First things first, what is a goal map?

You can be the most talented individual on the planet, yet if you don’t plan ahead there is little chance that you will reach your full potential. Planning is everything! So before you even start  your journey toward your personal objectives, make sure you design a goal map.

A goal map is a roadmap for your life.

A goal map is a roadmap for your life. It is a single document that has all your personal objectives clearly laid out. A goal map encompasses your objectives in all areas of your life, from physical to social, from professional to spiritual, financial, cultural and so on. The various aspects of your life are all interdependent. Your life pursuits and hobbies compete for the same limited resources: your time and your energy. You need to look at your life as a whole! The great thing about a goal map is that it is comprehensive.

Your life pursuits and hobbies compete for the same limited resources: your time and your energy.

Goals in your goal map must be S.M.A.R.T. goals

1. Specific: your goals should be detailed. You can’t hit the bull’s-eye if there is none. Don’t say “I want to lose weight” but rather “I want to lose 4 kilos by year-end” (target quantity and date are important).
2. Measurable: your goal should be quantified so that you know at any point in time whether you are on track or not. This will enable you to follow your progress on a regular basis.
3. Achievable: don’t over-plan, be realistic, your objective must be within reach. If it’s too big, then try and break it  into smaller manageable goals that you can achieve step by step.
4. Relevant: your goals must be relevant to you, connected to your deepest aspirations and aligned with your personal values.
5. Time-bound: that’s really important, your goal should have a deadline, let’s not beat around the bush. Without a deadline, a goal is not a goal, it’s just a wish…

   

It is key also that your goal map be easy to access at any time and consulted often. It must be a living document that gets updated on a regular basis depending on your results and the evolution of your priorities over time.

Here is a couple of screenshots of what my goal map looks like (screenshots from my account on the website Goalmap.com):

Now that we’ve explained what a goal map is, let’s see why you should definitely all have one!

#1. Take control of your destiny

By designing your own goal map, you start taking control of your destiny. You plan, you decide, you execute: you are your own programmer. It’s YOUR life, you should be in the driver seat. Write the storyline and shape your own life as opposed to passively dragging along.

#2. Articulate what you really want

What is it exactly that you REALLY want in life? Work hard and get promoted or spend more time with family? Play the piano? Read every day? You have to know what makes you truly tick and choose objectives that are aligned with your values and principles. Number 1 rule: follow your heart!

When you start going into the details of what you want to achieve out of your life, you will soon realize that some of the things that you have in mind are actually pretty vague. Goals that are vague are not actionable.

A goal map pushes you to clarify what truly matters to you.

This is one of the main benefits of a goal map: it pushes you to clarify for yourself what truly matters to you. Once you have this clarity, you know which path you should take. You can start walking that path and track your progress as you walk along.

#3. Prioritize and achieve more

As we said earlier, all the goals we want to achieve require the same resources: our time, energy and money. These resources being limited, we need to make choices. A goal map will help you make these choices.

A goal map is like using a GPS to plan your life journey.

It’s like using a GPS to plan your life journey. Perhaps you should explore this region first and this other country next rather than going back and forth and running out of fuel. If you want too many conflicting things, you’ll end up getting none. A goal map will provide you with the bird’s-eye view of your life to identify these conflicts and bottlenecks.

It’s not only about identifying conflicts, it’s also about finding synergies between your aspirations and building positive articulations between your activities. Sport can help you manage your stress better and be nicer to others as a result, meditating can provide a useful spiritual relief after a long day at work and help you think clearer, etc. With a goal map, you can articulate these positive loops together.

#4. Know where to go

Thanks to the action plan you’re making, you will simplify the process of decision-making in the future. The path to action is clear, decisions are simple: you avoid useless stress. You’ve set up your GPS, now just follow the instructions! You don’t have to worry every minute about where you are and whether you’re going in the right direction. Just check your monitor from time to time and adjust the trajectory if needs be.

#5. Know yourself

This is arguably the most important at the end of the day: a goal map helps you know yourself better. It is a mirror, a tool that facilitates the dialogue with yourself.

A goal map is a tool that facilitates the dialogue with yourself.

What do I want to do during the coming year? What level of effort am I ready to make to achieve my goals? Why do I procrastinate for this one and not for that other one? What does really matter to me? What makes me happy? By defining and refining which goals you aspire to pursue, you foster a deep conversation with yourself. It is a process through which you both question and build your identity. This is the way to authentic happiness.

“Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment.”

Lao Tzu

Download the Goalmap app and start designing your own goal map.

L’article How a goal map will help you achieve your life goals est apparu en premier sur Bien-être au travail, prévention santé et sécurité en entreprise.

I won’t pretend that I have a secret formula that will transform you into Superman overnight. Still, I’ve tried multiple techniques over time and refined the way I approach goals. Let me try to share with you some straightforward advice that I have learned through trial and error. I would encourage you to apply these techniques if you are in the process of setting objectives for yourself and redesigning your life.

1. Listen to your heart

Your goals need to inspire you; they need to come from your gut.

Goal setting is often described as a very rational process. True, it needs to be rigorous and well-defined, but this is only the tip of the iceberg. Emotions come first. There is no point in pursuing a goal which doesn’t truly move you. Your goals need to inspire you; they need to come from your gut. Make sure they are indeed YOUR goals, not things you believe you have to achieve because your parents told you so or because of peer pressure that pushes us to internalize socially valued objectives.

Be genuine. Have a serious conversation with yourself. Your goals should be a reflection of your identity. They must be deeply rooted in your personal values and the things you believe in. Aiming to have a Porsche because your neighbor has one isn’t a goal that will induce sustainable satisfaction and lasting happiness. Go with your instinct, follow your inner will. If you do so, you will identify goals that will make you grow as an individual as you set yourself to reach them.

2. Dream realistically

It looks like we have an oxymoron here! That’s all right, don’t freak out, and let me try to explain. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t dream big. On the contrary, if your goal is too easily reached, you’ll forget about it, it will fail to truly mobilize you and create a necessary sense of urgency. On the other hand, if you’re too aggressive setting your goals, you may feel overwhelmed by the difficulty and get paralyzed before making the first step. You might feel frustrated with the progress and give up too quickly.

The immediate task needs to match your current ability. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls it the flow channel.

Get out of your comfort zone, but not too much. You won’t get stressed and you won’t get bored either. You will feel slightly challenged and excited by the task at hand and, as you succeed in performing it, both of your skills and your self-confidence level will increase. Then you can aim higher, your ability will increase a level, and so on. The flow channel is a virtuous circle!

It’s also fine to dream big. It’s perfectly ok to want to IPO your startup or complete an Ironman triathlon, but if you’re currently out of shape, give yourself some time before the Ironman (one year or two if you start from scratch) and introduce intermediate goals like running a 5k race or being able to swim 20 laps!

So yes, dream big but smart, taking into account where you want to go while not forgetting where you currently stand. Give yourself the time you need, set gradual and evolving targets, and define milestones if possible.

3. Quantify your goal

You have to be precise and define targets with a clear object, quantity, and timing.

We talked about the emotional trigger of goal setting earlier. Let’s now have a look at the rational side of goals. Once your goal is out there, you know already why you’re pursuing it. It’s time to flesh it out: What is it exactly that you want to achieve? When and how much? You have to be precise and define targets with a clear object, quantity, and timing.

Let’s take a simple example. Let’s say music is important to you and you want to set a goal to play guitar. Well, what does that exactly mean to you? Eliminate any vagueness. For me, playing guitar is practicing at least three hours per week on average, taking 15 lessons by year-end to kick-start the effort and being able to play Parisienne Walkways by Gary Moore. Now we’re talking!

You can’t leave room for interpretation. Your criteria for success need to be observable and clearly laid out. With target quantities and target dates, you set the standard and introduce accountability. Your goal is on a roll!

4. Follow through

Remember those New Year’s resolutions you got excited about for a week and then forgotten by the end of January? To achieve goals, you need to hit the ground running. There is a time for reflection, then there’s a time for action. When it’s action time, don’t think too much, it’s all about doing and building habits. Go for it! Nothing great comes without effort.

You may wonder why we’re talking about action in a post about goal setting. A goal properly set is a goal that you act upon because you really want it (Rule number 1), you can do it (Rule number 2) and have a plan of action for it (Rule number 3). Planning comes before action but in the end they are intricately and dynamically related. Without action, there is no need for a plan.

Not only should you follow through, but also track your actions. It will boost your self-awareness and help you redesign your behavior as you internalize new habits and their positive consequences. A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine showed that people who rigorously logged what they ate lost twice as much weight as their peers.

Track, measure, and make yourself ultimately accountable. If you don’t, who else will? It’s your life after all.

5. Reset your goals regularly

You should reassess your goals on a regular basis.

You won’t always get it right the first time. Even if you do, the right target for a goal will change as you evolve over time. You should reassess your goals on a regular basis — every three to six months is probably right in most cases. This is the second benefit of self-tracking. It enhances self-awareness and it also helps you measure actual performance against the objective you had set.

That’s where you close the feedback loop: you (1) set targets which (2) trigger actions and by comparing the latter against the former you (3) measure results and are in a position to (4) draw conclusions and consequently (5) reset targets. As a result, you may modify or even abandon some of your goals, replace others, and introduce new ones. This is an iterative process.

We hope these rules will help you progress on your self-realization journey. If you struggle with any of the steps we discussed here, let us know, we will be happy to clarify things, focus on a particular aspect, or even discuss “case studies” with actual goals you have difficulties to handle.

To help you set and track your goals, feel free to try our app Goalmap, it’s free ! Goal setting and tracking will have a way larger impact on your life than any other activity which takes less than three minutes a day.

L’article 5 simple rules of goal setting est apparu en premier sur Bien-être au travail, prévention santé et sécurité en entreprise.

I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is the victory over self.

We often find ourselves too lazy to fulfill our workout routine. “I’m tired today, I had a long day at work, I’ll go tomorrow.” The list of excuses goes on and on:

As many fitness pros are saying, you have to force yourself and go no matter what – don’t make excuses! I can’t agree more. Those times when I really struggled – you know, when a little devil is whispering in your ear that it’s ok not to go, but I ended up sticking to the plan and hitting the gym were so gratifying. Let me share this personal experience with you and tell you about the 10 wonderful rewards that await anyone who has the guts to lift not only the heavy plates at the gym, but first and foremost the mental obstacles within oneself.

1. It puts you in a cheerful mood

There are times when a mild depression strikes me and going to the gym then seems like climbing Everest. I feel too heavy to get up and do anything. Fortunately, I’ve done it many times – I force myself to the gym no matter how bad my mood is. It always pays off. I feel tired afterwards but I feel relaxed and have this unbeatable sense of accomplishment.

We release endorphins, adrenaline, serotonin and dopamine when we exercise . These chemicals all work together to make us feel good. It’s like getting high without any of the negative consequences.

2. You make friends there

I’m an entrepreneur and full-time digital marketer working from home, which tends to limit the amount of human interactions I get during the day. A lot of my social life is online! Who said I’m a geek? Jokes aside, I have many friends at the gym. It’s a virtuous circle: when I go there I make friends, and having friends make me want to go there! Sport buddies respect each other because they value the self-discipline involved in sticking to a training regime. Friends who sweat together, stay together.

3. It silences your self-doubt

The little devil not only whispers in my ear excuses to stay at home, but he also tells me I can’t do it. I don’t listen, I go to the gym and I give it a shot, trying to push my limits. Action and perspiration speak much louder than the little devil of self-doubt. Doing things makes us more confident, more eager to expand the comfort zone of our present self and become the best we can be .

Action and perspiration speak much louder than the little devil of self-doubt.

4. It boosts your immune system

Exercising enhances our heart’s ability to pump blood throughout the body. It makes our lungs better at handling oxygen for our body and brain. Our immune system becomes stronger and more efficient in the fight against harmful bacteria and viruses. Check who doesn’t fall ill when winter comes. The correlation will be clear: people who exercise get less sick.

5. It encourages you to eat healthy

When the little devil wins, you generally end up on the sofa eating junk food in front of a TV series (by the way, we think you should smash your TV). When you work out, things get different. You become more health conscious. You don’t want to undo the good you’ve just done. You build up on the effort you just made and eat well: here goes the win-win!

6. It gives you a good night’s sleep

I used to suffer from insomnia. I found the remedy to sleepless nights in the gym. That’s one of the reasons why I drag myself there no matter how busy I am. It feels so good to rest when you’re tired. Few things beat the feeling of going to bed after a good shower when your body is nicely exhausted from the workout you just did. When I push my body, I know that a sound and rewarding sleep is waiting for me at night – I sleep like a baby.

It feels so good to rest when you’re tired. Few things beat the feeling of going to bed after a good shower when your body is nicely exhausted from the workout you just did.

7. It soothes your overworked mind

There is not so much thinking needed in the gym. It’s more about simply unleashing your physical power. This brings balance in your life: we tend to be over-involved in mental / intellectual activities and don’t build the time required to refresh our mind, think better and build up other atrophied aspects of our holistic self.

8. It makes you fit

Well, this one goes without saying: regular exercise makes you stronger and increase your stamina. It also burns fat and makes you leaner. Observing first-hand these positive impacts on your body can become a big motivation to stick to your training regime. It feels so good to realize that you actually have the power to choose what you look like!

9. It saves you money

Most of the times, one has to pay a fee or a subscription to enter the gym, true. That’s only one side of the equation though. Exercising regularly makes you healthier and less prone to getting sick. Over the years, it’s a lot of savings on the doctor / medication front. Why do you think many insurance companies offer discounts or even full reimbursement for gym memberships? Simply because the benefits outweigh the costs.

10. It makes you hot!

Regular exercise detoxifies our body from within. It makes our skin healthier and our muscles more defined. You breathe better, think clearer and are more confident. That makes you hot!

The barbells and plates in the gym might be heavy to lift; but the heaviest weight on our way to achieving our goals in life is none other than our own inertia! When we can overcome it and ingrain the positive habit of sticking to our workout regime day in, day out, the benefits are so overwhelming that those nasty kettlebells soon start to feel lighter and lighter. So you got it: no excuses – don’t think twice, just go… What are you still doing here?

See you soon on goalmap – All your life goals in one app

Start tracking your goals on the Goalmap app:

L’article 10 amazing benefits of dragging yourself to the gym est apparu en premier sur Bien-être au travail, prévention santé et sécurité en entreprise.

Self-help blogs or personal growth blogs are easy to access, never more than a click or a finger tap away – I mean, if you have an Internet connection… What a wonderful well of knowledge and experience to tap in!

Self-help blogs can be a fantastic source of motivation and inspiration, which we can harness to achieve our goals in life. Some will give you ideas of goals, others will provide you with methodologies on how to get there or boost your morale on the way.

The only issue is that there are so many of them that you may get overwhelmed by information overload. That’s what the purpose of this post is: help you find your way in the blog jungle and offer you a selection of some of the most interesting self-help blogs out there.

You don’t have to read all of them all the time. Just pick up the one(s) you really like. Each blog has its own style and focus topics. Some of you will like inspirational stories that others may find cheesy while others will enjoy more data-oriented sources that some may find boring. That’s exactly why we have chosen a broad range of self-help blogs. We (hopefully) have something there for everyone.

Once you find those made for you, it could be a good idea to leverage social media to your advantage and follow them on Twitter, Facebook or subscribe to their email list. This will ensure you stay plugged in!

So here is the list (in no particular order) for your daily source of motivation, inspiration, words of wisdom and other life-changing resources that will illuminate your way to personal success.

20 self-help blogs to help you achieve your goals in life

1. Marc and Angel Hack Life

This blog was started by Marc and Angel Chernoff in 2006. Today, it has already over 600 articles, 110,000 email subscribers, and has attracted over 100 million page views. The site has a simple yet powerful style of writing. Most of the blog posts published here are “list type” articles which are easy to read and comprehend. Unlike some others, this blog is not too commercialized, as you will be reading inspiring posts and practical tips for productive living from Marc and Angel, themselves.

2. Zen Habits 

Zen Habits, a very popular blog created by Leo Babauta, is one of the earliest blogs that I’ve been following for inspirations in life. It’s about finding simplicity in the daily chaos of our lives. It’s about clearing the clutter to focus on what’s important, finding happiness and creating something meaningful with our lives. The blog has a minimalist design, which lets you find only the most important pieces of information that you need. Moreover, Leo has already released his blog in the public domain. This means that you are free to reuse it, share it or print it without asking for permission or giving a credit.

3. Tiny Buddha

Tiny Buddha is one of the leading resources for finding peace and happiness, with over 2 million monthly readers. The blog is run by Lori Deschene. Although it’s inspired by the wisdom of Buddha, the site isn’t about religion. It’s about sensible ideas and insights that make a big difference when applied. Here, you’ll find articles and stories about real happiness, motivation, inspiration, love, relationships, mindfulness, freedom and simple wisdom for our complex lives.

4. Addicted 2 Success

This blog provides motivational videos, interviews, audio and other resources with your favorite entrepreneurs, life coaches, celebrities and inspirational people from all over the world. It was founded in April 2011 by Joel Brown, an Australian entrepreneur and life design coach who has a long time passion for entrepreneurship, self development and success. So if you’re ready to be addicted to success, check out the blog’s inspiring content.

5. Lifehack

In order to reach your life’s goals, you need to be efficient and follow the straightest line. Lifehack will help you for that. The site is dedicated to lifehacks, i.e., any advice, resource, tip or trick that will help you get things done more efficiently and effectively. The blog is authored by several lifehack experts who will help you improve all the aspects of your life, including lifestyle, money, health, relationships, work and technology.

6. MindBodyGreen

MindBodyGreen has a holistic approach to wellness. Its mission to “revitalize the way we eat, move and live”. The content is produced by various wellness experts who will provide you practical and insightful conversations about health, nutrition, sports, meditation, happiness, relationships, self growth and personal success. If you want to go further than the blog posts, they sell video courses such as “The essential guide to meditation”, “The art of living with purpose”, or “Eat your way to your best body”.

7. Michael Hyatt 

To achieve your goals, you have to learn leadership, particularly self-leadership. Michael Hyatt’s personal blog will help you influence yourself as well as other people. Here, you will find articles, podcasts and interviews about leadership, personal development, productivity and other topics that will help you achieve your personal, professional and business goals.

8. The Positivity Blog

Negativity, self-doubts and fear are hindrances to one’s journey to personal success. If you want to create more happiness and look at your life in a more positive way, then The Positivity Blog is for you. The blog was founded by Henrik Edberg of Sweden. Since 2006, he has already written practical tips, newsletters and created courses about simplifying life, getting rid of stress, and improving social skills, self-esteem, happiness and awesomeness.

9. Dumb Little Man

I don’t know where the “Dumb Little Man” name came from. The author doesn’t know it either. But one thing is for sure, this blog is a great source of information about productivity, exceeding goals, automation and finding a simpler way for everything. The site was created and written by a man who uses the pen name Jay White. Today, the site has already been publishing posts from other authors, who have been also featured and published on sites such as The New York Times, Washington Post and Huffington Post.

10. Pick the Brain

Pick the Brain is a self-help blog dedicated to self-improvement with a focus on personal productivity, motivation, self education, psychology and philosophy (that should be broad enough!). The site is not your traditional “self-help” blog, as it takes a broader approach and covers anything that is related to making the lives of people more prosperous. So if you want to read unconventional posts and tips about growing yourself and achieving your goals, don’t forget Pick the Brain to include in your list.

11. Live Bold and Bloom

You have to live boldly and bloom wildly to chase your dreams and achieve your goals. That’s what Barrie Davenport, creator of Live Bold and Bloom, wants to inspire you to do. The site publishes practical and realistic strategies that will push you out of your comfort zone and help you uncover your passion, build self-confidence, learn new habits, and have healthy and happy relationships with the people you love the most. What a program!

12. The Happiness Project

Add a little more happiness and effective habits to ensure your way to personal success. You can join Gretchen Rubin in her daily adventures and pursuit of happiness and habits in her popular blog, The Happiness Project. Gretchen Rubin is a New York Times bestseller author and one of the most influential writers on habits and happiness. Her style is light and pleasant and her approach pragmatic, not scientific.

13. Advanced Life Skills

This blog was created by Jonathan Wells who considers himself a student of life. He worked with athletes and realized that discipline was a pleasure for them while it is a pain for most people. His goal is therefore to “allow you to make simple adjustments in your core beliefs and eliminate internal disharmony” such that you are mentally ready to commit to your goals.

14. Brian Tracy Blog

Brian Tracy has been consulted by more than 1,000 companies and has addressed more than 5 million people in talks and seminars worldwide to help them achieve their goals. Serious pedigree! I have discovered Brian Tracy thanks to his famous quotes about inspiration and personal development. But his blog will also give you tips for achieving your business, professional and personal goals.

15. Think Simple Now

Success in life is challenging. It requires patience, hard work and persistence. However, that doesn’t mean it’s complicated. Quite the contrary instead. This is what Think Simple Now want to teach its readers: understand that life is really simple. Tina Su founded the site, which consistently provides people with motivational and practical advice that we can actually apply to our daily life to live simply and happily.

16. The Art of Non-Conformity

Be extraordinary and battle against conventional beliefs. If you want to reach your full potential, the Art of Non-Conformity Blog by Chris Guillebeau will help you do remarkable things. This site is a home for unconventional people who want to do that little extra. It’s smart and original, we like it. The blog focuses essentially on life, work and travel. The site also shares stories of how to change the world by achieving personal goals while helping others at the same time.

17. Prolific Living

Prolific Living’s mission is to help you unlock your creative genius and live your dream life. Farnoosh Brock, the founder of this site, wants you to live your truth, breathe it, and share it with the world without being afraid or ashamed. So if you want to be empowered, unlock the power within you, and achieve your life’s goals, check it out.

18. The Change Blog

The Change Blog was created by Peter Clemens. It’s a community blog that publishes stories from people about personal change. In other words, the blog is about the stories of different people who will inspire you to make change, find happiness and meaning in life. So if you want to start changing your life and become the best you can be, the Change Blog should be in your bucket list.

19. Becoming Minimalist

The clutter in your home (physical) and in your life (mental) distract you from reaching your personal goals. Society seems to tell you that being is having. That makes you blind to the most important pursuits in your life. Minimalism is the realization that actually less is more. Joshua Becker will show you in his blog how to get rid of the noise and clutter in our lives to discover what our heart truly desires.

20. Four Hour Work Week

Timothy Ferriss has been listed as one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People”. He has written hugely popular self-help books like The Four-Hour Workweek or The Four-Hour Chef. His has a lively and addictive writing style, made with a patchwork of tips, personal anecdotes, useful resources, and basic philosophy. The blog explores some of his ideas on designing the life you want, not working too much and building skills in no time. Have a look!

There you are. I hope that you have found something there that will guide you on your way to personal development and excellence. If you know or find any other self-help blogs that are inspiring and help us achieve our goals in life, feel free to share them in the comments below.

Of course, don’t forget to follow the goalmap blog where you will find the inspiration you need all along the way to reaching your life goals: reflections and tips on personal development, success stories from our goal-oriented community, reviews of books we found particularly helpful, etc. Our focus is on goals, goals and goals!

You can also download the goalmap app that will help you set and reach your life goals.

L’article 20 Self-Help Blogs That Will Inspire You to Achieve Your Goals in Life est apparu en premier sur Bien-être au travail, prévention santé et sécurité en entreprise.

If you are determined to achieve high productivity and reach your life’s goals, should you simply avoid social media or could you leverage it to your advantage?

To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one’s family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one’s own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.

Buddha

First, the dark side of social media

If you check out this interesting infographic on “why social media can be bad for your health“, you’ll find out among other things that:

• Social media is a massive time drain for many people;
• It affects self-esteem;
• It disturbs sleep;
• Social is very self-centered.

The list could go on and on; but you probably know all of this and even have experienced it first-hand. We have already discussed the topic of time drain in another blog post on watching television. It’s obvious: how much can you really achieve while on your smartphone broadcasting yourself and flattering your ego?

Well, we’re perhaps getting a little cynical here. So let’s try and find out if there is more to it than just vanity and wasting time.

Then, the bright side

So let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater! First, social media can only be harmful when you let it be so. If you use it with discipline, you will make it your tool, and won’t become the tool yourself. Don’t forget, you’re the master. Once again, it’s all about self-control. Don’t eat the marshmallow!

Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.

Jim Rohn

Social media can have many benefits when used appropriately. We are social animals after all and rely a lot on each other to learn and teach, collaborate and share work, defend ourselves from danger, care after the more fragile ones, etc.

Here are some of the positive facets of social media:

• It helps you stay in touch with people you care about. Perhaps not the first circle -we hope you give them news directly-, but the second one which is also fairly important (it’s called “the strength of weak ties”; watch here a good and short video about it).
• It allows you to encourage your friends when they need it or get support when you need a boost yourself to drag you to the finish line.
• It allows you to encourage your friends when they need it or get support when you need a boost yourself to drag you to the finish line.
• It allows you also to ask questions, learn useful things and share stuff that will benefit your network.
• It gives you that nice little gratification when you share a meaningful achievement with others and get a pat on the back.
• It helps spread the inspiration to do remarkable things.

And finally, some practical advice

To harness the power of social media to your advantage, consider the following tips:

• Social media doesn’t come first. It only comes after your more important to-dos are done. Have regular days completely off social media.
• Be mindful of your time, don’t waste it (perhaps you should fix a limit for the time you spend on social media, e.g., one hour a week).
• Don’t use social media to brag or complain (and please don’t share pictures of each and every meal you have!).
• Choose the right communities. Join social media platforms (or sub-groups within these social media platforms) that are related to your aspirations.
• Avoid associating yourself with “negative” people. Connect instead with those who inspire or motivate you.
• Consider goal-oriented social platforms such as runkeeper (running), mapmyfitness (fitness training), loseit (weight loss), busuu (language learning), and of course Goalmap (everything).
• Stay focused. There is a lot of noise on social media, avoid the information overload. Just get and give what is useful.

There are many things of which a wise man might wish to be ignorant.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Just like money, social media isn’t the root of all evils. It can be harmful if used pointlessly, and powerful when levered smartly. If you get sucked into it and become a social media puppet, it will be the root of many failures. If instead you’re the master and make social media your puppet, it will be one of the most powerful weapons in your self-actualization arsenal.

Other articles you might like on our blog:

Smash your TV (how to boost your personal growth) 

We hope these rules will help you progress on your self-realization journey. If you struggle with any of the steps we discussed here, let us know, we will be happy to clarify things, focus on a particular aspect, or even discuss “case studies” with actual goals you have difficulties to handle.

To help you set and track your goals, feel free to try our app Goalmap, it’s free ! Goal setting and tracking will have a way larger impact on your life than any other activity which takes less than three minutes a day.

L’article Is social media bad for your personal development? est apparu en premier sur Bien-être au travail, prévention santé et sécurité en entreprise.

As part of some research I recently performed on a TV broadcasting business, I came across this awful statistics: people in Europe spend on average c. 3 hours a day watching TV. In the US, it’s more than 5 hours. How dreadful! And I will tell you why: TV is bad for your personal development – and here is why!

Let’s take 4 hours as the mid-point number. Assuming 8 hours of sleep per day, people spend 25% of their time awake in front of their TV set. Let’s go further: assuming 8 hours of work and 2 hours of logistics / eating / etc., people waste two thirds of their potentially useful time like couch potatoes.

Stop watching TV instead of investing in your personal development!

These calculations are approximate but you get the point why it is so bad for your personal development: TV is a time drain, an evil magnet, your worst enemy. So here is a most basic but crucial advice for personal growth: Throw your TV away! Don’t even think of giving this poisoned gift to someone you like. Just throw it away! Or put it on ebay and with the proceeds buy a pair of sneakers, tickets to a concert for your family, or a few good books.

I don’t own a TV, I don’t have time for that. Life is too precious and I respect it too much for wasting it purposelessly. I want to design my own, not live it by proxy or get lobotomized by the idiot box. How many times have you said or thought: “I would love to do this but I don’t have the time.”? If you watch TV, no excuse, you’re just lying to yourself.

TV is gone? Next step: your personal development!

With the hours I save from the little demon, I invest in myself, I indulge in challenging and fulfilling activities. 4 hours a day is 28 hours a week, which is the time I need to learn a new language (3 hours a week), stay fit and prepare for a race (6 sessions or 8 hours a week), play guitar and sing (3 hours a week), meditate (1 hour), read books (3 hours) and work on a side project (10 hours).

These are just personal examples. You can as well learn how to cook, write a blog, do yoga, spend quality time with your kids or engage in any other constructive activity. Push yourself and develop new skills. Bring flow to your life. You’ll feel regenerated and gratified while “easy pleasures” like watching TV don’t induce long-lasting happiness; they actually make you depressed.

Craft the life you want. Create, don’t consume content. Don’t waste your time passively. It won’t help you rest, it will make you more tired. Build positive habits with the time that you set free. You will bring meaning to your life and will soon reap the fruits of these activities you do repeatedly: reading will refine your judgment; exercising will make your body lean; learning how to cook will enchant your friends!

The main idea we wanted to share with you here is that climbing the ladders of personal growth and reaching your full potential is as much about the things you don’t do than it is about the things you do. Get rid of everything purposeless in your life, clean your personal space and make room for new things, meaningful activities that you choose.

Climbing the ladders of personal growth and reaching your full potential is as much about the things you don’t do than it is about the things you do.

So go for it: smash your TV! Crush your self-destructive habits and start your personal revolution. Wake up, dust off your dreams and become who you are.

At Goalmap, we have created a free self-development platform for the people who share this philosophy of life. It allows you to set and track all your goals, both positive (e.g., exercise 3 times a week) and negative (e.g., don’t watch TV more than 1 hour per week). If we’ve convinced you that watching too much TV is bad for your health, you can join and personalize the goal “Watch less TV“ See you soon on goalmap!

L’article Why TV is bad for your personal development est apparu en premier sur Bien-être au travail, prévention santé et sécurité en entreprise.

“The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.” – Confucius

Becoming the best person one can be is definitely the smartest move one can make, for oneself as well as others. We may have all it takes to become a famous writer, a world class athlete, an incredible parent or an iconic entrepreneur. We all have powerful talents within ourselves. But how to unlock them in order to reach our maximum potential and achieve greatness in life?

Discover our true self
Our self is the starting point, the base to all our endeavours, the beginning as well as the end of the self-development path. It is therefore crucial that we get mindful of who we are, what we are good at, where we want to go, and what makes us happy. Let’s allocate some of our time for self-reflection and come back to it on a regular basis.

Discovering our deep aspirations is an essential step on the path to reaching our full potential. Clear aspirations are easily turned into goals, and goals into actions.

Explore and make experiments
We need to make choices. Jack of all trades, master of none. Of course, we may not get it right the first time. Nothing to worry about, these choices are not irreversible. So if you’re still unsure about the path you should take to reach your best self, get ready for some experimentations. Step out of your comfort zone, visit new places, meet new people, try new activities. See what you get out of it, how you feel, and iterate: you’ll soon find what makes you really tick.

Get a plan
Once we find more about our passions and deep aspirations, we should get an action plan. You want to play rock on stage in front of thousands of people? Then perhaps you should get a guitar, learn of to read tabs, take singing lessons, practice two or three hours a day, get in touch with people to form a band with, and so on. Be specific, quantify your targets, have clear deadlines. If you need a tool or methodology to define clear goals, use goalmap.

“A goal is a dream with a deadline.” – Napoleon Hill

Start somewhere
With your ultimate goal(s) in mind, start walking towards it, step by step. You’re not going to be slamming on a hysterical crowd of fans on day 1. If you think it’s going to be easy, think otherwise. It will sometimes feel like your goal is frustratingly far. Don’t freak out! Remember that it’s just normal. One step at a time – focus on the task at hand. Every champion was once an amateur, and any great endeavor started with a first step.

Get rid of distractions
If we don’t channel our energy, it will dissipate all around in meaningless pursuits. In other words: keep your eyes on the prize! We talked about choices earlier; choosing is focusing. Forget what does not matter. Your time and energy are limited resources, and hence are precious. Don’t waste them on unnecessary things. Less is more.

“It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.” – Bruce Lee

Be consistent
Forget the magic potion, there is no shortcut to optimizing your life. It’s a long road ahead. One must be persistent and walk day in, day out. As we do things repeatedly, they become habits, they get ingrained into our subconscious and become who we are.

There will be setbacks on the way. Don’t use them as excuses to back out. Use them as challenges to test and reinforce your will.

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas A. Edison

If you’ve enjoyed reading this article, share it with your friends and spread the love on social media

More articles on the goalmap blog that you might like:

• 20 Blogs that will Inspire you to Achieve your Goals in Life
• Why Everyone Needs a Goal Map – yeah, including you
• 20 Motivations Quotes to Push You Further
• How to overcome yourself and become the best you can be

See you soon on goalmap – All your life goals in one place

L’article The Long and Winding Road to Your Full Potential est apparu en premier sur Bien-être au travail, prévention santé et sécurité en entreprise.

Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment.

Data acquisition is not new to mankind. In the ancient times, the kings were already acquiring vital information from prophets, royal counselors, and fortune tellers to make better decisions for achieving longevity, prosperity and power.

In today’s era of social media, apps and wearable tech, technology makes personal data easily available and accessible. As an alternative to consulting fortune tellers, we can now leverage the Internet of things to acquire intelligent data and improve the quality of our lives.

That’s why millions of people have already joined the “quantified self” movement: using data acquisition to gain self knowledge and control over our lives. By utilizing wearable self-trackers like the Nike Fuel, the Jawbone Up or the Fitbit products, we can track some of our personal activities and acquire vast amount of data on ourselves.

But can these tech wonders really enhance our lives and make us happier? Will they really give us answers or will they only lead to more questions and confusion?

Quantified self is just the how, not the why

With so much data around us, it’s easy to get lost and information overload is always around the corner. You have to know first to what end you are using data. Self-tracking shouldn’t be an end in itself, it’s only a means to an end. A map won’t be of much use if you don’t know where you want to go. It helps you answer the question “How can I get there?” “Where am I going?” and “Why am I going there?” are questions you have to answer for yourself. Once you have the goal (you can always adjust it later), use data to track it and get there. If you thus harness the power of data rather than being harnessed by data, you can certainly lead stronger, smarter and better lives!

Quantified self gives you a clear picture of yourself

As an aspiring runner, I track my running activities to see where I truly stand and whether or not I am progressing. I use mobile apps like Runkeeper to track the distance I run, my pace, calories burned, and other quantified data I try to analyze to improve my performance. I also input these data in goalmap (goalmap is the platform we have developed to track and reach all goals in our lives).

This helps me get a clear idea of my current fitness level. Self-tracking tools and platforms provide us with accurate quantified feedback on ourselves. It’s like facing a mirror. This self-awareness is a key stepping stone on the path to personal excellence and reaching our full potential.

Dig within. Within is the wellspring of Good; and it is always ready to bubble up, if you just dig.

Marcus Aurelius (Roman Emperor from 161 to 180)

The social power of quantified self

Although quantified self is about oneself, it leverages the power of social media to bring together like-minded people to unite, challenge, motivate and help each other achieve their goals in life.

The quantified self movement is not only about self-tracking technology but also about leveraging the community for the personal development of all members thanks to tips, comments, encouragements and statistics.

By joining a lively community in which you’ll have a chance to interact with peers who are also on a quest to improving their lives, you’ll get the boost you may need to kick off your personal development campaigns or the support you may require later when your motivation falters.

Conquer yourself

Your fiercest enemy is the closest to you: it’s you! You have to overcome yourself, overcome complacency and tame this voice in your head that wonders why you should go for a run when it’s raining outside.

The true battles happen within ourselves. Self-tracking gives you the weapons you need for that fight. It provides intelligence on yourself to better challenge yourself.

If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self.

Napoleon Hill

Are you using any self-tracking platform to achieve your personal goals? Feel free to share your own experience and tell us how it helps you rock your life.

More article on the Goalmap blog about “quantified self”:

• 5 reasons to start tracking your life immediately
• Why everyone needs a goal map, yeah, including you

Start tracking your activities on Goalmap. Tracking will have a way larger impact on your life than any other activity which takes less than three minutes a day. Check what our #lifegoals look like.

L’article Quantified self: how self-tracking technology can improve your life est apparu en premier sur Bien-être au travail, prévention santé et sécurité en entreprise.