Time to Step Up to the Plate

Rules of the Game
Practicing these four basic rules will give you a good start toward reducing errors.
1. Communicate
For many of us, communicating and expressing our thoughts and ideas is very difficult. Before you speak, learn to compose your "one-minute commercial" to get your point across effectively. Do not ramble. This will benefit you in your working life as well as your personal life.
Being a good communicator means that you have to be a good listener. Focus on what someone is telling you. Do not be distracted by thinking about what you are going to say as soon as the other person stops for air. Good communication creates an environment of trust.
2. Look for the positive in life and the good in each other
Anyone can criticize, condemn and complain. A human being that truly looks for the good or positives in life will always be looked up to and respected. Do the lights dim in a room when you walk in and everyone ignores you, or does the room brighten up? Life is too short; we have to live along the way. How long is your list of people whose lives you have affected positively? Think of not only your peers but about your family; spouse, son, daughter, nieces, nephew. Are they glad to see you? We never know when our life will end or health will fail us. Make a positive impact on the lives of those around you — now.
3. Pride
If what we do in life is done with pride and integrity, then the human elements will have a hard time in tripping us up. If we become complacent and let our guard down, even momentarily, then we are setting ourselves up for error.
4. Set goals
All of this may hit home for the moment but unless we have written goals and take "action," we can talk about what we should do all we want. Written goals keep us on track and monitor our progress.