Do you ever wish you were more optimistic, someone (26)_______ always expected to be successful? Having someone around who always fears the worst isn’t really a lot of enjoyment - we all know someone who sees a single cloud on a sunny day and says, “It looks like rain.” but if you catch yourself thinking such things, it’s important to do something about it.
You can change your view of life, (27)_______ psychologist. It only takes a little effort, and you’ll find life more rewarding as a result. Optimism, they say, is partly about self-respect and confidence but it’s also a more positive way of looking at life and all it has to (28)_______. Optimists are more likely to start new projects and are generally more prepared to take risks.
Upbringing is obviously very important in forming your attitude to the world. Some people are brought up to depend too much on (29)_______ and grow up forever blaming other people when anything goes wrong. Most optimists, on the other hand, have been brought up not to suppose (30)_______ as the end of the world - they just get on with their lives.
(Adapted from active.com)

Do you ever wish you were more optimistic, someone (26)_______ always expected to be successful? Having someone around who always fears the worst isn’t really a lot of enjoyment - we all know someone who sees a single cloud on a sunny day and says, “It looks like rain.” but if you catch yourself thinking such things, it’s important to do something about it.
You can change your view of life, (27)_______ psychologist. It only takes a little effort, and you’ll find life more rewarding as a result. Optimism, they say, is partly about self-respect and confidence but it’s also a more positive way of looking at life and all it has to (28)_______. Optimists are more likely to start new projects and are generally more prepared to take risks.
Upbringing is obviously very important in forming your attitude to the world. Some people are brought up to depend too much on (29)_______ and grow up forever blaming other people when anything goes wrong. Most optimists, on the other hand, have been brought up not to suppose (30)_______ as the end of the world - they just get on with their lives.
(Adapted from active.com)

If you’re new to running, or new to marathons, you might be worried about or even fearful of the distance. And these feelings are completely understandable, given the fact that more than 42 kilometres is a very long way. However, more and more people are taking on this challenge every year, and for very good reasons.
Obviously, running such a long distance requires a lot of training, and the more you train, the more your endurance will be enhanced. And of course, as you become more physically active, your heart and muscles will be stronger, your blood circulation will improve, and you will most likely get in shape in no time. Additionally, there are also mental and social benefits such as feeling less stressed and more energized as well as having the chance to meet and establish meaningful relationships with other people.
If you think about it, running a marathon is also a chance for personal development. Everyone has at least one fear or insecurity, and for many people, completing a marathon race can seem like an extremely daunting or even impossible task. Of course, it's true that this is a big challenge that requires commitment and perseverance. That being said, every time you step outside out of your comfort zone and accomplish something new, you will grow stronger and become more confident.
Sometimes, you can actually help many others when you run a marathon. Many runners now combine their marathon goal with the goal of helping others by participating in races that raise money for charity. Besides, running in such marathon races will most likely give you all the motivation you need to get through the exhausting 42-kilometer run. After all, it's quite difficult to quit when you know that you are giving help to people in need.
(Adapted from active.com)

If you’re new to running, or new to marathons, you might be worried about or even fearful of the distance. And these feelings are completely understandable, given the fact that more than 42 kilometres is a very long way. However, more and more people are taking on this challenge every year, and for very good reasons.
Obviously, running such a long distance requires a lot of training, and the more you train, the more your endurance will be enhanced. And of course, as you become more physically active, your heart and muscles will be stronger, your blood circulation will improve, and you will most likely get in shape in no time. Additionally, there are also mental and social benefits such as feeling less stressed and more energized as well as having the chance to meet and establish meaningful relationships with other people.
If you think about it, running a marathon is also a chance for personal development. Everyone has at least one fear or insecurity, and for many people, completing a marathon race can seem like an extremely daunting or even impossible task. Of course, it's true that this is a big challenge that requires commitment and perseverance. That being said, every time you step outside out of your comfort zone and accomplish something new, you will grow stronger and become more confident.
Sometimes, you can actually help many others when you run a marathon. Many runners now combine their marathon goal with the goal of helping others by participating in races that raise money for charity. Besides, running in such marathon races will most likely give you all the motivation you need to get through the exhausting 42-kilometer run. After all, it's quite difficult to quit when you know that you are giving help to people in need.
(Adapted from active.com)

If you’re new to running, or new to marathons, you might be worried about or even fearful of the distance. And these feelings are completely understandable, given the fact that more than 42 kilometres is a very long way. However, more and more people are taking on this challenge every year, and for very good reasons.
Obviously, running such a long distance requires a lot of training, and the more you train, the more your endurance will be enhanced. And of course, as you become more physically active, your heart and muscles will be stronger, your blood circulation will improve, and you will most likely get in shape in no time. Additionally, there are also mental and social benefits such as feeling less stressed and more energized as well as having the chance to meet and establish meaningful relationships with other people.
If you think about it, running a marathon is also a chance for personal development. Everyone has at least one fear or insecurity, and for many people, completing a marathon race can seem like an extremely daunting or even impossible task. Of course, it's true that this is a big challenge that requires commitment and perseverance. That being said, every time you step outside out of your comfort zone and accomplish something new, you will grow stronger and become more confident.
Sometimes, you can actually help many others when you run a marathon. Many runners now combine their marathon goal with the goal of helping others by participating in races that raise money for charity. Besides, running in such marathon races will most likely give you all the motivation you need to get through the exhausting 42-kilometer run. After all, it's quite difficult to quit when you know that you are giving help to people in need.
(Adapted from active.com)

If you’re new to running, or new to marathons, you might be worried about or even fearful of the distance. And these feelings are completely understandable, given the fact that more than 42 kilometres is a very long way. However, more and more people are taking on this challenge every year, and for very good reasons.
Obviously, running such a long distance requires a lot of training, and the more you train, the more your endurance will be enhanced. And of course, as you become more physically active, your heart and muscles will be stronger, your blood circulation will improve, and you will most likely get in shape in no time. Additionally, there are also mental and social benefits such as feeling less stressed and more energized as well as having the chance to meet and establish meaningful relationships with other people.
If you think about it, running a marathon is also a chance for personal development. Everyone has at least one fear or insecurity, and for many people, completing a marathon race can seem like an extremely daunting or even impossible task. Of course, it's true that this is a big challenge that requires commitment and perseverance. That being said, every time you step outside out of your comfort zone and accomplish something new, you will grow stronger and become more confident.
Sometimes, you can actually help many others when you run a marathon. Many runners now combine their marathon goal with the goal of helping others by participating in races that raise money for charity. Besides, running in such marathon races will most likely give you all the motivation you need to get through the exhausting 42-kilometer run. After all, it's quite difficult to quit when you know that you are giving help to people in need.
(Adapted from active.com)

When companies, teachers, or apps introduce symbolic rewards, competition, or other things to make something feel more like a game, they're relying on gamification to enhance an experience that might otherwise be boring. But to get the results we seek in our own lives, it's important to understand when this will work and when it will only make matters worse.

In 2012, Jana Gallus, a student at the University of Zurich, run an experiment to help Wikipedia find a way to keep their top and long-time editors engaged with the demanding task of managing and updating content on the website without paying them. In this experiment, Gallus told some hard-working Wikipedia newcomers that for their efforts, their names were listed as award winners on a Wikipedia page. They also received one, two, or three stars, which appeared next to their username, based on their performance. Meanwhile, other newcomers who had contributed equally got no symbolic awards. In the end, volunteers who received recognition for their efforts were 20 percent more likely to volunteer for Wikipedia again in the following month than those who earned no praise.

Despite these exciting results, a more recent experiment shows gamification may not solve anything and can even backfire. It involved several hundred salespeople who reach out to businesses and convince them to buy coupons. Researchers designed a game in which salespeople could earn points by closing deals with customers, with more points awarded for bigger deals. Surprisingly, playing the game didn't improve sales performance and the way they felt at work in the end. And digging into data revealed a very interesting pattern: those who considered the game pointless actually felt worse about work, and sales performance even declined in some cases. This highlights a common mistake companies make with gamification: It is unhelpful if people feel that their employer is forcing them to participate.

So gamification seems to work when it helps people achieve the goals they intrinsically want to reach (like volunteering for Wikipedia to provide accurate information to the public) by making the process of goal achievement more exciting. When people fully buy into a game, the results can be impressive: volunteers' productivity is durably improved and workers' enthusiasm is raised. However, if a "game" is mandatory and designed to encourage people to do something they don't really care to do, it will not be a good solution and can even be harmful.

While not every context is the right one, under certain conditions, gamification can make pursuing your aspirations feel more like play. And that is a powerful tool in any personal or professional quest for change.

(Adapted from wired.com)

When companies, teachers, or apps introduce symbolic rewards, competition, or other things to make something feel more like a game, they're relying on gamification to enhance an experience that might otherwise be boring. But to get the results we seek in our own lives, it's important to understand when this will work and when it will only make matters worse.

In 2012, Jana Gallus, a student at the University of Zurich, run an experiment to help Wikipedia find a way to keep their top and long-time editors engaged with the demanding task of managing and updating content on the website without paying them. In this experiment, Gallus told some hard-working Wikipedia newcomers that for their efforts, their names were listed as award winners on a Wikipedia page. They also received one, two, or three stars, which appeared next to their username, based on their performance. Meanwhile, other newcomers who had contributed equally got no symbolic awards. In the end, volunteers who received recognition for their efforts were 20 percent more likely to volunteer for Wikipedia again in the following month than those who earned no praise.

Despite these exciting results, a more recent experiment shows gamification may not solve anything and can even backfire. It involved several hundred salespeople who reach out to businesses and convince them to buy coupons. Researchers designed a game in which salespeople could earn points by closing deals with customers, with more points awarded for bigger deals. Surprisingly, playing the game didn't improve sales performance and the way they felt at work in the end. And digging into data revealed a very interesting pattern: those who considered the game pointless actually felt worse about work, and sales performance even declined in some cases. This highlights a common mistake companies make with gamification: It is unhelpful if people feel that their employer is forcing them to participate.

So gamification seems to work when it helps people achieve the goals they intrinsically want to reach (like volunteering for Wikipedia to provide accurate information to the public) by making the process of goal achievement more exciting. When people fully buy into a game, the results can be impressive: volunteers' productivity is durably improved and workers' enthusiasm is raised. However, if a "game" is mandatory and designed to encourage people to do something they don't really care to do, it will not be a good solution and can even be harmful.

While not every context is the right one, under certain conditions, gamification can make pursuing your aspirations feel more like play. And that is a powerful tool in any personal or professional quest for change.

(Adapted from wired.com)