Career Uncovered

This is a very motivational interview of Ashraf Chaudhry writer of book “The Craft of Selling Yourself” published on bayt.com. The interview is very enthusiatic and is a fit match with the philosophy of Manage to Rise. It is a worth reading interview.
1. Best career advice I ever got: I was in 7th grade, when I read the translation of Dale Carnegie’s classic “How to Win Friends and Influence People”. I learnt that throughout our whole life, we are in the ‘selling’ profession. The function of ‘selling’ starts with first cry for milk by the baby and it just goes on. When you opt to roll out your professional career, you are in the ‘selling’ business all the way. You sell your ideas to your colleagues; you sell proposals to your boss; you sell budgets to finance; you sell stumbling blocks to yourself as stepping stones. I am incredibly lucky that I got this career advice in my childhood from no less than Dale Carnegie. When you take yourself as a salesperson rather than as an employee, your approach towards career in particular and towards life in general is very different. You take everybody as your prospect. You remain on auto-networking mode all the time. You look for avenues within the organization as well as outside where you are able to sell your ideas. By selling ideas, you create value-addition possibilities. The more valuable you are to the organization, the bigger price tag you will put on your services. That is how you scale the heights of career.
2. Favorite Job task I ever had to do: Writing The Craft of Selling “YOURSELF” was one of the most favorite “job tasks” I ever had to do in life. There is a very thought-provoking dialogue in the movie The Rookies, that is something like: “It is fine to do what you want to do, but sooner or later you have to do what you were meant to do”. I believe I have been designed to share my life experiences with others and to impact people’s lives with life-changing trainings and writings. This is what I am meant to do. It is a great discovery. When I decided in August 2008 to “retire” at the age of 38 from a 9 to 5 safe and comfortable job to start my own entrepreneurial venture of changing people’s lives by challenging their disempowering and limiting beliefs, as a first step to long journey I started writing The Craft of Selling “YOURSELF”. I was not a professional writer but I discovered that I am passionate writer. I wrote my book in 21 days! It was launched in Pakistan in November 2008 and soon it was approved by a US publisher. Last month, it was published in USA. Now the book is available at Amazons (USA, UK, Germany, Japan and France).
3. Most dreaded job task I ever had to do: Once in my career, I made a wrong choice of working for some marketing research company. I accepted the offer without doing sufficient reconnaissance on that organization. Late sittings for one day or for one week is acceptable but if it is culture of the company to retain employees till 11 pm and even beyond is no less than slavery. I worked for that company for a few months and I still recall that experience as nightmare.
4. Best career decision ever made: I think going on the entrepreneurial flight is the best career decision I ever made. I am achieving three objectives. First, my working hours are very flexible. I give more time to my family now. I have independence. I am my own boss. Second, I enjoy what I am doing. I don’t take my job as ‘assigned’ or monotonous drudgery. I am my job and job is me. Third, I am impacting people’s lives positively.”
5. Weirdest career decision ever made: Going for a ‘9 to 5’ safe job after MBA. Had I started my business soon after graduation, I would have been at a different place today. It was the weirdest thing to go for fixed salary while Almighty’s universe is vast and unlimited. I think one should be in the hot pursuit of one’s passion. The Rest of things follow automatically.
6. My Biggest Professional Challenge: Trainings are normally taken as expense by the companies instead of investments. In current times of economic meltdown, business organizations have come very hard on training budgets. As a trainer, it is the biggest challenge to stay sustainable in the business, but I am quite optimistic that the current recession is not going to last forever. Things will take the u-turn soon.
7. Icons who have influenced my career progression/Role Models: I take inspiration from people like Anthony Robbins, Stephen Covey and Bob Urichuck. Anthony Robbins is my real role model. He is the man who despite no formal higher education has impacted lives of millions with his seminars, motivational tapes and books. In Pakistan, Abdul Sattar Edhi is an icon and a living legend. Despite no formal education, only with dedication and deliverance, he has erected an empire of philanthropic services. I have literally seen him in Karachi holding sack in his hands on roadside and people making queues to give him donations. It is incredible!
8. Most recommended readings (Websites, books) for people interested in my field of work/ industry: “Awaken the Giant Within” by Anthony Robbins and “The Greatest Salesman in the World” by Og Mandino are the two books that every professional must read for personal and professional enrichment.
9. In another life, my perfect job would be: To enable and empower unfortunate children to lead lives of abundance and prosperity.
10. A successful career thought/ motto that I live by (and advise others to consider): Life is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Whatever you think and perceive consistently, manifests in life. Human beings become what they predominantly think. If you think you are genius, you will become. If you think abundance, you will get abundance. If you think scarcity, ultimately scarcity will be your fate. So one must choose one’s thoughts very carefully because thoughts finally become reality.

KNOCKING DOWN YOUR HEART FOR SPIRTUAL RISE

One thing is for sure that experiencing lasting happiness without having a healthy spirit is not possible. Therefore you can not take this part of your life for granted which is the mistake majority of us made. The gifts you may get from spiritual rise such as lasting happiness, eternal peace are not time bounded and remain in the life forever and continue even in the Hereafter.

Face shows reflection of our inside. You can not be happy and peaceful unless have a peaceful inside which means has a healthy spirit. Opening up of heart is critical to rejuvenating of spirit. Below are few keys to knocking down your heart to opening up your doors to spiritual rise.

1. Purity: Make your heart pure and void of love for earthly possessions. Don't be a slave of your desires.Do it with enjoyment and without any burden to your soul. Get out of narrow circle of egocentricism and enters into oceanic consciousness.
2. Love: When you are actively pouring love into what you are doing, this will guarantee that you are opening yourself to experiencing more of it.
3. Trust yourself: Listen to your institution that little voice inside yourself and know that this comes from heart. That little voice is the only pure thing which is a gift of nature. Go through the experience of super consciousness – a state of mind where you can observe things with a brain set empty of all other thoughts at that moment.
4. Follow what your intuition tells you: If you don't pay attention, that little voice gets fainter and fainter until you can no longer hear it.
5. Change the way you think: get yourself free from false ego. Think of things in broader perspective.
6. Limit your association with negative people: Some people view world in negative terms. This does not mean that they are bad people but avoid meeting them on regular basis as their sour outlook shall start effecting you.
7. Believe in yourself. When you are backed by a strong belief in yourself and your dreams, nothing is impossible.
8. Read something Inspirational: It will inspire you to take actions. The taking of actions, no matter how small, will fill you with inspiration for taking the next step.
9. Prayers: without the will of getting yourself pure, pursuit of spiritual rise is useless. Seeking God’s help and prayers every sec of time can ultimately elevate you in spiritual level.

Once your heart gets pure and achieve spiritual rise, you shall start feeling changes in your life which can be seen through indicators such as reviving of strong ethical values, less love for earthly stuff, strong sense of caring others, muscular feeling of lasting happiness, and clarity in vision and goals of life.

Manage to Rise! Through Mood Swings from Bad to Good

In my view, a good mood is foundation of all good things to come and helps manage to rise in areas of life that are most important to you.No one can live a long and healthy life without the will to go on; the shape and structure of life is in your hands and does not depend on the circumstances. A bad mood not only gives you a gloomy outlook, it also lowers your ability to excel in professional, social, personal and spiritual disciplines of life.

Sometimes changing mood from bad to good can make us feel that life is too much for us. You can stay perky only by good mood even people around you are depressed and you can make difference in others lives. Researchers come up with several ways to swing your mood but here are some simple suggestions to boost your mood, lift your spirit, and improve your health.

1. Laughing

Without a doubt, joyful people live longer and healthier lives and can make a difference for others. Laughter and joy helps boost your mood. You can swing your mood from bad to good by reading your favorite books, share quality time with your friends/family, watch your favorite comedies, and laugh it up!

2. Hugs - No doubt has Magical Effects

Having a sense of love for your family, colleagues, loved one and human fellow, helps the mind as well as spirit. Human touch generates the positive energies in body and results in boosting your mood. So give your family, parents, kids hug and feel both of your moods improve.

3. Breathing
The breathing practices provide a link between mind and body and help release of tension and reduction of stress. Breathing is a great way to clear your mind, boost your energy, and improve your mood. Practice deep, slow, rhythmic, breathing daily with mind-body disciplines such as, yoga, and meditation.

4. Smell the Joy

Smell has a definite impact on our bodies and minds. This concept is instrumental to philosophy of aromatherapy, which recommends such as treating depression with smell of jasmine etc. Keeping bunch of flowers at your workplace or home can shower fragrance in the air and can help in boosting your mood.

5. Relation with Flowers

Colorful flowers has a powerful influence on moods. There is a reason that flowers are the traditional get-well gesture. Developing a daily relation with flowers can uplift a mood and even combat stress.

I hope these tips help the good feelings flow! Good mood is critical to success and happiness in life and making a difference for others. May you live long, strong, and happy!

Managing Fallout of Mistakes

Everyone does mistakes on account of various reasons but the way of dealing with the fallout of the mistake is important. During my work experience, I met people of different background and natures, some have nature to get very defensive after doing mistakes and some simply don’t care of doing it.
Different researchers and management coaches have suggested simple ways to follow, if you have realized your mistake, to deal with the fallout?
Here are few steps to follow:
1. To tell your boss/friend/spouse/whoever does, about mistake as soon as possible. A proactive attitude helps to deal with the fallout.
2. Communicate clearly that you know what you did, and that you understand the repercussions of your error. People want to feel that you understand why they’re annoyed on you. Admitting your fault really helps to give way for contribution of others in fixing error.
3. Be not defensive on yourself. If they see that you’re really sorry, they may even try to console you. That will help strengthen your relationship.
4. Assure that it won’t happen again. This is how; they’ll know you’ve put some thought into it.
5. Accept the consequences. Whatever it is, accept it without objection. If you really think your punishment was too harsh, address it later when cooler heads will prevail.
6. Go the extra mile. Don’t only correct your mistake, go one better. If you were late for a meeting, start being the first one there. If your work was shoddy, make sure it’s flawless and done ahead of schedule in the future.

Everyone make the mistakes as long as you don’t make it a regular habit. If you don’t manage the mistakes maturely then it further complicates the things. People will forgive you, especially when you handle it well.

Wanna to Manage a High Performance by keeping good Physical Health?

This is very first time, I am posting an article on HEALTH with an objective to improve our association with it by following very simple steps everyday. It will help to enhance our performance in other parts of life as well.

If you don't have your health, you don't have anything." Most people would agree with this statement. And that opens the door to feed a health improving thoughts in our mind.

A new study published in the British Medical Journal of 20,000 British folks shows that you can cut your risk of having a stroke in half by doing the following four things: being active for 30 minutes a day, eating five daily servings of fruit and vegetables, and avoiding cigarettes and excess alcohol. Luckily, I do more or less all and what about you? I read an article on health written by Dr. Deborah Kotz on Yahoo Health, Where he explains few habits to adopt for longer and better living. I almost follow sixty to seventy percent of these habits and now has committed myself to implements all of them.

1. Don't retire. "Evidence shows that in societies where people stop working abruptly, the incidence of obesity and chronic disease skyrockets after retirement," says Luigi Ferrucci, director of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. So guys keep up working and make yourself busy in healthy activities.
2. Floss every day. That may help keep your arteries healthy. A 2008 New York University study showed that daily flossing reduced the amount of gum-disease-causing bacteria in the mouth. This bacteria is thought to enter the bloodstream and trigger inflammation in the arteries, a major risk factor for heart disease. Other research has shown that those who have high amounts of bacteria in their mouth are more likely to have thickening in their arteries, another sign of heart disease. People should floss twice a day to get the biggest life expectancy benefits.
3. Move around. "Exercise is the only real fountain of youth that exists," says Jay Olshansky, a professor of medicine and aging researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "It's like the oil and lube job for your car and benefits of exercise to improve your mood, mental acuity, balance, muscle mass, and bones by simply walking around the neighborhood or local mall for about 30 minutes a day.
4. Eat a fiber-rich cereal for breakfast. Getting a serving of whole-grains, especially in the morning, appears to help older folks maintain stable blood sugar levels throughout the day.
5. Get at least six hours of shut-eye. "Sleep is one of the most important functions that our body uses to regulate and heal cells," says Ferrucci. "We've calculated that the minimum amount of sleep that older people need to get those healing REM phases is about six hours."
6. Consume whole foods, not supplements. Avoid nutrient-lacking white foods (breads, flour, sugar) and go for all those colorful fruits and vegetables and dark whole-grain breads and cereals with their host of hidden nutrients.
7. Be less neurotic. Infuses your worries with a healthy dose of humor, but the rest of us neurotics may want to find a new way to deal with stress: Yoga, exercise, meditation, tai chi, or just deep breathing for a few moments are all good. Ruminating, eating chips in front of the TV,
8. Stay connected. Having regular social contacts with friends and loved ones is key to avoiding depression.
Now get your self committed with health part of your life so you can enjoy true fulfilment in your lifespan. Goodluck!

Perceiving Benefits of Certifications:

Due to increasing challenges in the industries, both the Companies and Professionals have started recognizing the importance and value in the certifications.

Different researchers has reckoned the importance and concluded the following benefits of the Certifications. I hope these would be motivating enough to encourage you for certification.

Benefits of Certifications for Professionals

Global Credentials: Certifications are globally accepted means of establishing as well as assessing the essential set of credentials required for a job.
Increased Skills and Knowledge: Certification holders feel that acquiring a technical certification has made them more confident in their jobs and the work they perform. It improves their problem-solving skills on the job and increased their overall job productivity.
Better Career Opportunities: Getting certified can help enhance career prospects.
Greater Remuneration and Promotions: These are the means for greater remuneration, more challenging job profiles leading to promotions.
Job Security: They provide increased job security.
Respect: Are the means of gaining respect amongst peers and colleagues.
Competence: They are hard evidence to determine the level of competence to perform the tasks assigned or any other tasks to be assigned in future.

Benefits of Certifications for Companies/Organizations:

International Benchmark: They provide the management with an internationally accepted benchmark against which both current and prospective employees can be assessed.
New Market Opportunities: Certifications help organization explore new markets thus broadening their horizons for better market opportunities.
Industry Skill Assessment: Certifications are becoming industry standards skill assessment.
Talent Measurement Tool: They are objective measurements of skills and hence easy to use when it comes to comparing and contrasting the talent pool.
Critical Distinguishing Factor: In some cases it becomes the critical distinguishing factor when candidates have similar skill sets and experience.
Improved Processes: Implementing and practicing industry good and best practices always improves the effectiveness and efficiency of an organization eventually increasing ROI.
Selling Point: Advantage and preference is given for winning contracts and business.

So I will advise don’t wait and think about it. As I have mentioned in my previous posting as one way of going extra mile in your work.

How can you face unexpected Career Opportunities at the eve of Financial Melt?

This is for my friends working in different parts of the world especially UAE, USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, Pakistan and Africa. Sorry in advance if I am missing someone to mention. We are well aware of the fact, the financial melt has affected almost the economies of entire world especially USA from where it was introduced to the rest.

Most of us are facing such giant financial melt very first time during their career, where, we witness thousands of lays-off of employee’s worldwide, low or no increment in the salaries and very limited options of switching elsewhere.

Therefore, unexpected chance and changes are bound to happen. Before it starts worrying you, gear up yourself for these changes by continuing to upgrade your skills and use it to your advantage.

“Chance favors the prepared mind” as put it by Pasteur

From an article by Sandra Hagevik, and three career theorists (Mitchell, Krumboltz, and Levin) make in an article titled "Planned Happenstance: Constructing Unexpected Career Opportunities.", five attitudes are essential to recognizing, creating, and using chance as an opportunity:

1. Curiosity, which will prompt you to explore new learning opportunities;
2. Persistence, which means you exert extra effort despite setbacks;
3. Flexibility, which enables you to change attitudes and circumstances;
4. Optimism, which will allow you to view new opportunities as possible and attainable; and
5. The willingness to take risks, which will enable you to act in the face of uncertainty.

Therefore, get recognize the value in the change and adapt them by initiating actions to convert them into opportunities for growth. Wishing you a very goodluck and God bless you in your personal and professional lives during this tough time.

How can you go extra mile in your work?

To give always best in your field, you need to develop a mechanism of good practices and require re-engineering of your life in the following habits.

1. Get knowledge through reading. The best habit is to start focusing selectively on books, articles, and essays that pertain to your industry. You don’t need much time to spend and it requires may be just few minutes to an hour a day. It is knowledge that gives you a solid foundation to excel.

2. Investing in you. When you find a meaningful training program, courses or certifications pertains to your field, get a habit to invest some time and money in it.

3. Going to seminars and attending conferences. This is how you get the opportunity to listen renowned speakers in your industry. You may also find friends from the same industry.

5. Have a mentor. They help you with their knowledge and experience during awkward situations. Closely observe the experts as they know something extra which you don’t. It will help you learn the secrets of their success.

6. Study inspirational books. They will help you motivate for the better and will recharge you with a positive energy. Trust me it really helps.

7. Develop social and professional network. It will help you to find someone to solve your problem and it also helps to open up new avenues.

8. Be giving to your colleagues. Contribute to their knowledge building and well beings. Be humble and honest under all circumstances. When people feel that they do well with you, it builds a relation of trust and confidence on you and they come back with more opportunities.

9. God be as your partner. Encourage yourself to make God be as your partner and everything will come together. I will write some time later in detail exclusively in this area.

10. Monitoring. Keep on monitoring your performance and evaluate if your colleagues have started realizing your rise.

I wish goodluck all the readers and remember the key to success is start from today and remain persistent.

Manage to Rise

PHILOSIPHY of Mange to Rise:

The most interesting thing about life is the possibility of coming dream true. This is awesome to imagine that something you have wanted your whole life, something that was once a distant vision is now real.

Dreaming and picturing the whole scene in the air that you knew in your hearts, lies not too far away. It takes you believe in yourself, pure intentions, determination, passion, persistence and patience.

MISSION of Mange to Rise:

To help human fellow to improve the physical, mental, spiritual and social dimensions of their life with an objective to get their dreams true.

HOW TO GET IT?

Our life is into relationships with professional, personal and religious domains. The optimal balance of these disciplines invites sustained success into our life. The optimal balance is the point beyond which gain in one can result loose into other discipline for example gain of wealth at the expense of health is state of imbalance among those disciplines.

Developing and following the mechanism of creating balance in life shall help improve our physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social dimensions. This will put our life on a track of success. It doest not happen overnight. Success takes time with your own experiences of achievements and mistakes. The key to success is, if you stick with the track, you will succeed.