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Cognitive Skills

By: Assistant Editor

The great majority of individuals possess the necessary physical abilities to achieve success, however many don't have sufficient emotional or cognitive skills. When someone's self worth is increased their emotional IQ or EQ and willingness to make life changes increases as well.

Cognitive Restructuring has the ability to help people suffering from these problems: * Phobias * Childhood abuse * Anxiety * Lack of goals * Loneliness * Lack of ambition * Broken relationships * Lack of hope * Fear * Worry * Compulsions * Self betrayal * Depression * Coping * Hate/vengeance * Stress * Rejection * Self control *Anger * Self esteem * Prison/Jail * Divorce * Lack of empathy * Suicide * Co dependency * Drug addiction * Failing grades *Alcohol addiction * Eating disorders

The first and most important step to take to overcome the above problems and the biggest hurdle to self improvement is self deception. Individuals who live with self-deception constantly blame those around them for their problems. People do not understand that the biggest problem they have to overcome in life is the battle with themselves. If you're unhappy and unsuccessful is it your own fault? Below are six steps that are a necessary for self-improvement. There are no shortcuts and they must be done in order. The most successful tool to aid individuals in leaving the old damaging behaviors behind is Manualized Cognitive Restructuring . Cognitive restructuring has the ability to help individuals overcome thinking errors and behaviors.

One of the psychological dissimilarities between humans and other mammals is that humans have the ability to be self aware. That is to say, they can see and accept they have faults and shortcomings. Because of self-awareness, humans have the ability to become better and change their lives. Changing habits, values and behavior is not easy. For instance, if you want to transform a hard-core criminal into a good citizen the change would have to come from within the criminal. Criminals must accept responsibility for their behavior. As long as they won't accept responsibility they can never improve. To successfully help criminal offenders, you must first make them self-aware. This "making them aware" process is referred to as reality therapy. You can't force people to become better, however, you can force them to become self-aware. Observe these steps to make a change in your life. You can't take any shortcuts.

Step #1- AWARENESS Self-awareness is the first step in becoming better. It is necessary that you accept your shortcomings. Change will not come if you fail to become self-aware.

Step #2- DESIRE If you don't want to improve, you won't. You have free will and, therefore, cannot be forced. You have freedom to choose. It is up to you; it's your choice. No desire=no change.

Step #3- ATTITUDE If you're aware that you have shortcomings and want to change you'll subconciously elevate your attitude. It's your choice.

Step #4- SKILL Although they are vital, self-awareness, desire and a positive attitude aren't quite enough; developing the skills and knowledge of how to change is also imperative.

Step #5- BEHAVIOR Master steps one through four and you'll be ready physically to do what is necessary. Do it for ninety days and it will become a habit. Do it for a year and they will become a part of you.

Step #6- SUBCONCIOUS As soon as you form a habit, it becomes automatic. You don't even have to think about it anymore; you've made the change. Congratulations!

If you keep on doing what you have been doing, you will keep on getting what you have been getting. If you want to change what you have been getting, you are required to change what you've been doing in the past. The very first step in changing what you are is to overcome denial, bad scripting and faulty thinking... This can only be accomplished by the above six-steps to change.

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Larry Lloyd is the founder of American Community Corrections Institute (ACCI), which sponsors a blog on the subject of anger management and related topics

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