The ABC of Success

When you find yourself struggling to succeed, what do you most dwell on?

Competency?

Goals?

Circumstances?

Effort?

You may find yourself thinking or addressing any or many of the above, but still, you may find success elusive. The reason success may still be out of your reach could be because of the way you may be approaching success. You may not have prepared yourself for success and this is exactly when you need to pay attention to the basic building blocks of success.

If there's not much clarity about the process, then it will always be a struggle to reach your destination. At times, you need to go back to the basics and work towards getting them right. Success is built by focusing on the fundamentals of preparing well and being ready to be successful. 

Getting your ABC right will set you on the path to achieving sustained success. 

Here's how the ABC of Success looks like     

A for ATTITUDE - This is at the core of the effort you put in for being successful. The right mindset is what differentiates success from failure. When you approach things and situations with positive intent and with a focus on giving your best, results will always be favorable for you. If your attitude determines your altitude, then carry the one (attitude) that's progressive and empowering.

B for BELIEFS - So many times, success is withheld because of our disempowering beliefs, which render us confused and immobile. The perceptions and views we hold about things and situations may make or break our quest for success. Challenge the beliefs that are a hindrance to your success and this will open up many new avenues and opportunities to realize your dreams and accomplish your goals. Be open to accept new perspectives on things and this will help you move out of your comfort zone, and lead you to accomplish more.         

C for CHOICES - Your everyday choices keep defining the course of your life and career. Let the choices you make be defined by your need to keep progressing towards your goals. Not every choice may turn out to be the right one every time but the learnings therein could help us do the necessary course correction. Your choices should act as enablers, helping you stay focused on the destination in spite of all the detours.

If you want to get the ABC of SUCCESS right, then pay attention to 

• the ATTITUDE you Carry
• the BELIEFS you Hold, and 
• the CHOICES you Make

Investments That Never Fail Us In LIfe !

Undoubtedly Money is the most prioritised resource for most of us and special care is taken while investing it. It does not require much thinking to decide where to invest money. The most obvious strategy being to invest where it gives the maximum returns. We try our best to invest our money in the right place and at the right so as to get the best returns on it.

Now, let me shift the context to the most crucial aspect of our existence i.e. our LIFE. How many times have we given a thought to the investments that will maximise the returns on our life and enable us to live a more fulfilling life ? I am sure most of us have not even thought about it ever. We just seem to be crawling along and satisfied with whatever comes our way.

In the wake of the decreasing human attention span (which is about 8 seconds), "minimum attention, maximum retention" seems to be the only mantra that most of us swear by and live by in today's time. We live with the principle of extracting the maximum output from the input but this principle aids our growth and development only when we have a clarity about the "inputs". Apart from money, what are those other "essential resources" that impact our life considerably in terms of success and growth ?  It's not easy to identify the other "resources" from the plethora that we confront every day but here, in this post, i cover 4 such resources that abide by the basic principle of "minimising-maximising" of the times. These 4 resources could prove to be a good investment if handled with care and caution (wisely). Let's discuss these four crucial investments that can turn around our lives for good.

• EMOTIONS : Emotions are the bedrock of a complete/ whole personality. Whether it's about ensuring a holistic personality, creating balance in life, excelling at work or building strong relationships, emotions play a crucial role. Investing emotions wisely can help us prevent spiralling downwards in life during crucial events and situations. Imagine getting into a regrettable relationship and wasting crucial years/ period of your life without any gain/ growth/ stability whatsover. Emotions work on the concept of "attachment or bond(ing)". The more attached we feel towards something (person, product, situation, etc.), the more emotions we invest into the thing. An emotionally disturbed person can never take rational decisions and also becomes very tentative in approach towards life. This leads to drop in confidence and esteem which directly impacts the personality of the individual. So, be wary of where you invest your emotions. 

• ENERGY : If momentum is what maintains consistency towards success in our life, then energy is what builds up that momentum. Most of the times, its that surge, that burst of energy that spurs us for unabated action when faced with the likelihood of giving up in life. If we can manage to direct/ redirect our energy at the right moment towards the right task, then we can be assured of accomplishing our goals in a timely manner. So, when it comes to investing your energy, be careful about expending it on the right areas/ tasks/ activity and at the appropriate moment so that it yields the best results. Never let go of any opportunity for the lack of desired energy that may be needed to complete the task. While running the sprint, its the final burst of energy that decides the winner between/ among the sprinters running neck to neck. There have been so many instances in the sprint world when the winner was decided on the basis of fraction of second. The runner who put in that required energy in time came out triumph. So, be like the sprinter and be ready for the "burst" when the need arises. 

• FOCUS : One of the big paradox that we are living today is that of FOCUS. The more we lose it, the more we demand it. Surrounded and bombarded with umpteen distraction, we just can't seem to pay sufficient attention to the things that demand it. With constant dwindling of human attention span, the resource of "Focus" had become more crucial in our lives and gradually moving towards becoming a "rare commodity". The market boasts of many tools and practices (based on the concept of Mindfulness is one such example) aimed at improving focus and attention span. Few examples of the same are Mindfulness, Pomodoro  and TimeBoxing The best strategy to derive the maximum return from FOCUS lies in "monotasking" instead of multi-tasking and paying our full attention to the task till its completion.

• TIME : Everything in our life, whether work, relationship or self-growth consumes a part of our time. But being a perishable resource, we can only give a portion of our time to each of the item and if we get the time allocation wrong, it takes us many steps backward in life and leave us with many unfulfilled tasks and things. The "limited (in quantity)" nature of Time makes it imperative that we make the optimum use of time available to us and the best way to do so is to imbibe the practice of Prioritisation in our approach to work and life. We will always have plenty of things seeking our attention but the moment we gain clarity about the sequence to invest our time is when we extract the best from our investment in time. Few techniques that can help us in this regard are Pareto Principle, Eisenhower Matrix    

Remember, success and happiness in our life will always accrue from making the right investments  !

7 Mantras For An Awesome 2020 !

Another year has gone by leaving us with plenty of experiences and memories. Like every year, 2019 also had its share of good and not-so-good moments for us, some cherishable and some forgettable ones. The times we faltered and failed were also opportunities to learn from our mistakes and get wiser. Now, it's time to consolidate on the learnings from 2019 and apply them to make 2020 a better year. 

Here are Seven Simple Mantras to make 2020 an awesome year 

   

CREATE A VISION for your Life - We are strongly driven by the desire of accomplishment and

the more we achieve, the more motivated we get to go after big/ bigger dreams of our life. But the trick to accomplishing and achieving our goals lies in knowing and establishing the big picture first i.e. gaining clarity on what we want to achieve and how our current actions/ tasks will contribute to achieving what we want to. A clarity-induced action is more effective than a random one. For our actions and efforts to make an impact, we need to clear about what they are aimed towards. So, before you set any expectations from the new year, set clear expectation from your life first. Understand and know how you see yourself years ahead from now (maybe 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, and so on) ? how would you like to contribute to the society/ world ? how would you like to be perceived/ remembered ? Using vivid imagery (including all the senses to describe) could help us create a vision compelling enough to inspire us and motivate us to keep going strong for the entire year and beyond. Always remember that a well crafted Vision is the foundation of establishing appropriate goals.  Here's an excellent video to help create vision - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkrW3OgB9K0


ADOPT A POSITIVE OUTLOOK - There will always be times in our life when certain events or episodes would not work in our favour and we will feel as if life is slipping away. The moment we let these "unfavourable results" seize control over us is when we actually lose grip on our life. Life is always a mixed bag and the sooner we accept this reality the better prepared we will be to deal with the troubles and tribulations of life. Why should we fret about things that lie outside our scope of control ? Worrying about such things (events, situations) only distract us and render us unproductive as we tend to skip taking any action at all. Can we, instead, inculcate an outlook of possibility and optimism, so that we remain focused on doing what's in our control - taken progressive action even the chips are down !


ADAPT TO THE UNCERTAINITIES -  How many times does it happen with us that we find ourselves unable to cope with the fast turn of events ? Definitely, that happens quite a lot  because it's not easy to survive and thrive in a world that's dynamic by nature and where we are expected to do things "on the fly", most of the times. To be prepared for every eventuality is just not possible in this VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) world, because most of the factors responsible for triggering any event, are outside our scope of control. However hard we may try to control the outcome, there will always be some additional factor(s) that will further impact/ alter the outcome. So, in a world characterised by the unpredictable nature of things, the best way to prepare ourselves to meet the challenges is to be flexible in our approach and always be prepared to accept the things as they turn out to be, without judging them. The moment we start anticipating and expecting too much is when rigidity creeps in our approach and we tend to mess things up and land up in precarious situation. So, let's always be ready by being flexible !


AFFIRM YOURSELF EVERY MORNING/ DAY - Positivity is a habit and we inculcate it through consistent practice. Every morning, when we set out to start our day, stating our positive intentions emphatically ensures that we make the best of the day. Affirming ourselves regularly and on daily basis helps us do away with doubt and fear in our thoughts and actions, and instills in us the confidence and courage to go ahead and execute our intentions. So, let's be emphatic enough to invite the right energy from the Universe, in our life, to support us in bringing goodness in ourselves and in everything around. So, let's state every positive thought/ resolution as emphatically and consistently as we can to make it become a reality.

CELEBRATE EVERY SMALL WIN - Haven't we all heard/ read the following quotes :

• "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step"
• "Success is a series of small wins"
• "A little progress each day adds up to big results"

Each of the above quotes holds validity in context of the times we live in, where we always aim high

and big, but tend to ignore or skip taking those small steps that lead us closer to our goals. In the absence of acknowledging the power of these small steps, each and every goal of ours become so overwhelming and a huge task to accomplish. We need to realise that "success cannot be hurried up" and is a process which takes its own sweet time to materialise. Even if we just take small, tiny but progressive and positive steps regularly, we would manage to accomplish all our goals and dreams. The best that these small wins do to us is that they help us build/ maintain the desired momentum to keep moving forward in life and instill in us the key virtues of Patience and Focus, that are so much desired to thrive in this information-overloaded world. Lets perceive "big picture" of our life in terms of small manageable goals, and lose any moment in celebrating and cherishing small successes.     

TAKE RISKS (TO MOVE OUT OF COMFORT ZONE) - Comfort and Convenience is never an indication of growth but that of stagnancy. The more comfortable we get with what we have and where we are, the more we prepare ourselves for a slow but sure death (not literally). To derive the maximum out of our life, we need to keep inventing and re-inventing ourselves and that happens when we keep growing and evolving regularly and continuously. Growth comes from venturing into the unknown and attempting new things. So, letting go of the "fear of unknown" is the starting point for moving out of our comfort zone and when that happens, we live a more fulfilling life because there's so much to experiment, explore and accomplish.  A constant self-reminder that  "a comfort zone is a beautiful place but nothing ever grows there" always keeps us on our toes to keep trying new and different things and make our life adventurous.   

SEEK INNER GUIDANCE/ WISDOM (CONNECT WITHIN) - There are times and moments in life when all our attempts to seek answers from outside fail because for certain problems, the answers lie within only. This is why being our biggest ally helps because this support system is the most reliable one, is always available to us and will never fail us. Falling back on others may not be a feasible option always, so it's better to be our own cheerleader. There's an Inner Guide within each one of us that has all the wisdom that may ever be needed to live an enriching life. At times, when we need hope, courage or clarity, the inner compass ensures that we stay on track. So, the more deep is our inner connection, the more clarity and confidence will be visible in all our actions. Let's put trust in our inner guru and it will never let us down because it knows what we want and what is best for us !

So, look no further than these simple 7 principles and set yourself on course to a rewarding journey in 2020  !  

Brace Yourself For CHANGE !

The mere thought or mention of the word CHANGE instils in us a feeling of discomfort, if not anything more. Remember the times when CHANGE caught us unaware and landed us in a "No- Man's Land" where all we did was to rue the moment when we resisted the first step towards a better
future and life. The many missed opportunities and chances stand as a testimony to our reluctance or inability to change.

We grow up hearing that "Change is inevitable" but still we do not brace ourselves for it. The sooner we realise that the only thing constant is Change and there's no escape from it, the better equipped we will be to welcome the Change when it arrives in our life!

Bracing ourselves for any sort of Change is all about implementing the following "4W Model" where each "W" deals with an essential aspect of Change.

Let's understand what each "W" stands for

• WHY - To embrace any new situation, scenario or circumstance, we first need to be convinced about it. This "W" is all about establishing and becoming aware of the need to change. This awareness then sets the right context for us to take future actions which are well aligned. We become ready to adapt to change the moment we realise its benefits in terms of our growth and evolution.  

• WHAT - After establishing "Why", this "W (What)" is about getting specific in terms of what transformation or transition needs to happen to bring about the desired best/ better state in us. Being specific helps in gaining better clarity and the details help us identify clear and precise steps for initiating and achieving the change. Identifying whether a change in skill, knowledge or attitude is required help us complete the "What" component of change.

• WHERE -Closely linked to "What", this "W (Where)" is about identifying the area(s) of our life where Change needs to be brought in. A case in point is our constant struggle to achieve work-life balance. Our quest for holistic wellness depends a lot on our ability to select the area (Home, Office, Health, Relationships, Spirituality, etc.)  that needs to be prioritised for action.  One of the key reason for Work-Life imbalance is our failure to pinpoint the area (Home, Office, Health, Relationships, Spiritual, etc.) that needs to be prioritised and focused upon. Once the "Where" is identified, then taking specific actions become easier and smoother.

• WHEN -To ensure that we do not "miss the bus"  to a better life, it's important to put a timeframe to our actions towards adapting the change. Defining a time limit based on appropriate parameters help ensure that we not only stay relevant but are also ready to move to the next stage of change, as and when it arrives. As with everything else, a closure is essential to let the change happen seamlessly.

   So, embrace Change without any Fear and Success will always be Near! 

"Thanks to Thankfulness" - The shortest path to GRATITUDE

Technology has permeated every aspect of our life, promising to make us better, effective and more productive; the gaps have also been bridged in terms of seeking/ accessing information/ knowledge and everything is available at our fingertips now. Still the biggest irony that exists is that the parallel online world created to bring together and connect people across geographies, continents, countries, etc. has been created on a bedrock of loose human values. 

A case in point is – can we recollect easily the last time we appreciated something around us or in others? 

Isn't is hard to do so as there aren't be too many such occasions.  

The interconnectedness of people that promised camaraderie and togetherness has in fact created a more self-centered society where personal success and achievement rules the roost. We are seeing an erosion of fundamental human values and Gratitude is one of those key values that is diminishing. The “Thanks” or “Thank You” are hard to come and if they come, they are just so robotic.

Let’s dig deep and examine why gratitude is eroding and what could we do to cultivate it

What is Gratitude?

Gratitude is the basic quality of appreciation or being grateful.

Why is Gratitude important?

• Gratitude builds holistic health and personality by positively impacting our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspect.
• It shapes the growth of society as connecting together is a key tenet of a flourishing society
• It complements the interconnected nature of the virtual world that we live in. Our parallel online world needs real values to build lasting relationships.
• The new smartphone generation needs to imbibe basis human values like gratitude to build a holistic personality.
• Gratitude acts as feeder to many more essential human values like kindness.

How to cultivate Gratitude?

The simplest way to cultivate gratitude is to make a transition from “Thanks to Thankfulness”. Practising the following would help us achieve the same 

• SATISFICING which means finding delight in what’s given to us. This builds in the quality of being grateful for what we have. This further triggers our orientation towards the much needed concepts of decluttering, minimalism and essentialism. Maintaining a “gratitude journal” is an easy way to do so. The journal entries act as a reminder to us that by default there are plenty of things that we need to be grateful for in our life such as the beautiful body, the nature, the family, the friends, the sunshine, and so on.

• MINDFULNESS which builds awareness of the present moments and makes us appreciate the beauty that lies in each moment. This generates feeling of gratitude and makes us grateful for each moment.

• EMPATHY which is the foundation of human relatedness. Empathy propel us to connect with others at a deeper level and establish an emotional connect. It’s this deeper connection that builds in us feelings of gratitude.

• CONNECT MORE – One of the major downside of technology is that the opportunities to meet face-to-face are very few. This lack of physical connection inhibits our basic human tendency to relate to others. Establishing more face to face connections will kindle the feelings of gratitude.

• A LITLLE EXTRA – Once we imbibe the basic feeling of empathy and start connecting more (at a physical level), offering a little bit extra through our intent and action will develop more gratitude.      

For all the readers looking for more scientific explanation about the benefits of gratitude, here's the link to a wonderful article http://happierhuman.com/benefits-of-gratitude/

So, what are you grateful for today ?

RAS - The Genie Inside Us !

Is there a way to turn all our dreams into reality?

Possibly yes, but only when we

• get hold of a magic wand and "ABRACADABRA" our way to success

                                             OR

• call to our service Aladdin's Genie

The possibility of us finding a magic wand or Alladin’s lamp is next to impossible but lo, there exist a genie inside each one of us which when invoked has the power to transform all our dreams into reality and put us on path to goal accomplishment.        

This genie is very much an integral part of our physical self, our identity and is known as RAS (Reticular Activating System). Remember the coincidences that appear in our life and leave us in wonderment when what we seek appears all around us (whether it’s a new car we have been longing for or  a new holiday destination we have been exploring or anything else that is being sought by us). For a moment, it appears as if some supernatural power is at play but in real all that’s happening around us is a manifestation of the genie called RAS. Rather than rubbing of the lamp, this genie (RAS) just needs to be fed with our goals, things we intend to achieve in life.

RAS (Reticular Activating System) is a network of neurons located in the brain stem. It connects with other parts of the brain and to the spinal cord. In addition to being responsible for sleep, wakefulness and breathing, RAS is also responsible for many other functions like eating, elimination of boy waste and bringing things to our attention. Every moment, our brain is  bombarded with million of bits of information but only few thousand gets processed by it and what should get processed is determined by RAS.   

RAS  acts as a point of confluence where all our thoughts, feelings, beliefs, value and external influences meet. Based on what is fed by us in our conscious mind (in the form of goals), RAS filters the incoming sensory inputs (except smell which goes directly into brain’s emotional area) and sends to the subconscious mind only the information that aligns with our goals and focus. This is how coincidences occur with us as our subconscious start seeking in the environment what we have established as intent in our conscious mind.

So, to invoke the genie inside us so that it fulfills all our dreams, all we need to do is to establish goals effectively by writing them down. It’s only when the genie(RAS) sees the real intent in our goals that it starts weaving it’s magic in our life ! 

ZEAL takes us to ZENITH#AtoZChallenge

Z is for "ZEAL"

We always aspire to reach the Zenith in our life and this gets manifested in the form of our

aspirations. But many a times our half-hearted efforts results in unachieved goals and a gap persist between our Inspiration and Aspiration.  Even though we are inspired to achieve our aspiration triggered goals, still there’s something that holds us back from achieving our goals. This missing piece is “ZEAL” which ensures sustained movement towards our goal(s). ZEAL refers to enthusiasm and excitement that is so much needed to keep us inspired always.  

Why ZEAL is important ?

·         Helps us achieve our goals

·         Keeps us passionate about our actions/ tasks

·         ZEAL breeds positive energy that is necessary to move forward  

·         We become a positive influencer for people around us

·         It provides direction to our efforts , so we need to ensure that it’s channelized in the right direction

·         Keeps us in a creative frame of mind and ensures better problem-solving and decision making

How to ensure “ZEAL” in life ?

·         An early diagnosis of our goals would help us ensure that we are pursuing the right goals

·         In case the ZEAL is missing, we must  change our goals and pick the ones that excite us and make us enthusiastic

·         Adopting an optimistic mind set ensures positive outlook towards life

·         Build in sufficient “self-time” to pursue our hobbies and calming activities like mindfulness, meditation and yoga. This will bring more clarity about  our goals in life

·         Build proper checkpoints to keep us on track. Also do a regular review of goals and  do the necessary correction whenever required

“ZEAL” is the backbone of  a Progressive Life ! 

YEARN for YIN_YANG#AtoZChallenge

Y is for YIN-YANG

PERFECTION and BALANCE are 2 things that each one of us is striving for in our life. But the irony is that we are trying to achieve it in a completely non-conducive environment which consist of a world that’s overflowing with information & knowledge; mind that is filled to the brim with chaos and commotion and a body that is all the time busy multi-tasking. We are aiming for the improbable considering the dynamic eco-system we live and operate in. The best way to achieve balance is to seek progression instead of perfection and move forward. The moment we start accepting the duality of everything in life, we will achieve balance in life. This principle of duality is YIN-YANG, a concept/ approach which helps us deal effectively with uncertainties of life - ups and downs, good times and bad times, opportunities and challenges.

Why is YIN-YANG important ?

·      Life is never a smooth ride and we need to deal with adversity as well. YIN-YANG prepares us for dealing with the downs in life and move ahead in life

·   Adopting the YIN-YANG approach build in us the requisite mental strength to deal with difficulties

·        YIN-YANG prepares us to build multiple perspectives

·        YIN-YANG helps us perceive the adversities as natural       happenings and not get bogged down by them 

How to balance YIN-YANG ?

·         Accepting failures and negative events in our life as natural occurrences, similar to the positive ones

·         Focus on achieving balance in all aspects of life – work, home, relationships, etc. The more all these aspects are in harmony, the more balanced our life will be

·         Include practices like mindfulness, meditation and yoga which connect us to our inner self

·         Practice gratitude and be thankful for everything in life

·         Declutter life to attract clarity and positivity in life

 Bring YIN-YANG in life and live holistically forever ! 

WILLPOWER makes a WINNER#AtoZChallenge

W is for WILLPOWER

Many a times winning is more to do with our inner ability and strength rather than the external skill or knowledge. The true test of a winner’s personality is his/ her ability to push themselves towards accomplishing the goal(s) or completing the task at hand in spite of all odds and many challenges. This ability is termed as WILLPOWER and is a necessary personality trait for anyone wanting to achieve great/ big things in life. WILLPOWER connotes inner strength and/ or determination needed to overcome all obstacles and always be inspired to complete the task at hand, those tasks which others may give up because they are hard to finish. 

Why WILLPOWER is important ?

·         Gives us the power of choice – either to give up or move on and be an achiever

·         Enables us to overcome any difficult problem or obstacle 
      with ease

·         Gives us inner strength to take tough actions in life and be ready for any challenge

·         Build us determination to complete the task and achieve the defined goals

·         Helps us move out of our comfort zone and adapt quickly to any kind of CHANGE in life

·         Gives us an edge over our competitors and make us competitive

·         Builds a positive self-image; positively impacts our self-esteem; boosts our self-confidence

·         Builds a strong character person

 How to build WILLPOWER ?

·         See the BIG picture instead of focusing on short-term benefits of achieving any goal

·         Be creative by taking up challenging tasks

·         Develop a solution-oriented mind set to find ways to do things

·         Break up goals into smaller and manageable sub-goals which are easier to track and achieve

·         Develop inner strength through practices like Mindfulness, Yoga and Meditation

·         Use Affirmations to build up positive self-image and self-confidence

·         Adopt an action-oriented approach in life – always willing to try out things and attempt them

·         Don’t get overwhelmed with the task/ goal. Think action and the sub-goal

·         Overconfidence is a killer. Don’t assume success. Take every task as new and give it your best try

Let your WILLPOWER be the magic wand of SUCCESS !  

VISUALISATION ensures VICTORY#AtoZChallenge

V is for VISUALISATION

We set many goals during the different stages of our life and always look for tools that could support or supplement our goal-achievement process. The entire process of achieving our goals can be made easy if our subconscious starts aiding the process. Our mind possess immense power and can help manifest the desired outcomes that we seek in our life if conditioned well. The technique that uses the power of mind to create images/ pictures of the desired reality and also convinces the subconscious to accept it as reality is known as VISUALISATION. We can create our dream future using the power of VISUALISATION by creating images of that future in present tense, assuming it has already occurred. 

Why VISUALISATION Is important (Benefits)?

·         It helps us achieve our goals

·         Helps us create our dream future vividly

·         Expands our capabilities and help us move beyond our limitations  

·         Enables us to thrive on the immense power of our mind

·         Improves our focus and concentration

·         Improves our overall health as it reduces stress, relaxes our mind, keeps us positive

·         Allows us to take control of our life

·         Encourages us to take risks and go for the impossible

How to ensure Effective Visualisation ?

·        Visualise in present tense and couple it with positive 

      affirmative statements

·         Focus on involving all the senses to make the Visualisation effective

·         Do it regularly and consistently

·         Do it at a distraction free place so that there’s no disturbance

·         Practice, Practice and Practice will make the Visualisation 

      more effective

·         Set up clear goals to make the Visualisation more useful

·        Always engage in positive self-talk as this will help 

      us maintain positive self-esteem and good self-image of 

      our self

So, turn your dreams into reality by using the power of VISUALISATION !