Finding Happiness. The 5th & Final Step In Your Path To Success!

Ardi Hassirchian                                         Finding Hapiness
April 9th 2015                  The Fifth & Final Step In Your Path To Success!



After you have completed the steps in my previous blogs you should be well on your way to reaching the goals that you have set for yourself. However, even with a high paying job, a beautiful house, and a head turning car, you may still not feel like a success. How is that possible you ask? You are living lavishly, and your hard work has paid off, so why do you still feel unsuccessful? The answer is that you are not happy with yourself. No matter how much money you make, if you do not feel happy with your purpose in life, you will never consider yourself to be a success. You must wake up on those Monday mornings jumping out of bed, and feeling ecstatic about the day to come, rather than waking up feeling grouchy, and dreading the day you have ahead at your job that you despise. There is no question that being successful does contribute to your happiness, but not in the way that most people think it does. It is a fact that some of the richest and most ''successful'' people in the world are not the happiest, as it is evident through their memoirs and actions, such as going through depression or committing suicide. This is because they thought that success and happiness come together and are interchangable, which is not the case. They sacrificed their happiness at one point in their lives, so that they can be even happier once they are making money. This is a plan that is doomed to fail. I believe that being joyful can play a critical role in your success in the first place! People love to work with other people, who are positive, and passionate about life. For example, as a businessman, you are far more likely to succeed with a smile on your face. If you look grouchy, and down all the time, you repel the attraction of other people; therefore, new opportunities will be hard to come by. Also, if you are feeling upbeat throughout the day, you are more likely to get more work done and add to your success. Furthermore, I highly recommend that whenever you are setting a new goal, or staying up until late at night to work towards a goal, look back and think to yourself, '' Am I happy? Is what I am working towards going to be something that I enjoy doing on a day to day basis? Or am I just doing it for the money?'' If the answer is that you are just doing it for the money, you need to re-evaluate your goals. By no means does money equal happiness and being considered successful by people who you've never spoken to before has no value. I would much rather be happy with myself, even if I am considered a ''loser'' by others. So remember that if  you are happy, you are a success! No matter what goes wrong in life, your happiness can always remain. If you get laid off from your job, as long as you are happy, there is going to be hope to succeed once again. So my tip to you, my readers, is to always stay joyful! If you are finding that your life has become dull and you no longer have the same drive that you once had, it may be time to take some time off and  re-evaluate your actions and your life in general. Take a vacation, go on a hike, make sure that you enjoy your life and remember that your happiness comes first. Your success will come as a byproduct of that!

Below, I have listed the link to an informative video about why to be happy! Make sure that you check it out.
Made by: PragerUniversity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Zxnw0l499g

Also, make sure to take a look at these 4 awesome websites/blogs regarding the importance of happiness!
1) http://www.happinessandsuccess.org/
Written by: Susie Pearl
2) http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2014/08/18/20-essential-life-lessons-for-happiness-and-success/
Written by: Laura Shin
3) http://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2013/06/06/how-happiness-directly-impacts-your-success/
Written by: Kathy Caprino
4) http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/20/health/happiness-wellbeing-health/
Written by: Elizabeth Landau

Last but not least, I wanted to include an awesome quote for you guys to check out regarding the importance of happiness to feeling succesful.
'' It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness'' - Charles Spurgeon

Resources For My Original Photos:
1) Petser, Lauren. Happiness Cross Street. 2013. Why Happiness Is So Important. Web. 9 Feb. 2015
2) Relaxing Time. 2014. Happiness Is Healthy. By Tyler Reed. Web. 9 Feb. 2015.
3) Big Smile. 2014. Happiness Is The Value Of Every Moment. By Christina Kim. Web. 9 Feb. 2015.
4) On Top Of The World. 2013. Happiness And Success. Ed. Jenny Wang. Web. 9 Feb. 2015.

Identifying, Removing & Replacing Poor Work Habits. The Fourth Step In Your Path To Success!

Ardi Hassirchian             Identifying, Removing & Replacing Poor Work Habits
April 5th 2015                   The Fourth Step In Your Path To Success!

We all have our own bad habits; this can range from biting on your fingernails, to procrastinating, to rushing to work every day and arriving with no time to spare. Simply put, having bad work habits can be the downfall of your path to success. Yeah, sure, having only one bad habit probably won't have a huge effect on your life. However, once they start to accumulate, you may find yourself feeling isolated in your workplace, on the hot seat with your boss or at an unwanted place in your prerrsonal life. When it comes to bad work habits, taking immediate action is critical. The longer you wait, the worse your habits become. In order to first change your bad work habits, you must identify them. However, the most dangerous part about having bad work habits is that you may not even realize that you have them in the first place. For example, coming home and spending 2 hours a day procrastinating on  your laptop until you start your homework may have become a part of your daily routine; it no longer seems out of the ordinary. So I would recommend spending at least a week tracking everything that you do. If you went for a smoke break, write it down. If you watched television for half an hour, write it down. At the end of that week be prepared to make changes. Look at your daily routine and acknowledge what habits have been slowing you down with your goals. For example, if you noticed that you crave a cigarette every half an hour, write that down and be prepared to make adjustments. Once you have identified your bad habits, it is time to start replacing them. When you are trying to get rid of a bad habit, it is important to take your time; it is not something that you want to rush. Back to our previous example, if you smoke a pack of cigarettes a day, just completely quitting is going to be extraordinarily difficult both mentally, and physically. What I recommend doing is smoking one less cigarette per day. This way, your withdrawals will not be as dreadful and your body may not even notice what you're doing. Before you know it, your body will have adapted and no longer craves cigarettes. Your bad habit is gone! However, one of the biggest challenges that come with removing a bad habit is being able to manage it. The number one reason for developing a bad habit in the first place is stress. So once you go back to work and you have gotten rid of your bad habits, you may find yourself feeling stressed out once again. Before you would just go out and have a smoke, but now that you quit, what do you do? You don't want to re-develop your bad habit, so you must replace it with a different one or even better, try to alleviate the source of the stress that is resulting in your bad habits. For example, you are feeling stressed out and want to go for a smoke break. Instead, try some breathing exercises that will calm you down and manage your stress rather than re-developing your old habits. Furthermore, once you can identify, remove and replace your bad habits, you will soon find that your work efficiency rate is flying through the roof and you have way better personal success in many areas of life! You will be surprised with how much better you feel throughout the day, feel amazing about yourself and no longer be on the hot seat with your boss. That new promotion is sounding more and more likely to happen!


Uh-Oh!

 



Below I have listed the link to a fun video regarding changing your bad behaviours! Check it out.
Made by: Owen Fitzpatrick
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CojSlsMwDOg


Also, make sure to check out these 4 awesome websites/blogs regarding changing your bad habits!
1) http://jamesclear.com/how-to-break-a-bad-habit
Written by: James Clear
2) http://www.drphil.com/articles/article/548
Written by: Dr. Arthur B Markman
3) http://www.oprah.com/health/How-to-Change-Your-Bad-Habits
Written by: Rebecca Skloot
4) http://psychcentral.com/lib/7-steps-to-changing-a-bad-habit/00020119
Written by: Marie Hartwell Walker

I included an awesome quote for you to check out regarding the importance of changing bad habits!
''Becoming succesful is not a destination, but a journey'' - Unknown

Resources for my original photos:
1) Late Again? 2013. How to Break a Bad Habit. By Greg Hopkin. Web. 8 Feb. 2015.
2) Change Your Bad Habits. 2014. 3 Proven Ways to Change a Bad Habit. By Ethan Winer. Web. 8 Feb. 2015.
3) Bad Workplace Habits. 2014. The 4 Powerful Ways to Change a Bad Habit. By Sarah Kim. Web. 8 Feb. 2015.

 

Overcoming Adversity: The Third Step In Your Path To Success!

Ardi Hassirchian                                           Overcoming Adversity
April 1st 2015                               The Third Step In Your Path To Success!


Whether you like it or not, setbacks are a part of everybody’s lives. There is no avoiding it; however, it is how you deal with adversity that defines your success. We can let it get the best of us and whine about how unlucky we are, or we can bounce back stronger than we ever have before. A great example that I like to use in regard with overcoming adversity is J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series. She was a single mother, who was living off of government assistance. After she wrote her first Harry Potter book, she showed it to several publishing companies and they all rejected it. However, despite the fact that the odds were against her, she never gave up and eventually the book was published by Bloomsbury. From there she continued on the Harry Potter series and soon became one of the most highly regarded authors in the world. The moral of the story is that every person who has become successful has faced their own adversity at some point in their life, but the way that they dealt with it, made them who they are today. J.K. Rowling could have easily become disheartened and gave up on trying to publish the book. However, she decided to work harder to get to the positition that she wanted to be in life and provide for her family instead.

 Be Strong Minded!




Today I am going to provide you as a reader an essential tip regarding how to prepare yourself for adversity before it even strikes. In order to develop skills to overcome adversities, you have to build your internal and external resources. By devoloping internal resources I am talking about improving your mental strength. By becoming a strong minded person,who also gains valuable charactar traits such as discipline & courage, you will be ready to deal with any setback that comes your way. If you are weak minded, the second that something bad happens, you will feel like your world is crumbling apart. You may begin to panic and decide to take the easy way out by giving up. Furthermore, building your external resources is crucial in regards with dealing with adversity. Having external resources means that you have a group of people around you to rely on when adversity strikes. Facing a major setback and having nobody to speak to can be frightening. Often times when people lack a friend to guide them in their time of need, they will rely on negative outlets instead such as drugs or alcohol to make them feel better. Also, you would be surprised to find out how comforting the presence of another person can really be. So the next time that you face a setback, don't be a chicken and give up. You are a warrior and your comeback to success is going to be better than ever. Build your internal and external resources and you will soon find that you feel like a freight train, nothing will be able to stop you in reaching your destination in life!
                                                       
 Below I have listed the link to an awesome video about overcoming adversity. I hope this motivates you to never give up in life!
  Made by: Edgevolution
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kGmjb9Qhzg  

Also, make sure to check out these 4 awesome websites/blogs that talk about overcoming adversity!
1) http://www.canadianexpatnetwork.com/public/186.cfm
Written by: Helena Nyman
2) http://tinybuddha.com/blog/5-tips-to-overcome-a-major-setback/
Written by: Tracy Jewel
3) http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10-things/10-ways-to-deal-with-setbacks/
Written by: Calvin Sun
4) http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/motivation_articles.asp?id=113
Written by: Liz Noelcke

Finally, I wanted to share a cool quote with you guys about overcoming adversity in life. I hope this motivates you!
''There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time.'' - Malcolm X

Resources for my original photos:

1) Strong Mindedness. 2013. How To Overcome A Setback By Heather Kurluffle. Web. 7 Feb. 2015.
2) Overcoming Adversity. 2014. 5 Tips To Overcome Adversity. Ed. Greg Ellison. Web. 7 Feb. 2015

 

 

Maintaining Your Work Ethic. The Second Step In Your Path To Success!

 Ardi Hassirchian                                  Maintaining Your Work Ethic
 February 6th 2015                                The Second Step In Your Path To Success!

        Setting a goal is one piece to the puzzle; however, having the discipline to go through the same routine and be consistent is far more difficult to accomplish. One day you may be feeling quite motivated, you are full of energy and you feel like nothing can stop you; however, the next morning you wake up and you cannot manage to even get out of bed. Does that sound familiar to you? If so, then this article is for you. I have noticed that people become disinterested in the goals that they have set far too easily. There is no question that repeating the same actions on a day to day basis with little to no results could be disheartening. However, one has to acknowledge that results do not come overnight. They require countless hours of working one’s butt off. I remember when I first started going to the gym and I thought to myself ''how can people do the exact same exercises on a daily basis?''. I had only been to the gym for 2-3 weeks and I was already finding that my determination to workout was fading away. The intensity of my workouts was drastically decreasing, and I knew that it was a matter of time before I gave up. To avoid this, I decided to speak to the only person I knew who loves working out more than anything else in the world, my brother. Sam had been weightlifting for several years and I was determined to find out his secret to his consistency and success. So I went up to him and asked, ''How can you go to the gym every day and just squat over and over again? Don't you get tired of it at some point?'' The response that he gave me changed my perspective on work ethics for the rest of my life; it helped me maintain my goal to continue working out for years to come. He told me, ''Everybody goes through the same boredom when working towards their goal. It's just that some people can fight through it, while others give up.'' He was basically telling that everybody experiences similar emotions. Even the people who are considered successful, feel tired, sick, and lack motivation at points to work towards their goals. However, the difference is that they have perseverance and get the work done anyway, even when that means them being bored, tired or overworked. People often become easily discouraged, when they lack the motivation to accomplish their goals. They think to themselves, ''Oh, I clearly do not have the same passion as successful people'' and give up instead. It has become clear to me that you do not need to go ''all out'' every day when you are working towards your goal. Some days you may be able to; however, putting in your best effort on the days that you don't feel energetic is what truly makes people successful. Doing a little bit of work day by day is far more superior to trying hard for one day, then resting for a week. It is important to recognize that we will all have our ''off'' days. We may be feeling fatigued or sick, but it is important that we still continue on little by little. Having a gradual pace to your workload can be very beneficial to your success. This way, you will find that you are not tiring yourself out quickly, and you will soon find that your work efficiency, and consistency are drastically improving. So the next time you find that you are overworking yourself and do not feel like continuing on, acknowledge that it may be time to take your foot off the gas pedal and ease your workload.


Below, I have listed the link to a YouTube video for you to watch! I know it may seem a little bit childish, but I hope you can look past that and understand the meaning of the story that ''Slow and steady wins the race''. This simple video conveys the message that it is better to gradually do your work, but be perseverant (like the turtle) as opposed to trying to go all out and end up burning yourself out. (like the rabbit)
Made by: Hooplakidz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjokVI0LJzw


Also, make sure to check out these 4 websites & blogs related to maintaining your goals/work ethic!
1) http://jamesclear.com/stay-focused
Written by James Clear
2) http://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2014/08/12/drowning-in-the-details-how-to-re-focus-on-your-big-career-goals/
Written by: The Muse (Forbes Magazine)
3) http://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2013/07/19/how-to-stay-motivated-and-accomplish-anything/
Written by: Suzanne Gerber
4) http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2014/02/how-to-build-a-strong-work-ethic/
Written by Steve Pavlina

Resources for my original photos:
1) Working Everyday. 2013. Maintaining Your Work Ethic. By Robert Ellison. Web. 6 Feb. 2015.
2) Stay Focused. 2011. How to Stay Focused on Your Goals. By Clara Nowicki. Web. 6 Feb. 2015.
3) 2012. Developing Long Term Focus. By Jenny Harrison. Web. 6 Feb. 2015.
4)Don't Give Up. 2014. How to Never Give up on Your Goals. By Maria Klarova. Web. 6 Feb. 2015.
5) Slow and Steady Wins the Race. 2013. Why Slow and Steady Wins the Race by Greg Connolly.         Web. 6 Feb. 2015.

Setting & Achieving Goals. The First Step In Your Path To Succes.

Ardi Hassirchian                       Setting & Achieving Goals: The first step in your path to success!
March 28th, 2015


The Bridge To Success.

Every person wants to be considered successful in life in one way or another; whether that means to be a loving parent, or to provide for his/her family as a "breadwinner''. However, the determinant of one’s success fully depends on his/her own actions. How many times have you told yourself, ‘I am going to start tomorrow,'' but a month passes by and you still find yourself sitting on the couch, watching your favorite T.V. show with a bag of chips in your hand and procrastinating? Now is the time to take initiative and start your own path to success. The first step is to track your progress by setting and achieving your own personal goals. No, I do not mean goals in a sports game; I am talking about setting specific short term and long term objectives that you must accomplish by a certain date. By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can track your own progress and give purpose to an idea that may have once seemed pointless. As you achieve each goal, you will soon find that you are becoming more self-confident and your motivation to accomplish exceptional results will be flying through the roof! You will finally be on the path to moving out of your parent's basement and begin a new chapter in your life. There are 3 key steps in setting your goals. The first step is to write your goal down on a piece of paper; otherwise it is merely a wish. It is important that you set small and realistic goals at the beginning; if you start off setting non-realistic, long term goals, you may find that you are feeling intimidated and overwhelmed and give up before you have even started. I cannot stress enough the importance of gradually working your way up when setting goals. Moreover, when writing down your goals on paper, it is important that each goal you set is detailed. For example, setting a goal of ''losing 5 pounds in 2 weeks'' is far more superior than ''losing some weight in 2 weeks''. After writing your goals down on paper, you must determine a realistic date in which you must finish the task. If you never set a completion date, there may be a lack of motivation and this might lead your whole plan falling through. Last but not least, make sure that you set some time aside every day to work on your goals. For example, reserve 1:00-3:00 p.m. to work on your resume every day. After you have finished these three steps, you must take action immediately. The longer you wait, the less motivation you will have and it will become increasingly difficult to achieve your goals. After completing these three steps and taking proper actions in accomplishing your goals, you may find that the goal that you set at the beginning of the year to ''finish your resume'' has turned into ''earning the promotion as the new assistant manager''. Now is the time to turn your life around; Get up off the coach, take off your pajamas and begin to dress for success. Set attainable goals and you will soon find that your accumulated debt will be taking care of itself!

Below I have listed the link to an entertaining video for you guys to check out about setting & achieving your goals!

Made by: CartooningGenius
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cCiqbSJ9fg



Also, make sure to check out these four helpful websites &
blogs about setting reachable goals & achieving them!

  1) ttp://www.forbes.com/sites/glassheel/2013/03/14/6-ways-to-achieve-any-goal/
  Written by: Molly Cain (Forbes Magazine)
  2) http://leavingworkbehind.com/how-to-set-goals/
  Written by: Tom Ewer
  3) http://www.forbes.com/sites/samanthasmith/2013/12/30/a-guide-to-evaluate-your-priorities-set-goals/
  Written by: Samantha Smith (Forbes Magazine)
  4) http://topachievement.com/philhumbert.html
   Written by: Dr. Phillip E. Humbert

Here is an interesting quote on the importance of setting goals:
''By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.'' - Benjamin Franklin

Resources for my original photos:
1)  2012. Personal Goal Setting. By James Lynn. Web. 5 Feb. 2015.
2)  2014 The Science Of Setting Goals. By Michael Hyatt. Web. 5 Feb. 2015.
3)  2011 The Beginners Guide To Setting Goals. By Janice Hardy. Web. 5 Feb. 2015