Monday, 13 June 2016
Quote for the day
"You have to understand what market history looks like. What market history tells you is that the very, very best investments are made when things look the worst." - William J. Bernstein
Sunday, 12 June 2016
6 Skills of Self-Made Millionaires That You Should Be Using, Too
By Adam Toren
Heed the advice of those who have reaped success. Here are six skills used by self-made millionaires that you should be using and building upon each day.
1. Be able to identify fruitful opportunities.
Carlos Slim Helu, Mexican business magnate and philanthropist, said, “When there is a crisis, that’s when some are interested in getting out, and that’s when we are interested in getting in.”
Learn to identify open doors when they appear, then consider the risks and weigh them against potential benefits. An opportunity can be a great one regardless of whether no one or everyone is rushing to grab it -- if no one is, that’s your cue to move forward; if everyone is, that’s your chance to prove you’re better than the rest.
2. Focus on actions over words.
“Actions speak louder than words,” supposedly, and the late Andrew Carnegie agreed. As his career grew, he said, “As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do.”
Understand that a shining business plan or investment presentation means little when you don’t demonstrate the ability to carry out your ideas well. Customers and clients want to see flawless application of your company’s core values and mission statement. Keep this formula in mind when seeking out employees, as well. A perfect resume doesn’t necessarily constitute a perfect employee, if that person can’t properly act on his qualifications and intentions.
5. Get the job done.
This one sounds simple, but you’re likely procrastinating without even knowing it. Those who spend an immense amount of time marketing a business before there’s even a business to advertise are putting off actually building a brand. The same goes for those who spend time attempting to perform Web or graphic design themselves, obsessively organize finances and legal paperwork, and so on.
Even as an entrepreneur, you can’t wear every hat, and it’s often smart to assign tasks that aren’t immediately related to building your business to someone else. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from a small team of employees or some remote freelancers if it means you’ll be able to turn your company into everything you dreamed.
“Getting the job done has been the basis for the success my company has achieved,” said Michael Bloomberg, entrepreneur, investor and former mayor of New York City.
6. Only hire rock stars.
You can’t exemplify greatness if the people who make up your company aren’t great, too. My brother Matthew and I have always made a point of carefully selecting those we hire on to our teams, even if it takes a little extra time. We like people with a heavy determination to GSD (Get Stuff Done).
As we have such grand expectations for our employees, we always make sure to treat them as more than just that. Matthew and I strive to take care of them as we would with family. Matthew and I also allow our employees the flexibility to work from anywhere and provide bonuses from time to time to thank them for their trustworthiness and flexible capability. The extra appreciation certainly goes a long way in enhancing work ethic and promoting remote teamwork.
Heed the advice of those who have reaped success. Here are six skills used by self-made millionaires that you should be using and building upon each day.
1. Be able to identify fruitful opportunities.
Carlos Slim Helu, Mexican business magnate and philanthropist, said, “When there is a crisis, that’s when some are interested in getting out, and that’s when we are interested in getting in.”
Learn to identify open doors when they appear, then consider the risks and weigh them against potential benefits. An opportunity can be a great one regardless of whether no one or everyone is rushing to grab it -- if no one is, that’s your cue to move forward; if everyone is, that’s your chance to prove you’re better than the rest.
2. Focus on actions over words.
“Actions speak louder than words,” supposedly, and the late Andrew Carnegie agreed. As his career grew, he said, “As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do.”
Understand that a shining business plan or investment presentation means little when you don’t demonstrate the ability to carry out your ideas well. Customers and clients want to see flawless application of your company’s core values and mission statement. Keep this formula in mind when seeking out employees, as well. A perfect resume doesn’t necessarily constitute a perfect employee, if that person can’t properly act on his qualifications and intentions.
3. Maintain a clear vision of success.
“Vision is perhaps our greatest strength... it has kept us alive to the power and continuity of thought through the centuries, it makes us peer into the future and lends shape to the unknown.”
Hong Kong business magnate Li Ka-Shing, the richest person in all of Asia, believes in vision as a motivational tool for success. What does success look like to you? If your answer is just “a lot of money,” this may not be the article for you.
Many people envision success as finally seeing their product on store shelves, making up for initial overhead costs, gaining a certain following or changing the community in which they live. In order to stay on track toward fulfilling your goals, it’s important to maintain a clear vision of what that goal is -- and what things will look like once it’s achieved.
4. Never stop learning.
Entrepreneurs who don’t acknowledge the need to constantly learn new things are denying themselves and their businesses the chance to grow. Even once you achieve some degree of success, understand that those around you (even those who are less successful) know something you don’t.
Listen to what others have to say about their experiences. Learn from their achievements and their mistakes. If you don’t want to base your development on other people, try taking a step back and exploring the areas of entrepreneurship you can still improve upon. Elon Musk, founder of PayPal, SpaceX and Tesla Motors, says “that’s the single best piece of advice -- constantly think about how you could be doing things better and questioning yourself.”
“Vision is perhaps our greatest strength... it has kept us alive to the power and continuity of thought through the centuries, it makes us peer into the future and lends shape to the unknown.”
Hong Kong business magnate Li Ka-Shing, the richest person in all of Asia, believes in vision as a motivational tool for success. What does success look like to you? If your answer is just “a lot of money,” this may not be the article for you.
Many people envision success as finally seeing their product on store shelves, making up for initial overhead costs, gaining a certain following or changing the community in which they live. In order to stay on track toward fulfilling your goals, it’s important to maintain a clear vision of what that goal is -- and what things will look like once it’s achieved.
4. Never stop learning.
Entrepreneurs who don’t acknowledge the need to constantly learn new things are denying themselves and their businesses the chance to grow. Even once you achieve some degree of success, understand that those around you (even those who are less successful) know something you don’t.
Listen to what others have to say about their experiences. Learn from their achievements and their mistakes. If you don’t want to base your development on other people, try taking a step back and exploring the areas of entrepreneurship you can still improve upon. Elon Musk, founder of PayPal, SpaceX and Tesla Motors, says “that’s the single best piece of advice -- constantly think about how you could be doing things better and questioning yourself.”
5. Get the job done.
This one sounds simple, but you’re likely procrastinating without even knowing it. Those who spend an immense amount of time marketing a business before there’s even a business to advertise are putting off actually building a brand. The same goes for those who spend time attempting to perform Web or graphic design themselves, obsessively organize finances and legal paperwork, and so on.
Even as an entrepreneur, you can’t wear every hat, and it’s often smart to assign tasks that aren’t immediately related to building your business to someone else. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from a small team of employees or some remote freelancers if it means you’ll be able to turn your company into everything you dreamed.
“Getting the job done has been the basis for the success my company has achieved,” said Michael Bloomberg, entrepreneur, investor and former mayor of New York City.
6. Only hire rock stars.
You can’t exemplify greatness if the people who make up your company aren’t great, too. My brother Matthew and I have always made a point of carefully selecting those we hire on to our teams, even if it takes a little extra time. We like people with a heavy determination to GSD (Get Stuff Done).
As we have such grand expectations for our employees, we always make sure to treat them as more than just that. Matthew and I strive to take care of them as we would with family. Matthew and I also allow our employees the flexibility to work from anywhere and provide bonuses from time to time to thank them for their trustworthiness and flexible capability. The extra appreciation certainly goes a long way in enhancing work ethic and promoting remote teamwork.
Source: www.entrepreneur.com
Quote for the day
“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” – Robert F. Kennedy
Saturday, 11 June 2016
18 amazing facts you probably didn't know about Microsoft
Like it or not, Microsoft is everywhere.
From its origins as a super-hot startup in the 1970s to taking over the world in the 1990s to its current reinvention under CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft has a long and storied history right alongside the PC itself.
But how much do you really know about Microsoft?
Here are 18 things you probably never knew about the biggest name in the PC business.
01. If you bought one share of Microsoft stock for $21 at its March 13, 1986, IPO, it would be worth $14,990 today. That's a whopping 71,283% increase over 30 years.
02. In fact, in 1987, at age 31, Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates became the youngest billionaire ever at the time. In 1995, he'd become the world's richest man with a net worth of $12.9 billion.
03. Analysts estimate that Microsoft's explosive growth has made for at least two billionaires other than Gates, and as many as 12,000 millionaires. Like former CEO Steve Ballmer, who bought the LA Clippers for $2 billion in 2014.
04. In 1988, Gates bought his 66,000-square-foot "Xanadu 2.0" estate in Medina, Washington, for $2 million. It's said to be worth $123 million today.
05. Microsoft cofounders Bill Gates and Paul Allen designed the company's first logo in less than a day. The funky "O" was called the "blibbet."
06. Famed producer and musician Brian Eno wrote the famous Windows startup sound, which debuted in Windows 95.
07. In fact, Windows 95 had a close relationship with music: The Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up" was the operating system's official theme song, and the super-deluxe CD version came with the music video for Weezer's "Buddy Holly."
08. Microsoft's first killer app was Microsoft Excel, which unseated the reigning spreadsheet champions Apple VisiCalc and Lotus 1-2-3. Without Excel, nothing else would have been possible.
09. Microsoft employees are expected to bring M&Ms to the office to share on their work anniversaries — the tradition is one pound for every year they've been with the company.
10. Microsoft holds 48,313 patents, including this one for its funky futuristic "HoloLens" headset.
11. In the 2000s, Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer often appeared in silly motivational videos for Microsoft employees, like this Austin Powers parody.
12 Microsoft and Apple actually worked together for years on software for the first Macintosh computer — until Microsoft announced its competing Windows, which sparked a rivalry between Bill Gates and Steve Jobs that lasted for decades.
13. In 1994, Timex and Microsoft designed the Datalink 150 watch together. It was the first smartwatch ever, beating Apple by 12 years. It also wasn't that great.
14. In 1997, Microsoft saved Apple from almost certain bankruptcy by making a $150 million investment. Steve Jobs announced it on stage at his first appearance as Apple CEO, to boos from the audience.
15. Microsoft had early prototypes of lots of technologies, including real-time translation, tablet computers, and internet-connected TV gadgets. In fact, Microsoft coined the term "tablet." Most of those prototypes didn't make it to market, and the ones that did flopped.
16. Microsoft released the Xbox games console in 2001. "Xbox" is short for "DirectX Box" — DirectX is the crucial software on Microsoft Windows that makes intense game graphics possible.
17. In 1995, Microsoft released Bob, a custom version of Windows that was aimed at making it easier for new users to get around their computer by making it look like a "house" with "rooms." It was just weird and got killed swiftly.
18. In 2010, Microsoft claimed that employees drink 23 million free beverages from the company cafeteria every year — mostly milk and orange juice.
From its origins as a super-hot startup in the 1970s to taking over the world in the 1990s to its current reinvention under CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft has a long and storied history right alongside the PC itself.
But how much do you really know about Microsoft?
Here are 18 things you probably never knew about the biggest name in the PC business.
01. If you bought one share of Microsoft stock for $21 at its March 13, 1986, IPO, it would be worth $14,990 today. That's a whopping 71,283% increase over 30 years.
02. In fact, in 1987, at age 31, Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates became the youngest billionaire ever at the time. In 1995, he'd become the world's richest man with a net worth of $12.9 billion.
03. Analysts estimate that Microsoft's explosive growth has made for at least two billionaires other than Gates, and as many as 12,000 millionaires. Like former CEO Steve Ballmer, who bought the LA Clippers for $2 billion in 2014.
04. In 1988, Gates bought his 66,000-square-foot "Xanadu 2.0" estate in Medina, Washington, for $2 million. It's said to be worth $123 million today.
05. Microsoft cofounders Bill Gates and Paul Allen designed the company's first logo in less than a day. The funky "O" was called the "blibbet."
06. Famed producer and musician Brian Eno wrote the famous Windows startup sound, which debuted in Windows 95.
07. In fact, Windows 95 had a close relationship with music: The Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up" was the operating system's official theme song, and the super-deluxe CD version came with the music video for Weezer's "Buddy Holly."
08. Microsoft's first killer app was Microsoft Excel, which unseated the reigning spreadsheet champions Apple VisiCalc and Lotus 1-2-3. Without Excel, nothing else would have been possible.
09. Microsoft employees are expected to bring M&Ms to the office to share on their work anniversaries — the tradition is one pound for every year they've been with the company.
10. Microsoft holds 48,313 patents, including this one for its funky futuristic "HoloLens" headset.
11. In the 2000s, Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer often appeared in silly motivational videos for Microsoft employees, like this Austin Powers parody.
12 Microsoft and Apple actually worked together for years on software for the first Macintosh computer — until Microsoft announced its competing Windows, which sparked a rivalry between Bill Gates and Steve Jobs that lasted for decades.
13. In 1994, Timex and Microsoft designed the Datalink 150 watch together. It was the first smartwatch ever, beating Apple by 12 years. It also wasn't that great.
14. In 1997, Microsoft saved Apple from almost certain bankruptcy by making a $150 million investment. Steve Jobs announced it on stage at his first appearance as Apple CEO, to boos from the audience.
15. Microsoft had early prototypes of lots of technologies, including real-time translation, tablet computers, and internet-connected TV gadgets. In fact, Microsoft coined the term "tablet." Most of those prototypes didn't make it to market, and the ones that did flopped.
16. Microsoft released the Xbox games console in 2001. "Xbox" is short for "DirectX Box" — DirectX is the crucial software on Microsoft Windows that makes intense game graphics possible.
17. In 1995, Microsoft released Bob, a custom version of Windows that was aimed at making it easier for new users to get around their computer by making it look like a "house" with "rooms." It was just weird and got killed swiftly.
18. In 2010, Microsoft claimed that employees drink 23 million free beverages from the company cafeteria every year — mostly milk and orange juice.
http://www.businessinsider.com/
How To Set The Right Goal: 7 Goal Setting Mistakes To Avoid
By Jenny Marchal
Life is all about moving forward with our goals and achieving more in our lives. Wanting to better ourselves brings aspirations, dreams and takes us down paths to accomplishment.
Discovering what we want to do in life can be an exciting prospect and we naturally become eager to start setting our goals and planning on how we can achieve them. But there are some fundamental mistakes that many people make when setting goals and, if we’re not aware of these, they can bring a lot of challenges, frustrations and disappointments.
Here are 7 goal setting mistakes to be aware of:
1. Too Narrow In Our Thinking
For some of us, when setting goals, we focus a lot on what we want rather than why we want it. Thinking in this way limits our imagination and keeps us from realising what we really want. For example, if you set your sights on a particular job for purely the purpose of power, influence over others or the ability to effect changes then you are losing sight of the position itself and what it can bring to you personally. Focusing on the growth aspect of your goals will allow more flexibility in the adjustment of them. In other words, you are putting less emphasis on a specific, narrowed aspect of the job and cultivating the positive reasons why the job will be beneficial to you and your growth.
2. Pursuing Extrinsic Instead Of Intrinsic Goals
This is linked to our narrowed thoughts. One of the biggest goal setting mistakes we make is going after goals that are ultimately governed by external influences rather than from within. Sometimes a goal can be about validation rather than our true happiness and this usually points to our need to feed deep-rooted issues rather than for the good of ourselves.
Any goal that is focused on social status, the aim of getting rich or recognition will take away your true purpose and enjoyment of the end goal. Make sure your goal is intrinsically motivated and solely for the satisfaction of your own personal development.
3. Believing Our Goal Will Bring Us Happiness
I know what you’re thinking – of course my goal will make me happy! The problem with goals, as discussed before, can be our reasons behind them. Sometimes we go after goals believing that we’ll achieve happiness once we accomplish them and while this can be true, it really depends on whether or not you’re pinning all your happiness on your goal.
It’s a big myth that thinking our goal will be what brings us ultimate happiness. While this can be true, it is usually short lived if we’re not fundamentally happy in the first place. We need to achieve happiness within and not pin it all on our goals. In other words, make sure your goal will make you happier not to achieve happiness in itself.
4. Setting Too Many Goals
Understanding that we have limitations is important and the danger with too many goals is that it can lead to quantity rather than quality. Focusing on one goal or a selection of quality goals is much more manageable and meaningful than going after too many. It’s important to understand that quality goals are usually ones that develop ourselves and move us forward in a positive way while quantity goals are more focused on quick, meaningless achievements that don’t necessarily fulfil our needs and have little impact.
6. Setting Goals Too Low
When we have limited beliefs surrounding our goals, we can have a tendency to set our goals too low. This is usually because we underestimate our abilities or resources either because of past experience or limited information. If you think of a goal and don’t truly believe you can achieve it, then the tendency is to lower your standards. This is tempting but won’t get you what you truly want. Make sure that you realise all your resources and work on your self-esteem to recognise your true potential.
7. Unrealistic Expectations
One of the main goal setting mistakes we make is creating unrealistic expectations. This doesn’t means biting off more than we can chew in terms of our abilities but the way in which we set our goals. For example, not giving yourself enough time to achieve your goal can lead to a sense of failure and can make you give up altogether. Be kind to yourself, eliminate unneeded pressure and give yourself realistic time limits – account for any challenges along the way. Just because a goal takes a year doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing. Try not to fall into the trap of impatience when it comes to your goals as it only leads to goals that ultimately can’t be achieved.
Source: www.lifehack.org/
Life is all about moving forward with our goals and achieving more in our lives. Wanting to better ourselves brings aspirations, dreams and takes us down paths to accomplishment.
Discovering what we want to do in life can be an exciting prospect and we naturally become eager to start setting our goals and planning on how we can achieve them. But there are some fundamental mistakes that many people make when setting goals and, if we’re not aware of these, they can bring a lot of challenges, frustrations and disappointments.
Here are 7 goal setting mistakes to be aware of:
1. Too Narrow In Our Thinking
For some of us, when setting goals, we focus a lot on what we want rather than why we want it. Thinking in this way limits our imagination and keeps us from realising what we really want. For example, if you set your sights on a particular job for purely the purpose of power, influence over others or the ability to effect changes then you are losing sight of the position itself and what it can bring to you personally. Focusing on the growth aspect of your goals will allow more flexibility in the adjustment of them. In other words, you are putting less emphasis on a specific, narrowed aspect of the job and cultivating the positive reasons why the job will be beneficial to you and your growth.
2. Pursuing Extrinsic Instead Of Intrinsic Goals
This is linked to our narrowed thoughts. One of the biggest goal setting mistakes we make is going after goals that are ultimately governed by external influences rather than from within. Sometimes a goal can be about validation rather than our true happiness and this usually points to our need to feed deep-rooted issues rather than for the good of ourselves.
Any goal that is focused on social status, the aim of getting rich or recognition will take away your true purpose and enjoyment of the end goal. Make sure your goal is intrinsically motivated and solely for the satisfaction of your own personal development.
3. Believing Our Goal Will Bring Us Happiness
I know what you’re thinking – of course my goal will make me happy! The problem with goals, as discussed before, can be our reasons behind them. Sometimes we go after goals believing that we’ll achieve happiness once we accomplish them and while this can be true, it really depends on whether or not you’re pinning all your happiness on your goal.
It’s a big myth that thinking our goal will be what brings us ultimate happiness. While this can be true, it is usually short lived if we’re not fundamentally happy in the first place. We need to achieve happiness within and not pin it all on our goals. In other words, make sure your goal will make you happier not to achieve happiness in itself.
4. Setting Too Many Goals
Understanding that we have limitations is important and the danger with too many goals is that it can lead to quantity rather than quality. Focusing on one goal or a selection of quality goals is much more manageable and meaningful than going after too many. It’s important to understand that quality goals are usually ones that develop ourselves and move us forward in a positive way while quantity goals are more focused on quick, meaningless achievements that don’t necessarily fulfil our needs and have little impact.
5. Setting Goals Without Strategies And The Correct Mindset
Setting goals can help us get what we want but to achieve the goals we need to have a good strategy in place as well as a good mindset. A positive and successful mindset is the crux of any good goal-setting strategy. After all, our actions rely heavily on our perspective and ways of looking at the world.
A good strategy will account for any pitfalls or potential challenges that come your way. These can easily trip you up and cause you to give up altogether so it’s important to plan thoroughly and create small and achievable steps.
Setting goals can help us get what we want but to achieve the goals we need to have a good strategy in place as well as a good mindset. A positive and successful mindset is the crux of any good goal-setting strategy. After all, our actions rely heavily on our perspective and ways of looking at the world.
A good strategy will account for any pitfalls or potential challenges that come your way. These can easily trip you up and cause you to give up altogether so it’s important to plan thoroughly and create small and achievable steps.
6. Setting Goals Too Low
When we have limited beliefs surrounding our goals, we can have a tendency to set our goals too low. This is usually because we underestimate our abilities or resources either because of past experience or limited information. If you think of a goal and don’t truly believe you can achieve it, then the tendency is to lower your standards. This is tempting but won’t get you what you truly want. Make sure that you realise all your resources and work on your self-esteem to recognise your true potential.
7. Unrealistic Expectations
One of the main goal setting mistakes we make is creating unrealistic expectations. This doesn’t means biting off more than we can chew in terms of our abilities but the way in which we set our goals. For example, not giving yourself enough time to achieve your goal can lead to a sense of failure and can make you give up altogether. Be kind to yourself, eliminate unneeded pressure and give yourself realistic time limits – account for any challenges along the way. Just because a goal takes a year doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing. Try not to fall into the trap of impatience when it comes to your goals as it only leads to goals that ultimately can’t be achieved.
Source: www.lifehack.org/
Quote for the day
“Market history shows that when there’s economic blue sky, future returns are low, and when the economy is on the skids, future returns are high.” - William J. Bernstein,
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