Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Identify the topic of your speech. Pinpoint your audience. Consider your motives. Think about the setting.

Answer: Choose a single focused message rather than trying to cover multiple topics. Like the thesis of an essay, what you say should connect to your main point. Are you speaking to children or adults? Are you speaking to people who know nothing about your topic or people who are experts on your topic? Understanding your audience will help you to target your speech appropriately. A good speech answers a need that the audience has. Are you trying to make your audience laugh? Are you trying to build their morale, or are you communicating a sober and direct message so that you can change their behavior? These questions will set the mood and tone of your speech. Is this a speech for a small group or a speech to deliver before a large audience? You may have more opportunities to interact with a smaller audience so you can add in time for things like questions. With a larger audience, you may need to stick to a firmer structure. You may even be able to redirect or add points to your speech with a smaller audience if you notice a number of them are interested in a particular subject or niche.


Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Send themed invites. Ask your guests to dress for the theme. Give your guests a lei as they arrive.

Answer: Invite friends, family, or neighbors to your party. Send, or email, Hawaiian-themed invitations. You could decorate the invitations with palm trees, hula girls, or surfers. You could also choose invitations with beach themes, flowers, or ocean scenes. It won't be much of a stretch to ask your guests to wear their swimsuits, sundresses, or shorts. Hawaiian-style (flower printed or "island" themed) shirts, board shorts, or skirts are easy to find during the summer. Ask your guests to wear sandals, or provide them with inexpensive flip-flops decorated with fake flowers. If you are planning to make real flower leis, you can make them the night before the party. If not, paper leis are great as well. Place one over the head of each guest as they arrive to get them in the spirit of the party.


Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Record how often you fight with your significant other. Observe how frequently you discuss your feelings. Notice how you talk about the future together. Consider the level of verbal affection with your partner. Notice the way you talk about your partner to others.

Answer: Fighting can be a healthy and productive way to communicate and resolve conflict. However, fighting incessantly and spending most of your time together engaged in fights may be a sign that your relationship is nearing its end.  Picking fights over inconsequential things might be a cry for attention or a way to lash out, and could be a sign of the end. Leaving an argument feeling angry, resentful, bitter, and unwilling to make-up are signs that your relationship is failing. An important cornerstone to relationships is communicating your own needs and feelings and understanding the needs and feelings of your partner. If you feel like your significant other doesn't understand your feelings, and that you are unaware of how your partner is feeling, then your relationship is likely on the rocks.  Failure to communicate can start small by simply not asking how each other's days went. But this can evolve into neglecting each other's feelings altogether. If you find yourself not listening to your partner or your partner not listening to you when you talk, then you are not effectively communicating, and trouble is near. Refusing to discuss what the future has in store for you and your partner may be an avoidance technique to deal with the fact that you cannot imagine being with your significant other for much longer. This may also mean that you cannot envision a future with your significant other in it, which is a sign that it may be time to let go.  If you have never talked about getting married or if you want kids, then you might want to consider that this is not the person for you. If you've delayed responding to your friend's wedding invitation, planning a vacation together, or spending the holidays together because you don't know whether the relationship will last that long, then it may be time to end the relationship. Affectionate communication is an important cornerstone to the development and sustainment of a relationship. When verbal expressions of love cease, it might be a sign that you are unable to think of anything nice to say or you just do not want to say anything nice. The absence of verbal affection and communication is a red flag signaling the end of a relationship. Lack of complements, verbal “I love you’s,” and random love notes and text messages are all signs that the relationship is in trouble. People in a healthy relationship are excited to share positive attributes or accomplishments of their partner with others. When you are speaking negatively about your partner when you are with friends, it is a sign of relationship distress. Speaking about your partner in a negative way shows a loss of respect and likely indicates larger issues in your relationship. There's a difference between talking to a close friend about problems in your relationship and telling your friends that you're sick of or unhappy with your significant other. But if you are confiding in a close friend about your relationship woes frequently, it is time to end the relationship.


Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Focus on a goal. Be aware of your behavior. Use affirmations. Look for opportunities to practice your new behaviors. Be patient.

Answer:
Having a goal in mind for making a change can help to keep you motivated. Try to focus on the larger positive aspects of making the change rather than thinking about the negatives. For example, if you want to be a better public speaker, then try writing down what greater goal this will accomplish for you. Maybe being a good public speaker will allow you to become a personal coach or will be a requirement in starting your own business in the future. Write down whatever positive aspects you can think of to help motivate yourself. Instead of letting yourself run on autopilot, get into the habit of paying attention to your thoughts and actions. Notice which situations tend to make your unwanted personality traits come out, and develop strategies for handling these situations differently.  For instance, if you find yourself arguing when someone criticizes you at work, an alternate strategy might be to take a deep breath before you reply. To establish the habit of self-awareness, practice it for a week or two before you start trying to change your behavior. Affirmations are statements that trick your brain into thinking you’ve already achieved your desired outcome, which helps you change your habits more quickly. This is called a “fake it til you make it” approach and it is very effective. Come up with some inspiring affirmations that reflect your goals, and repeat them to yourself several times a day.  A couple of examples of good affirmations are “I feel confident and secure in myself” and “I accept responsibility for the things I do.” Repeat your affirmations first thing in the morning, right before you go to bed, and whenever you have an idle moment during the day. Make sure your affirmations are in the present tense, not the future tense. For instance, instead of saying “I will be optimistic,” say, “I am optimistic.” To change your personality, you’ve got to perform a new behavior over and over until it seems natural. This is a long process, so don’t miss an opportunity to practice. Seek out situations that give you the opportunity to behave differently than you’re used to.  If you want more opportunities to practice your conversational skills, for instance, you might resolve to go to lunch with your coworkers more often. You can also find support from friends, family, or even by connecting with new like-minded people. Try telling a close friend about your goals to help keep yourself accountable, or join a group such as by looking for a meetup in your area on Meetup.com. You might even consider joining a self-development organization to get help developing your new habit. For example, a very useful and well-known organization is called Landmark Education. These can be expensive, but the money may be worth it depending on the importance of the new habit. It can take months or years for your new personality to really feel like you. This is especially true if you’re over the age of 30. Stay persistent, even if you slip up or your progress is slower than you’d like. If you stick with your goals long enough, your brain will eventually forge the new connections you want. Keep in mind that developing a new habit will come with setbacks. Try to develop a plan for dealing with setbacks to help you continue to move forward and progress towards your goals.