How to Make Real Changes in Your Life By Cassandra Washington

The most repeated word during the 2009 U.S. presidential campaign was “change.” Hillary had “The Strength and Experience to Bring Real Change.” McCain vowed “The Change You Deserve Is Coming.” And Obama offered “Change We Can Believe In.”

But here’s a slogan you may not have heard much during the election cycle: “Change Begins With You.” You will not see real change because you hope for it or vote for it. Change only happens when you change.

Here are five key points to remember that will help you make successful changes in your career and life.

You can’t expect overnight success.
We are constantly presented with a barrage of get-rich-quick schemes. However, change happens in small steps. So, if you feel you are not making changes as quickly as you should–go easy on yourself. Change takes place slowly.
You must do something different.
Ninety percent of what we do everyday is habit. To change, we must resist the pull to act in the same old way and discover new ways of doing things. Nothing happens until you do something different.
It is important to let go of excuses.
You will never succeed in life making excuses. Instead, take personal responsibility, plan your way, and start taking action toward where you really want to be. People who insist on using excuses seldom make the type of changes necessary for a rewarding life.
Decision is a moment in time; change is a process of time.
Change has four phases: deny, resist, explore, and commit. Moving through the phases can take weeks or months. Where are you in the change process? If you refuse to recognize the need for change, you may be in denial. Blaming others or complaining about a situation could mean you are resisting. Although resistance is normal, you overcome it by acknowledging and talking about it. You shift to exploration when you begin to see possibilities and look for alternatives. Finally, the commitment phase begins when you focus on new ways of doing things or adapt to new situations.
Change is easier when you have support and encouragement.
Some change is difficult to accomplish on your own. Surrounding yourself with supportive people makes change easier. Many successful people enlist the services of a coach. A coach will help you discover what you want, set realistic goals, overcome the things that get in your way, stay on track and stay motivated every step of the way. Everyone needs help; admitting it does not make you less successful.
Change is constant; you can’t escape it. Feeling overwhelmed and getting sidetracked is normal, but you can develop the skills to manage change successfully.

Cassandra Washington is a career coach who inspires clients to take action toward their goals. She is a veteran trainer, “how-to” author, and successful entrepreneur. Does your career need a coach? Visit http://www.expandmysuccess.blogspot.com for motivation and guidance for making the changes you want to make. You can also sign up for her FREE Career Success eNewsletter. For information about her company, Exceed Resources, visit http://www.exceedlearning.com

(c) Copyright 2008 Cassandra Washington. All rights reserved.

Sponsored by: http://www.Indiainfotech.co.in

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Anyone who has looked into getting a grant knows that there are two different types of grant applications. The first is the kind that deals with getting money for undergraduate studies. For instance, if you live below the poverty line you will want to obtain a grant to attend college. For this type of grant the student will probably be sent a form that needs to be filled out and returned. The form will ask such questions as what is your annual income, what do you plan to study and some personal details. This is a pretty straight forward process and doesn’t require much effort on your part as the federal government’s education department will do all the calculations and determine how much you will get.

The second kind of grant is completely different from the first. This one will require some effort on your part. The second type of grant is usually requested by students to fund a research project or something to that nature. Every school is different and each one will accept certain grant proposals for different things. This of course depends on the size of the school and the size of the schools budget. If you do choose to apply for a grant make sure it is unique and eye catching. This will give your application a better chance of being approved.

Here are a few ways to help your grant proposal stand out from the crowd:

Include a detailed research proposal - Make sure your research proposal is in plain English. Use a little jargon for effectiveness. Make sure it is laid out well and easy to understand. It should be 6 pages long. No more and no less. Do not use any fancy fonts. Use the standard which is usually times new roman.

Put together a well-reasoned yet logical argument - Never argue against yourself. That will only make you look uncertain. Your aims should be clearly defined. Use bullet points if you need to. Show them that you have already done the basic research.

Plan your time - You want to show them that you have thought about and planned for each phase of your project. Show them a time table with a break down of time frames and what will be done during each time frame. Show them clearly how you plan to reach your conclusion. Bring to the forefront any unique issues you expect to occur during your investigation.

Include extra material such as recommendations - Seek out recommendations from anyone who will be supervising you throughout your investigation. Clearly state how they will be involved. Example, what will they be doing or what is their roll in this project? You will also want to include a resume for yourself that should be no longer than 2 pages.

Set a budget - Set up a budget so they know that you actually thought about the costs involved. Try to cover every angel. Don’t forget this part. This will show just how committed you are.

Don’t jazz it up- Never try to jazz up your proposal to much. Make sure it is delivered in the appropriate layout. You want to show professionalism. This will help keep your proposal noticed.
Follow these few tips and you should have no problem writing a well received grant proposal.

For more articles, tips and information on scholarships and grants for college visit How To Get Free Money For College

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