Which of These Mistakes Do You Make — That Successful People Don’t?


By:  Bernard Marr
(Best-Selling Author, Keynote Speaker and Consultant in Strategy, Performance Management, Analytics, KPIs and Big Data)

No matter what you want to succeed at in life—your career, a hobby, your personal life—there are a few universal truths that can be applied to the pursuit of success, and a few mistakes that can be considered universal barriers to achieving it.
As I’ve watched and studied successful people in my life, I’ve noticed five mistakes that they seem to be able to avoid at any cost.
Do you fall into the trap of any of these mistakes? If so, you may be putting roadblocks on your own path to success

Mistake 1. Avoid responsibility

The price of greatness is responsibility.” –Winston Churchill
One of the first things you will notice that successful people don’t have is a blaming or victim mentality. When things go wrong, what is your first response? Successful people won’t say, “I couldn’t succeed because of X, Y, and Z” or “It’s actually this person’s fault.” They’re much more likely to own a mistake rather than blame others for their failure or misfortune. I believe the key here is that by owning a mistake, we are more likely to learn from it and much less likely to repeat it.

Sajjikot Waterfall, Havelian. in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited ( PTCL ) Adopts SAP

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL)  announced that it is adopting cloud computing technology for its HR operational processes.
In the first deal of its kind in the country, PTCL will employ a series of solutions from SAP company “Success Factors” to streamline vital HR processes aimed at boosting employee productivity.
The move is set to add additional momentum to the company’s ambitious and expansive business strategy, which recently helped deliver a 31 per cent increase in the first quarter as compared to the same period of last year.
“The telecommunications market in Pakistan is fiercely competitive, and only those with the vision and ability to adapt with latest technology specially with people’s capability management will stand out. PTCL HR & IT has decided to implement state of the art systems to boost up the capability development of employees and feels immense pleasure and pride to be the first company in Pakistan to introduce one of the best internationally recognized talent management solution “Success factor” in the company (whoever will be present in the conference).

Qualities of a Great Project Manager

There are many abilities and traits that you are obligated possess if you intend to be a successful project manager, and one of your duties is to constantly improve your knowledge and skills in order to execute your projects. It can be hard to be a good project manager, but you should strive to be a great manager, and because of that, we are offering you a list of things you need to work on, if you are planning on being the best there is.

Natural leader

This is probably one of the more important things, and it will help you in many situations in your everyday life, but first, it will be important to know the difference between a project leader, and being a project manager. Both of these jobs involve making sure that all the tasks are being done, and that the project is going the direction it is supposed to. The difference is somewhat explanatory in the name itself - the leader prepares the people for their roles and different situations that are not necessarily within their experience, and is good at motivating people, whereas the manager only works within the boundaries set by those people and can manage their skills, their time, and he or she will only apply solutions that are tried and true. When you really understand this difference, you’ll understand that while project leaders are more idealistic, you should be more pragmatic.

How to Loose FAT Belly



Before you can start getting rid of belly fat for good you must recognize how important it is to adopt a change to your lifestyle. Losing stomach fat successfully means not only losing your belly now but keeping it off for good. Crash diets might offer a short term solution, but when you stop the diet and go back to your old habits, you will probably put all the weight back on again.


If you feel that you are continually on a diet and always thinking about how to lose stomach fat it can become almost impossible to live normally. However, by altering your way of living by improving your nutrition and fitness it is not nearly as difficult to maintain a new lifestyle. Here are 5 easy ways for getting rid of belly fat that you can use starting today.

1. Blended Drinks.

You can make some terrific drinks with a blender that are excellent for getting rid of belly fat. Blended drinks are a great way to integrate fresh fruits into your diet and provide a delicious, high-fibre way to drink your breakfast. You simply mix any combination of your favorite fruits in season. Good choices are fruits like berries, oranges, bananas, and peaches. You can also add orange juice, dry milk powder or yogurt for a protein boost. Blended drinks provide a quick and refreshing breakfast and get your whole system ready for the day.

2. Use Fewer Sauces and Dressings.

Using fewer sauces and dressings on your food is a simple way to lose stomach fat. Sauces and dressings are typically made with oil or have lots of sugar.

If you smother your green salad in dressing or cover your baked potato in sour cream it will add a lot of fat and calories to your meal. Try using alternatives, such as non-fat sour cream, and try out different spices to flavor your food.

3. Have Breakfast.

Generally speaking, getting rid of belly fat is a lot easier for people who eat a nutritious breakfast than those who do not. When you wake up in the morning your body has gone into a fasting mode because you have not had anything to eat since the night before. Breakfast ('break' the 'fast') breaks that period and keeps your metabolism stabilized. If you skip breakfast and don't eat anything for another four or more hours, your body will start to enter starvation mode, and you are much more likely to eat way too much lunch or binge on high-calorie snacks.

4. Do Exercise That You Enjoy.




One of the best ways of getting rid of belly fat is exercise. But if you hate going to the gym it you will not want to keep going on a regular basis. There are many different exercises to lose stomach fat where you do not need a gym like walking, jogging, cycling and swimming. It takes time to get your body into shape, and you should try different activities, schedules and frequencies. This way you can find something that you enjoy and will work for you in the long-term, not just a few weeks.

5. Allow Yourself Occasional Treats.

If you do have the occasional treat or break from routine it does not mean that you have to start trying to find another way on how to lose stomach fat. If you never have a treat you are going to crave that food even more and that will throw your diet completely off track. Just have treats in moderation, and you will be fine. A break can actually do you a lot of good, provided of course that you get back to your new healthy lifestyle in a reasonable time and don't slip back to your old habits

By : By: Jon Allo at http://www.populararticles.com

Mr. Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh - Chairman & CEO of Axact & BOL Network


 Link for details : http://vimeo.com/92325751


Axact’s Chairman and CEO Mr. Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh held a huge audience mesmerized as he spoke about Axact’s dream for a prosperous and a thriving Pakistan at the Team Meet 2013-14. He explained how Axact will educate 10 million Pakistani children Free of Cost. He ended his speech with the powerful message of his own journey from a life of humble beginnings to heights of glory, adding that Pakistanis could realize the same vision for their country if they set their hearts and minds to it.


For more than 15 years, Axact has provided quality IT related products & services to new and existing Axact customers to help increase their productivity. Since its inception in 1997, Axact has grown by leaps and bounds to reach a position where it enjoys a global presence in more than 100 countries, with a strong workforce of 5,200 employees and associates worldwide.

The company currently operates in Karachi, Islamabad and Dubai with eight business units and products, and more than 8.3 millioncustomers worldwide. At present, Axact remains the largest exporter of IT products & services in Pakistan.





BOL with its visionary leadership is bringing the best practices in the media industry to the forefront via state-of-the-art infrastructure, automated systems & processes, and above all by offering an unmatched lifestyle and salary packages that are far above the industry average to its employees. All this will bring about visible changes in the lives of every individual, presenting a developed Pakistan to the whole world.









 Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated Pakistan’s first solar power park, which will start generating 100 megawatts of energy by the end of the year and a total of 1,000 megawatts by 2016. The Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park project has 400,000 solar panels, with a total cost of around $131 million. When complete the plant will produce about 2.5 times the power coming from the 392 megawatt Ivanpah solar thermal plant in California’s Mojave Desert, making it one of the largest solar parks in the world.
“If you come here after one and a half years, you will see a river of solar panels, residential buildings and offices — it will be a new world,” said site engineer Muhammad Sajid, pointing towards the surrounding desert.
This is big news for a country suffering from chronic energy shortages that leave people without power for large chunks of the day on a regular basis. And then there’s the nearly half of the households that aren’t even connected to the grid, according to a World Bank study. When temperatures soar in the summer, electricity demand can fall short by around 4,000 megawatts.
At the inauguration, the prime minister said “the dearth of electricity has pushed the country backwards and its entire industry and agriculture sector have suffered immensely.”
Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to the impacts of climate change due to its location, population, and environmental degradation. A recent study in the journal Nature Climate Change found that people are already migrating out of the Pakistan for climate-related reasons such as flooding and heat stress, which have negative effects on agriculture and can prove very costly.
“We need energy badly and we need clean energy, this is a sustainable solution for years to come,” Imran Sikandar Baluch, head of the Bahawalpur district administration in Punjab where the plant is located, told the AFP. “Pakistan is a place where you have a lot of solar potential. In Bahawalpur, with very little rain and a lot of sunshine, it makes the project feasible and more economical.”
At a meeting shortly after the inauguration, Sharif approved expanding the project from from 10,000 acres to 15,000 acres and increasing the capacity from 1,000 megawatts to 1,500 megawatts.

Shrek The Sheep


This is Shrek the sheep. He became famous several years ago when he was found after hiding out in caves for six years. Of course, during this time his fleece grew without anyone there to shorn (shave) it. When he was finally found and shaved, his fleece weighed an amazing sixty pounds. Most sheep have a fleece weighing just under ten pounds, with the exception usually reaching fifteen pounds, maximum. For six years, Shrek carried six times the regular weight of his fleece. Simply because he was away from his shepherd.

This reminds me of John 10 when Jesus compares Himself to a shepherd, and His followers are His sheep. Maybe it’s a stretch, but I think Shrek is much like a person who knows Jesus Christ but has wandered. If we avoid Christ’s constant refining of our character, we’re going to accumulate extra weight in this world—a weight we don’t have to bear.

When Shrek was found, a professional sheep shearer took care of Shrek’s fleece in twenty-eight minutes. Shrek’s sixty pound fleece was finally removed. All it took was coming home to his shepherd.

I believe Christ can lift the burdens we carry, if only we stop hiding. He can shave off our ‘fleece’—that is, our self-imposed burdens brought about by wandering from our Good Shepherd.

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30


Ref  : http://lewissatini.tumblr.com



Which Oil Majors Have the Greatest Exposure to Russia?





ABB Partners with Changan Ford to Boost Chinese Carmaker’s Flexibility



2014-05-20 - Long a car-industry mantra, “flexible production” becomes a reality at Chinese automobile plant _ with help from ABB Robotics
It takes just 18 seconds for the Ford Motor Co. and its partner, Changan, to switch between vehicle models on a production line where ABB robots ensure one of China’s biggest carmakers can react quickly to shifting consumer sentiment, rising demand and a changing economy.
To put those 18 seconds in perspective, the joint venture’s plant in Chongqing, in southwestern China, can go from making Ford Mondeos (in the U.S., think Fusions) to any one of as many as five different models faster than sprinter Usain Boltruns the 200 meters.
ABB’s robots also ease introduction of completely new models to the line, too, an advance from traditional production lines that required more extensive work before a new model could be added – hardly ideal if consumers’ tastes change quickly.
“Flexible production,” a car-industry mantra since the 1990s, is becoming a necessity in China and the rest of the world as auto manufacturers accommodate customer expectations that can turn faster than prices at the gas pump while ensuring factories are prepared for sweeping demand swings like the one that accompanied the Great Recession.
“The economic downturn has been tough on automakers and highlighted the need to be more adaptive to the demands of the market,” said Yuan HenXin, Manufacturing Engineering Manager for Changan Ford. “This is especially true when it comes to being able to respond quicker to changes in customer preference, as well as remain competitive in a fierce industry.”
How fast?
Changan Ford, with its facilities 900 miles upstream from Shanghai on the Yangtze River in one of China’s auto manufacturing hubs, is actually an expansion of a long partnership between Ford and ABB Robotics. It’s already boosted flexibility of the carmaker’s operations. 

In 2012, for instance, ABB Robotics installed a Tube Press and Weld System to make axles and gears for the F-150 Pickup truck, among other vehicles, at the Ford Sterling Axle Plant in Sterling Heights, Mich. Now, a complete changeover between axle types can be completed in less than 43 seconds _ not as fast as Bolt’s 200, maybe, but faster than Michael Johnson’s 400-meter world record.

" Mohammad Zahoor" A Pakistani Based Billionaire in Ukraine - Meeta A Businessman - EP - 000



While it may look strange and self-serving for the Kyiv Post to declare its publisher the richest foreigner in Ukraine, Mohammad Zahoor certainly appears to have earned the title. If anyone knows of another expatriate worth between $500 million and $1 billion, the estimated size of Zahoor’s fortune, please let us know and we will set the record straight.


Zahoor certainly didn’t get where he is today – namely, wealthy – by owning the Kyiv Post. Zahoor punched his ticket the hard way: making steel in rough-and-tumble Donetsk. He came to Ukraine in 1974 as a student from Pakistan, the start of his pioneering expatriate career.



He learned Russian and metallurgy well. Then he eventually found a way to apply those skills in Ukraine, one of the world’s top 10 steel-exporting nations.

Zahoor also displayed a talent for knowing when to get out of a business, as he did in 2008 by selling his Donetsk steel mill for a top-drawer price of $1 billion.

Zahoor is now the chairman and owner of the ISTIL Group, which went on an asset-buying spree in the last two years, including the small (for him) purchase of the Kyiv Post in 2009 for $1.1 million from its founder, American Jed Sunden.

Zahoor left Karachi, Pakistan, to study metallurgy in Donetsk in 1974.

He worked in Pakistan after graduating, but made Ukraine his home after working in Moscow, making frequent business trips to secure metals contracts.

At that time, Zahoor and a Thai businessman were running Metalsrussia, a Hong Kong-registered trading company based in Moscow.
“It was luck, of course, being at the right place at the right time, and my strong knowledge of the market.”

- Mohammad Zahoor.

It soon became the main trader of Russia’s Cherepovets metallurgy factory.

Which Oil Majors Have the Greatest Exposure to Russia? By Arjun Sreekumar

As Vladimir Putin continues to test the limits of the Western world's patience with aggressive actions in Ukraine, investors are growing increasingly concerned about Western energy companies' exposure to Russia. With the threat of additional sanctions against Russia looming large, let's take a closer look at some of the major Western integrated oil companies that have the most at stake in the country.


BP: the most exposed oil major Of all the large Western oil majors, BP plc (NYSE: BP  ) is the most heavily exposed to growing geopolitical risk in Russia through its 19.75% stake in Rosneft. BP acquired the stake back in 2012 in exchange for selling its 50% interest in TNK-BP, one of Russia's biggest oil companies, to Rosneft -- a deal that also brought in $12.5 billion in cash for the British oil giant.
Geopolitical risk aside, the deal has so far been extremely beneficial to BP. In the fourth quarter, Rosneft accounted for about nearly 36% of BP's underlying profit of $2.8 billion. It also contributed production of 985,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, or boe/d, representing about 30% of companywide fourth-quarter production of 3.2 million boe/d.
So far, BP's business hasn't been affected by Western sanctions, which have mainly included visa bans and asset freezes on Russian individuals and a Russian bank. But some worry that if geopolitical conditions worsen, the West could enforce additional measures aimed at crippling the Russian economy, including sanctions against Russia's energy sector, which would jeopardize BP's close relationship with Rosneft.

Michael Collins Takes Picture of moon from Space


This picture was taken by the astronaut, Michael Collins. He took this photograph from the shuttle in which he was circling the moon. The vehicle Eagle with the other two astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, is seen about to land on the moon. Our Planet, Earth is also seen in the picture besides the surface of the moon. This has to be the only picture where every human that existed on earth at that time (together with the two astronauts in the Eagle) are present in one particular frame, except of course the photographer, Michael Collins! Perhaps if he had a smart phone he could have managed a selfie with everyone else in the background.

Siemens to Sell Transformer Business in Pakistan


 Siemens Pakistan Engineering Company announced on Monday that the it had decided to sell its transformer business.
The company, a giant on the KSE’s general industrial sector with Rs17bn in total assets, had also agreed “in principle, the sale of company’s land and buildings situation at Estate Avenue, Sindh Industrial Trading Estate Karachi, Pakistan in one or more parcels.”

The decision to cast away the transformer business was made in the meeting of the board on March 1. Siemens pointed out that the sale of the said transformers business, land and building was subject to the board’s final approval and consent of the shareholders as well as of any other applicable regulators.
That Siemens should sever one of the principal arm of operations seemed surprising to the market.
Yet, people in the industry said that the development looked like a step in the restructuring, rightsizing, and portfolio adjustment activities initiated by the company last year.

The annual accounts for the year ended Sept 30, 2013 revealed that the company had incurred employee separation cost of Rs464 million which significantly affected profit of the company.
For FY13, Siemens incurred loss before tax amounting to Rs821m. Net sale also declined in 2013 to Rs13bn, from Rs13.8bn YoY.

Directors explained that the main reasons for the loss were termination of a major contract by Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and restructuring and process optimisation activities which continued throughout the year.
Siemens Pakistan is noted to be “principally engaged in the execution of projects under contracts and in manufacturing sales and installation of electric and electrical capital goods.”

During FY2013, new orders of Rs12.4bn were received by the company. The main contributor to the new orders was stated to be the energy segment with 57pc share which included orders for design, erection, testing and commissioning of 220kV and 132kV substations and supply of transformers to public utilities.
In Nov last year, Siemens Pakistan had re-purchased its own shares. It was a silent, ‘off-market’ deal of 0.716 million shares, valued at $8.47 million. Market players speculated the buyer was the parent company, Siemens AG Germany, which already holds 66.10 per cent of its Pakistani subsidiary’s stock.

" 3D Printer" New Dimension in the Printing World : By Autodesk

Autodesk is known for the software that drives much of the creative industry, from animation to architecture. But as of today, Autodesk is also a hardware company, after announcing at MakerCon that it will release a 3D printer later this year.
Autodesk 3D printer
The printer will create objects by solidifying liquid resin layer by layer, a technology generally known as stereolithography or SLA printing. Most affordable desktop printers make use of a rival technique known as fused deposition modeling, which relies on spools of solid plastic. But SLA printing is becoming more popular due to its superior speed and quality, plus the expiration of patents that previously protected the technology.
Autodesk’s printer will be open source. While the advent of desktop 3D printers was dominated by open source FDM printers, SLA printer buyers and makers have never had a similar wealth of open information to draw from. The result could be a similar boom in the number of startups making affordable SLA printers.
The printer will also be compatible with a range of resins, which could pressure other printer makers to move away from forcing customers to buy a specific (and often overpriced) brand of resin.
Autodesk’s real motivation for making its own 3D printer is an open source software platform it also announced today. Known as Spark, the platform is meant to make it simpler and more reliable to 3D print objects. Moving between a digital design and printing can be a difficult jump for beginners who are unfamiliar with the huge range of programs 3D printer makers have developed over the years. Spark will be available to any company that wants to integrate it into its printer.

Best Cover Letter Essentials to Covey the Complete Message

We have written a lot about what can be done with this particular problem (just read the brief carefully and reply to everything in it), however this time we will try to look into why it happens. To explain possible reasons, we will try to give a few practical examples based on things we have experienced.
Here are a few possible reasons why cover letters are not even close;
  1. Bad English. It is possible a lot of freelancers know they have limited skills in English, and therefore choose to write, and send, generic cover letters hoping that 1 in 10, or 1 in a 100, will lead to work. On oDesk this can be supported by the fact that often about 10% of applications get withdrawn by the applicant 1-3 days after being posted. The freelancer know they have a limit of how many application they can have at any given time, and therefore withdraw if they do not get a speedy reply.
  2. Lacking skills. oDesk has recently introduced the possibility of asking targeted questions to each applicant, as part of the application process. Some freelancers might be frustrated by that, however as a client we love it! It allows us to ask difficult targeted questions, which immediately unmasks if the freelancer is qualified, and can save us hours.
  3. Low ethical standard. There are bad clients out there who treat freelancers badly, however there are also freelancers who care more about making money than pleasing the clients needs. As a client, I see it as downright disrespectful if I politely ask the freelancer in the brief to answer a particular question, and there is no hint of a reply to it in the response to the brief.
  4. Not understanding the process. Some freelancers blame clients, or their platform of choice, if they do not get work. We would suggest those freelancers get an external evaluation of their profile using Freelyzer, evaluate the market value of their work, and how they apply. Most clients deal with 30-150 applications for every job post they put in. When we hire, usually no more than 2 minutes is spent per application.
  5. Preferring to chat on Skype. A lot of freelancers know that they will have a higher chance of landing the job, if they have the opportunity of interacting with their clients on Skype. Clients however, do not want to spend time chatting with someone, unless they are sure there is a good chance of the candidate being a good fit for their job, before they chat. We have interviewed candidates where just the first question was enough to unveil the lacking fit.
  6. Thinking it is all about them. A lot of cover letters almost give the impression of being an ad, when they really should be more like replies to a conversation. Clients are thinking; “Did they get the brief?”, “Did they understand what I want?”, “Are they able to come up with a thoughtful reply that show they are qualified?”. Some of the best replies we have received are short, but clearly show that the applicant has read, understood and replied with a brain.
  7. Quality of clients. It is very possible that clients get a taste of their own medicine, when they price the work they want done so low that the applicants who would give good replies simply will not apply. Often it can be worth asking yourself, as a client, what you have done to deserve your team. Both in good times, and in bad. Having a clear defined process, and being willing to pay above market price, can ensure you get the best people
Article By : Bjarne (BJ) Viken

Co-Founder at Digital Mined

Leaders are Built, Not Born Agree?


There are many ways to progress along the leadership path. Some of the ones I have used are:
  • Find a mentor - great leaders are always keen to mentor others, so if you know one, ask for help
  • Read - there is no shortage of books on leadership and related topics - ask for recommendations or try searching for “leadership” in Amazon and check the highly rated books
  • Try it! - there is no way to learn leadership academically any more than it’s possible to learn to ride a bike academically
The final point is a vital one - trying things and seeing how they work out is the only way to develop. Once upon a time, I was paralysed by the fear of “making a mistake” and it was holding me back. Fortunately for me, I had a boss at the time who was determined to encourage me to innovate without beating myself up when things didn’t work out, and with that backing I learnt to concentrate on making progress without getting too upset when problems occurred. You will definitely make mistakes - it’s inevitable. The key is to take the outcome as feedback rather than criticism, use it and improve.
In fact, the only thing that can’t be learnt is a desire to take on leadership. If you have that, then the rest is far from easy, but well worth the effort involved. I encourage you to take initiative; try things; make mistakes; learn from them and keep developing. You will probably never “reach your goal” because this self development never ends, but the journey itself is rewarding in a way that I once never imagined I would appreciate.
5 Ways to Give Your Brain a Break Right Now

Are You a Micro-Manager or Chief Executive?

There is a big difference between the skill set needed by a chief executive and by an entrepreneur. The best people operating in the world of business understand and grasp the fundamental differences.
Entrepreneurs are the individuals who come up with the ideas and concepts which form the basis of a company in its early days and years. It's all about taking a great idea and then getting it off the ground.
Chief executives are the ones tasked with taking control of an organisation or a business and making sure it is well managed and operated efficiently.
The very best entrepreneurs understand these basic differences and often are more than happy to take a step back and hand over the day-to-day operation of their firm to a good chief executive once their business has been established in the market place.

What is the viral secret?


Great content - Yes you have to create content that people want to share. By good content, I do not mean you need to spend a lot of money. It just needs to be “worth” sharing, and in some way connect emotionally.
The message must always have a human interest side. It needs to inspire the viewer to share, because she or he feels their network would in some way benefit.
Native - The content needs to be native to the platform. Upworthy, for example, focuses on Facebook and Twitter. Their content is designed to work across both these platforms seamlessly.
Social - These websites are optimised for social sharing and they are responsive (you can view the sites on mobile, tablet, or desktop). This makes it incredibly easy for the viewer to read or watch the content anywhere and then share.

Timing - It matter's, but not always. The content should be distributed when people are online, or the subject matter is breaking news and you are ahead of the pack. Although sometimes content goes viral regardless of the time.

Lastly, if there is a formula can a piece of content be produced that goes viral more than once?

Few Things Highly Confident People Don’t Do


Highly confident people believe in their ability to achieve. If you don’t believe in yourself, why should anyone else put their faith in you? To walk with swagger and improve your self-confidence, watch out for these fifteen things highly confident people don’t do.

They don’t make excuses.

Highly confident people take ownership of their thoughts and actions. They don’t blame the traffic for being tardy at work; they were late. They don’t excuse their short-comings with excuses like “I don’t have the time” or “I’m just not good enough”; they make the time and they keep on improving until they are good enough.

They don’t avoid doing the scary thing.

Highly confident people don’t let fear dominate their lives. They know that the things they are afraid of doing are often the very same things that they need to do in order to evolve into the person they are meant to be.

They don’t live in a bubble of comfort.

Highly confident people avoid the comfort zone, because they know this is a place where dreams die. They actively pursue a feeling of discomfort, because they know stretching themselves is mandatory for their success.

5 Ways to Give Your Brain a Break Right Now

Here are five other ways to give your brain a break during your workday:
1. Take a moment to do something you love. This is the idea behind all the games available at those Silicon Valley campuses. Take advantage of what’s at or near your office. Being fully engaged in an activity lifts the mood and contributes to feelings of overall well-being. At Dun & Bradstreet Credibility, we encourage team members to pursue personal interests, and our employees have created clubs including whiskey club, Russian club, and running club.
2. Get in touch with nature. Being outside activates different brain regions than sitting inside, as most of us do for the majority of our workday. Simple ways to incorporate nature include taking a walk in a nearby park or regularly having lunch outside. At my office, we took it up a notch by bringing in a wildlife expert and her exotic animals during a particularly challenging week for our developers. Nothing like petting a sugar glider or a hedgehog to activate less-used parts of the brain!
3. Be physically active. Company-sponsored yoga classes and in-office gyms are becoming increasingly common, with good reason. Exercise is good for our brains. If you can’t get in a full workout, don’t fret: stretching for five minutes or even using a standing desk makes small changes that can spur creativity and recharge your batteries.
4. Nap. I’ll admit that this is the hardest to do in a typical office environment, but if you can find a way, the benefits are huge. Some offices actually have sleeping pods, but for those that don’t, slip out into your car for a power nap. Much of what happens in the brain while we sleep is still unknown, but what is certain is that people perform better in terms of memory and concentration after a nap.
5. Do nothing. If a snooze isn’t possible, then simply sit in a quiet place and allow yourself to relax for ten minutes. Just as when sleeping, important mental processes occur when we daydream.