something to ponder!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The key to time management: Focus less on the time in your life, and more on the life in you time.

-- Alan Cohen

LEARNING

Here is a tip from my brother, who is also a parent.

When congratulating his daughters on their successes he makes a point of highlighting their effort, rather than their characteristics. This is designed to help them be successful later in life…and it makes such obvious sense that I suspect I am not the only one who will be surprised not to have thought of it.

Consider two children who both ace an exam.

"Clarissa, I am so impressed with you. You studied hard - I saw how much effort you put in - and look at how you aced the exam as a result. Bravo for you!"

"Brandy, I am so impressed with you. You aced the exam. You are such a smart girl."

What have these two girls been taught? Clarissa has been taught that putting in effort really pays off…and that she should put in effort later on in life, too. Brandy is taught that she is smart and that she should expect to know things. So when faced with opportunities to succeed later on in life, which of these girls will make the extra effort required to succeed?

Can this work on adults? I suspect so. I suspect that if you reward yourself for effort you can make yourself more successful. Self-talk is powerful, so why not encourage yourself to keep trying harder for whatever you set your mind to?