【推荐1】A habit is the result of repetitive action. The more often an action is repeated, the stronger the habit is.     1     We can do most things without even thinking about them. Almost everything we do is repeated many times. Sometimes, the habit becomes part of a person’s personality.

    2     Studies find that it takes about three weeks to form a habit. In the following seven days, the newly formed habit is firmly fixed in your mind. Just as habits are formed over a period of time, it is the same that habits can be broken by not doing the action over a period of time. This sounds simple, but may not be so easy at first.

In fact, most of our daily routines are made up of different habits. Picking up the newspaper, putting the kettle on the oven and making a cup of tea in the morning are all habits that have become routines over a period of time.     3     However, a few habits become annoying, which are what we call bad habits and are the ones that we would like to get rid of.

In order to form good habits and make the change, you need to make the decision for yourself. Compulsion (强迫) from others will not work.     4     You need to handle the fear of failure, which is the biggest obstacle to your success.

Habits are automatic behaviors; they are formed before you’re aware of them. It is important to consciously think about one’s action. When one finds oneself doing the same improper act, it is important to stop immediately instead of finding excuses.     5     Prepare yourself mentally to fight all the way. Don’t give up and hold on. If you put your mind into it, you will do it. Nothing is impossible!

【推荐2】Simple Ways to Give Great Praise to Motivate Everyone on Your Team

*Recognize a project hero.

Did someone on your team go the extra mile on a recent project? Is there anyone who was critical to their success?     1     A simple note thanking them can be all the fuel they need to want to keep working that hard for the team. Remember: Those going unrecognized are three times more likely to quit.

*Notice your unsung（被埋没的）heroes.

The best way to have high performance at all levels of your team is to, “Create heroes in every role. Don't forget your unsung heroes. Make sure every role performed at a level of excellence is treated as a respected profession.” Maybe they are the lowest paid, or the ones that do the most repetitive work.     2    

*     3    

As your team grows, it becomes harder and harder to keep a close eye on the work of everyone on your team. What you see can be very different from the things they actually do behind the scenes.

It’s easy to catch a problem in someone’s project. Unfortunately, if you only focus on what’s wrong, you can discourage your team.     4     You’d better make an effort to find things you like and praise.

*Praise any improvement in the work.

When you’re trying to turn around an underperformer, or just coach up someone’s weakness, praise can make all the difference. It takes hard work and focus to improve at something you're struggling with.

Think about when you were a kid trying to learn to ride a bike, throw a ball, or learn to read.     5     And what helped you keep trying? It must be the encouragement from a friend, a family member, or a parent.

【推荐3】Learning a language doesn’t happen in a day.     1     To get to the point when you can communicate with native speakers, you should pay attention to the following top tips given by successful language learners.

•Study a little bit every day but efficiently

When you organize to learn a lot of vocabulary or study several grammar patterns that are pretty challenging, your mind can’t take all of them simultaneously (同时地). Therefore, it is better to start with little steps and learn a little bit every day. It is often more efficient to learn 10 new words every day instead of learning 100 new words in a day.     2    

•Don’t be afraid of making mistakes

No one likes making mistakes. It affects your confidence and you are embarrassed (尴尬的) especially if there are more people around you. But when you learn a foreign language, making mistakes is something quite normal and expected. If you make mistakes, it isn’t the end of the world. Try to learn from your mistakes.     3     Look at them as a learning tool that helps you never make those mistakes again.

• Track Your Progress

Checking weekly or monthly progress against your language goals is highly-recommended. You might track the sentence structures learned, the phrases memorized, or the lectures followed. Being aware of your progress can help you see how much your efforts pay off.     4     This strategy will keep you motivated (受到激励的) to continue learning.

    5     You, just like them, one day can be proud of yourself and your achievements in language learning.

【推荐3】If you want to do well in class, studying is one of the best things you can do to boost your grade. The following tips will help you do your best in class.

·Study in 1-hour blocks.

    1     Set aside an hour for each of your subjects so you have time to review them thoroughly. During each block, only focus on one subject at a time, so you don’t get information mixed up between classes.

·Plan regular breaks.

Step away for a few minutes every hour so you don’t feel overworked. Since studying takes up a lot of energy and brainpower, schedule in 5-10 minutes every hour when you just relax.     2     Otherwise, you won’t feel as alert as you normally would.

·    3    

Work on difficult concepts when you have the most energy. It might sound like a good idea to save tough subjects for later, but you won’t feel as motivated to learn about them. Instead, choose the class or subject you have the most trouble with and work on it right away when you sit down to study.

·Rewrite your notes in your own words.

Organizing your notes helps you keep information a lot easier. Go through all of the notes you’ve taken and pick out the information you think is most important. Rewrite the notes on a separate page or in a different notebook.     4    

•Reward yourself when you finish.

Treat yourself to something small when you reach your study goals.     5     You could have a sweet snack, or buy yourself a small gift to celebrate.