Easy Ways to get assertive

NY, NY -Assertiveness is literally finding a way to effectively communicate what we as humans need. When people do this correctly and effectively they are assertive.
On the other hand, when people are flawed and inaccurate at asking for what they want - they are "pushovers." Don't be a pushover! Here's how:
1) Eye contact - Look you mark in the eye. When you want to voice your opinion and be heard your EYES can actually do much of the talking. Practice sincerity, delight and seriousness in the mirror and on the other hand, know what creepy eye contact looks like.
2) Tonality - the tone of your voice will convey your seriousness. Be firm but kind - you can also do this by changing the words you use with the tone of your voice. For example, don't ask for direction - let the other person know the deal and then ask if they've accepted your terms.
3) Your posture has alot to do with how assertive others perceive you as. Perk up! Take a yoga class. Sit up straight and at attention.
4) Make a quick decision. Most things don't need hours of thought to decide. When you get an e-mail write back quickly. Answer people directly and in THAT moment. People love to take orders from people who know EXACTLY what to do. Practice quick decision making by going through a fashion magazine, pretend that you can get one thing on EVERY page sent to you in the mail. Rapid fire decide what thing you want on each page. Decision making will become easier when you familiarize yourself with EXACTLY what you want.
5) Stick with your decision. Don't look wishy-washy by constantly changing your mind, changing your career path, changing your spouse, changing your cloths ten times a day. Instead stick with the decisions you've made and get to understand them.
6) Know when to bail on your decision. This seems quite opposite of the entry above but in addition to understanding when you need to make a quick decision and stick with it, you should also know when its time to move forward with your career, dump a spouse, change your dirty cloths.
7) Assess the situation. Take a moment to figure whats going. You may think you need to react immediately but that may only make you look less assertive. The more you practice rapid fire decision making the easier it will get to asses the situation in a timely manner. If you take a moment to breath everything in you will actually look alot like your dad when he was deciding what the hell he was going to yell at you for first: all the D's on your report card or the In School Suspension slip in your mailbox. Did you want to screw with dad when he looked like that? Didn't think so.