one book.
• Also read the kind of books that will have some impact on you, books that will give you a sense of realization, an epiphany.
• Find your purpose for reading.
• And rather than speed-reading, do an effective reading rather than how much you are reading. Quantity doesn’t matter really.
• Actively remember what you are reading. Adhere to it while reading non-fiction. Always ask YOURSELF while reading what all I want to remember out of it. We are talking about the key points.
• One additional step you can add to your new reading habit is writing down your takeaways.

FOUR TIPS TO LEAD WITH INTEGRITY

INTEGRITY can be defined as the consistency of actions, values, methods, measures and principles. It is defined as having strong moral principles and being honest. In other words, person with integrity is someone who is truthful and can be trusted. Integrity is a very important virtue to have in life because it helps you to be a good person. When you have integrity, you are more likely to make good decisions, treat others with respect, and be successful in life. It’s also easier for others to take advantage of people without integrity. For leader, it is imperative to demonstrate high level of integrity. Listed below are a few tips to do so:

Understand your values: While you may instinctively know your beliefs and what’s important to you, identifying your values can help you communicate them to others and guide your decisions more effectively. Prioritizing your values can also help you when facing a difficult situation with conflicting goals. Having a clear set of values can assist others in understanding who you are and earn their respect in return.

Be Decisive: Being decisive means that people can trust you to advise your team on the best course of action. When faced with a challenging situation, your team mates may look to you for direction. The ability to make a quick decision shows your willingness to take responsibility for the team’s actions. It also demonstrates the courage to make hard choices.

Encourage open communication: Expressing yourself honestly can help you connect better with your team. Communicating openly about a challenging situation can help your team better understand it. Your team may also appreciate your ability to be transparent, especially during difficult times. Open and honest communication also means listening to the truth and accepting what others say without judgment.

Know how others perceive you: A leader with integrity wants to know how others perceive them. Understanding how others see you can help determine if adjusting your approach is necessary. This is important if you want to keep your team engaged and motivated. An anonymous survey can provide information on how you can better understand the needs of your team and improve your leadership.

EIGHT STRATEGIES TO HELP YOU ACHIEVE GOALS

Self leadership is a process through which individuals influence their own behavior to achieve the self direction and self motivation necessary to perform, empower themselves, and achieve personal excellence. Self leadership strategies have been found to facilitate empowerment by enhancing perceptions of meaningfulness, purpose, self determination, competence, and self efficacy. The following eight strategies are based on the abbreviated Self Leadership Questionnaire developed by researchers:

1. Set specific goals for your own performance.
2. Keep track of how well you’re doing at school work.
3. Work towards specific goals you have set for yourself.
4. Visualize yourself successfully performing a task before you do it.
5. Picture in your mind how you’ll go about performing it step by step.
6. Reward yourself with something you like/enjoy once you have successfully completed a task.
7. Talk to yourself (out loud or mentally in your head) to work through difficult situations.
8. Mentally evaluate/challenge the accuracy of your beliefs about situations you’re finding challenging or having problems with.

              Think about your own beliefs and assumptions whenever you encounter a difficult situation.