Month: January 2020

• How to work smart for success?

  “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.”- Pele

  When it comes down to the recipe of success, hard-work is a key ingredient. However, a recipe isn’t created by merely one ingredient, it requires other things too.

  Here are a few pointers that would be handy while following your passion.

  Success isn’t guaranteed with one action

  You have to keep in mind that hard-work doesn’t always mean that you will be successful. So while working you shouldn’t be worried about failures and whether you will achieve it or not. You just have to ensure that you put in your 100%.

  Talk to the experts

  If there are two basketball players, one player has spent day and night trying to figure out the strategies and techniques, instead of just practicing. And the other player has hired a trustworthy coach who is giving him his own expertise along with training. So now the second player has expertise from another source and his own hard work and knowledge, this will be a powerful combination as compared to the player one.

  Taking the risk

  “If you want it, go for it. Take the risk. Don’t always play it safe or you will keep wondering forever.”  Taking a risk could be a step towards your goal. But since it is termed as a risk it could hamper your career too. The choice is up to you and in times when you’re stuck making important decisions, you need to consider each and every possibility very carefully. You can’t rely solely on hard-work now at this point, the results depend on how a person thinks and works under a critical situation.

  Work Smart

  You don’t always have to keep working hard, sometimes you can use your creativity to work smart. Working smart will help you maintain a balanced lifestyle and give you the time and energy to explore different aspects of life. Not only will you feel peaceful, but you will also be able to work with a clear mind.

  A pinch of Luck

  “Life isn’t fair. It never was and never will be.” Indeed it is true because sometimes things aren’t the way you want them to be. Sometimes no matter how hard you work, at the end of the day, you don’t get the rewards or someone else gets chosen over you. In life, anything can happen at any moment in time. So, you shouldn’t feel discouraged if something doesn’t happen right away, but rather be motivated to follow your passion.

  January 12, 2020

  anxiety, Career, confusion, failure, self-esteem, success, work, work hard, work smart

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• How to achieve your desired goals?

  With the new year, lots of resolutions and promises to oneself must have come up. The reality is that setting these goals is just one step, the question of how to achieve these desired goals is often confusing, but if we break it down and simplify it then we can see how these goals are achievable and even begin to enjoy the process.

  The first and foremost step is to understand, visualize and define the steps towards your goal. More often than not, we set high aims in our life which is a great thing, and then get excited by that dream, but the actual process of working seriously and consistently towards that dream is not always necessarily glamorous and as a result we lose motivation too quickly and become disappointed. The important thing is to understand that if you want to achieve that dream you have, you have to struggle for a period of time doing things that you might not be necessarily happy with at the moment but still contributes to your dream. When you modify your thought process like this, you will start to see almost everything in life as either a healthy contribution to your dreams or as something that takes you a step away from your dream, thereby, keeping you on track by the virtue of your thought process.

  Another helpful habit that you can adopt is to attain clarity on what kind of goals you are setting, whether it is short term or long term, and to asses your own strengths and weakness. This kind of clarity combined with an optimistic viewpoint will allow you to harness your strengths when needed and to work on your weakness. For example, if you are looking for a job in a country that you have been dreaming about, but you don’t have the language skills required to stay in that country, then identifying this can give you an opportunity and time to develop the language skills to work in your dream country.

  Lastly, it comes down to your actions every day. Incorporate the activities and work that you need to do to achieve your desired goals in your daily life without letting it overwhelm you. The activities can also be an indirect contribution to your dreams which you can do even when you are relaxing in the day. For example, if you want to use social media, you can look up relevant articles or Quora threads that are related to your field just to read every night. Alternatively, you can watch Youtube videos or pick up a new skill that might not be directly related to your field but can contribute to your goals one day.

  Thus, when you start looking at multiple goals, prioritize them and break them down into long and short term goals, then almost all the activities and habits that you take up in your life will either be directly or indirectly geared towards them, thus allowing you to move forward in achieving your goals. This is not a one time effort, its a continuous journey that you are embarking upon, hence it will take time, patience and lots of self-motivation, but soon it will begin to change how you look at life and hence make the journey of achieving your goals enjoyable and an enriching learning experience.

  If you found this interesting then you might enjoy our article on a fresh new perspective on defining your goals.

  Some books that you can read on this topic are listed below:

  Creating Your Best Life by Caroline Miller

  The Book of Mistakes by Skip Prichard

  January 9, 2020

  achieving dreams, achieving goals, decision making, goals, mistakes, motivation, new year resolution, reaching goals, success

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• How do I treat acne?

  Acne is a problem that wreaks havoc on our lives and causes huge amounts of emotional distress. The truth is that other people don’t understand the emotional stress due to acne unless they get it, hence we are left to our own devices to deal with it.

  This is why, I am bringing to you a skincare plan that can help you reduce acne and treat the problem in a holistic manner.

  Disclaimer: Everyone’s skin is different, and there could be other underlying conditions behind acne, hence do consult a dermatologist.

  Skincare routine

  One of the biggest mistakes I made was buy tons of products targeted towards acne prone skin and then cry when it either didn’t work or made my skin worse!

  The problem is that even if was effective, I would have never known because the product never got a fair chance to be tried out, so cut out all the products and introduce a simple cleanser, toner, moisturiser and a spf in your routine.

  Face Wash

  The cleanser or face wash has to be formulated for sensitive skin and it should be non-comedogenic. Wash your face twice a day and let the face wash sink into your skin for atleast 60 seconds. The face washes that worked best for me had ingredients such as, AHA and BHA.

  A face wash that you can try is La Roche-Posay Effaclar Gel Acne Face Wash. This is a non-comedogenic face wash formulated with Salicylic acid perfect for those who have sensitive and acne-prone skin.

  You can buy it in any Pharmacy or on amazon https://amzn.to/2T5etht

  Toner

  The toners can either be hydrating or gently exfoliating depending on the need, but it has to perform at least one of those functions for it to be effective. Gently apply it on your skin twice a day after cleansing and let it work its magic.

  A toner that you can try is Pixi Glow Tonic. It has 5% glycolic acid which gently exfoliates your skin and keeps new acne from forming.

  You can buy it on amazon https://amzn.to/2T5iVNe

  Moisturize

  Now, this is a tricky step and it did take me quite a while to find out the moisturizer that won’t break me out. The key is to find a light weight, gel-based moisturizer with no fragrances. I don’t typically go for moisturizers with SPF built in because it does irritate my skin, but if it works for you then you can continue using it.

  A moisturizer that I found was effective was Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic gel-cream. Remember to buy this variant only which is named ‘gel-cream for extra dry skin’ as this does not have any fragrance added and avoid the one which has only ‘gel for dry skin’ written as it has fragrance.

  You can buy it on amazon https://amzn.to/39TpOXC

  Sunblock

  Add a lightweight, non-comedogenic sunblock to your routine so that your acne marks don’t get darker in the sun. Also, protect yourself from sun cancer!

  You can try EltaMD UV Sport Sunscreen SPF 50. It is a mineral sunscreen which is oil-free and water-resistant and is also recommended by dermatologists.

  You can buy this sunscreen on amazon https://amzn.to/37PC3Tc

  Did you know?

  You most definitely need to find a sunscreen that does not irritate your eyes because one of the biggest spots of sun cancer is your eyelids! Hence, don’t forget your eyelids, and your ears when you are applying sunscreen!

  Serums

  This is a step that has to be personalised according to each individual’s concern. But, broadly speaking, for acne salicylic acid, retinoid and retinol works the best. I have also found alpha arbutin to be effective for my skin in terms of keeping it glowing without irritating it.

  One of the serums that you can try is The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion. Use it everyday at night and watch your skin transform to reveal clear and smooth skin. Vitamin A is the only ingredient that has been backed by research to bring about noticeable changes to your skin.

  You can buy it on amazon https://amzn.to/37KWC3l

  Diet

  

  Having a healthy diet is something we have heard countless times so much so that we have almost become desensitized to it. But, honestly! Bring back your attention to this area of your life, it really does make a difference! To break this down, you need to understand certain items that you should be eating and certain items that you should cut out.

  Include lots of vegetables in your diet, it will really make a difference to your skin. Food such as, spinach, kale, tomatoes and carrots are great for your skin. Drink water throughout the day and begin your day with a cup of warm lemon water.

  An important part of your diet is to find out what you are allergic to and cutting it out. You can do this by, eliminating potentially allergy triggering food and introducing them one by one to notice its effects, or you can simply take an allergy test and find out what you are allergic to. This is important because there was a time when I didn’t know I was allergic to nuts and kept eating it thinking it was healthy, only to find out later through an allergy test that its not good for my body, thus defeating the whole purpose of eating nuts. Hence, you need to figure this out in order to truly let your body absorb the benefits of your diet.

  Also, cut of inflammatory food items such as, sugar, white bread, and white rice. If you think cow milk can potentially break you out, then substitute it with a plant based milk such as, rice milk, or coconut milk. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend soy milk because I have noticed that it tends to increase the breakouts.

  Finally, either eat food rich in these items or add supplements to your diet, and this part makes a huge difference to your skin that you will notice within 3-4 days.

  1. Add food rich in or supplements which have omega 3. I personally prefer omega 3 from Seven Seas brand.
  2. Add food rich in or supplements which have vitamin B5 (Panthoneic acid) – this helps in regulating oil production of your skin, and lots of people have been raving about its benefits for their severe acne. You can buy this Vitamin B5 supplement from amazon.
  3. Add food rich in or supplements which have Probiotics. – Gut health is linked to healthy skin and sometimes treating your gut health can instantly clear up your skin. The Probiotic that you can try is from from Physician’s Choice brand.
  4. You can also take supplements that are good for overall skin, such as, Organic Hair, Skin and Nail Vitamin or Advanced Collagen Supplement.

  This routine made a huge difference to my skin in a matter of few weeks, thus try it and see what works for your body. Remember, the key is not to cut out every food item to starve yourself, rather you have to introduce healthy food items to let your body heal by absorbing its nutrients.

  Workout

  

  Diet combined with working out will definitely keep your skin glowing and remove toxins from your body, which in turn will heal your skin.

  Exercise at least 4 times a week for 30 minutes to an hour and notice how your skin starts to glow within a week. Ensure you include some proteins and healthy fats in your diet such as, eggs and avocado to sustain your energy while working out. You can do cardio, running, walking or yoga, all this would help you keep your skin clear.

  Hygiene

  

  Okay so hygiene alone isn’t the only reason why people have acne, in fact people with acne are some of the most hygiene conscious people. So this isn’t a major factor for curing acne, rather it is to prevent your skin from getting further acne which doesn’t occur in places where you normally get acne.

  For example, oils and products from hair can lead to acne in the forehead region. Changing pillow covers and switiching to silk pillowcovers can help your skin a little. Wiping your phone with anti-bacterial wipes is also a good preventative measure you can take.

  So, this is a simple guide to treating acne, don’t try to make a very elaborate and a fancy regime because that is not necessarily effective. Sticking to this simple routine can save your skin and within a month of consistently following this routine, you would begin to see your acne decreasing. Let me know which step works for you the most and if you have any extra tips and tricks that you would like to share!

  This is a difficult phase of your life and I understand that, but remember you are beautiful and this is just a phase! If you are struggling with anxiety due to this then do read about how to overcome insecurity about your appearance.

  January 3, 2020

  acne, acne treatment, bumps, diet, face wash, healthy skin, how to get rid of acne, how to make acne go away, pimple treatment, pimples, skincare, skincare routine, textured skin, zits

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• Examples of famous people overcoming failures

  Failure is the first step towards success. Every once in a while we fail at a number of things. That shouldn’t make you give up but rather to make you work harder. Rather than losing hope, we should see it as an opportunity. Rather than feeling dejected, we should see it as a task to do the job in a different, innovative and successful way. At the age of 67 when the factory of Thomas Elva Edison got burned out, there wasn’t a pinch of fear in his face. He calmly walked over to his son and told him he got rid of all the rubbish and now he will start again from tomorrow.
  So here are 5 famous stories of a setback that later on contributed to even more success for the people. These real life examples of famous people overcoming failures can inspire us and help us learn how to keep moving in our path to success even in the face of setbacks.

  Charlie Chaplin

  We all know Charlie Chaplin as one of the best comedians. But he has had a fair share of failures and struggles in his life. His father left him when he was only 2 years old and his mother was in a mental asylum. For almost all of his childhood years, he had to look after himself and his younger brother, Sydney. He had to earn for them and often ended up eating nothing and living a stray life.

  But all of that didn’t stop him from succeeding in life. He followed his passion despite all the shortcomings. He did not know what lay ahead of his path to his passion. There was risk in it but he did what his heart desired and finally after tons and tons of failures made his way to showbiz and became an all time favorite comedian in the world.

  Charlie Chaplin once said, “Nothing is permanent in this wicked world, not even troubles.” For more such quotes by Charlie Chaplin, follow this link.

  It isn’t always about running away from the failures, getting scared of them. You should know that whatever you’re trying for is what your heart longs for and give your best.

  Colonel Harland Sanders

  We all know that he was the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). He too struggled a lot in his life. At the age of 5, his father died. While his mother went on for work he was given the job of feeding and taking care of two of his siblings. By age 14 he left his home and after that worked at odd jobs for a number of years. At 40 he opened his restaurant and began serving chicken. By the age of 50, he had lost all of his business due to a fire. At the age of 65, he failed another business and decided to sell his recipe. He was rejected by many restaurants before finally, one accepted his offer. In response to all the failures he had suffered, the famous businessman said, “One has to remember that every failure can be a stepping stone to something better”.

  Harrison Ford

  Harrison Ford, aka ‘The Indiana Jones’ is a known figure. He is one of the most talented, hardworking and decorated individuals to step into the Hollywood industry. He was born to parents who were both involved in the industry, it could be said acting was in his blood.

  A lot of expectations were from him. However, in his first film, the executives told him that he simply didn’t have what it takes to be a star. At this point, he could’ve quit it. Having so much pressure and in the first job you’re told that however hard you may try, you won’t make it big. Imagine how he would’ve felt. But he said NO to giving up. It was at the age of 31 when he got his breakthrough role in the movie after numerous rejected auditions in films, voice covers and doing odd jobs. Harrison Ford famously once said, “To me, success is a choice and opportunity.”

  J.K. Rowling

  She is one of the most renowned authors having written the wildly popular Harry Potter series.

  Her entire childhood was difficult, maintaining an already strained relationship with her father and dealing with her mother’s disease of multiple sclerosis. At the age of 17, she applied to Oxford University and was rejected. It was at the age of 25 when she was moving to Manchester on a 4 hour delayed train that the idea of Harry Potter came to her mind. At the age of 38, she was divorced, had a daughter, victim of domestic abuse and had only completed 3 chapters of her first novel. She felt that she was a failure, having failed in everything she has put efforts on. She was suicidal. She could’ve easily dropped the idea of some wizards. She could’ve easily accepted the fate and could’ve felt that maybe it was in the destiny to fail and could’ve let go of it. But did she?

  By 1995 she had finished the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Her book got rejected by 12 major publications until finally, one gave her a deal. Fast forward to 2004, she was the first person to have achieved billionaire status via writing.

  J.K. Rowling famously quoted “Its impossible to live without failing at something unless you might’ve lived so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all.”

  Michael Jordon

  Regarded as the Greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordon or MJ was born in 1963 and is an unparalleled winner in the history of sports, having never been defeated in the NBA finals and a playing style that was as competitive and jaw-dropping as it could get.

  Having not been picked for a varsity team, the incident affected Jordon to the core of his life. He couldn’t believe what had happened and started crying in front of everyone. It was his mother, who then encouraged him to work even harder. From then on, he spent hours and hours working on his shooting, his footwork and ball-handling. For years all he ever thought of was Basketball.
  At the age of 38, having retired from sports, he decided to play the game again. Imagine picking up basketball and playing that game where people who were almost half his age were dominating. He was still a success then. It was his sheer determination, love for the game, and the courage to follow his passion that led to his success. Michael Jordon once quoted “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

  So if you want to achieve something in your life the only way is to keep working in face of any kind of obstacles and failures. This is because, in the path to success, failures and obstacles are inevitable, hence it should not scare you, rather you should gently remind yourself that it can be dealt with the power of hard work, perseverance and passion.

  For more such articles on overcoming obstacles, you might be interested in What should I do after a failure?

  Image credit: https://www.pinterest.ie/pin/804385183428357001/

  January 1, 2020

  ceo, failure, famous actors, famous people, inspiring, inspiring stories, stories, story, storytime

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