How to Overcome Regret.

Try these tactics for moving on and getting over.

Regrets. We’ve all had a few. In researching how to get over regret, we found three excellent examples of people who did so in such thoughtful, meaningful ways. And there are some general tactics, should you find yourself mired in remorse:

• Own up to it.

Accept your responsibility in the negative experience.

• Move on.

Let go of what you cannot and could not control.

• Apologize.

If you hurt another person—whether intentionally or inadvertently—apologize, mend bridges, or otherwise express how you feel. Then let it go.

• Free yourself.

Decide that you deserve to be free from the negative feelings surrounding the episode.

• Learn from it.

Seek to identify the lessons inherent in the experience.

• Say thanks.

Express gratitude for the experience, as it can and will bring insight, if you allow it.

Danyell Taylor

36; principal of a creative communications firm; Dallas

For years I was hung up on the fact I dropped out of my master’s program at Howard University with only two classes left. In 2008 the job market was poor, and I could secure only internships in my field. I constantly obsessed over the idea that being a graduate school dropout was the reason my career stalled. I complained a lot to my family and friends. Although I tried to journal my feelings, there were days I totally gave up on my chosen career field.

Starting in 2009, I went back to school. I began calling the chair of my graduate program with frequency to tell her I would graduate, and I called on two important people to keep me accountable. I began visualizing myself graduating, living, loving and working in Washington, D.C. I graduated in Spring 2011. I was determined to succeed. I landed a job at a public relations firm, then later an advocacy organization. My life has improved because I see how I loved myself back from the brink and others deeply believed in my ability to live the life I deserved. I had to see the hiatus in my graduate program as an opportunity to grow up more, give more and come back into myself stronger.

Meiyoko Taylor

37; author and personal-development coach; Cherry Hill, New Jersey

I was so focused on trying to understand why I lost myself for seven years in a relationship that I knew in my heart wouldn’t work. The realization that I had buried my passions, aspirations and goals was hard to swallow. I spent day after day thinking of ways I could have been more attentive to what I desired for my life and things I would have done differently to avoid wasting so much precious time.

Depressed, I would deliberately avoid important phone calls or sabotage big interviews because I felt I didn’t deserve to be successful. Due to my own misery, I was negative, defensive and argumentative, and people who loved to be in my company eventually began to separate themselves altogether. I was nearly 100 pounds overweight and had a host of digestive conditions because of the stress. I hit rock bottom.

One day I looked in the mirror and had a conversation with my inner self. I promised that I would never again allow myself to bury my dreams because of a person or circumstance. I gave my life to prayer, meditation and self-discovery. The more I began to focus on bringing more positive people, thoughts and actions into my life, the more everything began to change around me. My emotional eating habits were erased when I cared enough about myself to take notice of my physical health. My mental and physical energy were at an all-time high. I felt absolutely wonderful. There was no room for regret because my new mindset opened me up to a future of unlimited possibilities. Since then I have used that experience to help others transform their lives and journey down a path toward success.

Keisha Blair

40; co-founder of Aspire-Canada, an online platform for young professionals; Ottawa, Ontario

When I was 31, my husband passed away suddenly. I was overwhelmed with grief and regret for not forcing him to go to the doctor sooner, not having spent enough time with him, and for not saying “I love you” much more than I did. Professionally I found it hard to focus at work because of the sudden tragedy, and because I was now a single mom with two young kids and responsibilities to shoulder on my own. All of my new relationships seemed second-rate compared to my old life. I was treating my present like an Option B.

I took a yearlong sabbatical and lived in Jamaica. I hiked, cooked healthy meals, meditated, prayed and wrote. Finally I accepted there was nothing I could have done to change the outcome. I realized I would have to accept it, as it would enslave me and keep me captive forever if I didn’t move on. The results have been incredible. I am healthier physically, spiritually and emotionally. My businesses are now mission-driven and thriving. This journey has allowed me to embrace my new life and to see my experience as a hidden gift that’s made me a better person.

Align Your Business Goals to Multiply Your Success.

How to coordinate your branding, marketing and sales efforts toward a singular vision.

Are your branding, marketing and sales efforts properly aligned? You must carefully and deliberately combine these influential aspects of your business with specific purpose and measurable outcomes. Many leaders don’t clarify with their teams how branding, marketing and sales should work together. But it’s a must! Once individual roles and goals are defined, everyone can pull toward the vision and execute with focus.

Here are some things to consider:

Branding:

Are you clear on your potential customers? Are you narrowing who will buy your services or talent? That clarity is crucial. Sometimes you need to brand for a niche group of customers, not to the entire market. Be clear on who will buy as well as what buying language they speak and understand. Then craft your written, spoken and visual messages appropriately.

Marketing:

Are you tying your marketing to your brand so the connection is clear? Do the two look alike and send the same messages? Every aspect of your communication—web content, social media, news releases, etc.—should move together and be smoothly synchronized. From there, you can create tools for your team to use during sales presentations.

Sales:

Do your sales tools match up with your branding and marketing efforts? Your toolkit should contain pieces that complement one another. Pull out these two pieces for this customer, a different pair to suit a different one. From PowerPoint slide sets to elevator speeches, all of your sales tools should be mined from branding and marketing research.

When you are intentional about your business development and carefully arrange all of the moving pieces, you will see real improvements.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Naming Your Business.

Avoid common pitfalls like double meanings.

Starting a new business is one of the most exciting moments in your career, let alone your life. There are a thousand details to address, so it’s important not to get carried away with your enthusiasm and overlook potential problems.

Your business name is a particular area in which to take care, because it’s such an integral part of your company’s identity. For many customers, it will be the first thing they see. Perhaps you came up with what feels like the perfect name without really thinking it through, or perhaps you’ve struggled to find a name and will just stick something together at the last moment. Either approach can be hazardous because there are many things that can go wrong with a business name.From unintended double meanings to unavailable domain names, you need to make sure to avoid the many possible downfalls that your business name can face. To help you, check out this new infographic with some sound business-naming advice.

Must-Have Traits of Successful Leaders.

These soft skills create hard results.
Leadership styles have shifted steadily over the past couple of decades. This shift has been prompted by the generational evolution of the workforce makeup resulting in a shift of leadership demographics. As the veteran generation and baby boomers begin to retire, so too retires the military style of management in favor of the softer side of leadership that millennials bring to the table.

This more feel-good leadership style has been propagated by many of today’s most prolific authors and leadership advisors. Why? Because we are realizing that leading people, as opposed to leading initiatives or leading projects, ultimately requires soft skills. Not only that, but those soft skills can be developed.In today’s business climate, you are quickly becoming a dinosaur if you believe that the personal side of leadership is unnecessary or unimportant. You are managing people, not robots. In order to be a good people leader, you must recognize that people are human, full of frailties, and swayed by influences and happenings outside of work. Part of being human is making mistakes. The solution is not punishment, but to help them identify areas where they can improve.

Managing the personal portion of leadership while still achieving goals and hitting deadlines requires the art of leadership, as opposed to the science. As the leader, you’re managing for results and outcomes. But results don’t come without relationships, connections and personal investment.

If you’re not getting the results you want, it may be the soft stuff that you’re lacking. Here are the five soft leadership skills that affect the bottom line the most directly, and how leaders can develop them:

1. They have emotional intelligence.

Leaders with developed emotional intelligence have the ability to sense, appreciate and effectively apply the power and acumen of emotions to facilitate higher levels of collaboration and productivity. Success is the combination of self-awareness—recognizing your own moods and emotion—with self-regulation—the ability to control disruptive emotions—and finally motivation—an intrinsic desire to effectively accomplish your goals.

Acute emotional intelligence allows managers to regulate their own moods and behaviors so that they have a more favorable impact on others. It also helps leaders recognize and draw out personal conflict within their employees—and to help solve the problem by offering empathy and additional resources as needed. Self-awareness is making sure that whatever is bothering you doesn’t become a team problem, and helping others recognize and do the same.

Potential results: increased productivity and camaraderie among employees who don’t allow their personal issues or foibles to rule their workday.

2. They are good communicators.

Under the guise of getting things done, leaders don’t often take enough time to fine-tune the way they interact with others and convey their messages, either verbally or in writing.

People in general tend to be sensitive to the way they want people to communicate with them, but they are less sensitive to recognizing the ways others want to be communicated with. For example, if an outgoing and fast-paced person corners an introverted colleague in the hall for a quick decision on a complicated work plan, chances are that person will shut down and not completely receive the message.

Developing communication skills goes beyond proficient writing or speaking. It is also the ability to adjust how you communicate so that the other person is receiving the message you intend. This creates clarity in communication, which reduces opportunities for misunderstanding.

Potential results: a team that functions smoothly without the distraction of misunderstandings and ineffective communication.

3. They are coaches.

People don’t like to be told what to do, talked at or ordered around. The command-and-control model of management is out of date.

Employee coaching is instead about facilitating and supporting a person’s professional growth, as opposed to giving a directive for a straight line between where they are and what they need to do. This approach requires more skill and finesse than command and control. The leader’s goal as a coach is to help the team learn, grow and create outcomes independently.

Leaders who are coaches will identify what is preventing people from being effective and give them the tools to teach themselves, instead of just telling them.

When a commanding style is used, it almost always sets up a barrier for employee engagement. If you constantly tell your employees what to do, it could prevent them from taking more initiative and a self-starting approach to the job. It is also setting up an expectation in the job that your employees don’t have to think because they will be told what to do.

Potential results: employees who can solve problems, create innovation and eventually lead.

4. They have interpersonal skills.

A leader with effective interpersonal skills is respectful of employees and has the ability to easily build rapport. This leader attempts to see the situation from the other person’s perspective, listening actively to understand ideas being presented and empathizing when needed.

Leaders with developed interpersonal skills can also help their teams cultivate relationships by encouraging understanding and thoughtfulness. These leaders also show sensitivity to diversity issues, celebrate distinctions and help facilitate relationships among those who may be different.

There is team strength in different points of view, varied approaches to problems and ideas inspired by distinctive life experiences. Interpersonal skills develop relationships that add to the richness and effectiveness of the team.

Potential results: enhanced relationships and gelling as a team to achieve group goals and increase performance.

5. They are others-oriented.

Think of the best manager you ever had. Chances are this manager appreciated you. This skill is about being others-oriented as opposed to being self-oriented. A leader who appreciates others will take the time to connect with employees, making them feel important, heard, understood and valued.

Appreciating others also involves recognizing employees for their ideas and contributions to the team or the project. If you make a habit of showing appreciation to each person on your team on a monthly or even quarterly basis, you will see a significant shift in employee loyalty and production.

Potential results: employees who work harder and are more dedicated.

These five skills naturally dovetail with each other, but when you aggregate them and practice them, you will be a better leader—and even a better person. It’s important to recognize that while some may view these skills as “soft,” they are anything but. Strengthening these skills will result in more effectiveness, productivity and stronger results from your team. And that goes straight to the bottom line.

Steps to Get Others Interested In Your Ideas

Steps to Get Others Interested In Your Ideas.

People are always asking me, What's the next step? They have a great idea, cause or issue they're fired up about, but are unsure of what to do next. Well, if you want to start a business, create a new book club or change how your team works together, you can’t do it alone. Any change, or what I call a wave, takes interest from others.

Here are some quick tips for making sure that you are building interest from others in your plans and ideas.
 

1. Remember "What’s in it for us?"– not just "What’s in it for me?"

People get on board when they can see a bigger ‘why’ – the broader impact in your team, the community, or organization. Sharing the financial goal isn’t enough.  First off, make sure you know the bigger why and then then share it often.  And, it will keep you motivated.

The Gem started as one of the first juice bars in Dallas. Since then it has grown to include much more.  It first began when one of their founders, Leslie Needleman, used healthy eating in her treatment and recovery from breast cancer. Their ‘why’ has always been about being healthy, and as a result, they share more than juice. They offer nutritional counseling, classes and information. Their purpose is based on ‘what’s in it for us’ – not just ‘what’s in it for me’.
 

2. Find your idea partners.

In my research on those who start changes, big and small, I learned that the very first sparks of the idea usually began on the back of a napkin, in a cab or over a glass of wine.  Those important discussions can help your idea take shape and also understand how others see it. These early idea partners will also be so important in spreading the word.

In writing my new book, I relied on several idea partners and I learned where I had blocks, what wasn’t clear and learned too. My friend Kristi Erickson was an important one for me and she came in with a fresh perspective that helps so much when you have worked on your change for a long time. These same idea partners have been wonderful advocates for me as the book became a reality.
 

3. Think small and bite-sized.

We are busy people! Our attention span is now about seven seconds and about 30% less than it was just ten years ago. We are connected to multiple devices and multi-tasking has become an art form. This means you have to get others’ attention quickly.

Don’t aim for everything at once. Many of the Wave Makers mentioned in my book, Make Waves: Be the One to Start Change at Work and in Life, didn’t ask for everything at once. They were incrementalists.

Julie Porter, of Front Porch Marketing, asked her close network over for dinner a few years ago to brainstorm the launch of her new business. She didn’t ask for too much, just come to dinner and share ideas. After a fun night of conversation, we all left thinking, How can we help her get her business started? But, she didn’t ask us for that much at first.4. Go retro and rely on conversations.

We communicate so much through technology that it’s the norm these days. It’s fast, efficient and we have several devices that make it easy to do so.

Yet, when we receive an email that includes 30 other people or see a post asking for ideas or input, we often assume that someone else will respond and move on. Contrast that with when you receive a call or have a personal conversation with someone asking for your ideas and participation. It’s different. You are much more likely to engage. And, it shows that your participation matters.
 

5. Get some points on the board.

Quick momentum can help your new idea take off. This is more than just good buzz. Be strategic about the kind of momentum that will help you.

If you watch the ABC hit show Shark Tank, you know that if you want investors, you need some proven sales history and a commitment for future sales. If you have an idea to try a new technology at work, involvement and support from an expert or key influencer may be your momentum builder. Know the momentum builder that fits your need and situation and that will propel you forward to your bigger goal.

Make waves. Start the change or calling you can't stop thinking about and make an action today. Yet, remember that waves build through interest from others one by one. You can’t do it alone.

John C. Maxwell: How to Become an Idea Catalyst

John C. Maxwell: How to Become an Idea Catalyst.

Start crafting innovative ideas with these seven tips.

Mike Duke spent 16 years working for retailers that competed with Wal-Mart. So when he joined Wal-Mart’s executive team, Mike had a pretty good idea of what made the discount retailer so tough to beat.

“When you thought you had Wal-Mart pegged,” Duke once said in a magazine interview, “they’d be evolving into something else.”

Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart, instinctively knew that great leaders create ideas that are the key to organizational growth and success. And while the leadership has changed since Mr. Walton’s death, Wal-Mart maintains its industry leadership position because its leadership maintains its commitment to new ideas.

Such a commitment goes beyond merely coming up with ideas. Sure, leaders come up with ideas. That’s part of the job description. But if no one else generates and improves ideas, then the leader is only leading one person—himself. Great leaders are the catalysts for great ideas.

So how do you become a catalyst for ideas? Here are seven ways:

Think about the business. 
Ideas come at the strangest of times, but they never come when our minds are closed to them. Great idea people always have at least one eye on the boat dock, just in case opportunity sails up for a visit.

Ask questions about the business. 
Great idea people are great questioners. They strive to understand the people around them and the processes that make their organization run. They embrace what works, but they challenge the system.

Focus on potential and problems. 
Great idea people focus on two areas of the business: ideas that develop more potential and ideas that reduce problems.

Know your idea people. 
INJOY has an “idea room.” But we don’t invite all our employees when we want to have an idea meeting. Instead, we call 12 to 15 idea people—those who understand the particular topic and who consistently come up with great ideas.

Include your idea people. 
When great idea people have an idea, the first thing they do is bring other trusted idea people together for their opinions. Don’t try to make it better yourself. The fact is, you probably already hit your limit by getting the idea! Get other like-minded people and let them jump on that idea, too.

Have high expectations. 
Great idea people leave team meetings charged up, not drained, because the people around them took an idea and improved it. But if they didn’t improve it, then the team needs some changes. Your idea people need to know that you expect them to improve the idea. If they can make an idea much better, they get to come to the next meeting. If they can’t make it much better, they don’t come to another meeting.

Give credit where credit is due. 
When someone makes an idea better, they deserve the credit. This is huge! People are motivated when their good work is acknowledged. Tom Peters had it right when he said, “Weed out the dullards and nurture the nuts.”

Clearly, there’s more to creating great ideas than just coming up with ideas. Creating great ideas is a process that involves many people, and those people need a leader—a catalyst who ensures that ideas, like people, mature into something special.

The Power of Asking Questions

The Power of Asking Questions.
You can learn something from everyone—if you’re curious enough.
Have you ever had a conversation with someone who only responded in two- or three-word sentences, and you walked away feeling like you learned very little? The person might not have been intentionally giving you short answers; perhaps you could have phrased your questions better. A lot of people fail to understand the power of asking quality questions.One effective tip for asking stronger questions is to frame questions in a positive tone. For example, ask, “How can I help with that?” instead of, “What do I have to do?” Framing things positively assures the direction of the conversation and leaves others with a pleasant memory of the exchange.

Listening matters. When we ask good questions, we are more likely to get responses worth listening to and answers that have valuable information for us personally or professionally. If you want to increase your impact and accomplish even better results, become a master at listening.

Curiosity is key. A few years ago, I participated on a panel about success with Zig Ziglar and Denis Waitley. The three of us were interviewed in Zig’s studio by our friend Gerhard Gschwandtner, founder and CEO of Selling Power Inc. At one point during the interview, I reversed the question to Gerhard: “What do you think is the key to success?” He surprised me with his response: Curiosity. He suggested that curiosity allows a person to ask questions, learn and truly grow.

You can learn from everyone.

Why Do You Do What You Do?

Why Do You Do What You Do?

When I was growing up, I remember reading a story in Reader’s Digest about a young woman preparing a holiday meal. It went something like this:

As this young woman was preparing a holiday ham to go into the oven, her new husband watched as she cut both ends off of the ham before putting it into the pan. This struck him as odd, so he asked, “Why do you cut off the ends of the ham?” She paused for a moment and then replied, “I’m not sure. That’s just how my mom always did it.” They immediately called the young woman’s mother to find out why she cuts the ends off of her ham before putting it into the oven. The mother, too, paused and then replied, “I’m not really sure. That’s what my mother always did so that’s how I’ve always done it.”

Their sparks of curiosity were now fanned into flames, so the young woman called her grandmother to get to the bottom of this mystery. As she shared the reason for her call with her grandmother, her grandmother burst into laughter. After she had finished laughing, the young woman asked what was so funny. “Oh my dear,” the grandmother said still chuckling, “the reason I cut the ends off of my hams was that my pan was too short and I couldn’t fit it in otherwise.”

The lesson I took from this story when I first read it was to always know why I did everything. Later in life, I realized this story is a cautionary tale about how blindly we fall into the trap of best practices at the expense of ourselves and our organizations.

The story of the ham illustrates some key flaws about best practices:

Best practices, by requirement, are old practices.

For a practice to elevate to the status of “best,” it requires that some person or group of people originally created a new practice, often in a large company, and documented the results of the practice over time.

Eventually they share their work with others. People at other organizations hear about the practice and decide to start convincing their own organization to implement this practice. This takes time. Sometimes a lot of time. And this usually happens several times before we even hear about it.

In a business climate where an organization’s ability to adapt and respond to change is a critical competency to survival, turning to “best” practices is like looking to the past for solutions to problems that only exist in the future.

The value of a practice is situational and depends on context.

For Grandma, cutting both ends off of a ham was effective given that her pan was too small to fit the whole ham—a clear best practice for her. As soon as her daughter (who likely had access to a larger pan) began copying this practice, it became wasteful and unnecessary—hardly how we would typically define “best.”

Journals, blogs and conferences highlight “case studies” of success for others to emulate. We hear the stories of what Southwest Airlines, Zappos or Google did to achieve their remarkable success. And our instinct is to take what an organization did and apply that to our own organization without understanding why they did it. This is the equivalent to seeing Grandma cut the ends off of her ham and deciding that’s what I should do, too.

The problem, of course, is that we rarely understand the complex situation in which these practices were designed and implemented. The true value in case studies is to understand the thought process and approach used to arrive at an effective solution, not the solution itself. To do this implies using a strategy most effectively employed by 3-year-olds—to ask “why” over and over and over again.

The Victoria Memorial story...

When was it built: Built between 1906 to 1921

Who built it: Conceptualised by George Curzon, Viceroy of India

Where is it located: Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Why was it built: To commemorate Queen Victoria 

Architectural Style: Indo-Saracenic revivalist style

Visiting Hours: 10am-5pm (Monday-Sunday)

How to Reach: Located in the metro city of Kolkata which is well-connected with several national and international cities.

Image Credit:

The Victoria Memorial, a huge monument made of white marble located in the heart of the City of Joy, Kolkata (erstwhile Calcutta) in West Bengal, India is one of the most famous monuments in West Bengal that has become a museum and popular tourist spot of the state. A brainchild of George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston and Viceroy of India, this monument epitomising beauty and elegance was dedicated to the memory of Queen Victoria (1819–1901). This grand and exquisite memorial not only stands as reminiscence to the rule of British Crown in the Indian subcontinent but also stands out as an excellent architectural gem in Indo-Saracenic revivalist style. It is a must visit tourist destination for first time visitors to experience the essence of Victorian era in the midst of the bustling metro city of Kolkata.

History

Queen Victoria who remained Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland since June 20, 1837 and Empress of India since May 1, 1876 passed away on January 22, 1901. Following her demise, Lord Curzon conceived the idea of constructing a colossal and grand building with a museum and gardens where one and all can have a glimpse of the rich past. The foundation stone of the monument was laid on January 4, 1906 by the Prince of Wales George V who later became King George V on May 6, 1910. In 1921, the memorial was opened to public; however it became part of a provincial city instead of the capital city as by the time its construction completed, the capital of India was transferred from Calcutta to New Delhi under the instruction of King George V. An appeal made by Curzon to fund the construction of the memorial saw many including royals, individuals as well as the British government in London to come forward and contribute voluntarily. The total cost of building the memorial came to Rs. 105, 00,000.

 Construction & Architecture

William Emerson, the then president of the Royal Institute of British Architects was the chief architect of the memorial that was designed in Indo-Saracenic revivalist style. The style encompassed a blend of British architectural style with that of Egyptian, Venetian, Deccani, Mughal and other Islamic styles. Build of Makrana marble brought from Jodhpur, Rajasthan, it measures 103 m by 69 m with a height of 56 m. Scottish physician and botanist Sir David Prain and Lord Redesdale were entrusted to design the vast garden areas covering 64 acres while garden gates and the bridge of the north aspect were designed by Vincent J. Esch. Messrs. The garden is presently maintained by a group of 21 gardeners. Martin & Co. of Calcutta carried out the construction work of the memorial. Certain additions were made to the memorial post independence of India.

Image Credit : Wikipedia.org

Attractions

There are 25 galleries inside the memorial including the royal gallery, the sculpture gallery and the Calcutta gallery among others. Several portraits of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and oil paintings portraying different moments of their lives are displayed in the royal gallery. The newer addition was the Calcutta gallery, concept of which was advocated in the mid 1970s by the then minister for education, Saiyid Nurul Hasan. He became Governor of Bengal and Odisha as also Chairman of the memorial’s Board of Trustees in 1986 and in 1992 the Calcutta gallery was opened. One can have a sneak peek of the yesteryear Calcutta and its gradual development through the visual displays of the gallery starting from the days of Job Charnock during the 17th century to 1911 when New Delhi replaced Calcutta as India’s capital. Another addition, the National Leader's gallery displays relics and portraits associated with Indian independence.

It is a house of remarkable collections of paintings, artefacts, weapons, textiles, coins and stamps among others and maintains few possessions of the Queen like her writing desk and chair and scrapbooks. Rare collection of books is preserved here like the Rubaiyat by Omar Khayyam and masterpieces of William Shakespeare.

On the marble staircase at the entrance of the memorial is a bronze statue of Queen Victoria seated on a bronze throne wearing robes of the Star of India. Other statues around the building include that of Edward VII, Curzon, Dalhousie and Hastings among others. Another attraction of the memorial is the Angel of Victory, a black bronze angel placed atop its dome. Fixed to its pedestal with ball bearings, the Angel of Victory with a bugle in her hand rotates as wind blows strongly. Several allegorical sculptures like Justice, Motherhood, Architecture, Learning and Prudence in and around the dome enhance the British aura of the place.

Events

It holds regular Light & Sound (Son-et-Lumiere) shows except on Mondays, Holi, national holidays and during July to September. Rate of tickets are Rs. 10/- and Rs.20/-. The show timings are as under:

March-June – From 6.45 pm to 7.30 pm in Bengali and from 7.45 pm to 8.30 pm in English
October-February – From 6.15 pm to 7.00 pm in Bengali and from 7.15 pm to 8.00 pm in English

Image Credit:

Visiting the Memorial
 
Over the years the memorial has not only emerged as one of the most famous tourist destinations of Kolkata but has also remained a favourite spot for family and friends apart from holding a special place for lovebirds. As night falls, lighting of the Victoria Memorial makes it look even more mesmerizing.  

One can visit the museum of Victoria Memorial Hall from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm on week days excluding Monday. It remains closed on Republic Day, Holi, Independence Day, Id-ul-Fitr, Gandhi Jayanti, Dusserah and Christmas. Entry fee per person to the museum is Rs. 10/- for Indians and Rs. 150/- for foreigners. Entry is free for uniformed school children up to 12 years of age and for uniformed army personnel. 

Garden area of the memorial remains open for visitors round the year from 5.30 am to 7.00 pm. Entry ticket per person is Rs. 4/- (Daily), Rs. 100/- (Monthly) and Rs. 1000/- (Yearly). However visitors may be restricted entry to the garden by order of the authority.

Tips Mental Techniques to Improve Your Time Management

Mental Techniques to Improve Your Time Management.

Get more done faster and easier.Beneficial time management is something most of us struggle with. In a world that certainly has no shortage of distractions, it becomes all too easy to waste away hours or even days on activities that are neither useful nor really all that enjoyable.If you would like to start getting more value out of the hours you’ve been given, check out these seven mental techniques for improving your time management.

Visualize your daily goals.

When you wake up each morning, decide then and there what you want to do with that day. What tasks do you want to accomplish? What activities do you want to enjoy? (It’s important to note that daily goals don’t necessarily have to be work related. Perhaps your goal for the day is to spend time with your family or enjoy a day on the golf course.) Then take a few minutes to visualize these tasks as already completed. How would you feel if they were already done? This sense of fulfillment will renew your drive to complete your tasks that day and not put them off any longer.

Make a to-do list.

One of the best time-management tools you can use is a to-do list. Something about writing out the tasks you have to complete on a piece of paper makes them feel more doable. It provides you with a visible, tangible way to see how much you have still to do and keep track of the things that you’ve already done. As an added bonus, marking an item off your to-do list is a feel-good reward in and of itself.

 Stop multitasking.

There are a lot of people who feel as if they are really good at multitasking, but very few of us actually are. Studies have shown that we are almost always less productive when we are trying to accomplish multiple tasks at once. By learning how to prioritize, you’ll be able to get much more done than if you were multitasking. In fact, not only are we less productive when we multitask, it can also increase your chances of getting burned out, as it is both more difficult and more stressful than focusing your efforts on a single task. Instead of trying to get everything done at once, start checking things off your to-do list one task at a time, focusing all of your attention on that single task until it is complete.

Avoid putting off tasks.

We as humans have this unfortunate tendency to spend more mental energy worrying about the tasks we have to do than we spend actually doing them. When you put off tasks, they’re always going to be in the back of your mind. It’s difficult to enjoy leisure time when you’re always either consciously or subconsciously thinking about the work you are putting off. To avoid wasting mental energy worrying about these unfinished to-do’s, always complete tasks as they come up.

Set deadlines.

Few things are more motivating than a deadline. Some tasks given to you will inherently come with a deadline, but for tasks that don’t, you stand to benefit a lot by setting one of your own. Deadlines have a way of breaking procrastination and can motivate you even when you have no desire to complete the task. It’s important, though, when you set deadlines for yourself that you actually stick to them. If you start ignoring the deadlines you set, then soon they will have little value to your time management efforts.

Reward yourself.

When you complete a task, reward yourself! That doesn’t mean you have to throw a huge celebration every time you check something off your to-do list. For many people, the reward for finishing a task is something as simple as going outside for a breath of fresh air or getting a can of soda from the refrigerator. Just make sure that whatever rewards you give yourself are healthy and don’t take up too much of your time. For example, eating a box of donuts every time you finish a task probably isn’t a good idea, and neither is taking the next two hours off. When done right, though, small rewards can have a big effect.

Take time to relax.

If you’re like most of us, no matter how much you do, there will always still be tasks that you could be working on. Sometimes this feeling of never really being caught up can be overwhelming, and you may find yourself trying to compensate by working even longer and harder. There almost always comes a point, though, when you will burn out. From that point forward, no matter how hard you try, the work you do is not going to be the same quality as it was before, and the time it takes you to do it is going to be increased. What’s worse, burning yourself out certainly isn’t healthy.

It’s important to know when to take a step back and relax—for example, working breaks into your daily goals and rewarding yourself with short periods of relaxation. However you make the time for it, just know that taking that time for yourself is every bit as important for good time management as taking the time to complete your tasks.

By following these mental techniques to improve your time management, you’ll be able to get more done faster and easier than you ever thought possible.

Read These  Books on Success to Achieve Your Goals in 2018.

01. Developing the Leader Within You 2.0 by John C. Maxwell

This is a classic business book updated for the digital age. While some of the 25-year-old lessons from the original still apply, there is so much more to be learned in relation to today’s environment. The book deals with all critical areas of leadership, including vision, influence and motivation.

By focusing on transformative leadership practices, Maxwell takes 40 years of professional experience and applies it to the new business models and ways of thinking. Together, the traditional and new perspectives on leadership align to deliver a relevant road map for today’s leaders, on everything from startups to large enterprises.

02. INSPIRED: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love by Marty Cagan

Everyone wants to create the next iPhone X. It’s the dream of every startup founder to build a successful company that rivals brands like Apple, Google and Tesla. This book tells you how to approach technology product development and management in a way that directs everything you do around what the customer would want.

Cagan covers every factor that counts, such as talent, skill sets market research, customer input and more. He bases all his insights on his own personal stories, as well as stories from Adobe, Apple, BBC, Google, Microsoft and Netflix.

03. Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges by Amy Cuddy

This book inspires you to reflect more on what you are capable of doing. It shows you how to channel your talents and unique qualities to take on all types of barriers that appear to be standing in your way. Cuddy’s 2012 TED Talk still stands as the second most watched TED Talk due to her ability to engage and inspire those in the audience. She brings that same passion and practical advice to this book.

The concept of presence hasn’t been discussed much, but it is one of the things that makes the difference between people who engage their audiences and those who don’t. Cuddy shows you how to develop presence and use it for all sorts of nerve-wracking situations you have to face in life—interviews, raise negotiations, business and investor pitches, and more.

04. Shortcut Your Startup: Speed Up success With Unconventional Advice From the Trenches by Courtney Reum and Carter Reum

The faster you get your startup going, the faster it can grow and offer a return, right? However, it often feels as though it can’t go fast enough. That might be because you have not yet discovered all the ways you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. The Reum brothers, former Goldman Sachs investment bankers and investors, have delivered a helpful guide full of shortcuts you can use to accelerate your startup’s development.

They leverage their experience of investing in more than 130 companies to give you shortcuts and tips that will help you speed past certain steps, avoid specific mistakes and take advantage of particular partnerships to “piggyback” on others’ resources. The book is intended for all kinds of entrepreneurs at every stage in the startup process.

05. The Million-Dollar, One-Person Business: Make Great Money. Work the Way You Like. Have the Life You Want. by Elaine Pofeldt

The gig economy has produced some wealthy freelancers, which means that a million-dollar business is not just for people who have a team of employees. In fact, there are one-person bands earning that lifestyle solo. If you are reaching for that goal, too, then this book is for you, because it includes advice from hundreds of people who have already achieved it.

You’ll learn how to identify and launch the types of businesses that have that potential. Plus, you’ll discover how you can keep growing your business to realize even greater success down the road.

06. Type R: Transformative Resilience for Thriving in a Turbulent World by Ama Marston and Stephanie Marston ​

For years, it seemed there were only Type A and Type B personalities. However, with so much changing radically about the world we live in, these authors believe it’s time to forge a new personality type: Type R, those resilient people, businesses and communities who are able to work through the chaos and crisis that have come to characterize so much of work and life today.

These resilient people set a strong example for how other personality types can work and thrive in tough conditions, too. To illustrate their point, the Marstons use numerous stories of Type R’s to show you how you can develop this personality trait and help your company or community do the same.

07. Outside Insight: Navigating a World Drowning in External Databy Jorn Lyseggen

Outside Insight delivers a different take on how to approach data as part of your daily business decision-making. Typically, this data comes from inside the organization, and it may not reveal the whole picture for business owners or company executives. This book delves into other places you can mine incredible information.

Lyseggen discusses how to decipher the “digital breadcrumbs” your competition has left for you to see. After reading these insights, you’ll be able to identify this external data, know how to collect and analyze it, and determine how to combine it with your internal data for a real advantage.

08. Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence—and How You Can, Too by Gary Vaynerchuk

This newly released book provides you with the incredible ideas of a super influential social media sensation, motivational speaker and author. Vaynerchuk pulls no punches in his live and social media events, and the same is true in this entertaining book.

Vaynerchuk tells some of the best stories from entrepreneurs who continue to add to their wealth and influence. This includes offering principles that readers can implement in their own lives and businesses. The book breaks down each social media platform to make it easy to understand how it can be used to build your empire.

09. Never Lose a Customer Again: Turn Any Sale Into Lifelong Loyalty in 100 Days by Joey Coleman

Coleman is a business consultant and public speaker who has woven his theory of customer loyalty throughout this book. He believes companies that cultivate customer loyalty will reap the benefits for years to come.

Coleman walks readers through each of the emotional phases customers experience within the first 100 days after they have made a purchase. This examination of the customer journey can help you identify what you can do to ensure buyer’s remorse doesn’t set in. The book gives you the tactics to create the type of memorable experiences that will keep customers coming back for more.

10. How to Make Sh*t Happen: Make More Money. Get in Better Shape. Create Epic Relationships. Control Your Life. Do It Now. by Sean Whalen

Nearly all the topics that matter most to us also happen to be the things that the majority of our unmet annual resolutions, and they’re all covered in this book. What happens is this: Thanks to the chaotic environment and harried lifestyles society has made the norm, we cannot figure out how to strike the right balance to achieve everything we want to achieve.

Whalen’s own successes among this varied and full life—as a father, entrepreneur, public speaker, podcaster and business coach—make him an excellent candidate for helping the rest of us be in control of our lives and get more done.

11. Superconnector: Stop Networking and Start Building Relationships That Matter by Scott Gerber and Ryan Paugh

You might not want to hear that you shouldn’t be networking in the way you have been accustomed to, but Gerber and Paugh show you why it doesn’t work and how to look for a different type of connection: the superconnector. Superconnectors make things happen by leveraging the power within social platform communities.

The authors also teach you how to become a superconnector yourself, offering advice on practicing habitual generosity and the importance of open communication and Google-proofing your reputation, all of which can help pave your path to success.

12. Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t Have All the Facts by Annie Duke

If you play poker or follow the circuit, then Annie Duke is a very familiar name. What you may not know is that she parlayed that career and experience into a new career path as a business consultant. Considering what poker teaches you about people, communication and life, it makes sense that she is now helping business owners and executives improve their “game.”

In her book, Duke touches on something we have all faced as business owners or executives: having to make decisions with little or no information. This uncertainty often causes us to freeze or panic. Instead, Duke argues that it’s OK—and often necessary—to make decisions with such scant information. She shares tips on how to better assess situations in order to make the right decisions. I’d bet on this book being a relevant read for any decisions you plan on making.

13. The Book of Mistakes: 9 Secrets to Creating a Successful Future by Skip Prichard

Everyone makes mistakes in life and work. However, it seems like some people make fewer of them and bounce back faster. If rebounding from failure has been a struggle for you, then it’s time to read this book. Part parable, part self-help, part business strategy, the book follows a fictional character that you might see as yourself or as reflective of things you have done in your own life.

Prichard covers nine key mistakes that hold people back from success. Then, he shares how you can move past them and achieve whatever you set your sights on..

14. Big Potential: How Transforming the Pursuit of Success Raises Our Achievement, Happiness, and Well-Being by Shawn Achor

So much of the world operates on short-term thinking and delivery. We want instant gratification, established talent and immediate results. According to Achor, we should be more focused on the idea of potential, which means taking a long-term approach.

As a follow-up to The Happiness Advantage, this book helps you understand that success is not always about competition. Instead, Achor shows readers how human potential has so much more meaning, especially when applied to traits like intelligence, creativity and leadership. The book contains five strategies that you can use to add happiness and meaning to your life, while seeing success as a long-term goal.

15. Great at Work: How Top Performers Do Less, Work Better, and Achieve More by Morten T. Hansen

Doing less and achieving more is an ideal we all share about work and life. This book was written by the New York Times best-selling co-author of Great by Choice. Thanks to Hansen, we now have a road map for how we can work in a smarter way through his “Seven Work Smarter Practices.”

To illustrate each of these practices, Hansen includes specific stories from all types of people that show the wide range of jobs and perspectives out there. To include you in the process, he also gives you quizzes and questionnaires, making the practices relatable to your own life so you can enact change immediately.

16. The Financial Diet: A Total Beginner’s Guide to Getting Good with Money by Chelsea Fagan

Are you good with your money? It’s a challenge for a lot of us. Not many people have taken the time to learn about personal finance and how to save money. Whether you are trying to live on an entry-level salary or figure out how to survive starting a business, this book will show you how to leverage technology for budgets, investments and credit management.

Fagan incorporates the advice of many experts who share tips and tricks for living a budget-friendly life, being sensible with your money and planning for your future—rather than spending frivolously. The advice can be useful for those running a business, as well, because the money management skills Fagan shares also apply to your professional financial decisions.

17. Treating People Well: The Extraordinary Power of Civility at Work and in Life by Lea Berman and Jeremy Bernard

With the decline in regular face-to-face interaction and so many people hiding behind social media, it seems as though politeness are often lost at work and in daily life. Penned by two White House social secretaries, this book is committed to bringing civility back so that we start treating each other better.

Berman and Bernard talk about their experiences while working at the White House, including interactions with celebrities, foreign leaders and other staff members. They focus on how you can incorporate what they learned into your own relationships with your boss and colleagues. This includes ways to develop important social skills, whether you use them online or in person.

18. The Year of Less: How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life Is Worth More Than Anything You Can Buy in a Store by Cait Flanders

Today’s world and the newer generations are less about consumption and stuff and more about lean, sustainable living. This is a good perspective to add to your own life this year, especially after reading Flanders’ incredible journey of self-discovery. It reads like a novel, but what she experienced actually happened, which is what makes it so extraordinary.

The book shows what’s possible and what in life actually brings true happiness. Flanders also helps us understand why we shop and how these habits can be bad for us. Her intention is to help more people discover a more fulfilling life that goes well beyond things. Rise and Grind: Outperform, Outwork, and Outhustle Your Way to a More Successful and Rewarding Life by Daymond John

John went from working at Red Lobster to becoming the entrepreneur who started FUBU, the clothing line that earns billions of dollars in annual revenue. Since then, he has become the New York Times best-selling author of The Power of Broke. This latest book describes how he used persistence and a strong work ethic to get to the top of his game.

Besides relating his own stories about the need to work hard, John also shares the stories of others in various fields who have achieved similar success. It’s an inspiring read that shows you, too, how to work hard to get what you want.

19. Performance Partnerships: The Checkered Past, Changing Present, and Exciting Future of Affiliate Marketing by Robert Glazer

As a leader in affiliate marketing, Glazer understands how this concept has been misunderstood and dismissed over the years. Yet he continues to focus on this marketing tool because his decade in the industry has produced actual, quantifiable results that he shares with you in this book.

Going beyond the surface of affiliate marketing, he delves into the history of the field and how it has evolved into a results-oriented form of direct-to-consumer digital marketing. The book is filled with incredible advice on how to tap into the power of affiliate marketing. This is the year to add it to your marketing strategy.

20. Your Best Year Ever: A 5-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals by Michael Hyatt

This book’s inspirational title is a great mindset to adopt, something that will be easy to do after you check out Hyatt’s actionable steps for making it a reality. Rather than just being a cheerleader, the author delivers the reasons why life should matter and how you can develop your own purpose for reaching your full potential.

Hyatt’s approach is to develop a research-based process for determining how to set your individual goals and take the steps needed to achieve them despite feeling overwhelmed by daily stress. It’s a system you can apply to your business, personal, fitness and/or relationship goals.

21. Hug Your Haters: How to Embrace Complaints and Keep Your Customers by Jay Baer

No one wants to get a bad review or find out that customers don’t like their service experience. Yet these are the people you need to pay the closest attention to and give love to quickly before they turn other people off your brand and business. Baer has extensive experience with customers, what they like and don’t like, and how to handle their online and offline complaints.

In this book, you’ll learn about the two types of haters out there and what makes them respond to your brand the ways they do. To illustrate this for you, Baer uses detailed case studies so you can understand how other companies handled these haters, both well and not so well. No matter how large or small your company may be, this book is worth the read so you can convert the haters into happy customers.

22. The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle

This is the latest book from the New York Timesbest-selling author of The Talent Code. Because groups, whether virtual or in-house, have become such an important part of work, it’s a relevant topic that deserves attention. To unify groups, there must be a culture that goes beyond the individual differences within them that often cause conflict or inhibit productivity.

To provide new perspectives on the much-discussed concept of culture, Coyle examines an array of organizations to illustrate how culture works to help groups. These include the U.S. Navy’s SEAL Team Six, Zappos and the San Antonio Spurs, to name a few. These stories about culture show both successes and failures, illustrating the type of approaches you can take with the groups that are part of your own organization.

23. When to Jump: If the Job You Have Isn’t the Life You Want by Mike Lewis

We’ve all been in a job where that voice in our head is telling us it’s not the one that will give us what we want out of life. Maybe you’re there right now. If so, then this is a great book to pick up today. Lewis has been in your shoes; it’s why he wrote the book. He knows everyone wonders when they should go ahead and make such a huge change in their life.

In the book, he shares stories from people with various jobs and backgrounds who made big jumps in their careers. They share why and how they did it, as well as when they realized it was time to go for it. There are more than 40 different stories in the book, any one of which might inspire you to finally make that jump for yourself.

24. The Motivation Myth: How High Achievers Really Set Themselves Up to Win by Jeff Haden

Every day, we read about motivation in articles that share various tips on how to achieve more in work and life. However, a lot of the advice is neither very inspiring nor motivational. That is, until Haden put together this insightful and practical guide on how to become more motivated to set goals and see them through.

Haden shows you how motivation is the result of, rather than the impetus for, achieving your goals. It’s a radical take on what we’ve always thought about motivation. He uses his own experiences, as well as those of others, to show you how to change the way you see motivation so you can start achieving more.