The mind is disorganised and that’s just the way it works. Brains are not designed to create order in your life. They need some help.
How many of these statements apply to you?
- You think about something that needs doing, then forgot about it a few minutes later.
- You put small objects down in the house such as car keys or glasses and cannot find them a few hours later
- You are introduced to someone and then forget what their name is
- You say yes to lots of things and find that the day is too short to do them all
- You are working on your computer and find that you have been surfing the Internet aimlessly for the last two hours
- You find that you cannot get enough done and find yourself working long hours
If one or more of these statements describes you then you need help in organising your life.
Do self help books work?
I used to go into large book stores and head for the self help book section where I stood before a few hundred titles. I start to browse the books that looked interesting. After about an hour of intense browsing I would decide on the book I wanted and wander out of the store with my new book and head for the nearest Starbucks to start reading it.
Almost every self help book that I read contained glowing testimonials by people whose lives have been transformed by it. I would start reading, full of expectations that I too would be changed by it. After I read it I would say to myself:
“That was a great book, but I feel just the same as I did before reading it!”
I met a friend who complained that she had a whole bookcase full of self help books but none of them had really changed her. I too felt short-changed by these books. This feeling lasted until the next time I visited the book store and stood in front of the self help goodies! Maybe the next book would be the one that would change my life forever.
So, do self help books work?
Can video games be part of self improvement?
On the campus the lone gunman kills a group of students and staff, is chased by the police and then kills himself. This nightmare story has been played out several times in recent years.
After the event there is much speculation in the media about the causes of these events. People naturally need to find out what motivated the assailant,( usually a male youth). The typical profile of this man is:
- He has had a troubled childhood,
- He feels alienated from society
- His class mates thought he was a bit weird
- He watches violent films
- He plays violent video games
There is also usually a call for violent video games to be banned.
But, are all video games bad and lead to anti-social and violent behaviour?
At the recent Games Developers Conference there was much attention paid to games that allow players to
- set their own goals
- customize their own content
- make their own fun
Do these type of games contribute towards self improvement?
Can I choose self improvement? The answer may seem obvious.
“Of course I can choose to improve my self.” You say.
Here’s a Sufi story:
A young mouse fell dearly in love with an elephant. The elephant and the mouse soon sought permission to marry. Their respective parents, their entire families and friends warned against the marriage. The council and warnings fell on deaf ears as the mouse and the elephant decided to go ahead and marry anyway. On their wedding night the elephant suddenly died. The mouse started digging a grave for its partner.
The moral of the story—the mouse thought the decision was one thing when in fact it was the decision to spend the rest of its life digging a hole.
Most choices seem simple. Should I do:
- A
- B
- or C?
What may not occur to you is that there may be choices other than A, B or C. There could be D, E and then up to the end of the alphabet!
So ask yourself the question. Can I choose self improvement?
Positive Self Development Program - The First Released Screenshot
The Positive Self Development software program is nearing completion. This self improvement software could change your life!
Today I have been beavering away at the Positive Self Development program. It is a major project whose genesis started four years ago when I asked myself the question:
“What if there was a piece of software that could literally change your life?”
After you have left school you may believe that that is it as far as intelligence goes. Your intelligence is influenced by a number of factors – genetics, the culture you were born into, your socio-economic status. Studies have shown that, no matter what your intelligence is, there are ways to improve it. In his book Intelligence and How to Get It, Richard E. Nisbett shows some of these ways which include:
- Exercise: Just 30 minutes per day sharpens problem-solving abilities and reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s.
- Meditation: Controlled breathing, mindfulness, and good posture enhance brain function.
- Determination: Maintain faith in your ability to become smarter and to build skills. Assuming intelligence is fixed, or determined entirely by genetics, discourages us from working to improve ourselves.
- Video games: Games that require reflexes and strategy improve attention, working memory, and reaction time.
- Education: Learning promotes mental acuity and prevents cognitive decline in brains of all ages.
We all want to be successful, but is succes something that you can learn?
Here is the profile of the successful person. How many of these questions can you answer yes to?
- Positive Thinking - Are you an optimist and believe that things happen in life for a purpose?
- Solution Orientated – Do you focus on the solution to your problems rather than the problems themselves?
- Big Picture Thinking – Do you see the bigger picture instead of thinking small?
- Ambition or Drive – Are you driven to succeed?
- Sense or Urgency – Do you focus on the important things that need doing straight away and not waste time on mundane unimportant taks?
- Results Focused – Do you set goals and objectives and work until they are achieved?
- Persistence – Do you persist despite setbacks and disappointments?
This is the psychology of success. In Positive Psychology you also need to know how to deal with the failures, the things that do not work out. Can you rise up from failure, learn from it and use it to propel you to success?
