VERBAL COMMUNICATION

MEANING OF VERBAL COMMUNICATION

When messages or information is exchanged or communicated through words, it is called as

verbal communication. Verbal communication may be two types: written and oral
communication. Verbal communication takes place through face-to-face conversations, group
discussions, counselling, interview, radio, television, calls, memos, letters, reports, notes,
email etc.

MEANING OF NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

When messages or information is exchanged or communicated without using any spoken or

written word is known as nonverbal communication. Non-verbal communication (NVC) is
usually understood as the process of communication through sending and receiving wordless
messages.

Non-verbal communication is a powerful arsenal in the face-to-face communication

encounters, expressed consciously in the presence of others and perceived either consciously
or unconsciously. Much of non-verbal communication is unintentional people are not even
aware that they are sending messages. Non-verbal communication takes place though
gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, physical proximity, touching etc.

There are 7 C’s of effective communication which are applicable to both written as well as
oral communication. These are as follows:

1. Completeness - The communication must be complete. It should convey all facts

required by the audience. The sender of the message must take into consideration the
receiver’s mind set and convey the message accordingly. A complete communication
has following features:
 Complete communication develops and enhances reputation of an
organization.
 Moreover, they are cost saving as no crucial information is missing and no
additional cost is incurred in conveying extra message if the communication is
complete.
 A complete communication always gives additional information wherever
required. It leaves no questions in the mind of receiver.
 Complete communication helps in better decision-making by the
audience/readers/receivers of message as they get all desired and crucial
information.
 It persuades the audience.
2. Conciseness - Conciseness means wordiness, i.e, communicating what you want to
convey in least possible words without forgoing the other C’s of communication.
 Conciseness is a necessity for effective communication. Concise communication has
following features:
 It is both time-saving as well as cost-saving.
 It underlines and highlights the main message as it avoids using excessive and
needless words.
 Concise communication provides short and essential message in limited words
to the audience.
 Concise message is more appealing and comprehensible to the audience.
 Concise message is non-repetitive in nature.
3. Consideration - Consideration implies “stepping into the shoes of others”. Effective
communication must take the audience into consideration, i.e, the audience’s view
points, background, mind-set, education level, etc. Make an attempt to envisage your
audience, their requirements, emotions as well as problems. Ensure that the self-
respect of the audience is maintained and their emotions are not at harm. Modify your
words in message to suit the audience’s needs while making your message complete.
Features of considerate communication are as follows:
 Emphasize on “you” approach.
 Empathize with the audience and exhibit interest in the audience. This will
stimulate a positive reaction from the audience.
 Show optimism towards your audience. Emphasize on “what is possible”
rather than “what is impossible”. Lay stress on positive words such as jovial,
committed, thanks, warm, healthy, help, etc.
4. Clarity - Clarity implies emphasizing on a specific message or goal at a time, rather
than trying to achieve too much at once. Clarity in communication has following
features:
 It makes understanding easier.
 Complete clarity of thoughts and ideas enhances the meaning of message.
 Clear message makes use of exact, appropriate and concrete words.
5. Concreteness - Concrete communication implies being particular and clear rather
than fuzzy and general. Concreteness strengthens the confidence. Concrete message
has following features:
 It is supported with specific facts and figures.
 It makes use of words that are clear and that build the reputation.
 Concrete messages are not misinterpreted.
6. Courtesy - Courtesy in message implies the message should show the sender’s
expression as well as should respect the receiver. The sender of the message should be
sincerely polite, judicious, reflective and enthusiastic. Courteous message has
following features:
 Courtesy implies taking into consideration both viewpoints as well as feelings
of the receiver of the message.
 Courteous message is positive and focused at the audience.
 It makes use of terms showing respect for the receiver of message.
 It is not at all biased.
7. Correctness - Correctness in communication implies that there are no grammatical
errors in communication. Correct communication has following features:
 The message is exact, correct and well-timed.
 If the communication is correct, it boosts up the confidence level.
 Correct message has greater impact on the audience/readers.
 It checks for the precision and accurateness of facts and figures used in the
message.
  It makes use of appropriate and correct language in the message.

Personality

The word personality is derived from a Greek word “persona” which means “to speak
through.” Personality is the combination of characteristics or qualities that forms a person’s
unique identity. It signifies the role which a person plays in public. Every individual has a
unique, personal and major determinant of his behavior that defines his/her personality.

Personality trait is basically influenced by two major features −

 Inherited characteristics
 Learned characteristics
Inherited Characteristics
The features an individual acquires from their parents or forefathers, in other words the
gifted features an individual possesses by birth is considered as inherited characteristics. It
consists of the following features −

 Color of a person’s eye

 Religion/Race of a person
 Shape of the nose
 Shape of earlobes
Learned Characteristics
Nobody learns everything by birth. First, our school is our home, then our society, followed
by educational institutes. The characteristics an individual acquires by observing, practicing,
and learning from others and the surroundings is known as learned characteristics.

Learned characteristics includes the following features −

 Perception − Result of different senses like feeling, hearing etc.

 Values − Influences perception of a situation, decision making process.
 Personality − Patterns of thinking, feeling, understanding and behaving.
 Attitude − Positive or negative attitude like expressing one’s thought.

What Are the Big Five Dimensions of Personality?

The "big five" are broad categories of personality traits. While there is a significant body of
literature supporting this five-factor model of personality, researchers don't always agree on
the exact labels for each dimension.
It is important to note that each of the five personality factors represents a range between two
extremes. For example, extraversion represents a continuum between extreme extraversion
and extreme introversion. In the real world, most people lie somewhere in between the two
polar ends of each dimension.

These five categories are usually described as follows.

Openness

This trait features characteristics such as imagination and insight. People who are high in this
trait also tend to have a broad range of interests. They are curious about the world and other
people and eager to learn new things and enjoy new experiences.

People who are high in this trait tend to be more adventurous and creative. People low in this
trait are often much more traditional and may struggle with abstract thinking.

High
 Very creative
 Open to trying new things
 Focused on tackling new challenges
 Happy to think about abstract concepts

Low
 Dislikes change
 Does not enjoy new things
 Resists new ideas
 Not very imaginative
 Dislikes abstract or theoretical concepts

Conscientiousness

Standard features of this dimension include high levels of thoughtfulness, good impulse
control, and goal-directed behaviors. Highly conscientious people tend to be organized and
mindful of details. They plan ahead, think about how their behavior affects others, and are
mindful of deadlines.

High
 Spends time preparing
 Finishes important tasks right away
 Pays attention to detail
 Enjoys having a set schedule
Low
 Dislikes structure and schedules
 Makes messes and doesn't take care of things
 Fails to return things or put them back where they belong
 Procrastinates important tasks
 Fails to complete necessary or assigned tasks
Extraversion

Extraversion (or extroversion) is characterized by excitability, sociability, talkativeness,

assertiveness, and high amounts of emotional expressiveness. People who are high in
extraversion are outgoing and tend to gain energy in social situations. Being around other
people helps them feel energized and excited.

People who are low in extraversion (or introverted) tend to be more reserved and have to
expend energy in social settings. Social events can feel draining and introverts often require a
period of solitude and quiet in order to "recharge."

High
 Enjoys being the center of attention
 Likes to start conversations
 Enjoys meeting new people
 Has a wide social circle of friends and acquaintances
 Finds it easy to make new friends
 Feels energized when around other people
 Say things before thinking about them
Low
 Prefers solitude
 Feels exhausted when having to socialize a lot
 Finds it difficult to start conversations
 Dislikes making small talk
 Carefully thinks things through before speaking
 Dislikes being the center of attention

Agreeableness

This personality dimension includes attributes such as trust, kindness, affection, and

other prosocial behaviors. People who are high in agreeableness tend to be more cooperative
while those low in this trait tend to be more competitive and sometimes even manipulative.

High
 Has a great deal of interest in other people
 Cares about others
 Feels empathy and concern for other people
 Enjoys helping and contributing to the happiness of other people
 Assists others who are in need of help
Low
 Takes little interest in others
 Doesn't care about how other people feel
 Has little interest in other people's problems
 Insults and belittles others
 Manipulates others to get what they want
Neuroticism

Neuroticism is a trait characterized by sadness, moodiness, and emotional instability.

Individuals who are high in this trait tend to experience mood swings, anxiety, irritability,
and sadness. Those low in this trait tend to be more stable and emotionally resilient.

High
 Experiences a lot of stress
 Worries about many different things
 Gets upset easily
 Experiences dramatic shifts in mood
 Feels anxious
 Struggles to bounce back after stressful events
Low
 Emotionally stable
 Deals well with stress
 Rarely feels sad or depressed
 Doesn't worry much
 Is very relaxed
EXTEMPORE

• An extempore speech is an impromptu speech which the candidate is required to

make on a topic given there and then. No prior preparation is permissible.
• An extempore presentation tests the candidate on the following:-
 Ability to think off the feet: Since the candidate is required to speak on the spur of
the moment, it gauges the candidate’s ability to think, organize and speak there and then.
 Analysis of the topic and identification of the issue to be addressed: An extempore
has a huge probability of going in a random and directionless manner if proper analysis does
not precede the speech. The candidate is advised to understand the key issues which need to
be addressed and then logically position them to create a coherent and well knitted
presentation.
 Idea generation: The biggest challenge in an extempore speech is to come out with a
quick sequence of ideas. This assumes even stronger proportions because of limited time
available for the task.
 Prioritization and sequencing to display logical thinking: The challenge is not just
to speak under time pressure, but also to make logical sense through systematic and rational
listing of ideas. This becomes even more critical if the topic is an abstract one and hence
dependent on one’s perception.
 Ability to connect with the panel: Conventionally, the time available for an
extempore presentation ranges from one to five minutes. In this limited time span, the
candidate is expected to do justice to the topic, which is more likely to happen if he connects
well with the panel.
 Communication skills: These are important as the effectiveness of the presentation is
critically determined by communication skills – both verbal and non-verbal. While
articulation, fluency and modulation are key determinants of verbal effectiveness; energy, eye
contact and gestures mark the efficacy of non-verbal connect.
 Overall presentation skills: like body language, confidence, poise & composure –
also have an important role to play in enhancing the quality of the extempore speech.
GROUP DISCUSSION
"Group" is a collection of individuals who have regular contact and frequent interaction and
who work together to achieve a common set of goals. "Discussion" is the process whereby
two or more people exchange information or ideas in a face-to-face situation to achieve a
goal. The goal, or end product, maybe increased knowledge, agreement leading to action,
disagreement leading to competition or resolution or perhaps only a clearing of the air or a
continuation of the status-quo.

"Group Discussion", popularly labelled as GD, is a methodology used by an organization

(company, institute, business school, etc.) to gauge whether the candidate has certain
personality traits. GDs form an important part of the short-listing process for recruitment or
admission in a company or institution. In this methodology, the group of candidates is given a
topic or a situation, typically given some time to think about the same, and then asked to
discuss it among themselves for a specific duration (which may vary from one organization to
another). As in a football game, where you play like a team, passing the ball to each team
member and aim for a common goal, GD is also based on teamwork, incorporating views of
different team members to reach a common goal.
So, a group discussion refers to a communicative situation that allows its participants to share
their views and opinions with other participants. It is a systematic exchange of information,
views and opinions about a topic, problem, issue or situation among the members of a group
who share some common objectives.
Six Golden Rules to Ace a Group Discussion
Rule 1: Prepare
Work begins long before you sit for the group discussion. Your performance is as good as
your preparation. Half the preparation is about knowledge. If you think you can wing it with
aggression, you are mistaken. Find out the kind of topics that are given at the institution or
company you are applying for.
Prepare well in time on as many topics as you can, not just the ones given in the past, but
related ones too. You never know when the subject would be changed. Get into the habit of
active reading. It’s different from passive reading. Passive reading is where you read merely
to understand the subject. Active reading is where you not only understand the subject, but
also begin to raise questions and voice your opinion – positive, negative or neutral about the
subject. This is critical in the group discussion to counter or support others’ points of view.
The next part of rule 1 is to have mock group discussion, preferably with differing groups of
friends. The point is to train your mind to think of any given topic’s pros and cons in a
dynamic situation where you can’t predict the person’s response. More importantly, it is
about looking at all the possible angles to the topic. This shows your logical mind, creativity
and also your ability to think on your feet which comes with preparation.
Rule 2: Know the Participants
Carry a notepad and pen to note down your discussion points as soon as the topic is given.
Most people who attend GDs are as focused on their performance as they tend to be. Take a
deep breath and when the team introduces itself, note down the participants’ names.
In the heat of the discussion, calling out the person’s name is a good way to get their
attention. All of us respond instinctively when our name is called out, so use this technique.
Not only does it get you their attention, it also shows your people skills and presence of mind.
Rule 3: Take Care of your Posture
Your body posture reveals your state of mind. At the same time, it conditions you to a
particular way of thinking. Don’t lean back or lean forward. Find the balance.
Let your body posture be of polite intensity so that you come across as a balanced individual
with plenty of energy. This also shows empathy and respect to others when they speak and is
an asset that brings you additional points.
Rule 4: Take Charge
Take charge of the group discussion right in the beginning. It shows your leadership
capability. Introduce the topic by setting the framework for the ensuing discussion and state
your opening point before leaving it to the group. Further, when it comes to conclusions,
many GDs fall through and participants don’t make good use of it although it brings points.
Conclude the discussion by summing up if you can. To do this, listen actively throughout the
discussion and note down the key highlights – say, in columns of negative and positive points
on your notepad or any other format that suits the discussion.
Rule 5: Retain Your Balance
During the group discussion itself, give your logical counterpoint without aggression when
there is a disagreement. You are not there to prove that your stand is right, but to show your
maturity and logical thinking. When the discussion drags over a point, it is time for you to
interject and turn the discussion in a new direction, either with a related point or with an
opposite view.
Be to the point and intervene when another candidate is taking all the airtime. When they
pause for breath, it is the right time to take your chance, state your point and then, pass the
chance to someone who hasn’t had their say.
Rule 6: Follow your Domain
Keep the domain in mind while projecting your image. Let’s suppose you are facing a group
discussion for a sales function, you may have to take a more aggressive approach whereas a
marketing function could veer towards the creative and the practical approach in assessment.
Group discussion is as much about your knowledge and point-of-view as about how you
handle yourself and others. Do these right and you will have projected the right image.
PRESENTATION
A presentation is a means of communication that can be adapted to various speaking
situations, such as talking to a group, addressing a meeting or briefing a team.
A presentation can also be used as a broad term that encompasses other ‘speaking
engagements’ such as making a speech at a wedding, or getting a point across in a video
conference.
To be effective, step-by-step preparation and the method and means of presenting the
information should be carefully considered.

GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION

1. Show your Passion and Connect with your Audience
It’s hard to be relaxed and be yourself when you’re nervous.
But time and again, the great presenters say that the most important thing is to connect with
your audience, and the best way to do that is to let your passion for the subject shine through.
Be honest with the audience about what is important to you and why it matters.
Be enthusiastic and honest, and the audience will respond.

2. Focus on your Audience’s Needs

Your presentation needs to be built around what your audience is going to get out of the
presentation.
As you prepare the presentation, you always need to bear in mind what the audience needs
and wants to know, not what you can tell them.
While you’re giving the presentation, you also need to remain focused on your audience’s
response, and react to that.
You need to make it easy for your audience to understand and respond.

3. Keep it Simple: Concentrate on your Core Message

When planning your presentation, you should always keep in mind the question:
What is the key message (or three key points) for my audience to take away?
You should be able to communicate that key message very briefly.
Some experts recommend a 30-second ‘elevator summary’, others that you can write it on the
back of a business card, or say it in no more than 15 words.
Whichever rule you choose, the important thing is to keep your core message focused and
brief.
And if what you are planning to say doesn’t contribute to that core message, don’t say it.
4. Smile and Make Eye Contact with your Audience
This sounds very easy, but a surprisingly large number of presenters fail to do it.
If you smile and make eye contact, you are building rapport, which helps the audience to
connect with you and your subject. It also helps you to feel less nervous, because you are
talking to individuals, not to a great mass of unknown people.
To help you with this, make sure that you don’t turn down all the lights so that only the slide
screen is visible. Your audience needs to see you as well as your slides.

5. Start Strongly
The beginning of your presentation is crucial. You need to grab your audience’s attention and
hold it.
They will give you a few minutes’ grace in which to entertain them, before they start to
switch off if you’re dull. So don’t waste that on explaining who you are. Start by entertaining
them.

6. Remember the 10-20-30 Rule for Slideshows

This is a tip from Guy Kawasaki of Apple. He suggests that slideshows should:
• Contain no more than 10 slides;
• Last no more than 20 minutes; and
• Use a font size of no less than 30 point.
As a general rule, slides should be the sideshow to you, the presenter. A good set of slides
should be no use without the presenter, and they should definitely contain less, rather than
more, information, expressed simply.
If you need to provide more information, create a bespoke handout and give it out after your
presentation.

7. Tell Stories
Human beings are programmed to respond to stories.
Stories help us to pay attention, and also to remember things. If you can use stories in your
presentation, your audience is more likely to engage and to remember your points afterwards.
It is a good idea to start with a story.

8. Use your Voice Effectively

The spoken word is actually a pretty inefficient means of communication, because it uses
only one of your audience’s five senses. That’s why presenters tend to use visual aids, too.
But you can help to make the spoken word better by using your voice effectively.
Varying the speed at which you talk, and emphasising changes in pitch and tone all help to
make your voice more interesting and hold your audience’s attention.

9. Use your Body Too

It has been estimated that more than three quarters of communication is non-verbal.
That means that as well as your tone of voice, your body language is crucial to getting your
message across. Make sure that you are giving the right messages: body language to avoid
includes crossed arms, hands held behind your back or in your pockets, and pacing the stage.
Make your gestures open and confident, and move naturally around the stage, and among the
audience too, if possible.
10. Relax, Breathe and Enjoy
If you find presenting difficult, it can be hard to be calm and relaxed about doing it.
One option is to start by concentrating on your breathing. Slow it down, and make sure that
you’re breathing fully. Make sure that you continue to pause for breath occasionally during
your presentation too.
SWOT ANALYSIS
To be successful in today’s competitive world it’s absolutely essential for one to be able to
identify the strengths and weaknesses of oneself, as well as the opportunities and threats that are
presented. By having awareness of these four aspects, it’s possible to use them for one’s
advantage. If a person can identify and understand their strengths and opportunities they will
know where to tread with confidence and security. However, if one can realize the weaknesses
and threats posed to them, it’s possible to focus on those areas so to improve upon weaknesses
and overcome obstacles posed by threats.
Strengths

My personal strengths generally involve my ability to be innovative and creative, as well as

keeping an open mind. These three parts enable me to be much more efficient and effective in
my ways compared to those of my peers as well as others in my general environment. Being
open to new ideas is an extremely good way to be adaptive to new situations. Adaptation is
an essential ability in a world that is constantly changing and forming. Innovation and
creativity are tools that can help me in advancing within my career. My innovation in
particular allows me to stand out in my environment because it is a knowledge-intensive
quality, which exemplifies my education and abilities (Kinicki & Williams, 2009). Creativity
and Innovation both allow me to advance ahead of my competition and have an upper hand in
my field.

Having good, quality resources can be a very helpful key to success. My personal resources
don’t run particularly high in quantity, but I believe high quality resources are more
important. My number one most important and main personal resource that I have is my
education and experience. Resources are capital in a competitive field. The more, better
resources you have, the better the chance you have of being successful and outdriving your
competition, but resources often have competition surrounding them as well (Kinicki &
Williams, 2009). Education is an example of a competitive resource, knowledge is essential
for success. My ability to advance and apply my education and knowledge in the field is a
key to my personal success.

I believe that others view my strengths as my social skills and my ability to adapt to
situations. I agree that I do have strength in my adaptability skills, however not the social
part. I think of my social skills as more of a weakness, but I try to improvise by outgoing and
positive, so that it may be seen as a strength of mine. My strengths are the key to my success
and achievements.

Weaknesses

Weaknesses are inevitable when it dealing in a competitive environment. Weaknesses in an

organization can be defined as “the drawbacks that hinder an organization in executing
strategies in pursuit of its mission” (Kinicki & Williams, 2009 p.180). This definition stays
true when dealing with individuals. Whatever can hold back someone from being competitive
with others can be a weakness. Weaknesses are also any positive skills that your competitors
may have but you don’t which helps them but may not necessarily harm you. My weaknesses
are mainly my social skills and my over-commitment to my ways. I am quite open-minded,
however when I follow something I believe to be best and gain momentum, I am unable to
change direction and I become fixated on my goal.

Over-commitment may not seem like an obvious weakness; however it can create hindrances
if a mistake is made. This harms me because, instead of being able to stop myself when I
realize I might be going down the wrong path, I continue on that path until I run into a dead
end. The escalation of commitment bias is when commitment continues to gain momentum
and strength for the task at hand despite the negative consequences (Kinicki & Williams,
2009). This wastes time and effort. While some commitment is good, too much can be a
problem. I believe I can improve upon this weakness by prioritizing my tasks.

Improving upon my weaknesses is only one way to deal with them. Sometimes overcoming
or improving upon weaknesses is impossible and the only choice is to avoid them overall.
Although avoidance is not usually the best tactic, it can help to stay away from negative
effects. “The benefit of [avoidance] is that it buys time in unfolding and ambiguous
situations. The weakness is that it provides only a temporary fix and sidesteps the underlying
problem” (Kinicki & Williams, 2009 p.425). One such example for me would be leadership
situations. I’m not much good at being a leader, and I don’t think it’s something that I can
improve upon very easily; therefore avoidance of these situations would be best for me. I
think that my peers and others around me in my life view my main weakness as my
leadership skills as well. However, I believe that I still compete at an equal level with my
peers.

Weakness is something that I must deal with in one way or another, if I can’t work to
strengthen them, I can try to avoid them. I think that it’s best to be aware of personal
weaknesses so that you can face the truth of what is not going to happen and what is possible,
this way you can avoid unrealistic thoughts and save time in the process. Although it may not
be the best for confidence and motivation, realizing weaknesses can sometime be even more
useful than realizing one’s strengths.

Threats

Threats can be viewed as anything that may stand in the way of accomplishing one’s goals,
including factors that negatively affect your ability to compete with others (Kinicki &
Williams, 2009). Threats come in many different forms and various levels of severity. Some
of the most common threats that many people share include: opposing competition, internal
struggles, and external obstacles in their field.

I face many obstacles in on my path to success in my future career. The largest two threats
for me are probably competition with others seeking the same success in the same field, as
well as the obstacle of finishing up my education and doing well in the process. I don’t feel
that advancing and changing technology is much of a threat to my success. The textbook
defines technology as “all the tools and ideas for transforming materials, data, or labor
(inputs) into goods or services (outputs)” (Kinicki & Williams, 2009 p.265). My career field
is actually in the health profession and is not something that technology can threaten anytime
in the near future because technology can’t replace the human element.

The demand for people in my field is changing. Careers in medicine and health are in
expansion and higher demand, and are expected to be even more so in the future. While the
demand for people may be high; the competition is still as strong. Employers and
organizations will be looking for well educated and bright individuals to fill the open
positions, which means I must stay unwavering and persistent in my drive to obtain a good
education. The people in my future profession seem to be currently at the same position that I
am in now, with the same amount and type of education and capabilities.

Opportunities

Opportunities are “situations that present possibilities for exceeding existing goals” (Kinicki
& Williams, 2009 p.206). Opportunities can present themselves in many different ways.
Sometimes it can be by losing one resource you gain an opportunity to replace that resource
with an even better resource. The other main most common type of opportunity is one that
you yourself create. Trends in opportunities may be noticeable in some situations on a macro
level, including education and social interaction with which anyone can relate. Some
opportunities can also be created through the elimination of weaknesses. My leadership
weakness for example, If I were to eliminate that somehow, it would open a whole brand new
area of my career that I could explore.

On my search for success in my career path there are many opportunities that I have available
to me. Most of the opportunities are ones that I must create myself. My education for one is
an opportunity that I am currently facing. It gives me the choice to either take advantage and
do well, or not take advantage of the situation and miss out on the opportunity. For example I
may not take an additional extra class that I could have just because I wasn’t required to, and
it comes down to me and one other person to get an open spot at a job and we both have the
same education background; that one class could have made the difference to get the job.

Other opportunities can be found in social opportunities to make connections, or generally

any chance to gain benefit from a situation.

My personal strengths include my ability to be innovative and open-minded. Also the

resources that I have available to me help to maintain those strengths. My main weaknesses
are generally that I do not have very well developed leadership skills and I have over-
commitment which can mess with my perception of goals and my pursuit for them. However
I can overcome these weaknesses by avoidance, or confrontation and work. Threats that I
face include competition from others in the same field, and finishing my education. The
opportunities I’m faced with also include my education as well as any other opportunities that
I can create for myself during my pursuit for my goals.