Success, Self-Management & Productivity

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from lecture notes on success, self-management, motivation, and productivity.

Success

The process of achieving predetermined goals; accomplishments feel meaningful because they were intentionally set.

Predetermined Goal

A specific objective chosen in advance that provides direction and makes achievements satisfying.

Happiness–Success Link

Research shows that positive emotions fuel success rather than result from it.

World Happiness Report

Annual ranking of countries’ well-being; 2013 list placed Denmark #1 and the U.S. #17.

Positive & Engaged Brain

Sean Achor’s phrase for the greatest competitive advantage—cultivated by daily gratitude, exercise, meditation, etc.

Success Markers

Measurable indicators of achievement such as income, client base, leisure time, or professional prominence.

Self-Management

Artfully directing one’s life to accomplish desired results while maintaining balance and joy.

Effective Self-Management Components

Values alignment, clear purpose, priorities & goals, time management, wise risk taking, inspiration, balance, lifelong learning.

Barrier to Success

Any internal or external factor—e.g., inner critic, procrastination, negative conditioning—that impedes goal attainment.

Inner Critic

Internal voice of doubt and fault-finding formed from childhood conditioning; tamed through awareness and journaling.

Negative Conditioning

Limiting beliefs and behaviors rooted in past experiences that obstruct new goals until consciously cleared.

Attitude

Chosen outlook that colors experience; positive attitudes enable learning and adaptability.

Perception

Individual interpretation of events shaped by history, beliefs, and physiology; benefits from outside feedback.

Self-Sabotage

Unconscious behaviors (e.g., blaming, expecting failure) that undermine progress toward goals.

Journaling

Regular written reflection used to connect with oneself and retrain the inner critic.

Sentence Completion (Clearing)

Exercise writing rapid, uncensored responses to prompts to surface and release subconscious blocks.

Procrastination

Delaying tasks; a signal to examine overwhelm, perfectionism, lack of information, or misaligned priorities.

Perfectionism

Setting unrealistically high standards that stifle creativity and fuel procrastination.

Reframing

Changing the way a task is viewed to renew energy and motivation (e.g., linking calls to bigger goals).

Task Breakdown

Dividing a project into clear, manageable steps with target dates to reduce overwhelm.

Delegation

Assigning tasks to others while retaining oversight to increase efficiency.

Affirmation

Positive, present-tense statement used to replace negative self-talk and support goal realization.

Creative Visualization

Mental rehearsal using multiple senses to experience desired outcomes, boosting inspiration and focus.

Acting As If

Behaving and feeling as though a goal is already achieved to reinforce desired states.

Mental Contrasting

Gabrielle Oettingen’s technique of visualizing goals and the obstacles to spark action plans.

WOOP

Acronym for Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan—Oettingen’s four-step method for goal success.

Cross-Lateral Movements

Physical actions crossing the body’s midline that stimulate brain centers, break routine, and enhance creativity.

Time Management

Choosing highest-priority activities to maximize results; cannot change time, only use of it.

Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule)

Idea that 80 % of results come from 20 % of activities; focus on high-value tasks.

High-Priority Activities

The vital 20 % of tasks that generate the majority of desired outcomes.

Tracking

Systematic recording of key business indicators (clients, income, marketing responses) to spot trends and adjust actions.

Trend Watching

Monitoring consumer and industry shifts to uncover opportunities and keep services relevant.

Risk Taking (Smart)

Evaluating and acting on opportunities despite uncertainty while minimizing potential losses.

Self-Esteem

Internal sense of self-worth influencing comfort with new situations and risk taking.

Motivation

Energy driving behavior; may stem from fear, incentives, or ideally intrinsic satisfaction.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Eight-level model of human motivation from physiological needs up to transcendence.

Fear Motivation

Action driven by avoidance of negative consequences; effects diminish over time.

Incentive Motivation

Action driven by external rewards, which must escalate to remain effective.

Self-Motivation

Acting from internal joy of achievement; strengthened by clear purpose and goals.

10 Ways to Sabotage Motivation

Examples include unwritten or conflicting goals, ignoring successes, negative self-talk, and poor self-care.