5 Reasons People Fail (& What to Do Instead)

These barriers to success are easy to overcome, but only when you know they're there.

Why do some people achieve their goals while others fail? I believe it's because successful people manage to overcome five barriers that, in many cases, guarantee failure. Here are those barriers and how to overcome them:

1. Uninspiring Goals

When most people set goals, they envision a "thing," such as a particular amount of money, an object (like a new car), or a specific achievement (like writing a book). Unfortunately, these "things I'm gonna get or do" goals don't appeal to the core of what motivates you, because they miss the point that what you're actually seeking in life and work is the POSITIVE EMOTIONS that you believe those things will produce.

Fix: Rather than envisioning a "thing" as your goal, envision--with all the strength in your imagination--how you will feel when you achieve the goal. That way, you'll be inspired to do whatever it takes (within legal and ethical bounds) to achieve that goal.

2. Fear of Failure

If you're afraid of failing, you won't take the necessary risks required to achieve your goal. For example, you won't make that important phone call, because you're afraid that you'll be rebuffed. Or you won't quit your dead-end job and start your own business because you're afraid that you might end up without any money.

Fix: Decide--right now!--that failure, for you, is a strictly temporary condition. If things don't go the way you'd like, it's only a setback that, at most, delays your eventual success. In other words, accept the fact that you'll sometimes fail, but treat that failure as an unavoidable (yet vital) component in your quest.

3. Fear of Success

In many ways, this fear is even more debilitating than the fear of failure. Suppose you achieved something spectacular, like enormous wealth. What if it didn't make you happy? What then? What if you ended up losing all of it? What then? Would your friends start acting weird? Would your family be envious? Such thoughts (and they're common) can cause even a highly motivated person to self-sabotage.

Fix: Decide that you're going to be happy and grateful today and happy and grateful in the future, no matter what happens. Rather than focus on possible problems, envision how wonderful it would be to be able to help your friends and family achieve THEIR goals. (Hint: Watch the last season of the TV series Entourage!)

4. An Unrealistic Timetable

Most people vastly overestimate what they can do in a week and vastly underestimate what they can do in a year. Because of this, most people try to cram too many action items into the short term rather than spacing out activities over the long term. The inability to get all the short-term steps accomplished creates discouragement and the impression that the final goal is slipping away.

Fix: As you list the activities and steps required to achieve a goal, schedule only the 20% of the activities that will produce 80% of your results. (I explain more about this in the post The Secret of Time Management.) Beyond that, set ambitious long-term timetables, but always leave some "wiggle room" when you plan short term.

5. Worrying About "Dry Spots"

It's easy to get discouraged when you reach a point at which nothing you do seems to advance you toward your goal. For example, suppose you're trying to master a certain skill. You make swift progress at first but then, after a while, it seems as if you're not doing any better, or maybe a little worse. Some people use these "plateaus" or "dry spots" as an excuse to give up and therefore fail.

Fix: Whenever you reach a plateau or dry spot, it's time to celebrate rather than give up. A plateau is almost always a sign that you're on the brink of a major breakthrough, if you just have the patience to stick with it and trust that you'll eventually achieve your goal.

10 Leadership Practices to Stop Today

If you want to be the best in your industry, you have to get rid of your outdated management style.

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You might not feel it day-to-day, but business management is in a major transition.  The old days of command-and-control leadership are fading in favor of what might be better termed a trust-and-track method, in which people are not just told what to do, but why they are doing it.  More formally, we're moving from what was called "transactional" leadership to "transformative" leadership. And there's no turning back.

Business owners certainly have a long way to go, especially in more established companies where old practices die hard.  But you can see increasing evidence that by creating a company with a clear purpose and values, you'll find your employees connect themselves to something bigger, and that increases productivity.  In other words, a culture of engagement leads to greater customer loyalty, and better financial success.

Here's my list of "old school" practices you ought to chuck, and "new school" practices to champion instead:

1. Out: Micro-management, or the need to control every aspect of your company. In: Empowerment, the ability to give your people some rope--even rope to make mistakes without blame.

2. Out: Management by walking around the office; it is no longer enough to be visible. In: Leadership by watching and listening, engaging in conversation, implementing the ideas presented to you, and distributing the results.

3. Out: Pretending you know everything. You don't have all the answers, so why try to make people think you do?  In: Knowing your leadership team members and trusting them. Choose great people who have the right skills and fit the culture.  And get out of the way.

4. Out: No mistakes, or a "no tolerance policy" some still think works. In: Learning from mistakes, or being the first to admit an error.

5. Out: The balance sheet drives the business, and informs all other decisions. In: People drive the business, boosting customer loyalty, and profit.

6. Out: Job competency is sufficient. Do the job asked, and you'll survive. In: Recruit "A" players who will go the extra mile. They're out there.

7. Out: Invest in technology to increase productivity. In: Invest in people.

8. Out: Demand change; be very specific about what you want and when. In: Nurture change; your people can come up with the best ideas and you can give them credit for it.

9. Out: Fried food in the cafeteria. In: Wellness in the workplace.

10. Out: Incentives; pay employees more money and they'll do more. In: Rewards; being valued matters more than money.

So ask yourself which of these out-of-date practices you're still using. There's no time like now to try something new.

World's Simplest Management Secret

Forget what you learned in those management books. There's really only one way to ensure that everyone on your team excels.

Management books have it all wrong. They all try to tell you how to manage "people."

It's impossible to manage "people"; it's only possible to manage individuals. And because individuals differ from one another, what works with one individual may not work with somebody else.

Some individuals thrive on public praise; others feel uncomfortable when singled out.

Some individuals are all about the money; others thrive on challenging assignments.

Some individuals need mentoring; others find advice to be grating.

The trick is to manage individuals the way that THEY want to be managed, rather than the way that YOU'd prefer to be managed.

The only way to do this is to ASK.

In your first (or next) meeting with each direct report ask:

• How do you prefer to be managed?
• What can I do to help you excel?
• What types of management annoy you?

Listen (really listen) to the response and then, as far as you are able, adapt your coaching, motivation, compensation, and so forth to match that individual's needs.

BTW, a savvy employee won't wait for you to ask; he or she will tell you outright what works. When this happens, you're crazy not to take that employee's advice!

Unfortunately, most individuals aren't that bold, which is why it's up to you to find out how to get the best out of them.

And you'll never get that out of a management book.

There is no one-size-fits-all in a world where everyone is unique.

Manage Your Stress

by Theodore C. Friedman, M.D., Ph.D. and Winnie Yu

Everyone has stress. Whether it's the child who's anxious about an exam or the adult who's struggling to get through a tough job assignment, stress is a normal part of life. It's also not necessarily a bad thing. In small doses, stress can enhance our performance, help us persevere through an emergency, and push us toward higher goals. More important, stress can be essential to our survival.

The problem occurs when the stress is chronic. When you feel stressed out all the time, your health can be affected. For one thing, you might start eating poorly. Not only are you more likely to grab a doughnut than an apple, but you're also less likely to exercise, sleep well, and take care of yourself.

Alert

Many people deal with stress by overeating, which can trigger unwanted weight gain. If that's your pattern, learn to identify the stressors and develop other, nonfood ways for coping, such as calling a friend, taking a walk, or writing in a journal. Make plans to do these things before the stress strikes.

If you have a chronic condition like thyroid disease, you may be less likely to remember your medications, make necessary doctor appointments, and take measures to stay well. And if stress evolves into full-blown depression, which it can, you may adopt a lackadaisical attitude that can interfere with your efforts to stay healthy. That's why learning to manage stress is so important to anyone with a chronic illness.

Minimize Stressful Events

It sounds easy enough, but many people set themselves up for stressful events. They spend time with people they despise, perform tasks they feel resentful doing, and get themselves involved in situations they find distressing.

Changing the way you do things and learning to avoid stressful situations and people can go a long way toward reducing your stress. For instance, if you hate being late for appointments, leave your house a little early. If you can't stand dinner with the in-laws every week, tell your spouse you'd like to come every other week. If you hate your boss, start looking for ways to change jobs. The idea is to identify your stressors and then take actions that make them a lesser part of your life. Sometimes, just taking action can provide relief from the stress, even if change doesn't follow.

Keep Your Perspective

Stress doesn't just come from the actual events that occur in your life. It's also the result of how you perceive an event. For instance, you might find it stressful to plan a vacation. But your best friend might view it as an opportunity to do some armchair traveling. Shifting your thinking to a less stressful mind-set can play a key role in taking control of stress.

Try altering the way you view stressful situations. Maybe you can't give your annoying sister a personality makeover. But you can change the way you think of her.

Try Relaxation Exercises

No matter what you do, you will never completely rid your life of stress. That's where relaxation exercises can help. Making time to relax can make a world of difference in how you feel, mentally, physically, even emotionally. Here are just a few ways to incorporate relaxation into your day.

Take a break with a cup of hot herbal tea.

Go for a short walk with a friend.

Give meditation a try. Even five minutes of mindful breathing can be refreshing.

Take a stretching break every hour or two.

Call a friend who makes you laugh.

Get a massage.

Better Sleep Guidelines

There are simple guidelines that will help you have better sleep tonight. At some point in their lives, for any number of reasons, nearly all Americans will have difficulties sleeping. This can lead to significant distress, but have no fear! There are simple steps to take that will help you to sleep better tonight.

1. Get up and go to bed at the same time every day, even on weekends.
   We are creatures of habit, and our sleep is no exception. By consistently going to bed and getting up at the same time, we condition our body to follow a regular pattern of sleep. This allows our body’s natural clock, called a circadian rhythm, to help initiate and maintain our sleep.
2. Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, cool, and comfortable.
   Studies find that sleeping in a cool environment is most conducive to sleep. By eliminating excess noise and light, we can minimize the disruptions that might wake us up. In addition, the bedroom should be a relaxing place and not a source of stress.
3. Bedrooms are for sleeping and sex, not for watching television or doing work.
   Somehow we have managed to make the bedroom a multipurpose room. All electronics must be removed! Televisions, gaming systems, computers, telephones, and various other gadgets are stimulating and disruptive to sleep. Don’t allow them in your bedroom and don’t use them in the brief period before going to bed. Even the small amount of light from a computer screen in the evening hours can stimulate your brain into thinking it is time to be awake. Moreover, do not use the bedroom to do work as these activities are likewise stimulating and will disrupt your sleep.
4. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine 4-6 hours before bedtime.
   Caffeine can be found in expected places like coffee, soda pop, or tea, but also in unexpected foods like chocolate. As a stimulant it will keep you awake, even if used nearly six hours before bed. Likewise, nicotine will disrupt your sleep. And contrary to common practice, an alcoholic “nightcap” can actually make your sleep worse. Though it may cause you to become drowsy, alcohol fragments the stages of your sleep and makes it more disrupted.
5. Don’t take naps.
   The period of time that you are awake adds to something called “sleep drive.” The longer we stay awake, the more we want to go to sleep. By taking a nap we can relieve this desire to sleep, but it will also make it less likely that we will be able to easily go to sleep later. Adults should have a consolidated period of sleep at night without additional naps. If there is excessive daytime sleepiness and desire to nap, in spite of adequate sleep time, this might suggest a sleep disorder warranting further evaluation.
6. Exercise every day, but avoid doing it 4 hours before bedtime.
   Staying active and physically fit is an excellent way to ensure a good night’s sleep. However, exercise too close to bedtime may actually cause difficulties in getting to sleep as your body will still be revved up.
7. Develop sleep rituals which include quiet activities, such as reading, 15 minutes before bedtime.
   Just like we maintain for children, adults need daily sleep rituals prior to going to bed to allow us to unwind and mentally prepare for going to sleep. These rituals should include quiet activities such as reading, listening to relaxing music, or even taking a nice bath.
8. If you are having trouble getting to sleep, don’t struggle in bed or you will train yourself to have difficulties there.
   Individuals who have difficulty initiating sleep often toss and turn in bed and try to force sleep to come. As this is repeated, night after night, this sets up a situation where we associate our bed with the anxiety of not being able to sleep. If you are unable to get to sleep within 15 minutes, go to another quiet place and lie down until you feel ready to fall asleep, and then return to your bedroom to sleep.
9. Avoid eating or drinking in the few hours right before going to bed, as these might lead to disruptions of your sleep.
   Discomfort with heartburn or acid reflux as well as needing to get up multiple times to urinate can be very disruptive to a good night’s sleep. It is best to avoid setting up these situations by not eating or drinking in the few hours just prior to bedtime.
10. Make sleep a priority: don’t sacrifice sleep to do daytime activities.
    The most important advice is to respect that your body needs to sleep. Too often we are likely to allow our sleep time to be infringed upon when our daytime obligations take longer than we expect. Additionally, opportunities to engage in pleasurable activities—visiting friends, watching television, playing on the internet, eating out, and any number of others—quickly cut into our sleep time if we allow them to. It is important to schedule your sleep time and keep to that schedule, no matter what might come up during the day.

Reasons Why You Feel Sleepy

Sleep Apnea, Narcolepsy, and Other Disorders May Cause Excessive Sleepiness

If you have trouble staying awake, suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness, easily doze off, take naps on a regular basis, and have difficulty with attention or concentration, you may wonder: Why do I feel sleepy? Some sleep disorders, such as insomnia, make it so you can’t sleep, while many others result in poor sleep. Here are some possible reasons why you feel sleepy.

1. Poor Sleep Hygiene

The most common cause of feeling too sleepy might be the most obvious: not getting enough sleep. You may simply not know how much sleep you need. And if you do know, you may choose to not sleep enough, which is sometimes called sleep restriction. You could be trying to sleep in a poor sleep environment that is not conducive to sound sleep. You may have a horrible bedtime routine that does not prepare you well to fall asleep. You may also fail to follow any of the other simple guidelines to improve your sleep. Any and all of these things may leave you too sleepy the next day, without any specific sleep disorder as the cause.

2. Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a condition in which you repeatedly stop breathing while asleep. This results in a loud snort and brief awakening as you gasp for air. This may occur dozens or even hundreds of times per hour of sleep. With each awakening, you shift briefly into lighter stages of sleep. This disruption leads to sleep fragmentation and results in significant excessive daytime sleepiness. People with severe sleep apnea are at risk for falling asleep while driving.

A similar condition called upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) can also be problematic. There are also serious health consequences to sleep apnea, so treatment should be pursued.

3. Narcolepsy

There are four defining symptoms of narcolepsy, the least specific being excessive sleepiness. This sleep disorder occurs when there is a problem with the regulation of sleep and wakefulness. Therefore, characteristics of sleep may suddenly occur while awake (such as paralysis) and elements of wakefulness may intrude upon sleep. The most characteristic symptom is cataplexy, which is the sudden loss of muscle tone with emotional stimulus such as surprise or laughter. The sleepiness associated with narcolepsy may require treatment with stimulants such as Ritalin, Provigil, and Nuvigil.

4. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a condition that might make you feel sleepy. It is characterized by worsened fatigue that occurs after exertion, associated with unrefreshing sleep and often joint and muscle pains. Although the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome is not completely understood, it can lead to significant impairment and disruption of the affected person’s life.

5. Kleine-Levin Syndrome

Although quite rare, Kleine-Levin syndrome is a condition that may affect young adults and can cause recurrent episodes of excessive sleepiness. These episodes can last for days, weeks, or even months at a time. The sleepiness can be incapacitating. There may be associated symptoms, such as hallucinations or hypersexual or compulsive behaviors. The only treatment known to be beneficial in the treatment of Kleine-Levin syndrome is the mood stabilizer called lithium.

6. Restless Legs Syndrome

Disorders that cause excessive movements during sleep may lead you to feel sleepy the next day. The most common condition is restless legs syndrome (RLS). This disorder is characterized by an uncomfortable sensation in the legs that often develops in the evening as you are lying down to rest and is relieved by movement.

A commonly associated condition, called periodic limb movement syndrome (PLMS), is diagnosed when there are sudden jerking movements that occur during sleep. There are effective treatments available for these conditions.

7. Circadian Rhythm Disorders

Various circadian rhythm disorders may leave you feeling too sleepy. The circadian rhythm is the body’s natural clock that helps to coordinate your activities to the timing of light and dark in your environment. If this timing is misaligned, you may find yourself sleepy at inappropriate times.

For example, if you have advanced sleep phase syndrome, you will feel sleepy in the evening. Conversely, with delayed sleep phase syndrome, you will have difficulty falling asleep and feel sleepy in the morning. Fortunately, there are effective treatments for these and other circadian rhythm conditions, such as jet lag and seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

How to Stop Falling Asleep While Reading

Instructions

1. • 1
     The best technique to make yourself stay awake while reading is to train your brain. You need to let your brain know that you aren't reading so that you can fall asleep; you are reading because you want to know what the book says. Each time you go to sleep with a book in your hands, your brain registers that and thinks that's the way it's supposed to be. You need to make it think otherwise.
   • 2
     Start by not ever letting yourself fall asleep while reading. If you start to feel yourself drifting off, stop reading immediately and wake yourself up. Do a few jumping jacks, drink some coffee, and take a cold shower. Doing these things will tell your brain that reading shouldn't make it sleepy, it should energize it. Eventually, your brain will learn its new clues and stop triggering the getting-ready-to-sleep mechanism each time a book is in your hands.
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   • 3
     The next way to keep yourself awake is to sit up straight. It is very difficult to stay awake if you are lounging in your bed-your brain thinks a bed is for sleeping in. It is also very difficult to stay awake when lying on the sofa-that's supposed to be for relaxing. Find a stiff chair with a straight back and sit in that or even stand. I know a few people who can do it, but falling asleep while standing takes quite a bit of work. You don't have to read this way always, but doing it for a while will teach your brain that staying awake while reading is what it's supposed to do.
   • 4
     It is important as well to read books that are interesting to you and capture your attention. It is difficult for your brain to shut down for sleep if it is consumed with what you are reading. At least until you get over the habit of falling asleep while reading, read books that really interest you and that you get into. Pay close attention to each word and don't allow your eyes to skim the page. Think about what you are reading. Consider it. Do you think you know what is going to happen next? Be an active reader. Reading is an activity and many people forget that. While doing an activity you need to be doing something. Even if you are just sitting with a book in your hands, your brain should be doing mental gymnastics.
   • 5
     Reading at the proper time of day is important as well. If you read a few pages of a book and then go to sleep, you teach your brain to get ready for sleep whenever you read. Figure out what time you are the most awake and read then. For some people they are the most awake right after they wake up in the morning. Others are most awake in the evenings. If you are sleepy already every afternoon around three, you don't want to try and read then or you will be likely to fall asleep. Take a run first thing in the morning, grab a cup of coffee, and sit down and read a little of your book. You may find you have no urge to fall asleep because your body is wide awake.
   • 6
     If this stuff still leaves you feeling sleepy a few pages into your book, you may want to read aloud. Yes, it sounds silly, but reading aloud triggers a different section of your brain. If you are an audible learner, this may even help you learn better. Read the book aloud to yourself in a mirror and it will be impossible for you to fall asleep.
   • 7
     Finally, you don't have to go through these extreme measures forever. Read a book or two while following at least a few of these tips and your brain will learn reading is not sleeping time. After that, you can sit on the couch and read or not have to drink a cup of coffee mid-book. It probably still isn't a good idea to lie in bed and read before bed because you may have a relapse. It would be like you were telling your brain to do two different things at once, to sleep in your bed and to be awake and read. This would end up making you have to start over again and it's simpler to just avoid the situation entirely.
   • 8
     Are you still awake?

Read more: How to Stop Falling Asleep While Reading | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4690480_stop-falling-asleep-reading.html#ixzz2CMZSUMvZ

Why Does Reading make you Sleepy?

Why Does Reading make you Sleepy?

Most of us have experienced this kind of feeling especially those who usually has a habit of reading before going to bed. On the other hand, there are those who get sleepy just by reading a few pages. In some cases, there are still those who never get tired from reading books whether during daytime or night time.

Reading can be an almost hypnotic action characterized by rhythmic eye movement, a relaxed physical position and a focused attention. When you’re in this state, your body becomes passive and your alertness decreases unless the topic that you’re reading requires you to use your mind like mathematical calculations, deductive thinking, reasoning etc. in this way, your body easily gets tired thus resulting in sleepiness.

So why do we feel sleepy whenever we read? There are a lot of possible reasons and here are some of them.

Are you a night person or a day person? There are persons who are more comfortable reading during the day while there are some who prefers to read during the night.

It may depend on the book that you are reading. Most of the time, the reason why we feel sleepy everytime we read a book, is because the topic might not be interesting to us. Boring materials can make you feel tired and make your eyes feel a bit heavy causing fatigue and alerts your body to get some sleep. However, when you’re reading a book of your choice, your whole focus and attention is on the story. You’re looking forward to what going to happen next and you get excited.

Check your posture. Our posture contributes a lot to how we can focus on reading and avoid getting sleepy. Whenever you read, try to find a good position not in a relaxed state like lying down. Make sure that your eyes are in the correct position facing straight towards your book to avoid eye strain. A good reading light can also help maintain your focus on reading.

Reading is tiresome. When reading continuously, your body exerts a lot of energy from your eyes as magnetic waves. Remember that mental work is 3 times more demanding than physical work.

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Feeling sleepy while reading for many is due the posture in which they read. While reading a person rarely moves, this lack of physical activity causes decreased blood flow to muscles, which results in accumulation of lactic acid (a product of incomplete combustion in the cells).

This lactic acid is a highly reducing or oxygen absorbing agent, which quickly reacts with oxygenated blood. This ensures lack of oxygenated blood flowing to the brain, which makes us feel sleepy.

To tackle this problem we must avoid reading in a single stretch, instead its better to take some breaks and indulge in physical activity at short intervals.

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This is very nomal feeling of anyone in student life. nothing is unnatural in this. To get rid off this hebit drink a lot of water, water use increases oxygen level in our blood so we feel less sleepy. Always keep in view that study room should have well ventilation. Have a habit of reading in early morning at that time our mind is in fresh state.Do not be addict of tea or coffee for studying, while feeling sleepy please wash your mouth with fresh water. 

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Take adequate sleep before studying and never study after a whole day's work out, its obvious you will feel sleepy on such occasions. Take a cup of coffee or tea whichever you prefer. Dont, under any circumstances study lying on bed. Study on flat chair with straight back. Remember, more the degree of uncomfortability lesser the chances of feeling sleepy. Place a bright light source at the side of your study table. Read changing subjects at regular intervals, or else it will bore you. Take a short break after reading for long session, take a walk or something, freshen up, listen to some rocking songs and do things alike. Never take a heavy meal before studying. Play with your biological clock, that is once you feel sleepy, stop studying, do nothing, and start your work after half an hour or so, now your body may change its rhythm and believe the remaining hours as working hours. So learn to fool your body rhythm. If still you feel sleepy read by walking, till you get tired. Last important thing, go to sleep after studying, as sleep replays all the last events you performed before it, so your performance will surely increase. GOOD LUCK, happy studying. 

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1)While studying hold a pen and paper along and try to jot down the points that you feel are important or that would be useful to your curriculum.

2) Always place a bottle of water at your desk and have water at regular intervals.

3)Dont study on the bed while lying down. That is the biggest source of getting sleep. Sit upright and study.

4) Take a washroom break every 45 min and after coming out have some water and sit for studies again.

5) At the end of the chapter revise from the sheet where you have noted down the points and then ask questions to yourself.

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Sleeping is a natural process that occurs at specific intervals and it is the best way to rest our body. But it is important to consider facts like where to sleep, how long to sleep and when to sleep...

Every day, we come across different people who sleep in train, class room, library... the list is endless...

Some people have the habit of sleeping after taking food or while driving or even while reading. The reason for all these may depend on the kind of food we have, the environment and our health.

General complaint by parents on their children is that they sleep while studying. It is common for all of us to yawn and go to sleep while reading.

* The reason for this may be
* The posture we adopt while Reading.
* Reading at an improper time
* The kind of book we read

Scientific Reason
Most of the people have a relaxed pose while reading which prevents physical activation. This results in the stagnation of lactic acid in the cells which is an incomplete combustion product.

The lactic acid is a high oxygen absorbing chemical, which quickly reacts with oxygenated blood to reduce the flow of blood to the brain.

Due to the lack of oxygenated blood, the brain gets tired and therefore we feel sleepy while reading.

Tips to avoid sleeping while reading:

* Try to sit straight and in the right posture while reading.
* Avoid reading in the lying position as that would trigger the brain to perform two tasks - sleep as well as stay awake and read.
* Avoid reading continuously at a single stretch since reading text for a long time has a hypnotic effect (semi-consciousness ) on the mind.
* Change your position frequently while reading that will increase your concentration.
* Take some physical activity at short intervals while reading.
* Read aloud for some time.
* Reading at the proper time is very important.
* Read some interesting topics when feeling sleepy.
* Jump, drink some coffee, if possible take a cold shower as these will energize your brain.

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9 Daily Habits That Will Make You Happier

These minor changes in your daily routine will make a major difference in your life and career.

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Happiness is the only true measure of personal success. Making other people happy is the highest expression of success, but it's almost impossible to make others happy if you're not happy yourself.

With that in mind, here are nine small changes that you can make to your daily routine that, if you're like most people, will immediately increase the amount of happiness in your life:

1. Start each day with expectation.

If there's any big truth about life, it's that it usually lives up to (or down to) your expectations. Therefore, when you rise from bed, make your first thought: "something wonderful is going to happen today." Guess what? You're probably right.

2. Take time to plan and prioritize.

The most common source of stress is the perception that you've got too much work to do.  Rather than obsess about it, pick one thing that, if you get it done today, will move you closer to your highest goal and purpose in life. Then do that first.

3. Give a gift to everyone you meet.

I'm not talking about a formal, wrapped-up present. Your gift can be your smile, a word of thanks or encouragement, a gesture of politeness, even a friendly nod. And never pass beggars without leaving them something. Peace of mind is worth the spare change.

4. Deflect partisan conversations.

Arguments about politics and religion never have a "right" answer but they definitely get people all riled up over things they can't control. When such topics surface, bow out by saying something like: "Thinking about that stuff makes my head hurt."

5. Assume people have good intentions.

Since you can't read minds, you don't really know the "why" behind the "what" that people do. Imputing evil motives to other people's weird behaviors adds extra misery to life, while assuming good intentions leaves you open to reconciliation.

6. Eat high quality food slowly.

Sometimes we can't avoid scarfing something quick to keep us up and running. Even so, at least once a day try to eat something really delicious, like a small chunk of fine cheese or an imported chocolate. Focus on it; taste it; savor it.

7. Let go of your results.

The big enemy of happiness is worry, which comes from focusing on events that are outside your control. Once you've taken action, there's usually nothing more you can do. Focus on the job at hand rather than some weird fantasy of what might happen.

8. Turn off "background" TV.

Many households leave their TVs on as "background noise" while they're doing other things. The entire point of broadcast TV is to make you dissatisfied with your life so that you'll buy more stuff. Why subliminally program yourself to be a mindless consumer?

9. End each day with gratitude.

Just before you go to bed, write down at least one wonderful thing that happened. It might be something as small as a making a child laugh or something as huge as a million dollar deal. Whatever it is, be grateful for that day because it will never come again.