“I’m not up to that!”

“I don’t have the guts.”

“I don’t know, maybe some other time.”

Do you recognize these quotations from your own life? Do you tend to second-guess your talents or your courage? Do you always hesitate, instead of taking the plunge? Afraid of risks, or afraid of failure?

Welcome to the club!

Everyone experiences similar feelings at some point in their life. For most of us, it’s an everyday ordeal. Unfortunately, this sort of thing becomes a bad habit. It starts to sound like a broken record. Is self-doubt keeping you from stepping out the front door? If a lack of confidence or courage is handcuffing you, it’s time to take serious steps to alleviate this situation.

A good place to start is to determine the possible origins of your self-doubt. Perhaps some traumatic failure in childhood damaged your self-esteem, and caused you to fear failure to such a degree that you came to fear even making an attempt.

Perhaps your esteem was beaten down by certain authority figures in your life, who made frequent comments to the effect that you’d never do anything special in your life. When repeated over a significant period of time, disparaging comments like these can have an effect, even on the subconscious level. We may not be aware of their scars, but they continue to hold us back as we try to advance in life. Quite simply, we refuse to believe in ourselves, just because others didn’t believe in us.

At some point, one has to get past all of these tired old ways of thinking. Certainly, stop adding to the chorus of critical and disparaging voices yourself. Human nature is such that we’re quick to put ourselves down; when someone else criticizes us, we’re surprisingly quick to take their words to heart, repeat them like a mantra, and heap on negativity ourselves. Soon we’re feeling too small and helpless to even lift a finger. Low self-esteem can become a genuine straitjacket in this way.

Begin freeing yourself from this prison of self-doubt by compiling a chart of your best qualities. You’ll realize you have a lot to be proud of. Reflect on your past accomplishments.

What qualities and talents did each of your achievements reveal in you? What else could you do with those talents? Keep in mind that any person only develops further over time—that the talents we may have been born with will continue to grow with use.

Those achievements of yesteryear are actually mere stepping stones on the road to greater things. The chart you compile is therefore hard evidence of your abilities, and that a lot of great things lie ahead of you. If, that is, you can overcome your self-doubt, and force yourself to venture back into the world and uncover new places.

Self-esteem is something almost anyone can use more of.

Even the people who exude confidence on the exterior probably have nagging doubts in their heart of hearts—doubts that they carefully hide from those around them, but which gnaw at their souls. Doubt can be debilitating.

Luckily, anyone can take very practical steps to improve their self-esteem. Confidence in ourselves isn’t something we’re born with overnight (unless we’re just cocky, in which case the confidence is probably ill-justified!).

Anyone with a brain and a critical eye is bound to see what’s wrong in their lives. But it’s always constructive to remind yourself what’s right—and that, in any case, things can improve still more.

Below are just a few great pointers on increasing self-esteem: More on How Can I Improve My Self-Esteem?

No matter what your specialty is at work, or your major in school, effective time management is something you can’t afford to do without. Good habits start early, so even if you’re in school, you can begin mastering the basics of scheduling and prioritizing.

Here are just a few basic time management techniques that can prove priceless as you set out:

1. Learn to set priorities. Begin by formulating your major goals in life and ranking them in terms of importance. Use the same prioritizing techniques to rank your short-term goals as well, on a weekly and monthly basis.

2. Mark your calendar. Keep a calendar for effective, graphical time management. Try nailing down the most essential items (especially with regard to your major goals) in red; these are the things you can’t afford to postpone. Work in the other, less important events around them.

3. Don’t get distracted. The key to a good schedule is to actually use it! This requires some real discipline, especially at first; with time, however, it will become habitual. If you stick to your plan, the quality of your production should improve greatly, because you’ll be able to concentrate exclusively on the task at hand, without stressing over unrelated deadlines.

4. Leave enough flex time around your red-letter items to accommodate the unexpected—those random, unannounced appointments, for example. This way you’ll never have to postpone something that cannot brook postponement. This allows you to be flexible, without comprising what is most important.

5. Recover that wasted time. Those tiny bits of time squandered on distractions can really add up. Learn to regard your time as a valuable resource—one that you can invest only once, and can never recover if you invest it foolishly.

6. Don’t forget to take time out! Schedule time away from your schedule! Everyone knows that without a breather now and then, and an occasional trip or retreat, the time you do spend at work will be less productive. So work recreation into your schedule.

7. Schedule each particular task. With any big project, breaking it down into sub-tasks can allow you to proceed more rationally and more productively. Break every job into sub-jobs, and allocate them to the free blocks of your schedule, with an eye on the deadline.

8. Stay on task. Refuse to work on anything at any given moment besides what you’ve written on your schedule. That applies to relaxing, too! Don’t take your briefcase to the beach under any circumstances!

These personal time management tips are a good start for planning your life wisely. You’ll see great dividends in all aspects of your life.

As an important meeting or deadline looms, the pressure we’re under can have a surprising effect on the kinds and quantities of food we consume, which, in turn, causes us to feel energetic, or, on the other hand, even more drained than we actually are.

During times of increased stress, the human organism requires a greater amount of vitamins to keep performing at a high level, since external pressure can affect the rate at which your organs process what you eat. The vitamins you derive from fruit are especially useful when you’re feeling the pressure; if you don’t get enough of it, your ability to fight off disease may even be affected. This is why, for example, we’re more likely to catch colds when we’re under tremendous stress at work or in our personal lives.

While caffeine and sugar from chocolate, coffee, and energy drinks may seem to produce an energy high, that high is in any case fleeting, and when it passes, you’re left more depleted than you were in the first place, causing many to aggravate the situation further by reaching for the next coffee or candy bar. This can actually increase the symptoms of stress. So steer clear of those “quick fixes” you’re prone to reach for. They may actually exacerbate the problem.

Few people are aware that stressful situations actually cause the blood to become thicker, which is of special concern for anyone with a circulatory or cardiac condition, as it puts them at an even higher risk of a life-threatening incident. Garlic can be a life-saver for people in this category, since it has a blood-thinning effect. Ginger, too, can help in this regard.

When the boss is breathing down your neck, or when your children are driving you up the wall, get a handle on stress by consuming an even higher level of vitamins and minerals, not just the typical energy foods, like bread or pasta. What you need are plenty of greens, and fresh vegetables chock full of the nutrients your overtaxed body is gasping for. One useful tip is to pay attention to your palette when you’re at the salad bar. Choose a variety of bright colors to fill your place, from the oranges of carrots to the reds and yellows of peppers, to, of course, a wide range of greens. The more variety of colors, the more likely you are to cover all of your nutritional bases.

All this being said, you do need plenty of energy, so don’t forget your carbohydrates, from whole-grain breads, starches, and corn. A healthy, balanced diet is the key to striking the perfect balance between the pressure you’re under and the energy you have.

Ever wonder how some people seem able to process reams of information in a short time period? How they speed through novels in the time it takes you to flip through a magazine?

The trick used by anyone whose work involves working through tremendous amounts of information is simply speed reading. It’s a skill anyone can use. If you’re tired of plodding through one article after another, and compiling summaries at a snail’s pace, then why not learn speed reading?

There are a few simple speed reading techniques that anyone can use to increase their ability to comprehend the essence of written material in a short period of time. Here are just a few speed reading tips:

1. Geometric progression

If you’re constantly learning to raise the quantity of information you process at a time, you can increase the speed of your reading exponentially. Perhaps, when reading normally, you can see and comprehend a maximum of five words at a time. If you simple double that amount, to ten words processed in a single glance, and multiply that over the length of an entire book, the speed of your reading will surprise you.

2. Time yourself

Have you ever calculated how long you need to read a typical sentence? If you take a moment to measure your average time, you can begin to work on decreasing that total, trimming one second after another, until at last you’ll be making real progress.

3. Read, read, and read!

This point should be obvious, but it bears repeating! The only way to learn how to do anything is by practicing. That goes for any physical activity, and it applies to mental skills as well. The only way to speed your reading time is by reading, reading, and reading. And read with a purpose. Constantly time and evaluate your performance. See how long it takes to read through a typical article, or hundred-page book. Paying attention to things like this will help you gauge your progress.

4. Keep plowing ahead

Many people tend to slow their reading pace by constantly wandering back to the previous sentence, reviewing it, possible many times. Obviously, becoming mired down in any one sentence can drastically cut the pace of your reading. Don’t tend to focus on any one sentence; learn to appreciate instead the general thrust of what you’re reading. Follow its arguments, not its details. Use a pencil tip or bookmark to help you scan the text, and make sure it’s always moving forward, at as fast a rate as possible.

5. Seek professional help

Exercises for speed reading can be used profitably by anyone, at home or work. But if you’re serious about becoming an expert reader, professional classes and services are available as well. If time is of the essence, turn to the experts to learn speed reading.

Speed reading isn’t something we’re born with; it’s simply a technical skill. As with any physical ability, reading is a mental faculty that can be trained, exercised, and constantly improved.

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The world is finally coming around to the idea that brainpower is essential. Sure, certain muscleheads and neanderthals may still buy in to the old outdated cliches regarding those who open a book once in a while. But society has progressed to the point where brute strength doesn’t count for much any more. It certainly doesn’t command a whole lot of money! More than ever, it’s intelligence and knowledge that can take you place in today’s information age.

You can begin flexing your cerebellum at any time, with some simple tips. Theoretical smarts are one thing, but the ability to apply what you know to help solve everyday problems is what really matters these days. It’s a skill that can be learned. Try the following:

1. Put your mind to the test

Scientific tests have clearly shown that those who immediately practice the skills they’ve learned are more likely to apply that knowledge than those who, for example, read through a text, even repeatedly. The fact is people learn by doing. Read enough to understand the principles of the task at hand, and then begin learning by doing. After just a couple of runs through the process on a practical level, you’ll come to grasp intuitively what, otherwise, you’d only know theoretically, and quickly forget.

2. Read for speed

One can learn to speed the process of assimilating knowledge. The faster you can process the information that stimulates your mind, the more effective and productive your creative thinking will become. You’ll have reams of facts and information at your fingertips. Speed-reading isn’t only about raw speed. Sure, it’ll help you get through that book in a single night instead of an entire week. But it also exercises your mental processes in general. Learn to filter what you read, to separate the wheat from the chaff. Isolate the main ideas, and the overall structure of the text. Humans are not computers; you’re not going to learn to remember, photographically, every page you lay eyes on. But it is a proven fact that the human mind can be trained to read at amazing speeds, with enough practice.

3. Use supplements sparingly

Some of those memory-strengthening medications and energy supplements you hear about may have some effect, even those specially engineered for kids. But anyone who thinks they’re going to swallow a miracle pill and increase their intelligence overnight is in for a rude awakening. Supplements are precisely that—supplements to learning. And learning involves training, hard work, and repetition. Steer clear of those things that can counteract the positive effects of supplements, whether it’s cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, or narcotics, as these harmful substances can damage the brain over the course of your life.

4. Do the math

Throw that calculator aside! Ever notice how we resort to mental crutches in this age of technology? Why not challenge yourself to do those calculations in your head? Your mind is a much more powerful machine than even your desktop computer. Train your brain with simple math exercises, and you’ll see benefits across the board. Learn to think precisely and logically.

5. Think in the abstract

Learn to use logic to think in abstract and analytical fashions. Practice makes perfect, but thinking theoretically can help you learn how to attack complicated problems in real life. Any local bookstore offers countless books that will help you learn and practice logic—most of them include games and quizzes, and can be more engaging and challenging than you might suspect. Pick one up, and entertain yourself during that bus ride, or those spare moments during a snack break.

Don’t allow your brain to be drained. It’s an incredible machine, with powers you may not even be aware of yourself. Allow it to live up to its potential, by giving it a regular workout.

So, what is an affirmation? It’s almost any positive statement, made to build up others, or even yourself. It affirms, or justifies, or gives thanks for, the very existence of another person, underscoring their value, their uniqueness, and the meaning they bring to those around them.

We all have first-hand experience of the power of words to create or destroy; they can crush a person spiritually and emotionally, or they can inspire them, support them, and call them back to life. Why not practice affirmation on a daily basis? Simply put, when we affirm others, we affirm ourselves—the positive energy we emit is reflected back on us. Because those around us will respond glowingly to the affirmations we give them.

Here are a few kinds of affirmation you can practice every day:

1. Affirmations in Your Personal Life

Many of us have the self-destructive tendency of beating ourselves up. Strange how we love to kick ourselves whenever we’re down, encouraging the spiral of self-hatred, embarrassment, and shyness.

Perhaps we suffer a tiny setback—for example, a joke doesn’t go over well at a party. Instead of letting it slide, and laughing at ourselves, we become fixated on our failure, and blow it out of all proportion. And the spiral intensifies. We call ourselves stupid, socially inept, and ludicrous. We spend the rest of the party next to the vegetable dip.

Is this any way to spend our life? Let go of the negativity, by making a simple affirmation of yourself. Let yourself know that you believe in yourself. If you believe in yourself, people will respond to you. So kick yourself in the rear, and get back into the fray! That vegetable dip definitely isn’t going to laugh at your witty banter!

2. Affirmations in the Workplace

Success on the job is often a matter of self-esteem; if we believe in our own ability to get the job done, chances are that we will. If we believe in ourselves, others will believe in us, and we’ll become natural leaders. Because people respond naturally to confidence. They can sense it.

Part of exuding confidence is affirming yourself and everyone around you. The more you build others up, the more efficient they’re going to be, because they’ll have faith in their abilities, and motivation that will inspire them to get through the drudgery.

Once a day, perhaps in the morning with your coffee, review the day’s plans. Set your short-term goals, keeping in mind your long-term aims. Then, make a simple affirmation of yourself. You have a vision that’s worthy of being shared. You have the willpower to make it happen. Second, think of one colleague at work who’s playing a major part in realizing your goals. Make a point of affirming his or her performance over the course of the day.

3. Self-Affirmation on the Path to Self-Improvement

It’s hard to be positive when we’re struggling with our own failings—those bad habits and harmful addictions that we’re desperately trying to get rid of. Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel can be difficult, because the tide of battle often turns against us.

At times like these, affirmation is critical. Affirm the fact that you’re answering the battle call in the first place, that you’re brave enough to strive for self-improvement. Sure, you may lose some battles along the way, but remind yourself of the worthiness of your cause, and affirm yourself for your willingness to fight the larger war—one that you’re determined to win in the end.