Fight…

Fight can make it happen,

Fight can lead you to it,

Fight can win it for you,

Fight can help you stand back,

Fight can give back your confidence,

Fight can win hearts,

Fight can make a happy ending,

So fight till the end, and never give up!

Solicit Feedback from Your Team—Gracefully

As a manager, it’s not enough to give feedback to your direct reports. It’s also part of your job to solicit feedback from them. Still, it can be awkward to ask your employees to evaluate you. Here’s how to do it gracefully.

Start by telling your direct report that you’re open to feedback and want it. Explain to them that by giving you feedback, they’ll be helping you meet your goal of improving as a leader.

Next, diffuse any fear of retaliation by demonstrating humility and honesty. Try saying something like, “I know that it can feel uncomfortable to give feedback to your boss. I have the same hesitation when my boss asks me for feedback. Let me reassure you that I see your willingness to give me helpful, even negative feedback as one of your professional assets.”

Demonstrate self-awareness by giving yourself constructive feedback first, which can mitigate their fear of offending you or hurting your feelings. For example, you might say, “Others have shared with me that I can be slow and methodical in my work, often prioritizing accuracy over action.”

Finally, tell your direct report what you plan to do with the feedback they give you. Laying out a plan of action will help them trust that you want to implement their input.

Be Happy to Be Lucky…

Consider this, if you are happy these statements will be true:

• You will be healthy: Given that you are happy, your mind & body will be in sync and you will be in a healthy state.

• You will work smart and hard: Being in the state of happiness you will be sharp and can work harder if and when required.

• You will be a good decision maker: Whatever decisions you take most of them will turn out good since you are taking them in happy mode, not pressure or fear mode.

• People around you will love to be with you: People around you, be your family, your team, and your friends will all be happy around you since you will spread that feeling. They will love to be in your company.

• You will connect more with happy people: In and around you will connect more with happy and successful people.

• You will be more communicative and open: If we are happy, in general, we are in more accepting mode and open mode to ideas, to feedback, to improve, and to learn.

With all the above points in your favor, how you cannot be lucky?

So be happy and luck will follow you!

How to Build a Personal Brand

In today’s world, everyone is a brand, for better or worse. Whether you’re applying for a job, asking for a promotion, or writing a dating profile, your success will depend on getting others to recognize your value—so you need to get comfortable marketing yourself. These seven steps will help you better manage your image and the impact you have on the world.

  • Define your purpose by exploring your mission, passion, and strengths. What difference do you want to make to the people you care about? And how?
  • Audit your personal brand equity by cataloging your credentials, doing a self-assessment, and researching how other people view you.
  • Construct your personal narrative by identifying memorable, resonant stories that will best convey your brand—and then tell those stories.
  • Embody your brand by paying attention to the message you’re sending in every social interaction.
  • Communicate your brand through speeches, social media, the press, and other channels.
  • Socialize your brand by getting influential people (influencers, promoters, groups, and clubs) to share your stories.
  • Reevaluate and adjust your brand by doing an annual audit to find deficits to fix—and strengths to build on.

Set (Loose) Goals for Your Time Off

When you are taking time off? How can you make the most of it? It may seem counterintuitive, but research has shown that people who set personal goals to achieve during their downtime — such as seeing friends, pursuing a hobby, or even organizing a closet — report being happier than those who prioritize more passive “rest and relaxation” (i.e., sitting around in your pajamas watching TV or playing video games).

Think of this approach as proactive recovery that helps you recuperate from the daily grind. Whatever your goals are, the important thing is that you lay out a plan. One caveat: This doesn’t mean you should treat these goals like a to-do list. Stay flexible — this is your time off, after all!

But ultimately, feeling like you’ve made the most of your vacation days will give you a sense of pride, accomplishment, and happiness that will fuel you when it’s time to get back to work.