How do you decide what’s important to you on a day to day basis? How do you decide what principles to stand by and what moral code to uphold? Today we are constantly bombarded by news and social media messages from all around the world. This 24-hour news cycle has changed the way we absorb information, and it has shifted the way we identify reliable content. In fact, it has even changed the way that we think about what is important and how we envision success. If you’re like me, you find it difficult to cut through the noise and develop a clear understanding of what is truly important to you. The challenge of cutting through the noise has led me to go back in time to explore the writings of some of the leading thinkers and professionals of the past. Here are Benjamin Franklin’s 13 principles he believed led to success:1. TemperanceEat not to dullness, drink not to elevation. Temperance is not a trait that comes easily to many people. We live in a world driven by consumerism and excess, and we are constantly being sold on bottomless brunches or all you can eat buffets. Still, there is a growing movement of temperance and minimalism, especially among young people. The growth of this movement is something to watch out for moving forward. 2. SilenceSpeak not what may benefit others or yourself, and avoid trifling conversation. We live in an age of connectivity and “always on” engagement. Too often we’re caught up reading our Facebook News Feed and updating people on our every thought and action. Interestingly, we are seeing a push away from this hyper connectivity towards “digital detoxes” and the growing popularity of silent retreats. 3. OrderLet all your things have their places. With more information comes a greater need for order. If Benjamin Franklin were alive today, he would be blown away by the number of organisations, apps, and programs available to people looking to streamline their lives. 4. ResolutionResolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve. Goal setting is a top priority for most millennials and young people, yet people still struggle to follow through on their resolutions. Once you make a decision about something you want to accomplish, try your best to stick to it by setting out a definite plan for accomplishing it.
5. FrugalityMake no expense but to do good to others or yourself. For example, waste nothing. Frugality isn’t sexy, but it is seductively addictive. While most people would prefer to live a life of luxury and drive luxury sports cars all day, the skill required to live frugally and within your means translates into an amazing strength of will and character. Plus, it can actually be fun. Living within (or below) your means during good times is one way to ensure that you can survive when times are tough. There are a number of resources available online that provide advice on how to save money on everything from rent to food to transportation and leisure travel. 6. IndustryLose no time. Always be employed in something useful, and cut off all unnecessary actions. Being busy for the sake of business is not helpful. Rather, being productive by doing only that which is useful to you or someone else is key to success. Always be looking for ways to cut out unnecessary actions. 7. SincerityUse no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly, and if you speak, speak accordingly. Being truthful and sincere in your thoughts, words, and deeds is one of the best ways to achieve happiness and develop stronger relationships with those around you. While you may look for ways to avoid telling the truth because it might be hurtful or damaging, consider what affect it will have on you if you constantly have to hide how you truly feel. 8. JusticeWrong none by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty. Effectively, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Don’t be rude. 9. ModerationAvoid extremes. Forbear resenting injuries so much you think they deserve. Avoid becoming overly obsessive about any one thing or idea. Live a life of balance and moderation and you will be much better at making challenging decisions.
10. CleanlinessTolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation. Pretty straight forward, don’t be a slob. 11. TranquillityBe not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable. Try your best, then don’t worry, be happy. If you aren’t able to accomplish a goal but you’ve still tried your very best, there is no use worrying. 12. ChastityRarely use venery (sex) but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation. While this may seem like a rather antiquated principle, the power of chastity is not to be underestimated. There is a growing population of people who are self-diagnosed sex addicts or porn addicts. Addiction to pornography and sex can affect productivity and the ability to focus on long term goals. 13. HumilityImitate Jesus and Socrates. Again, while this may seem rather dated, there is much to be said for emulating the lives of those who have lived simple and influential lives. Clearly, some of these virtues are more relevant than others, but most of the principles mentioned represent areas of personal development that nearly everyone on earth struggles with in one way or another. Benjamin Franklin suggests that in order to develop yourself properly, you should focus on improving one quality at a time rather than trying to tackle all thirteen points at once. It is with this in mind that I urge you to take a look at your own habits and areas of interest and to choose one principle to focus on improving over the next week. Which one of these habits will you implement first into your life and why? Comment below!from https://addicted2success.com/life/13-life-changing-principles-from-benjamin-franklin/
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Recently I got my first grey hair. It’s on the side of my head and it’s very obvious. I’ve never had a grey hair before. I sat down and tried to think how my first grey hair made me feel. If the truth be told, it made me feel a bit fearful. Does this mean I’m getting old? What does old age mean? These are the questions my first grey hair raised amongst many others. And guess what, if it’s not grey hair, then it will be baldness or wrinkles, or the triple McChicken Combo of all three. Here’s what it all means:
You always think you’ll never get a grey hair.When I was 21, I never thought I’d get grey hair. You know how it is. In your younger years, you think you’ll live forever. The concept of death seems so far away, and very unlikely. That’s why I smoked cigarettes and drank a lot when I was young and you probably did too. The day you get your first grey hair, you realize you have been lying to yourself. It sort of reminds me of what it was like to take a sip of soy milk a few months ago that was full of mold. It should have been delicious until that disgusting taste hit the back of my throat. Lying to yourself is the same. Figuring out that you misled yourself for short-term gain is not pleasant. In the end though, as Tim Ferriss says, you have to forgive yourself. We all do dumb stuff before we get grey hair and even lie to ourselves. Your first grey hair is the realization that lying to yourself must stop. We’re all getting grey hair and we all will die at some point. That can be an awesome reality as you’ll see if you read on.
The “young indicator” keeps moving.At eighteen, I thought I was old. At twenty-one, I thought I was older. At thirty, I thought I was an old man. The word “young” keeps changing its meaning as we age. My mentor is forty and he still thinks that’s young. My parents have friends that are in their fifties which they still call young. The first grey hair brings to light the fact that young is just a label that we give meaning too.
Grey hair doesn’t define you.Why? Because you can get it at any age. In fact, you can even be born with it in some rare circumstances. The term “Silver Back” is cool ladies and gentlemen. The real point to address is that the color of your hair doesn’t define you. Just like the color of your skin, the place you were born, your sexuality or the color of your phone cover doesn’t define you. Your grey hair can mean the best change in your life if you let it.
You’re no less of a man or woman.Having grey hair doesn’t take away any of what you’ve created.
Grey hair doesn’t rob you of your freedom or take away your dignity.
Grey hair should remind you of time.Whether we know it or not, grey hair reminds us of time. We associate grey hair with age even if it has nothing to do with it. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Being reminded about time and how short life is can help take you out of your routine. That routine that makes you grind out each day the same way, while simultaneously forgetting who you are, who you want to become and the vision for your life. Time is limited. Grey hair does not contain the same limitation.
With grey hair comes wisdom.I only became the so-called Yoda of blogging (not my label) in the last year. The same year I got my first grey hair. Coincidence? I don’t think so. Usually, by the time you get a grey hair or two, you’ve lived a bit of life. You’ve seen things. For example, I’ve seen loved ones die, people get stabbed, people lose their lives to drugs, people go to work and hate their jobs and so much more. These experiences that you rack up by the time you get your first grey hair give you wisdom. That wisdom is designed to be shared so you can help others avoid these same pitfalls. Grey hair should be a reminder of how wise you’ve become and what you want to do with the rest of your life while you continue to get grey. Cheers to the second grey hair and the next one after that. If you want to increase your productivity and learn some more valuable life hacks, then join my private mailing list on timdenning.netfrom https://addicted2success.com/life/getting-your-first-grey-hair-what-it-means/ Darwin once said that “It is not the strongest or the smartest that survive, but those most adaptive to change.” With all due respect, I disagree. I believe that it is not the strongest, the smartest, or even the most adaptive people that succeed but it is the people who are the most confident. In life, business, and entrepreneurship, the person who is most certain of their abilities and their potential is usually the person who succeeds. Nonetheless, there is a problem. Most of us were never taught how to be confident. We learned all about the Pythagorean theorem, the Magna Carta, and Newton’s Laws of physics, but we were never taught how to increase our confidence in any area of our lives or how to cultivate the confidence required to pursue our wildest dreams. Luckily, there is a formula for increasing your confidence, and it’s much simpler than you might imagine. I’ve been helping men increase their confidence and chase their goals for the past five years and, after a significant amount of trial and error, I have finally unlocked a simple formula that works. Here is the 5 step formula that will help you 10X the balance of your confidence account:1. Accept that Confidence is a Skill and You Can Acquire ItMost people assume that confidence is a character trait or inborn element of someone’s personality, but this simply isn’t the case. Don’t believe me? I want you to think about the first time you ever drove a car. You were scared out of your mind, right? You probably felt a rush when you first pressed your foot against the acceleration pedal. You likely had butterflies in your stomach the first time you merged onto a freeway. I can all but guarantee that you weren’t texting, drinking coffee, or eating fast food the first time you sat behind the wheel. What about today? Do you still get butterflies in your stomach when you strap on your seatbelt and drive to work? Do you still feel apprehensive when you switch lanes on the highway or freak out when you have to park in a tight space? No! Because you have developed the skill of driving; you have become confident in that particular skill. The same thing is true in every other area of your life. Confidence, at its most basic level is simply an internal feeling of certainty that you have the knowledge, resources, and skills required to succeed at any given endeavor. Nothing more, nothing less. Therefore, the first step to increasing your confidence is to realize and accept that confidence is a learnable skill!
2. List Out the Current Balance of Your Confidence AccountOnce you have accepted that confidence is an acquirable skill, you now need to acknowledge that you have already developed this skill in certain areas of your life. I want you to pull out a pen and notepad and write down 10-15 skills or tasks in which you have tremendous confidence, big or small. Are you confident in your ability to have a great workout? Are you confident at your ability to paint, play the guitar, or write beautiful poems? Are you confident about your ability to cook eggs without burning them, drive down the street without crashing, or successfully brush your teeth every morning? It doesn’t matter how big or small the item is, write it down! The point of this exercise is to help you acknowledge that you are already confident! Once you have acknowledged you already have areas of your life where you are confident, it’s time to move to step #3. 3. Reverse EngineerNow that you’ve acknowledged that you are confident, it’s time to figure out how you became that way. I want you to pull out a separate sheet of paper and create a list of all the ways that you developed your confidence in that particular arena. For example, if you wrote: “I am confident in my ability as a Marketing consultant.” I want you to write out how you became a confident consultant (because I promise you were not truly confident when you started). Did you land one particular client that made you realize you could succeed? Was there a particular campaign that boosted your confidence and self belief? Did someone say something to you that made you believe you were a great consultant? Figure out the steps you (unconsciously) took to become confident so that you can uncover your personal confidence blueprint and apply it to other areas of your life. 4. Realize Certain Actions Decrease Your ConfidenceIt seems like everyone in the world is encouraging you to pursue your dreams, set more goals, and stretch yourself with new projects. I’m not one of those people. If you truly want to increase the balance of your confidence account, then you must realize that just like you can make deposits into your account by successfully completing tasks and improving yourself, you also make withdraws whenever you bite off more than you can chew, fail at a given task, or leave an important goal unfinished. While you should never fear failure, if you are consistently setting overly ambitious goals, creating unrealistic expectations, or pursuing tasks that you know aren’t congruent with your deepest purpose, then you are subconsciously training yourself to believe that you cannot achieve success thus draining the balance of your confidence account. . While I am a firm believer in setting big goals and shooting for the stars, I am also a firm believer in setting yourself up to win. Approach new goals and projects with a healthy dose of caution. Always ask yourself, “Is this the best use of my time” and “Do I have the resources required to truly pursue this project.” 5. Act “As If”One of the most powerful tactics I have found for increasing my own confidence account was acting as if I had already developed the confidence I desired. When you “trick” yourself into believing you are already confident, successful, and where you want to be, your actions start to become more congruent with those goals and dreams.
When you act as if you are already confident, you will naturally become more confident. While you might be hesitant about “faking it until you make it”, I promise you that this tactic is cliche for a reason…it works. Each morning when you wake up, I want you to look at yourself in the mirror and ask one simple question, “How would I act if I already had the confidence, skills, and mindsets required to achieve my biggest goals?” Then go act that way and the results will follow. How do you increase your confidence when you need it most? Let us know in the comments below!Image courtesy of Twenty20.com from https://addicted2success.com/life/5-simple-steps-which-will-enhance-your-confidence-and-multiply-your-results/ Do you ever walk around your streets or hang out with friends and family and wonder how some people are simply so likeable? You might love them or hate them yourself, but do you ever wish that you had that level of confidence? Well, contrary to popular belief, nobody is born with charisma, it’s something that is learned. By boosting your charisma, you will automatically become more magnetic to other people. You’ll come across as being more trustworthy, more loyal, more persuasive and therefore enabling you to build deeper and stronger relationships with the people in your life. Today, we’re going to explore four actionable steps you can take in order to train your mind to enhance your levels charisma, helping you to become the person you want to be in the life that you want to live.1. Develop a PresencePresence is considered the most important and essential aspect that contributes to charisma. If you’ve ever been in the surrounding area of someone that has a ‘presence’, you’ll know exactly what I mean when you feel drawn to that person, and you feel as though you can talk to them about anything. In addition to this, being ‘present’ is also vital to charisma. Being in the present moment means that the person you’re talking to has your full attention, and your mind isn’t off wandering on what you’re doing at the weekend or what you’re having for dinner that night. Being present and actually listening to what the other person in front of you has to say is a great way to build relationships with people as well as expanding your own horizons and knowledge. By being ‘present, you’ll create your own ‘presence’. However, it’s vital that you find balance as having too much ‘presence’ can lead to large and unwanted amounts of ego.
2. Build Your ConfidenceOf course, the second most important aspect when it comes to charisma is confidence. However, this is also considered one of the most difficult traits to build. The less confidence you have, the less charismatic you’ll be. In comparison, too much charisma and you’ll be perceived as arrogant. However, at its core, confidence is all about how you feel in your own skin. By eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and wearing the clothes that you want to wear can all contribute to how you feel about yourself. The more comfortable you feel, the more confident you’ll be. 3. Speak Truth to BSNowadays, thanks to platforms such as social media and the incessant drive to know everything about everything, false truths are evident in our everyday lives. However, even if we’re the ones lying or over-exaggerating a story, we can tell the other person doesn’t believe it, but it carries on anyway. If you’ve ever been BS’d to, you’ll know how it feels when you know it to be false. However, a crucial aspect of charisma is admitting when you don’t know something in order to progress a conversation. Showing curiosity in what somebody is saying to you, listening to what they have to say and not giving the impression that you know everything about everything is one of the best ways to show your charisma. More often than not, especially with how society is these days, acting in this way will surprise the people you’re talking to. If someone is speaking BS to you, although it can be an extremely hard conversation to have, speaking truth to them, i.e. calling them out on it, can help you build deeper relationships with these people which is an extremely charismatic thing to do. You don’t have to be rude about it. If you’re talking about a political debate and someone quotes a figure, simply ask them where they heard or read that fact for proof. This level of curiosity allows you to drop the ‘defensive guard’ you would normally have up when BSing yourself and allows you to feel like you’re yourself when around other people. Live with purpose.
4. Master the Art of ConversationIn short, any charismatic person knows how to have and hold a conversation. They can start a conversation with anybody, steer it in any direction and, most importantly, can make the other people in the conversation feel comfortable. These are the basic guidelines for having a proper conversation, and it can take practice if you don’t possess it already. However, it’s not impossible. If talking to a complete stranger scares the hell out of you, the only thing to do is bite the bullet and jump straight in. Once you realise you’ve got nothing to lose and can only gain conversational experience which will improve instantly, you’ll be able to get better and better over time until you master the art completely. Of course, the best way to start a conversation is by being nice, rather than trying to overwhelm the other person with information or showing off, mentioned above. Avoid awkward silences, make eye contact, and you’ll see the rewards instantly in every conversation you have. How do you boost your charisma? Comment below!from https://addicted2success.com/life/4-actionable-steps-to-elevate-your-charisma/ I used to be someone that would lie. Let’s face it, many of us lie every day and think nothing of it. The truth I’ve learned is that lying will kill your success. Lying is like putting up a giant sign that says “I’m messed up, please don’t talk to me or listen to me.”
Quick Example:Today I went to the market. There’s this one Fruit & Veg store run by a fifty-year-old dude and his three sons who are all teenagers. Every now and then they have deals. The first deal was avocados a few weeks back which I bought from one of the sons. I got home and realized they shortchanged me. The second deal was some oranges. One of the young boys weighed them and then tried to charge me for an extra kilogram. I could see in his eye that he was lying. The third deal was today when I tried to get the mango deal. The same young boy then told me that I should have an extra one implying it was free to get rid of stock. He then charged me for all three. This time, I let him do the wrong thing. The bad news is I won’t ever visit them again even if they have the greatest deal of the century. I also noticed that their store is always empty yet they have good produce and excellent prices. My guess is that others have figured out, that this family just lies.
Does lying really make you win in the long term?Firsthand, I’ve seen the answer to be no. Lying to gain more suggests that you don’t already have enough, and therefore have to cheat, to gain something you didn’t earn in the first place. Long term, you repel the people that could help you be successful, away from you. Lying makes you appear selfish and ugly at the same time.
There are no shortcuts.
If you steal or sell illegal drugs, then you are being dishonest. In the short term you may get that Lambo which you can do burnouts in, but in the long term, you’ll fail. As humans, we’re wired to move away from liars and have fewer dealings with them. Deep down, we all hate being lied too. It’s a dreadful feeling that guarantees a once only misplace of trust (sometimes two, in my case of the market).
All liars eventually get caught.You’ll eventually get found out. Technology is everywhere and it can now be used more than ever to bust liars. The only way forward in this fast moving, technological world is via the truth.
The truth will set you free.Free from: – Lack of fulfillment
Lying then becomes a habit.It’s sort of like being untidy. We hate it, it frustrates us but we keep doing it because it’s all we know how to do. We must break the pattern of lying. Dreadful habits like lying take us further down the path of misery. What seems small at the start, becomes a giant boulder later on that can run over the top of us and squash us like a tomato – thus resulting in tomato sauce. Our habits shape who we are today, and who we become – it’s so cliché I know!
Even small lies are a problem.Whether it’s shortchanging someone twenty cents, saying you accomplished something you didn’t or lying about who else you’re sleeping with, it’s all messed up.
The biggest liars we know all started out with little lies. First, it was how much money they had.
There is no need to lie. Honesty is easier.The crap thing about lying is it’s hard. You have to remember all the BS you told people and there’s even greater risk you’ll get found out lying. Every lie you tell (especially those you repeat often) get told slightly different. Our memories are already bad enough. We don’t need the burden of lying to hold us back as well as all the other struggles that life gives us. 3 benefits of giving up lying:
1. Not lying makes you vulnerable.Being 100% honest can be challenging at times and it requires you to be vulnerable. Why? Because the truth often contains elements that are difficult to share with people. Things like: – You may have been an addict Sharing these truths requires you to be vulnerable and that’s a key ingredient in success. Vulnerability brings people closer to you and helps make you relatable. That’s why your social media feeds are now filled with vulnerable stories because deep down, we love them.
2. Not lying is rare, which is why you should do it.
You’ll never solve problems or do the impossible if you just settle for the crap most people put up with. Standing out and being the bright green horse is an awesome way to live. Being honest requires you to be disciplined and stop the impulse of lying in its dreadful tracks. With this discipline comes a habit that will cross over into other areas of your life like food and exercise.
3. Honesty is damn sexy.People are attracted to honesty. It’s addictive because true honesty is so rare. Honesty makes us feel comfortable, significant and drawn into these damn fine creatures that tell the truth.
***My story of lying.I can admit that I used to tell a lot of small lies. I’m not proud to admit that. Then I took a long hard look at myself and was not happy with what I saw. I saw someone who was tired, pissed off, unhealthy, anxious, depressed and everything else under the sun. I saw lying as being the seed for many of these frustrations in my life. I experimented with being stupidly honest. I told the supermarket cashier when they scanned something and entered the wrong price (when it was in my favor). I told my people leader at work about every corporate card expense and refused to charge things to the company even when I could have. I told my girlfriend every time my ex-girlfriend messaged me asking for favors. As a result, people trust me. I am able to earn trust like it’s up for sale with a $0 price tag. In the last five years, I feel much better about who I am. I can honestly say that I’m trying to be the best version of myself and help people. This pattern of honesty has also made me attack goals that I previously ignored. For example, I was never doing any charitable work and I told myself that I was. Charitable work has taught me so much about the people I used to put down in my own mind. Just because you are a prisoner, or homeless, or have tattoos, does not mean that you don’t deserve respect and to be listened to. It’s time to cash in all those lies you tell and exchange them for the benefits of the truth. The truth is the number one way to attract people into your life who can help you reach your goals. If you want to increase your productivity and learn some more valuable life hacks, then join my private mailing list on timdenning.netfrom https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/the-benefits-of-giving-up-lying/ To everything in life, there’s always a positive and a negative side. The thing is, it’s so damn easy to focus on one over the other. Some of us tend to focus too much on the negative side – as you know, it’s usually easier to forget the positive over the negative. But here’s the good news: you get to choose which side you want to focus on! It’s simply a matter of shifting your perspective or, in other words, shifting your thoughts. Here are 4 things you can do to help shift your perspective:1. Focus on the lesson not the issueEasier said than done, right? Well if you’re reading this article to begin with, you are ready to embrace change. We all go through good and bad experiences along the road. We are either in control of them or not. But the necessary thing to remember is that, every experience is a good experience. The key is to finding the silver lining. Once you know this, it is fully your responsibility to do so. Now, I’m not saying all experiences have positive aspects, but it’s what you think or make of them that matters the most. There is always an opportunity to evolve. If you look a bit closer, you will find a way to positivity more often than you think. Let me give you an example. It’s a little personal, but it proves exactly what I’m trying to explain. I got diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder three years ago. Long story short, once I knew, instead of telling myself, “I’m a total emotional wreck, there is no hope” I thought, “Now that I have the knowledge, I will find the tools to help me find a solution.” And it felt so damn good! Now, don’t get me wrong, this ‘positive’ perspective didn’t happen overnight. Good, efficient and long-term changes take time. But what I want to prove with this example is that you should take each problem or circumstance as a positive opportunity to change and to evolve. At the end of the day, everything happens for a reason – you either have to find the reason yourself or it will become clear by itself after some time.
2. Remind yourself that positive attracts positiveYou most definitely know the quote, “Smile and the world smiles with you.” At this point, it’s almost evident how much gratitude is important. Expressing gratitude everyday will boost your positive attitude in so many ways. Here’s an example of a really easy exercise you should start practicing: This can be done at night or first thing in the morning. When you wake up, ask yourself, “What are 3 things I am grateful for this morning?” or, when you go to bed, “What are 3 things that made me happy today?” This will help your ‘computer’, that is, your mind – in escaping any negative ‘viruses’, that is, your thoughts. Being grateful unfolds in so many positive ways. It will help you have the right, positive energy which will attract positivity. Because positive attracts positive! The more you focus on having a great day when you first wake up in the morning, the more you will attract it. You will start noticing small details that you hadn’t before, like the beautiful petals in your neighbor’s garden, or simply the way the sun reflects on your skin. It’s also part of living in the now… All yogis will tell you about it. On the contrary, negative emotions just make everything seem even more negative and then it just becomes a vicious cycle. The important thing to bear in mind here is that your emotions determine your perspective. In other words, if you control your emotions better, you will control the way you see things better. You have the ability to change – your inner strength will help you in changing focus. 3. Take some distance with any source of negativityIt’s so necessary especially when you start changing your everyday routines and thoughts. Escaping all sources of negativity will give more space to attract positivity. This also means attracting more positive situations and people. Whoever is toxic in your life or seems to slow you down, you need to put a cross on. You don’t have the time or the space to keep them. This also works for ‘toxic’ situations. Are you working a 9-5 job that you hate? Quit. When you decide to change your emotions and your perspective, you don’t have any more space for negativity. Simply put, don’t expect positive change when you are surrounded by negative circumstances.
4. Reward yourself with positive self-talkYou already took a positive action to read this article in order to become a better version of yourself. Give yourself a little tap on the back! It’s important to shift your thoughts, but it’s almost twice as important to give yourself rewards for it. It’s not that easy to accept and to embrace a change of thoughts and of perspectives. Realize that what you’re doing is sign that you are taking good initiatives into becoming a better person. Not everyone does it! The world would be a better place if they did. A simple change in how you look at things and events can completely change your life. Perspective is all about what you decide to focus on. If you decide to focus on negativity, chances are, your life will be negative. On the contrary, if you choose to realize all the good things going on in your life, the quality of your life will necessarily get better. It’s not about what happens but how you deal with what happens. Remember, it won’t happen overnight. But if you want it enough, like for everything – you will take the necessary time and efforts to make it happen. And then you will never perceive things the same way you used to.Every day is a new chance to start again. Embrace it! What are some things you do that help you change your perspective and put you in a more positive state? Comment below!from https://addicted2success.com/life/4-things-you-can-do-right-now-to-change-your-perspective-and-live-a-better-life/ Everything that you see around originated from an idea. It is that idea that takes the form of anything, from a product or solution to deciding what you are going to do next with you life. Sometimes we get ideas that are so great that we even doubt if they came out of our own head. Other times, we are plainly frustrated over the mediocrity of our ideas. There is an art behind coming up with really great ideas every time you brainstorm by yourself or with your team. Here are five simple steps to master the art of brainstorming:Step 1: Avoid the trap of the favourite ideaAn idea enters our head, and it becomes our favourite idea. Although it could be a pretty good one, it blocks the incoming of any other idea — which could indeed be much better.
Step 2: Dumb down your standardsYou might hold yourself in high regard. But in order to excel at brainstorming, you have to let go of your intellectual self. Realize that your critical mind cannot efficiently confront the situation in front of you. It is time to wake up the child within you.
Step 3: Let your ideas rotBy now you’d have a long enough list of ideas and absolutely no idea what to do with it. It is time to leave your idea list for a while. Go out hiking, or maybe just a coffee, if you are chasing a deadline. Carry your list ideas along with you. This is the part where magic happens. This is where ideas intermingle and get refined. They also mix up with other experiences of your life. For example: In the 1980s, while Steve Jobs was working on the revolutionary Macintosh, it’s ‘just-plug-in-and-use’ feature was inspired by a newly born calf that started walking within a few minutes of its birth; a scene that Jobs had once witnessed. This is how life makes our ideas incredible by flowing in from unexpected places if you let it. Just like different ingredients rot together and ferment to produce a great wine, our ideas also transcend into something else if you allow them to ferment. Life colours them in different flavours. They get refined. Stupid ideas combine with brilliant ones, making them even better. In a short while, you will have developed clarity over your ideas. And unworthy ones simply wither off. Step 4: Find patternsOnce you are done with the process, the ideas on your list would not be the same as before. When you get back to them, they are not the same bunch of random thoughts. Interesting connections would have been formed among things in and out of the list. Pick up the ones that seem to be standing out. Figure out which other ideas seem to be supporting or enhancing the good ones.
Step 5: Analyze the solutionsThen comes the last stage where you finally apply your critical mind that you had switched off in step 2. Analyse your results. List the pros and cons with each of the few selected ideas on a piece of paper. Look at the efficiency, scalability, implementability and other factors that might count in your scenario. And choose the best idea, which would be pretty obvious by now. What not to do nextOnce you have gone through the entire process, the solution you would have at hand shall be many folds better than the one formed directly through practical thinking. This time you thought as an artist. But being an artist has its cons. Since you have set your brain on a stormy mode, it will keep coming up with ideas one after the other. This process will continue even after you have decided upon a particular idea. It is really like choosing the best rose from a 2 acre rose plantation. You have to understand that there is not one way to do something. Otherwise, the lizard brain will start using your perfectionism as an excuse to procrastinate. Make a mental note for yourself before you begin the entire process that you are going to avail as much time as possible for a thoroughly elaborate brainstorming, but once you are done with that, you will shut down the thinking machine. It is time to put in the hard work to manifest your golden idea into a breakthrough reality. What are some things you do to make brainstorming more effective? Comment below!Image courtesy of Twenty20.com from https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/5-simple-steps-to-master-the-art-of-brainstorming/ Once again rejection knocks on the front door. It’s probably the 27th time within just a few weeks that another potential client, editor or customer has figuratively taken a hungry bite out of your soul and meticulously chewed it for a while before spitting it back out because of the unappealing taste. There is only one thing that matters when this happens and that is how you handle it. Will you lay down, cry and get back to that safe, but unpromising 9 to 5 job that you despise? Or will you get back up, put on your boxing gloves and fight with your heart and soul for what you want? I suggest the latter option. Take it from someone who’s persistently tried to enter the realm of freedom that comes with being a freelance writer. Here are 4 ways to stay strong in a competitive marketplace:1. List your positive attributesInnumerable rejections naturally take their toll on the human mind. Despite your first-rate efforts, admirable persistence and self-consciousness, eternally being exposed to this may lead to lack of conviction, fading passion and loss of focus. The only thing you can do here is to stop beating yourself up, remove your sight from the long road ahead for a little while and think about how far you’ve come by listing all previous successes. However small or irrelevant you think they are, all of them matter. It can be a quality you like about yourself, an attitude your friends admire, a skill people praise, a good grade or why not even a hobby you’re exceptionally good at. The point about this is to strengthen your mind, regain and maintain your confidence and most importantly, find countless reasons not to give up rather than listing all the things that have gone wrong. Most of the time it’s not about you, so it’s essential to not take it personal.
2. Take a breakYou might be on the verge of breaking down and starting to contemplate about whether you should quit or not; Don’t. Instead, go and do something you particularly take pleasure in. Read a good self-help or fiction book, hang out with friends or spend a day strolling around the city and revisit your cult places or discover new ones. As long as you completely tune out from social media and your business and allow yourself to unwind for a couple of days. Or even a week if you feel like it is of vital importance. A trip to an unexplored destination might just do the trick. Whether it’s a long car drive to the capital of the country, a train ride to an idyllic small town or flight to the neighbouring country or even across the globe. Bring some good reading, your kick-ass, self-titled playlist (we all have one) and hiking gear, and prepare for a treat for your soul while you take the time to unwind from your worries. It may sound like the last thing you’d want to do, but trust me on this one. You’ll realize how much you needed it once you get back to your grinding with a fresh mind and revitalized spirit. 3. Get back in thereYour mind and body are now well rested and you’ve hopefully recovered from the door slamming and soul punching that took you down in the first place. Start fresh – preferably on a weekend – and outline a few things, thoughts and goals that have to happen by the end of the following week. Don’t make the list too long or the tasks too demanding, otherwise you’ll get the urge to give up again, which is the last thing you want! Split your tasks in between days. Monday may include calling to set up meetings throughout the week, the following day you might want to spend one half of the day working on your main project while the other half you’ll be enhancing your proficiencies by studying your line of work. Attending several meetings on Wednesday and attending seminars and networking within your chosen profession might be ideal for a Thursday and so on. I think you get it.
4. Regain focus, then maintain itIf you’ve not just read this and paid attention, but also actually executed all of these steps, you should be well on your way to regain focus. Now is the next challenge. To maintain it. It’s not as hard as most people think. Create a clear vision for future goals, not just the title on your business card. You need to see, feel and even smell your true purpose. See yourself sitting in your own office overlooking the majestic city skyline, feel the pristine white sand lingering between your toes if you dream of having a job that includes traveling to exotic resorts, and smell the fresh paint as you decorate your newly built penthouse. Once your mind is fully fixated on your final destination, get to work on it. Relentlessly, unapologetically and with such force that people start thinking you’ve gone mad. What are some other ways to stay competitive? Comment below!from https://addicted2success.com/entrepreneur-profile/4-ways-to-remain-in-one-piece-when-entering-a-cut-throat-industry/ Social Media has been ingrained so much in our daily lives that our attention is fixated on it immediately after waking up, and right before falling asleep. Nonetheless, who can blame us, right? Times change and the state of our external environment should never be directly our fault. However, the things we can’t change also come with things we can change, such as our own choices and how to respond to what surrounds us. You probably found this article through social media, and I want you to think about your intentions during that moment. Were you genuinely looking for information to further your knowledge? Or were you using it for other purposes that could sabotage your path to success? Here are three ways you might be using social media the wrong way:1. Using it to kill timeTime is the most valuable asset we have. You can always make more money, but you can never make more time. Rich or poor, tall or short, we all have the same twenty-four hours in a day. Since life is short, how are you using those short hours that you have? Assuming you sleep six hours per night, that leaves you with only eighteen hours left. In those eighteen hours, how many are spent looking at funny memes or catching up on that show everyone else is raving about? You might think, “Oh, I just got done with work and have six hours left until it’s time to go to bed. I’ll go on Facebook until I fall asleep.” You can accomplish multiple things in six hours. For example, writing a quality article takes me two hours. In six hours, assuming I take minimal breaks, it means I could write three articles. You can also use those six hours to gain more knowledge by listening to podcasts, reading books, or taking part-time classes which will get you closer to your goal. It’s not wrong to entertain ourselves and occasionally scroll through social media, but if it becomes a habit to waste time just because we can, it will take you much longer to succeed. To do it right, only allot a certain amount of time for it per day, then commit to it.
2. Allowing it to replace in-person human interactionWe’re busy creatures and do not have all the time in the world to meet all our friends in person. But what happens when we do have the time to spend with someone, and they’re actually in a nearby part of town? For most people, their birthdays are displayed on their profiles, and while it feels good to have multiple notifications saying, “Happy Birthday!” on your timeline, nothing still beats actual one-on-one quality time with someone. Relationships are one of the most important things in life, and success isn’t only about acquiring wealth or gaining power. Success is also about creating, nurturing and maintaining meaningful relationships bringing great benefits to everybody involved. 3. Allowing it to define your happinessThere you go again, stalking your ex’s Instagram pictures with their new partner. Look at them all happy and doing all the fun things you never did together. They look so in love, which probably means they are, right? Not necessarily. I see it all the time. People posting like they’re having the best times of their lives and then all of a sudden I just hear that they’ve committed suicide or I find out that they weren’t actually happy. We tend to filter out the bad parts of our lives on social media and let the world know only about the glamorous parts. I’m also guilty of this, since I like to post about the new clients I’ve landed for my business, the new articles that I’ve been featured in, and the new digital products I’ve finished. Of course I wouldn’t want them to know about the hundreds of rejected business proposals, rejected articles and digital products which never sold a single transaction. Because why would anyone in their right mind do that? We always want to put our best selves online. But thanks to enough experience, I’ve learned a life lesson that might take longer for others to know: Social media shouldn’t define your happiness. No matter how “empty” your feed or timeline might look like, it shouldn’t stop you from living life the way you want. Yes, we should consider the impact and visuals of our posts, but our self-esteem shouldn’t come from external validation.
Social media is not real life. The sooner we realize that, the less we’ll compare ourselves with others and truly appreciate where we are in our journey. How are you making sure you use social media in a way not harmful to your health? Comment below!Image courtesy of Twenty20.com from https://addicted2success.com/life/3-common-ways-we-are-all-using-social-media-the-wrong-way/ In relative wealth, the Rothschild’s were the richest family in history. Starting in the 1800s, Mayer Amschel Rothschild, along with his five children set up a banking empire that would spread across Western Europe and do business all over the world. Some stories have postulated the Rothschild’s in a negative light, however there is much to learn from how they acquired their great wealth. Known for having the largest fortune in the 19th century, the Rothschild’s knew five keys to acquiring wealth which can still benefit us greatly today. Here are the 5 things you can learn about wealth from the Rothschild family:1. Ally yourself with the wealthy and powerfulMayer Amschel-Rothschild learned finance at an early age, but from there he went on to sell rare collectible rings to a wealthy and powerful man in Crown Prince Wilhelm of Hesse, who later went on to a higher title. Allying with this powerful man who had plenty of reserve to spend on coin was monumental for Rothschild continued to do business and started banking with his client. The lesson comes in two-folds. First, take care of your customers, and they are likely to become your customers again. Second, sell to the richest buyers.
2. Sell to the richest buyersSelling to the wealthy and the nobility was a mainstay philosophy of the Rothschild family dynasty. It started with Mayer Amschel selling to Wilhelm of Hesse as noted before, but the whole family used this key to phenomenal wonders. In fact, there wasn’t anyone bigger that they could sell to and finance with their banks than governments. This is exactly what they did. The Rothschild family provided value to smaller banks and individuals for loans, but most importantly for national governments when several went off to war against each other all throughout the 1800 and 1900s. These governments with their kings and monarchs were the richest buyers and paid huge sums of interest to build the Rothschild family fortune. If you want to find wealth, sell to those who have wealth and provide them and others with tremendous value. 3. Utilize the supply and demand equationThe Rothschild’s knew business and like many of a similar Robber barons of the 1900s, they controlled the resources that were in demand. This led to them gaining more and more wealth. Already allied with the monarchs and leaders of Western Europe, they were the financiers a country would go to if they needed to finance a war. The demand was extreme at these times of need and the Rothschild banks were the ones that had the supply of funds necessary. Mayer Amschel did this by placing his five sons in five strategically placed locations around Europe. It is also rumored that the family would fund both sides of a war. While it may not be value in the sensical thought of it, the family filled a need and provided value that was much in demand and this affected millions of people. If you want to get rich, be on the positive side of the supply and demand equation and make sure what you have is the best suited for your customer’s needs (demand). Supply decreases if you are one of a kind and can achieve for your customers what no one else can. This is when prices also rise for your services. 4. Partner with family or close associatesPart of what made the Rothschild’s so successful was that stood succinctly together in their enterprises. Mayer had a plan and a vision that he had his sons to follow through on magnificently. The brothers were together and aligned in their mission so they could really depend on each other. Sometimes it’s not the best idea to go into business with family, but the lesson is that if you can come to alignment with your trusted allies, then there is no limit to what you can accomplish. I would also add that it is imperative to have this kind of trust and faithful execution from your employees or subordinates. Employ people you can trust and count on following through on the plan and the vision. When you find these types of people, there is no telling how far you can go.
5. Stay humbleThere is good reason you can’t find as much information about the Rothschild’s as some of the other industry leaders. The Rothschild’s didn’t court attention and instead went about their business without making frequent headlines for themselves. In looking for documentaries or a lot of information on those who acquired great wealth, you will find the majority of the information on Rockefeller, Carnegie, and J.P. Morgan, yet fewer on the Rothchild’s in comparison. The family built several enormous estates and fancy houses, yet there weren’t too many headlines about the family. What is important is that those who did business with the family knew about them and where to find them. The lesson here is that when you become wealthy, the whole world doesn’t have to know. In fact, this can be detrimental in itself. You can stay humble and still go about your business. The Rothschild’s were a family that knew business and went about acquiring wealth so extraordinarily that great lessons can be found in how they made their accomplishments. Whether you run a small, medium, or even large business, these lessons can prove to be colossal in your success. How can these keys help you in your business? Comment below!from https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/5-keys-to-acquiring-wealth-from-one-of-the-richest-families-in-history/ |
ABOUT USHi I am Stacy Klein. I like swimming and i enjoy being organized and strive to become more efficient every day. Archives
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