Mel Feller Defines Self-Management Mel Feller has learned all too well that we are responsible for everything that happens in your life. Learn to accept total responsibility for yourself. If you do not manage yourself, then you are letting others have control of your Iife. These tips will help "you" manage "you." In all that we do, no matter if we feel that someone else has influenced or even a situation has influenced our decisions and actions, we need to take responsibility. These are learning experiences that shape us, and are happening in order to make us better, but we are ultimately responsible for the actions we take.

1. Mel FellerDefinesSelf-Management
Mel Fellerhaslearnedall toowellthatwe are responsibleforeverythingthathappensinyourlife.Learn
to accept total responsibilityforyourself.If youdonotmanage yourself,thenyouare lettingothers
have control of yourIife.These tipswillhelp"you"manage "you."
In all that we do, no matterif we feel thatsomeone else hasinfluencedorevenasituationhas
influencedourdecisionsandactions,we needtotake responsibility. These are learningexperiences
that shape us,and are happeninginordertomake us better,butwe are ultimatelyresponsible forthe
actionswe take.
Look at everynewopportunityasanexcitingandnew-life experience.
If you catch yourself worryingaboutanupcomingtask,goaheadand do itnow so itno longerisa
distraction.
Get intothe habitof finishingwhatyoustart.
Give up "waitingtime"forever.Have somethingwithyouatall timesto workon.For example,planyour
day,work ona report,or reada page fromyour book.
Be a professionalwhoexhibitsself-confidence andself-assurance inyourpotential tocomplete anytask.
Avoidworry.The majorityof the thingsyouworryabout neveroccur.
Agree withyourself inadvance thatyouwill have agoodattitude towardthe upcomingtask.
Hire specialiststodothose thingsyouare not expertin.
Take a chance-calculatedriskspayoff inentrepreneurial progress.
Frequentlyask,"IswhatIam doingright now movingme towardmygoals?"
Planthe future,butlive inthe present.
Make a listof your accomplishmentsasyougo throughthe day-theyare greaterthanyou think.
Keepa time logat leastonce everysix monthstodetermineexactlywhere yourtime isgoing.
Do it rightthe firsttime,andyou will nothave totake time laterto fix it.
Practice concentratingonyourwork,doingonlyone thingat a time.
Acceptresponsibilityforyourjobsuccessesandfailures.Donotlookfora scapegoat.
Do not viewthingsyoudoas a "job."View all activitiesasachallenge.
Use yoursubconsciousmindbytellingittodo whatyou do want.Insteadof tellingyourself,"Ican'tdo
that verywell,"say,"Ican do thisverywell."

2. Schedule several shortvacationsorlongweekends-thiscreatespositivedeadlinesbywhenyoumust
have projectsdone.
Developafasteroperatingtempoorpace.Do thingswitha sense of urgency.Getoverthinkingyou
mustdo everythingyourself.
Take time to be quietandreflective forafew minuteseachday.
Live effectivenessineverythingyoudoratherthanjustsporadicallyapplyingtime management
techniques.
Live inthe Now.The current instantisthe onlytime inwhichyouhave control-notthe past,not the
future,justnow,inthisinstant.
Recognize youcontrol only50% of a relationshipandthatisyourhalf.If youare dissatisfiedwithwhatis
goingon,change whatyouare doingand saying.
Give yourself pointsforcompletingtasksonyour"to-do"listinpriorityorder.Whenyoureach 10
points,rewardyourself.
Carry a card withyourgoalswrittenonit andreview yourgoalsat leastthree timesaday.
Act withenthusiasminall thatyoudo.
Take time out to thankyourself foragood job.
Practice your personal beliefs.Itmaybe helpful eachmorningtotake 15 minutestogatheryour
thoughtsandsay a prayer.
Operate knowingthatthere isgoodineverything.Everycloudhasasilverlining-lookforit.
Wheneveryouhave animportantthoughtthatis notdirectlyrelatedtowhatyouare workingon,write
it down.Thenyouwill notforgetitand youalsowill nolongerbe distractedbyit.
Make a commitmenttoshowsomeone aspecificaccomplishmentonacertaindate.The addedurgency
will helpyoufeelmotivatedtohave itdone.
Rewardyourself whenyouhave successfullycompletedahighpriorityproject.
Insteadof thinkingaboutwhatyouweren’tdone,recognize all youdidgetaccomplishedandreward
yourself forhavingdone the mostimportantthings.
Keepa listof accomplishmentsaswell asa listof "thingsto-do.Youwill learnjusthow muchyouare
done.
Practice self-determination,wantingtodoitfor yourself.
Nothingtakesthe place of persistence.Practice "stick-to-it-iveness."
Get intothe habitof writingdownaperson'sname-itwill helpyoutorememberit.
Believe thatyoucanbe what youwant to be.
Operate onthe philosophythatwhatwe give outiswhat comesback to us.

3. Occasionally,sitquietlyanddoa self-assessmentof yourskillsandstrengths.
Praise yourself foryourprogress.
Recognize notall dayswill go,asyou desire.Be kindtoyourself ondayswhenyourself-esteemis
wavering.Remindyourself thatyouare good andcan standup to anyobstacle.
Nevercriticize yourself ashavingaweakness.Thereisnosuchthing.You are onlytalkingabouta
presentundevelopedskillorpart of yourself thatif youso chose,youcan change.You do nothave any
weakness,onlyuntappedpotential.
Check,to be sure you thatdo not fall intothe activitytrapof simplydoingtaskswithoutknowing,to
whatgreatergood the task isdesignedtocontribute.
Be pleasantall the time-nomatterwhatthe situation.
Life iswhat youperceive ittobe.Do yousee it as a bore or as an adventure?
Recall whatyouwere hiredtodo and make sure it happens.
To get aheadinanything,operate inthe "andthensome"manner.Alwaysdowhatisexpected"and
thensome,"sowhat yougive isalways more thanis expectedbythe otherperson.
Whenworkingona projectthatyou cannotstand,do it fora few minutesata time until youcannot
standit anymore.Thendosomethingelse andcome backlaterfora few more minutes.Keeptaking
these bite size piecesuntil itiscompletelydone.
Look at whatyou do as an adventure.Youcandiscovernew thingsfromthisnew perspective.
Challenge yourself todothingsdifferentlythanyouhave inthe past.It providesnew ideasandkeeps
youinterested.
Finishthatlasttask youare workingonbefore yougohome;do not justleave it.
Planyour dayas you showeranddressinthe morning.Keepapad and pencil nearbytojotdownideas.
Talk to yourself.Self-talkusingpositiveaffirmationsissomethingthatiscommonamongall great
achievers.Theyconvince themselvesthattheycanaccomplishtheirgoals.
Practice beingpunctual.Otherswillsense yourprofessionalism.
Plan,at leastto a minimum,everythingyouundertake.
Thinkit through,andthendo it.
Think of your time as money.Are yougettingagood returnon the wayyou invest/spendit?
Take some time,nomatter howshort,everydayto do somethingyouenjoy.
Remember,if youthinkyoucanor you thinkyoucannot,youare right.
Use the self-fulfillingprophesyonyourself.Expectyourself tosucceed.
Doinggivesyouthe powerto do.

4. Wheneveryouagree togetback to someone orcomplete aproject,committoa specificdate bywhen
youwill have itdone.Andwrite thisinyourcalendarimmediately.
Thinkintermsof long-termresults.
Create yourown "motivationboard"byputtingupnotesof thingsyouneedtodo on a bulletinboardor
special wall space.Itisan easilyvisible waytosee whatyouneedtoworkon. Whenan itemisdone,
remove the note.Also,keepyourgoalslistedandpicturedonyourboard.
"Ninetypercentof successinshowingup."
Be openandreadyto make adjustmentsasthingschange.
Focus100% of your attentionona project.
Since yourbosswill be askingyouforprogressreports,from time to time,stayinformedbyaskingyour
people forprogressreportseachdaywhile youmeetthemintheirofficeorworkarea.
Hire an assistantto run small errandsandcleanuppaperwork,etc.Evenif youpaythemfromyour own
pocket,itis a goodinvestmentbecauseitincreasesyourproductivity.
Enjoyyour life andblessings.Youcouldbe worse off.
Recognize thateventhoughyousayyouare doingsomethingforsomeoneelse,inrealityyouare doing
it foryourself.Since youare doingitforyourself,youcanalsoenjoyitmore.
Start each daywitha smile.
Your jobreflectsyou.Canyoutake pride initbeingwell done,errorfree andontime?
Do it rightor do it wrongjustdo it!
Compete withyourself tobecome alittle bettereachtime youdosomething.Achieve yourpotential.
Streamline yourdailyroutine todothe same thingat the same time inthe same order.Periodically
reviewforcontinuedeffectivenessandefficiently.
Whenresponsibleforaproject,become intensivelyinvolvedwithit.
Tell someone else whatyouare doingtokeepon schedule.Itkeepsyoucommitted.
Make eachday the bestday of the week.
Networkwithothersinthe organizationtostayinformedof whoisdoingwhat,when,where,andfor
whom.
Use evensmall "pocketsof time"tomake lists,write notesandconsiderideas.
Consciouslydecide whatsome thingsyouare NOTgoingto doare.
Be willingtoaskthat a staff meetingbe calledtoclarifyaspecificissue.
Purposelyschedule somethingyouenjoybetweenroutine projects.Itwill helprejuvenateyou.
Schedule ablockof time periodicallytotake a bigbite outof a major project.

5. Realize "energybegetsenergy."Actandenergywill flow.
Time yourroutine activitiessuchastelephone calls.Determine how youcan"capture"some of the time
and use iton othertop priorityactivities.
Be a "doer"not a "sitter."
Sense the pride youwill feel whenyouhave completedaproject.
"He whokillstime buriesopportunities."
Meditate accordingto yourpersonal beliefsatthe beginningof eachday.
Create the right"mindset"for successby adjustingyourattitude forthe upcomingproject.
Stay interestedinwhatyouare doing.Keeplookingforwhatisinterestinginyourwork.Change your
perspective andlookatitas someone outside yourjobwould,
Do not gethung-upontrivial detailsortangents.Stayfocusedandmoving.
Alwayscarrya penor pencil andpaperon whichyoucan make notes.
Do not acceptcallsfor the first15 minutesof the day while youprepare yourdailystrategy.
Contemplating,meditatingon,thinkingabout,orprayingaboutthe activitiesandsuccessof the
workdayfocusesenergytowardthatresult.
Nestactivitiestoavailable waitingtime.Take abite out of your elephant-sizedproject.
Establishpersonal incentivesandrewardstohelpmaintainyourownhighenthusiasmandperformance
level.·