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Assertiveness can sometimes be misconstrued or at least thats what I think.  I maninly come from a customer service background and have always been brought up with the age old ‘customer is always right’ motto.

So having recently moved to a slightly different role where it is more about explaining rationale to a client or debating and resolving issues with them, there is a definite need for beeing more assertive in the approach to the ‘customer’.

I suppose in some ways I have found this very strange, as there are times when i listen to colleagues almost arguing with clients as they attempt to get their point across.

It leads me to ask the question; when does assertiveness become arrogance ??

What would you say is more important or do they both a have a significant role to play in the world of self improvement ?

Short term goals can be very much about attempting to achieve a task, gain new business or simply pass a probationary period.  These will all be crucial and when you sit back and look at them, what you will probably find is that short term goals actually contribute to long term goals.

It may be that your long term goal is to gain a promotion, or enough experience that will allow you to succeed in applying for what you see as a better job.

I would say what is really important about goal setting though is that you are realistic with the, whilst still challenging, as there is no point in setting goals that you will constantly fail at.

Jut have a good think next time you sit down and assess yourself, think about what you are actually planning for !!

How many times have you gone to work and started working through the daily churn of things to do and got to end of teh day and felt you hadn’t achieved anything ?

If you spend a little time each day, planning the day out, be it in the form of jobs lists or use of a diary on Outlook, then you should find your day get easier.

By breaking the day up into sectors and knowing what you have to get done, then you will find that getting tasks complete is achievable and you will function better either individually or as part of a team.

I think one of the biggest things when looking at yourself is knowing your strengths and weaknesses.  Many a business/marketing plan will involve what is known as a SWOT analysis which helps form the structure of the whole plan.  SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.

But have you ever considered doing a SWOT analysis on yourself as a self improvement tool ?

By doing this it can allow you to identify what you are good at, but also areas that you need to improve on or may need extra guidance within the workplace.

I think its quite important that should feel confident to go and ask for help, should you ever feel you are in a position where you aren’t able to fulfill what is required of you at work.  It is better to aks for assistance than to end up in a situation that is worse.

OK, so its a new year and all that.  You have sat down and set yourself various goals, that deep down you know you would like to achieve but probably won’t.  Well maybe it’s worth thinking a little differently or ‘outside the box’, so to say.

We all have plans to improve aspects of our lives, be it weight loss, career, personal finance or relationships to name a few.  But how many times do you look back and see the same pattern of failure occurring ?

I have been reading various ‘management’ books that give different techniques that can be applied to both work and personal life.  The biggest one I have managed to use has been to change the way I think about things.  Too often we will approach different sorts of tasks with the same attitude and then wonder why we don’t achieve.  By assessing each task and employing a different method, then potentially we will lead ourselves to success.

Think about it next time you start something new !!

At some point in life, one will look at ways in which one can improve themselves. This can be the result of several types of different experiences that one goes through in their life (i.e. physical fitness, failing at something, general opinions to certain matters etc).

The idea of self improvement is for an individual to further develop a part of themselves that either they believe needs improving or they have been told needs improving. Since no-one can be perfect, one trying their best to improve themselves is the least of what can be done. The type of improvement is usually based on one’s norms and values, for example, an overweight person may believe a diet is a good way of self improvement. Secondly, an individual who smokes may believe quitting is a good way to change their health for the better, and by doing so, is self improving. Thirdly, an individual may feel the need for self improvement because of an event that occurred in their lives, for example, a near death-experience may cause an individual to look on their life and examine where they might have been wrong. Everyone at a time in their life will feel the need to improve. Calendars can be used to check up on the way the improvement is going.

How many of us are guilty of not voicing our opinion? Or there are those of us out there who have two personas, as work and a persona. When at work your confidence and ability to say what you want and feel are not an issue, but when it comes to our personal lives we compromise too often to keep other people happy or avoid conflict even if this means feeling unhappy ourselves.

Being upfront and honest with yourself and therefore others will relieve so much pressure and stress, not only on relationships but your own well-being. You will also find that others will respect you more and will be in-turn more honest with you once you really start to open up.

Who is guilty of saying ‘I’ll do that tomorrow’ or ‘I’ll call you at the weekend’?

Don’t put things off or leave chores until later, act on the moment you will appreciate it in the end. Imagine a week of putting things on to the ‘tomorrow’ list, by the end of the week the list would be massive, your stress levels would be high and you would have no time for yourself. Develop your own ‘to do’ list and prioritise things you have to do, it will also act as a reminder so you don’t forget to call your brother or send those birthday cards!

Remember – Don’t put off until tomorrow what you could do today!

The phrase ‘a change is as good as a rest’ is a good motto to follow when it comes to self-improvement. So try to do something different each day…and it doesn’t need to be too drastic!

You could try to eat different foods, perhaps something you have tried before…I never ate fish until 1 year ago and now I can’t get enough of it!

Perhaps go to a different restaurant or bar, try a drink different drink when you are out, wear something that you wouldn’t normally wear, even if it is just a hat and look to other people for inspiration!

It is all too easy to get sucked into work and feel overwhelmed with workload and the pressure to achieve. It is especially difficult nowadays as competition for jobs is on the up and the need to succeed and not give your employer an excuse to find fault or measure you against a colleague, is at the forefront of most employees minds.

But, you need to take time out and take a break to allow you to focus on the tasks you have to complete. Eat your lunch away from your desk as it aids digestion and stops you rushing your food and take a break throughout the day by making a cup of tea or go or chatting to a colleague.

Give yourself a break and take a break, you will find that you will feel refreshed and be able to think clearly.