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Attitude is Everything

  Human beings are inherently absorbent, soaking up the words, energy, and attitudes of those around them. This remarkable trait shapes our beliefs and actions—often unconsciously. When positivity surrounds us, it fuels inspiration and resilience; when negativity prevails, it erodes motivation and stifles potential. The Power of Positivity vs. the Drain of Negativity Negative colleagues—whom I call “dream killers” or “energy vampires”—can sap your enthusiasm, planting seeds of doubt with their focus on what’s “impossible.” Over time, their influence drags you down, leaving you frustrated and uninspired. Shiv Khera, in You Can Win , echoes this sentiment, noting that negative attitudes foster bitterness, resentment, and stress, turning individuals into liabilities for themselves and their organizations. Contrast this with the uplift of positive, supportive team members. Their optimism is contagious, igniting a sense of purpose and strength to pursue your goals. Khera highlights that...

Challenging Aspects of Modern Project Management

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Modern Project Management is a well-understood discipline that can produce predictable, repeatable results. A key challenge of Modern Project Management is the creation of realistic schedules that provide a basis for monitoring project progress for the time dimension of the project and subsequently, to implement and stick to them. Unrealistic schedule is the Project Manager's fault! One of the key reasons for the Project Manager's existence is to see if the needed end date can be met and create options to make it happen, all before project executing starts. Project Managers must know how and when to introduce multiple strategies and compress project schedules to the deadlines. Even more importantly, the Modern Project Management approach must support the aggressive schedules. Each activity in a project is unique. A project has never happened before, and it will never happen again under the same conditions. Something is always different each time the activities of a proje...

I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.

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I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. ~ Thomas Edison That means that the person never gave up - just because it didn't work the first time doesn't mean they won't come up with a way that does work. Be persistent - Don't Quit - Don't Guve Up!. It is similar to the quote "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." I have seen the quote written this way: " If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is often a step forward." Even the steps that were taken - looking for the one that would work - the ones that didn't work were considered a step forward - a step toward "success"! Did you know that - "Thomas Edison Tested Over 3000 Filaments Before He Came Up With His Version of a Practical Light Bulb. As Shocking As It May Seem, This Was Not His Greatest Invention." Imagine if he had given up when the fir...

It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end. ~ Ernest Hemingway

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I think it is both good and accurate. Back in junior high, an older woman suggested we youngsters plan not just to make it into adulthood, but make a life plan that goes all the way up to the day we expected to die, at age 70? 80? 90+? We were told to plan along the way, jobs, marriage(s), kids, houses, retirement, major goals, etc. The reason for doing the project was that not many people planned for their retirement and were left floundering. Of course life happens. I have had to take different side-steps along the way, but I can say that without that foresight, for example, I may not recognize that I am now at my "middle age." I may not have an eye on my future years if not for that suggested plan. It gives you some goals and a bearing or reminder on how you wanted to live your life. For the record, I have accomplished most of my goals and have an eye on what I still want to do after all the kids have left the nest. Not many folks my age are really looking at the bac...