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Forget The 7 Habits Here Are 30 Ways To
Become Highly Effective
By Ryhen Satch
http://virtualsynapses.blogspot.com
Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.
- Albert Einstein
This article contains more than four thousand words so I decided to make this introduction as short as I can. I
know your time is valuable, so instead of recommending The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen
Covey, which is, by the way, a good book, I just thought of creating this article for you. The average person can
get to the end of this post in ten to fifteen minutes. Reasonably, thats a short amount of time compared to
reading a book for a whole day or, perhaps, a whole week.
I divided my thirty principles into three segments. None of these were taken from the book I mentioned. The
first segment involves concepts that help you develop integral aspects of your self. The second segment provides
ways to deal with the people around you. The third and last segment contains methods to keep you in control of
external factors in your life.
Dont worry about it. As soon as you step outside that door, youll start feeling better. Youll remember you
dont believe in any of this fate crap. Youre in control of your own life. Remember.- The Oracle, from the
Matrix Trilogy
YOURSELF1. By Having a Thirst for Knowledge
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Daddy what are those things? was my six-year old daughters question upon seeing the bones unearthed by
archeologists inside an underground burial chamber in Rome. I was watching a feature story on National
Geographic about ancient catacombs when my daughter sat beside me to enjoy the drama. Not surprisingly, as
soon as I answered her initial question, my little drill sergeant went on to bombard me with more challenging
inquiries.
It is quite amazing to observe how we, even from an early age, exhibit a predisposition to learn more about life
through the basic process of inquiry. Apparently, effectiveness is first acquired by having a thirst for knowledge.
The more you learn about things, the better you become in facing the world in which you were born. Ask
yourself these questions: Do you think this article can make you a better person? Do you think the information
you will get in this article can be acquired elsewhere in the same manner presented here? Do you think you will
learn something new from this post?
2. By Keeping an Open Mind
You interpret the world in your own unique way. All of us have what we call reality tunnels. New ideas take
the form of information which passes through your reality tunnel. These are filtered by five basic elements:
values, beliefs, memories, decisions, and meta-programs. If a new idea cannot permeate these filters, you are
inclined to reject it and tag it as false information. Keep your reality tunnel in check from time to time by
becoming aware of your own values, beliefs, memories, decisions, and meta-programs. An open mind provides
the opportunity for meaningful ideas to come in.
3. By Getting Close to Nature
What is the meaning of life? Im quite certain you have come across this question dozens of times before. I
cant give you the answer because you must find it on your own. However, Im absolutely sure your HD
television set, your laptop, your house, or your car will not even give you a small hint about the truth. The truth
is out there in nature.
Every living organism found in nature holds a force within it that allows itself to transmute into something else.
Obviously, this quality is not found in inorganic matter. Invigorate your spirit by observing life around you. You
have the same force within you that also wants to turn you into something else. In this case, it wants to turn you
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into a highly effective person.
4. By Perfecting Your Own Character
In modern personality theories, an individual is said to possess several different archetypes. An archetype is a
model of personality or behavior that you copy to build up your overall character. Doctors, lawyers, policemen,
musicians, and architects are just a few examples. Im not really sure if beerhead, MILF, hottie, and douche bag
all qualify as archetypes, but I guess you can add those in too.
Take a moment to identify how many archetypes you possess. On my end, I came up with the following: father,
husband, son, brother, writer, frustrated musician, an upcoming yogi, a potential hermit, etc. Once you have
your own list, then you can ask yourself this question, What have I done lately to become the best example of
these characters?
5. By Staying Optimistic
There are times when you find yourself in very bad situations where it is almost certain for you to run out of
options. A few months ago, one of my friends introduced me to an astounding principle. She said, Dude, there
are two kinds of problems in this world; ones you can solve and ones that make you powerless. If youve done
everything to find a solution and you fail, just shut up. She was right. Not only did it stop me from worrying, it
also prevented me from nurturing negative thoughts inside my head.
In occult teachings, it is said that thoughts vibrate and attract events in the same vibration state. By always
thinking positive and avoiding negative thoughts, youre doing more than just changing yourself. Youre
changing your whole life. For more information about thought vibrations, check out the New Thought
Movement.
6. By Keeping Yourself Inspired
As soon as you unite yourself with any idea, desire, or intention, there is no force that can stop you other than
the limits that you set upon yourself. No wonder why Thomas Edison said you only need one percent
inspiration. Its enough to balance the equation, and the equation ultimately states that you are capable of
almost anything you can imagine. You can get your inspiration from many sources, may it be an object, a
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person, or a goal. Use your emotions to identify your most powerful source of inspiration. The one that gives
you the strongest positive feeling is your best bet.
7. By Using The Visualization Technique
The visualization method simply works by creating images in your mind of the things you desire most. Forming
clear and specific mental pictures activates the creative potential inherent in each and every human being.
When the creative process is triggered by visualization, your thought will pass three stages: intention, action,
and manifestation. I was thinking about using the wheel, the printing press, and the telephone as examples, but
many will find these too old fashioned. So, I guess you will be more comfortable imagining network systems,
the internet, search engines, Youtube, and social networks as modern age products of people who applied the
visualization technique. Apply the other twenty-nine principles in this article with visualization, and Im
positive youll get what youre wishing for sooner or later.
8. By Keeping Your Mind Still
Some ancient scriptures in eastern spiritual traditions emphasize that with steadfast concentration and
meditation, you can even achieve superhuman powers. Of course, you dont believe that. You dont believe in
the Christ figure, Gautama Buddha, or Mahatma Gandhi either. I think now is a perfect time for your reality
tunnel maintenance check.
There are many forces surrounding you that you dont have the ability to explain. Lets say, for example, you are
demonstrating how a holographic projector works to one of the oldest aboriginal tribes in Australia. As soon as
you turn the instrument on, those people will probably collapse in astonishment. The same thing will happen to
you once you encounter things that you are unable to explain (do I hear someone shouting UFOs?). For
hundreds of centuries, meditation has been practiced by countless people so they could have a deeper sense of
reality. If you want to find out how, youve just activated the first principle I described earlier. Quench your
thirst for knowledge by knowing more about meditation.
9. By Pushing Yourself To Your Limits
Have you ever asked yourself why people keep on trying to outdo their own feats on the Guinness World
Records? Why does an athlete aspire to be record holders in his or her sport? People aspire for a sense of
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achievement. You have that feeling deep inside you as well, but you can only attain phenomenal success by
trying to push yourself a little harder every single day. They say that it only takes a month for any given activity
to become a habit. If you work for five days in a week and four weeks in a month, try accomplishing five percent
more work cumulatively for each day. At the end of the month, you will have doubled your ability to perform.
10. By Destroying (-) Habits and Creating (+) Qualities
It is such a pain to remove habits from our system. The reason is that we have acquired our habits in an
unconscious way. Removing them consciously is like trying to drink beer while you are sleeping. However, you
shouldnt lose hope because theres a solution to this predicament. Most likely, you have a person whom you
admire most. That person may be a renowned celebrity, historical figure, scientist, leader, and so on. List down
all the good qualities you see in that person and pretend having as many of those qualities every day for two
months. Pretending is giving the appearance of possessing the qualities on your list. Doing this will force your
mind to accept the qualities as habits. Its like programming your own bio-computer. If you keep on applying
this principle, your negative habits will be replaced, eventually, by new and positive ones.
11. By Challenging The Superego
The problem with most people is that they lack the will to engage in activities that enable them to increase
productivity and strengthen their characters. The greatest enemy of your will is the superego one of the three
divisions of the human psyche. It tells you what is right and wrong or what should be rewarded and punished. It
contains your values, beliefs, and all the rules that your parents and the society programmed inside your head
while you were growing up.
You start to experience freedom and will power by challenging the superego first. When you start to feel
something pulling you from something that you want to do, your superego is at work. You can either ignore it or
subject to its command. If you choose to ignore it, just make sure you remember this rule: Do not impose your
will upon others. You can do whatever you want as long as you dont step on other peoples rights.
12. By Using the SWOT Analysis
Most people who give their advice on personal development will tell you to write down your strengths and
weaknesses and then leave you floating in mid-air. Whats the use of knowing your strengths and weaknesses if
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you dont know what to do with them? SWOT analysis is not only a method of identifying your strengths and
weaknesses; it is a method of approaching different elements in your life with a strategic approach. SWOT
stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. It is aimed at answering four basic questions:
How can you use and capitalize on your strengths? How can you eliminate your weaknesses? How can you take
advantage of your opportunities? And how can you remove threats?
Personal introspection once lacked structure and strategy. In this modern era, it is not enough that you just lie
down in bed every night and reflect on your day-to-day activities. It already involves some kind of work. You
have two choices in this world; one is to remain competitive and the other is to be in unity with everything and
everyone. If you choose the former, this method will serve you best. If you choose the latter, stay tuned for my
future articles.
YOURSELF WITH OTHERS13. By Recognizing Patterns in Human Behavior
Human behavior is sometimes predictable and deterministic. We often recognize patterns of behavior and
respond accordingly. When you are talking to someone and you see the persons eyebrows come close to each
other, you may assume the person is disagreeing to your statements. You will then realize theres something
wrong with what youre saying. Indeed, human behavior is complex and dynamic and involves a lot more than
just mere gestures. However, because it is a process, it doesnt mean it cannot be studied and analyzed. Your
knowledge of other peoples behavior can give you an advantage. Just remember what I said earlier, Do not
impose your will upon others.
There are several reasons why it is useful to understand human behavior: it can improve your relationship with
your associates, you can persuade people to agree with your ideas effortlessly, you can easily spot liars and
honest men, and so on. Two of the various academic disciplines concerned with the study of human behavior
are sociology and behaviorism. If you dont have time to do research on these subjects, you can subscribe to this
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blog so I can do the work for you.
14. By Communicating Effectively
Written and spoken words are powerful tools you can use to transform an idea into its physical counterpart.
Communication, in my own terms, involves three levels: psycho-spiritual, interpersonal, and social. On the
psycho-spiritual level, you communicate with your inner self through the use of mantras, prayers, chants,
spells, autosuggestion and so on. On the interpersonal level, exchanges of ideas become apparent through the
proper use of language in speech and writing. Persuasion plays a major part on this level. On the social level,
mass communication takes the form of advertising, broadcasting, journalism, public relations, and many
others. Propaganda is commonly utilized to influence the behavior of a large number of people. I write about all
three. So, again, its a good reason for you and I to make a connection.
15. By Associating With Positive People
A quote from Hitopadesha states, The mind is lowered through association with inferiors. With equals it
attains equality; and with superiors, superiority. You can choose to be in the presence of one of the three
types of people mentioned in the statement. However, if you want to be highly effective, its quite obvious you
should prefer the last one. Associating with positive and smarter people not only gives you the chance to learn.
It also provides you the opportunity to acquire the same qualities and habits these people possess.
16. By Sticking To Your Principles
Your principles are the set of governing rules that guide you in your everyday life. People have gone through
many troubles defending their own principles. And to a greater extent, we see how opposing ideals struggle for
domination by means of war. Nations dont mind fighting at great lengths trying to defend their principles, and
neither should you. However, people come in conflict with each other because their state of mind is focused on
competition. If your principles constitute non-violence and service to other people, you need not worry about
having to defend it from anyone. If youre at peace with everyone, theres a lot more room for personal growth.
17. By Concealing Your Intentions
As much as having a unique set of principles, people have their own intentions. There are two reasons why you
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should conceal your intentions. The first reason is to avoid interference from people who dont know what to do
with their own lives. You have the right to keep your thoughts, plans, goals, and ambitions to yourself. Other
people may not really understand what youre up to and you dont want to waste your time trying to explain
yourself to them. Avoid discussing personal concerns, family matters, financial problems, and other private
issues to anyone.
The second reason is to surround yourself with a sense of mystery to keep people intrigued and interested in
you. Notice how the media make efforts to invade the private lives of celebrities. When famous celebrities try to
hide themselves from public view, the effect is exactly the opposite of what they expect. They just get more
attention from the press.
18. By Protecting Your Reputation
Success carries with it the reputation of having wisdom. Once you make it big, people will flock to you because
they know you can outline the steps you took to reach the top of the ladder. A good reputation can do many
things. It can intimidate others, give you authority and credibility, keep your enemies away, and so on.
However, just like a delicate wine glass, it is fragile and can be easily destroyed. The richest wine on earth is
useless if you try to drink it with a broken wine glass. In the same sense, the greatest skill or talent you may
possess wont mean a thing if you have a bad reputation.
19. By Seeking Advice
What do teachers, professors, coaches, mentors, and gurus all have in common? Hey, dont get any impression
that this is a joke. The answer - all of them are older than you. Well, there may be instances when you encounter
the younger types, but ideally they should be older. Ok, perhaps we should consider a more appropriate term
like experienced. When seeking advice, make sure youre asking someone who has already walked the path
youre currently taking. Any kind of person will give some time off for someone who makes them feel
appreciated. Show them respect and they will give you all the advice you want to hear. Also, keep in mind that
their mistakes are as much as important to know as their accomplishments.
20. By Being Punctual
Punctuality is a form of etiquette as well as self-discipline. Being late in your appointments reflects disregard
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for other peoples time. It is also a sign of disrespect. Cultivate the habit of being on-time and people will
appreciate you for having this quality. Being on-time doesnt mean you should arrive thirty minutes ahead of
your schedule. If the traffic, environmental conditions, and family matters all happen to be in favor of you and
you arrive on the scene too early, you can simply take a walk. Just make sure to go back a few minutes ahead of
your appointment. It is also good to be prompt in returning calls, answering emails, and responding to text
messages. People today literally think that time is gold.
21. By Being a Good Listener
When you want to give people the impression that you are a good conversationalist, simply listen to them while
they do all the talking. This is one of the tricks I learned from a sales book I read a few years ago. Sales people
create rapport with their clients by asking questions. Naturally, the person being asked will start talking without
noticing they are unconsciously being led to buy a product. The keywords to remember on this item are:
conversation, listening, questions, and rapport. Add all these together and you have a powerful tool that will
allow you to create friends, build partnerships, find associates, establish connections, and so on.
YOURSELF WITH EVERYTHING ELSE22. By Sleeping Less
Most people complain that they dont have time for anything else other than work. Work should not be an
excuse for you to miss out the best things in life. However, if you really seem to lack the time, sleeping less
should give you additional hours during the day. Countless studies have been done to determine the right
amount of sleep for people of different ages. If youre an adult, or if at least you think you are, the safest amount
of time your body needs to sleep is seven (7) hours. Seven hours of sleep plus nine hours of work will leave you
with eight hours to do anything else you want.
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23. By Keeping the Objective in Mind
Sometimes, people focus too much on results that they forget about their objectives. If you provide products or
services and you only concentrate on the profit, sooner or later you will go out of business. Keep your objective
in mind and always stay on purpose. By making sure that you are doing the right thing, it is guaranteed that you
will get the results youre after. Maintain a qualitative and quantitative understanding of the conditions that
affect your plans so that you can avoid setbacks. If theres a problem, immediately find out the root cause and
make sure that you are in control of the situation. You can do so by introducing yourself to management
principles. Common sense will let you know that you dont even need to own a company to apply management
principles. They are also applicable to personal life.
24. By Focusing on What Really Matters
Every act is either a success or a failure. It is the successful acts that makes you a more efficient and effective
person. If you always try to make your activities a success, you surely won't fail to achieve your ultimate goal in
life. Avoid unnecessary activities. Prioritize the stuff that needs the greatest amount of attention and which
matters to you most. Remember Aesops fable about the astronomer:
An astronomer used to go out at night to observe the stars. One evening, as he wandered through the suburbs
with his whole attention fixed on the sky, he fell accidentally into a deep well. While he lamented and bewailed
his sores and bruises, and cried loudly for help, a neighbor ran to the well, and learning what had happened
said: "Hark ye, old fellow, why, in striving to pry into what is in heaven, do you not manage to see what is on
earth?
25. By Recording Your Progress
History repeats itself. This statement is like a pair of worn out jeans. Dont you just love it? Heres another one:
If you always do what youve always done Guess who said that? Come to think of it, what these statements
imply is basically correct. If you cant remember how much youve accomplished yesterday, how can you push
yourself to your limits today? Ok, now you can attach my name to the previous sentence so we can all have
someone new to quote. Just kidding!
Try keeping a daily record of your improvement. If youre into sports or music, this is a must. If youre just a
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regular guy or gal, a diary should suffice. If you want to use your blog, go ahead. Just remember what I said
about concealing your intentions for that matter.
26. By Staying On Top of Things
Governments, both recent and old, make use of spies just to stay on top of things. In the same sense, what
enables highly effective individuals to move ahead of average people is foreknowledge. Youre not required to be
clairvoyant or anything to that effect. Scanning the newspaper, asking your colleagues for updates, reading
journals, and subscribing to blog feeds are just some of the things you can do to make sure you know whats
going on in your field of expertise. However, with so much stuff happening everywhere and so many people
sharing their knowledge, theres a tendency to experience information overload. The best way to avoid this is by
focusing on what really matters to you most as explained in item 24.
27. By Investing Your Money
In this day and age, personal growth inexorably involves the proper handling of your money through
investments. I dont know who you are or what you do, but if you want to start earning more than what you are
currently receiving, start seeking other sources of income. Its not wise to rely solely on your job. Employment is
just another form of slavery. If you want to get rich, remember these seven basic rules: save ten percent of your
monthly income, control your expenditures, select a good investment, guard your assets, make sure you own
your house, secure your future through multiple sources of income, and increase your ability to earn by
becoming highly effective. (Note: the last rule has nothing to do with keyword density)
28. By Taking Smart Risks
People who dont succeed at anything are usually the ones who are afraid to get out of their comfort zones. The
primary reason is that they are afraid of the unknown. These people want to see results before they even start to
carry out their plans. Life is bounded with countless possibilities. Most of the time, you will need to rely on your
smart judgment in selecting the proper course of action.
If you cant create calculated measures, then you will have to rely on your intuition. There are forces beyond
human comprehension that govern our lives. Usually, we become aware of these forces through the sixth sense.
Unfortunately, this facility remains dormant in the large majority of the population. A reiki practitioner once
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told me that if your instinct offers you two choices, it is always advisable to select the first one.
29. By Organizing Your Extensions
The use of tools was an important step in the progress of the human race. Within a one meter radius, Im quite
positive you will find at least one tool wherever you may be. Almost everything around you can be used for a
certain purpose. Once you make practical use of the objects surrounding you, these things become extensions of
your mind. Hence, its just as important to keep things in order as you try to keep your mind still.
An easy way to do this is by using the 5S Method. In business terms, the 5S is a method for organizing your
workplace. Applied personally, it helps you become more efficient and gives you a sense of self-discipline. The
5Ss are: sorting, straightening, sweeping, standardizing, and sustaining. If you want to become your own boss,
you better start being your own business consultant as well.
30. By Being The Solution
Your brain contains one hundred billion neurons. Each one of these neurons is capable of creating seven
thousand synaptic connections. Now, if you compare the internet to the electrochemical matrix found in your
brain, it means that your capacity to think is enormously powerful.
Chronic complainers, naysayers, and pessimists are, obviously, not aware of this fact. Honestly, they are more
pathetic than their issues. You shouldnt aspire to be like these people. Create a reputation of being the
trendsetter in your community, your workplace, or even at home. Contribute solutions instead of making the
problem worse through meaningless grumble. Be the solution.
If you want to read more articles like this, please visit me at my website at:
http://virtualsynapses.blogspot.com