Tuesday, 20 December 2016
Quote for the day
"Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment." – Oprah Winfrey
Monday, 19 December 2016
Sunday, 18 December 2016
The 3 Biggest Fears Stopping Progress and Change
By Matt Crane
With the current state of our society, the violence, the hate being promoted and the unrest of the world and it’s relationships with one another, one could say that we should all be worried. One could say that, but for some that wouldn’t be the case.
You see businesses are being created virtually every minute, millions are being generated almost overnight by many, and the economy, while always volatile, is being reported very positively. What I’m seeing here is that for some it’s not going to be FEAR that rules but activity; however, for most that simply isn’t the case.
Based on the current state of affairs that the majority of human beings face in the world today one could argue that many have either settled on their current situation or have given up on their hopes and dreams.
When I see so many reactions and in some cases, overreactions, I see a much deeper answer than that of the one we get thrown from the nightly news, online headlines, and/or social media posts.
Check out the three main fears that I see as ruling the human condition and the actions or, lack there of, in so many people:
3. Fear of Failure
The most common of the big three, the fear of failure has frozen even the smartest and strongest of individuals. This is the cause of so many “stand still” or neutral feelings in our lives and businesses. So many people continue to manage their lives and businesses because it’s safe rather than raise our level of activity and go for broke to scale and create more income for ourselves or businesses due to the sense of failure if we don’t reach our ultimate goals.
What everyone needs to understand is that we will get rejected, we will lose something, and we will fail. It’s going to happen and recognising it early will help but, more importantly, let’s revert back to that old saying of “we can only control those things we can control.”
“If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.” – Sun Tzu
We can control our Fear of Rejection by building deeper networks and pipelines. We can control the Fear of Loss by dumping the things we don’t need or don’t want from our lives and businesses RIGHT NOW. We can control the Fear of Failure by creating so much activity in our lives and businesses that we no longer have the time or energy to even notice or focus on those times we fail.
The key to controlling ALL of these big 3 killers of progress of change is to simply go out and create opportunities, testimonials, and resumes of PROGRESS and CHANGE.
With the current state of our society, the violence, the hate being promoted and the unrest of the world and it’s relationships with one another, one could say that we should all be worried. One could say that, but for some that wouldn’t be the case.
You see businesses are being created virtually every minute, millions are being generated almost overnight by many, and the economy, while always volatile, is being reported very positively. What I’m seeing here is that for some it’s not going to be FEAR that rules but activity; however, for most that simply isn’t the case.
Based on the current state of affairs that the majority of human beings face in the world today one could argue that many have either settled on their current situation or have given up on their hopes and dreams.
When I see so many reactions and in some cases, overreactions, I see a much deeper answer than that of the one we get thrown from the nightly news, online headlines, and/or social media posts.
Check out the three main fears that I see as ruling the human condition and the actions or, lack there of, in so many people:
1. Fear Of Rejection
This is where people would rather “Go with the flow” to feel accepted than rather be an individual and risk doing that by themselves. I call this the Friendship Chameleon syndrome. So many people would rather fold their own sense of self to that of someone else and give full authority to someone else to speak for them and carry their persona because they simply don’t want to feel like they were rejected by that individual and or group.
“To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead.” – Bertrand Russell
2. Fear of Loss
There is a very popular show that aired on A&E called “Hoarders”, where it chronicled the journey of people who held on to everything because they felt it helped them identify with their own self and/or it reminded them of happier times or people that have left them or their circle.
We do the same thing today with our jobs, our incomes, our relationships, and/or our networks. Instead of getting rid of the things that are no longer of value, bringing value, or solving our problems, we would rather pile them up, justify the “trash” and deal with it. This is because what we are really fearing is losing what we’ve always known to be reality instead of taking on a new challenge meant solely for us as the individual.
This is where people would rather “Go with the flow” to feel accepted than rather be an individual and risk doing that by themselves. I call this the Friendship Chameleon syndrome. So many people would rather fold their own sense of self to that of someone else and give full authority to someone else to speak for them and carry their persona because they simply don’t want to feel like they were rejected by that individual and or group.
“To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead.” – Bertrand Russell
2. Fear of Loss
There is a very popular show that aired on A&E called “Hoarders”, where it chronicled the journey of people who held on to everything because they felt it helped them identify with their own self and/or it reminded them of happier times or people that have left them or their circle.
We do the same thing today with our jobs, our incomes, our relationships, and/or our networks. Instead of getting rid of the things that are no longer of value, bringing value, or solving our problems, we would rather pile them up, justify the “trash” and deal with it. This is because what we are really fearing is losing what we’ve always known to be reality instead of taking on a new challenge meant solely for us as the individual.
3. Fear of Failure
The most common of the big three, the fear of failure has frozen even the smartest and strongest of individuals. This is the cause of so many “stand still” or neutral feelings in our lives and businesses. So many people continue to manage their lives and businesses because it’s safe rather than raise our level of activity and go for broke to scale and create more income for ourselves or businesses due to the sense of failure if we don’t reach our ultimate goals.
What everyone needs to understand is that we will get rejected, we will lose something, and we will fail. It’s going to happen and recognising it early will help but, more importantly, let’s revert back to that old saying of “we can only control those things we can control.”
“If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.” – Sun Tzu
We can control our Fear of Rejection by building deeper networks and pipelines. We can control the Fear of Loss by dumping the things we don’t need or don’t want from our lives and businesses RIGHT NOW. We can control the Fear of Failure by creating so much activity in our lives and businesses that we no longer have the time or energy to even notice or focus on those times we fail.
The key to controlling ALL of these big 3 killers of progress of change is to simply go out and create opportunities, testimonials, and resumes of PROGRESS and CHANGE.
Quote for the day
"Every man who rises above the common level has received two educations: the first from his teachers; the second, more personal and important, from himself." - Edward Gibbon
Saturday, 17 December 2016
18 Habits That Will Make You Smarter
Cultivating smart habits is the key to unlocking your potential.
By Lolly Daskal
To be smart is great, but it doesn't happen overnight. If you want to become smarter, you have to create habits that will groom your intelligence and nourish your mind.
Some people are born smart, but most smart people do daily rituals to maintain their smartness. Whether they do it in leadership, business, the arts, or a different field, they push and challenge themselves daily.
Here are 18 habits that can help you become your smartest self:
1. Question everything. Don't assume anything or subscribe unthinkingly to the conventional wisdom. Keep your eyes and mind wide open. The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge--and questioning and curiosity are the key to overcoming it.
2. Read as much as you can. Many years ago, I started the habit of reading a book a day, and the wealth of knowledge I accumulate every week is priceless. Make reading a habit--serious reading, not celebrity gossip and lists on the web. Even if it's just part of a chapter each day, stick to your reading schedule and your intellect will be enriched.
3. Discover what motivates you. Find a topic that keeps you interested and dive in. It's easier to stay engaged with a topic you find stimulating. Find a format that stimulates your mind, too, whether it's a podcast or a newspaper. Feed your mind well with things it will enjoy.
4. Think of new ways to do old things. To be innovative means making creativity more important than the fear of being wrong. Even in the things you do every day, you can be inventive and experimental. When you take risks, make mistakes, and have fun instead of slogging through the same routine. You'll have a daily reminder that imagination and creativity can change the world.
5. Hang out with people who are smarter than you. Smart people have interesting things to talk about. They know how to expand their mind and feed their brain, so spending time with them is good for you on multiple levels. Seek them out at work, in service organisations, and socially.
6. Remember that every expert was once a beginner. When you have an opportunity to learn something new, you become smarter. Make a point of continuously and consistently acquiring new skills, because life will never stop teaching if you're willing to learn.
7. Make time to reflect. We're all so distracted, it's easy to dash from one thing to another without pausing to consider what it means. Make time to pause and reflect--reflection is an important part of the learning process.
8. Exercise your body. As you're caring for your mind don't neglect your body. Build discipline in doing what you need to do in terms of diet, exercise, and sleep.
9. Push yourself to become more productive. Being busy and being productive are two different things. The future you want is created by what you do. Smart people make the most of today.
10. Come up with new ideas daily. Carry a journal to jot down ideas when they come to you. Push yourself to be creative and to think in new ways. Review your ideas weekly and edit them as you go.
11. Do something that scares you. Facing your fears makes you braver, smarter, and better able to withstand what life throws at you. Sometimes the greatest rewards in life come from doing the things that scare you the most.
12. Replace TV with online learning. Devote your break time to something more productive than social media or binge watching TV. The internet is filled with awesome learning tools. It's a small habit but a big win if you can nourish your brain and advance your career and life at the same time.
13. Be mindful of what you are absorbing. Everything you take part in is either uplifting or detrimental to your mind. It's important to silence inner and outer negativity--once you do, you begin to play a role in shaping your mindsets and beliefs, which in turn guide your actions.
14. Read something you normally wouldn't. Every day, look online and in other media for topics, interests, or other sources that fall off your usual path. When you do, you absorb wisdom you would never have been able to access otherwise.
15. Share what you know. Learning something new is important, but sharing that knowledge makes what you've learned actionable and meaningful.
16. Apply your new knowledge. There really is no point in learning something if it doesn't make you smarter or inspire you to improve. The smartest people apply what they know not to become a person of success but rather to become a person of value.
17. Keep a journal. It turns out that journaling is an important way to become smarter. Taking a few minutes each day to reflect in writing has been shown to boost your brain power. Smart happens when you learn from your experiences.
18. Be selective. Intelligent people tend to have fewer friends than the average person--at least in part because the smarter you are, the more selective you become. Who you spend time with reflects who you are.
Start building smart habits today and see what happens to your thinking tomorrow.
By Lolly Daskal
To be smart is great, but it doesn't happen overnight. If you want to become smarter, you have to create habits that will groom your intelligence and nourish your mind.
Some people are born smart, but most smart people do daily rituals to maintain their smartness. Whether they do it in leadership, business, the arts, or a different field, they push and challenge themselves daily.
Here are 18 habits that can help you become your smartest self:
1. Question everything. Don't assume anything or subscribe unthinkingly to the conventional wisdom. Keep your eyes and mind wide open. The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge--and questioning and curiosity are the key to overcoming it.
2. Read as much as you can. Many years ago, I started the habit of reading a book a day, and the wealth of knowledge I accumulate every week is priceless. Make reading a habit--serious reading, not celebrity gossip and lists on the web. Even if it's just part of a chapter each day, stick to your reading schedule and your intellect will be enriched.
3. Discover what motivates you. Find a topic that keeps you interested and dive in. It's easier to stay engaged with a topic you find stimulating. Find a format that stimulates your mind, too, whether it's a podcast or a newspaper. Feed your mind well with things it will enjoy.
4. Think of new ways to do old things. To be innovative means making creativity more important than the fear of being wrong. Even in the things you do every day, you can be inventive and experimental. When you take risks, make mistakes, and have fun instead of slogging through the same routine. You'll have a daily reminder that imagination and creativity can change the world.
5. Hang out with people who are smarter than you. Smart people have interesting things to talk about. They know how to expand their mind and feed their brain, so spending time with them is good for you on multiple levels. Seek them out at work, in service organisations, and socially.
6. Remember that every expert was once a beginner. When you have an opportunity to learn something new, you become smarter. Make a point of continuously and consistently acquiring new skills, because life will never stop teaching if you're willing to learn.
7. Make time to reflect. We're all so distracted, it's easy to dash from one thing to another without pausing to consider what it means. Make time to pause and reflect--reflection is an important part of the learning process.
8. Exercise your body. As you're caring for your mind don't neglect your body. Build discipline in doing what you need to do in terms of diet, exercise, and sleep.
9. Push yourself to become more productive. Being busy and being productive are two different things. The future you want is created by what you do. Smart people make the most of today.
10. Come up with new ideas daily. Carry a journal to jot down ideas when they come to you. Push yourself to be creative and to think in new ways. Review your ideas weekly and edit them as you go.
11. Do something that scares you. Facing your fears makes you braver, smarter, and better able to withstand what life throws at you. Sometimes the greatest rewards in life come from doing the things that scare you the most.
12. Replace TV with online learning. Devote your break time to something more productive than social media or binge watching TV. The internet is filled with awesome learning tools. It's a small habit but a big win if you can nourish your brain and advance your career and life at the same time.
13. Be mindful of what you are absorbing. Everything you take part in is either uplifting or detrimental to your mind. It's important to silence inner and outer negativity--once you do, you begin to play a role in shaping your mindsets and beliefs, which in turn guide your actions.
14. Read something you normally wouldn't. Every day, look online and in other media for topics, interests, or other sources that fall off your usual path. When you do, you absorb wisdom you would never have been able to access otherwise.
15. Share what you know. Learning something new is important, but sharing that knowledge makes what you've learned actionable and meaningful.
16. Apply your new knowledge. There really is no point in learning something if it doesn't make you smarter or inspire you to improve. The smartest people apply what they know not to become a person of success but rather to become a person of value.
17. Keep a journal. It turns out that journaling is an important way to become smarter. Taking a few minutes each day to reflect in writing has been shown to boost your brain power. Smart happens when you learn from your experiences.
18. Be selective. Intelligent people tend to have fewer friends than the average person--at least in part because the smarter you are, the more selective you become. Who you spend time with reflects who you are.
Start building smart habits today and see what happens to your thinking tomorrow.
www.inc.com
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