I’m willing to bet that many of you out there have thought about writing a book. You may have even started jotting down a few ideas. Perhaps it’s a fiction book, the next 50 Shades of Grey, or maybe you want to write the next tell-all expose on the life and times of Donald Trump. You might even consider writing the next great self-help book, akin to “The Secret” or “How to Make Friends and Influence People”. According to a study done nearly two decades ago in 2002, 81% of Americans feel that they had a book in them. This means that nearly 260 million people want to write books in the US alone. Approximately 600,000 books are published in the US each year, and many of those are self-published. Few sell more than a few copies (the average is around 250 copies sold). Yet I’m here today to tell you to write that book that you’ve had on your mind, and to dive into the realm of self-publishing. Here are 10 reasons you should take that leap and write a book already:1. It makes you think more clearlyWhen you first think about writing a book, it may seem like a daunting task. It is an exciting idea, sure, but the more you consider how to actually get started, the harder it becomes. When you actually pick up the pen (or the laptop) and start typing, you will come to realise just what a clarifying effect the writing process can have on your mind. 2. It helps you channel your creativityWriting is perhaps one of the purest forms of self expression and creativity accessible to humans. We all learn to write from an early age, yet few of us cultivate the skill of self-expression through writing long past our early childhood. Good books, nonfiction or fiction, tap into the reader’s minds by telling creative stories and tapping into psychological forces related to specific emotions. The book you write need not be dry or boring. Think about how you can make it interesting and then go full-steam ahead.
3. It gives you a sense of purposeEvery November, nearly half a million people take on the challenge of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). The challenge is for writers of all ages, talents, and skill levels to set aside time out of their busy schedules to write like mad over the course of the month. The goal is to reach a ridiculous number of words (50,000) in as few days as possible. Taking on a challenge of this magnitude, or just setting a deadline for yourself in your head on a certain number of pages to write in a certain amount of time, can provide you with an incredible sense of purpose and drive. 4. It forces you to plan aheadMost people who write books don’t do so as part of their full-time job. They don’t have large advances or massive budgets to spend on marketing and PR. Instead, they have to work on their writing, promoting and planning around their already busy lives. Deciding to write a book requires careful planning and attention to detail. It also forces you to outline a plan for when to publish your book and when to start marketing. 5. It motivates youOnce you have an outline in place for your book and a schedule for how many words you need to finish each day (or how many sections of your book you need to complete) you will be surprised by how motivated you become. Just having a set of tasks to complete which align so closely with a creative endeavour is incredibly fulfilling, and will be very motivating over the course of your writing. 6. It creates good habitsThe creation of good habits is a positive byproduct of outlining, planning, and writing a book. By planning out your activities, you develop a deeper appreciation for time and the time you spend on certain tasks. You will make an effort to be more productive, to cut out things that are of less value to you, and to prioritise those things which will help you achieve your next goal or task. All positive things which lead to the development of good habits. 7. It develops new connectionsDon’t mistake the process of writing a book with the process of editing a book. When you write on a schedule, you may not feel like writing, but the sheer force of will you employ to get the words out on a daily basis will be a powerful motivating force. Not only that, the more you write, the more likely it becomes that you will develop new connections, thoughts, or ideas that you’ve never had before. As you write, something may become clear to you which has been shrouded in mystery for years or decades of your life. By writing, you will uncover these new connections and change your whole way of thinking.
8. It makes you more interestingWriting a book will make you more interesting. Not only will it give you something to talk about at parties, it will help you understand the challenges that many people face when it comes to motivation or challenges at work or in their personal lives. By writing a book, I would argue that you will become both more empathetic and energetic in your interactions with others. 9. It opens up more doorsWhen you spend a significant amount of time writing something, chances are that you are a dedicated and trustworthy individual. You are labelled a self-starter and someone who can be self-motivated to reach large goals. By telling people you’ve written a book, you will open doors you didn’t even know were doors in the first place. People will want to speak with you, have lunch with you, pick your brain, learn from you. The sky’s the limit. 10. It drives deeper understandingUltimately, writing a book allows you to develop a deeper understanding of yourself, of others and of the world around you. I would argue that writing a book is both a selfless and a selfish act in that it allows you to pour your heart and soul into something which may benefit the world as a whole. In 2002, an author and professor at Northwestern University by the name of Joseph Epstein told readers in an Op-Ed in the New York Times that they should never write that book. A lot has changed since 2002, and looking at the world now I would argue strongly for the opposite. People should be spending more time thinking about, and writing the books they have buried inside. Only then will we be able to develop a truly complete view of the world and of humanity. What book is on your mind that you haven’t started yet? Comment below!from https://addicted2success.com/motivation/10-reasons-you-need-to-write-that-book-youve-always-thought-about/
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It sounds like a clickbait headline doesn’t it? Well, it’s not meant to be. Like every blog post I write, what you think I’m about to say is not what I’m actually going to say. You think I’m going to tell you how to make money from affiliate marketing or blogging or an eCommerce store. I’m not. Sorry. I see lots of headlines that talk about retiring and making money while you sleep. Whilst not impossible by all means, I think this dream is BS. One of my close friends quit his job to chase this dream and learned a few key lessons:It’s a lonely business.He was doing road trips and jumping on Skype calls every day. He reported to no one and could manage his own day. He found something out that the Instagram posts didn’t tell him: The laptop lifestyle can be a lonely business. In my case, one of the best parts of my day is meeting new clients and hanging out with my colleagues at lunchtime. We have lots of banter and we know each other’s families really well.
As humans, we crave connection and for many, the laptop lifestyle is a life of software, calendars and notifications that provide a hit of dopamine.
You get lazy.Another friend of mine built up a very successful blog. Then she got lazy and stopped adding new content. She stopped doing the very thing that made her the $2000 a week from her laptop. She began reading fiction books every day and stopped adding value in other people’s lives. A lot of her income came from Google Adsense ads on her site which nowadays make a lot less money. She went from fancy lunches to Footlong Subs. Don’t let the laptop lifestyle delude you from the fact that you have to find a way to add value in some way. The $2000 a week is a measure of the value you’re adding. Once you get complacent, you’re screwed. You have to keep growing, learning and evolving otherwise you become stale, out of date and on your way to bankruptcy. Discipline is key. If you choose the laptop lifestyle, then you need to remaindisciplined. You might have a team helping you, but you still have to put in the work yourself. If there’s no meaning behind it, you’ll feel worse than you did before.Many people have made $2000 a week from their laptop only to figure out that selling widgets on a website, as an example, is meaningless. It’s not about making $2000 a week; it’s about doing something you love. Instead of focusing on the passive income, focus on why you’re doing it. Pick a hobby like poker, personal development, cars, etc that you’d happily do for free. Create your blog, business, or influencer brand around that. Doing things just for money (which I’ve done) is incredibly depressing. You feel like a robot with a creation date and an end date. The whole point of the human experience is this: Making $2000 from your laptop every week is not the gateway drug to the good life. The good life exists in your own mind and you create it for yourself. You’ll wake up with your laptop every day wondering why you’re doing it. It will leave you with more questions than answers.
There’s not a lot of security.Shit can go wrong quickly. In my friend’s case, he had three key clients that made up his online business and one of them left. He went from $2000 a week to $500 a week in the blink of an eye.
This dream life of working from your laptop can quickly turn around if you’re not careful. That’s not a reason to not try it for yourself, but it’s a harsh lesson that many who crave this lifestyle don’t understand. Will making $2000 a week matter in the long-run?No, because then you’ll just want $4000 a week. The game of numbers on a screen never ends. We always crave more when it comes to money. When you die, will your $2000 a week business be carved on your tombstone?Will people mention your $2000 a week at your funeral? No, they won’t. People will remember who you are and what you taught them. Focus on teaching people something and leaving a legacy that matters. The $2000 a week is neither here nor there. <<<>>> 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/how-to-make-2000-a-week-with-nothing-but-your-laptop/ We are heading towards a world driven by artificial intelligence, machines & technology. The digital revolution has changed the way businesses, societies and humans operate in their day to day lives. The digital world demands constant evolution, reinvention and innovation to excel. It needs highly effective leadership to steer through these transitions. Leaders in the digital world need to be agile, open minded, and collaborative to navigate the challenges. Here we explore the 10 attributes that make highly effective leaders:1. Empower peopleThe greatest leaders genuinely believe in the well being of their teams. They rise up the ladder because they empower people and create a synergy effect where the sum total of efforts helps everyone in the team accomplish more. The job of a leader is to grow and empower people where they can rise to their best. Great leaders have empathy and sensitivity to the needs of their people. They are persistent in the pursuit of improvement for themselves and their teams. 2. Foresight and focusToday most organisations are driven by digital technologies. The technologies are disrupting old businesses and bringing new evolutions. The best leaders are able to make the right bets. They have the foresight to understand what the future will hold for them because they are quick and adaptive but focused on what they want to achieve. 3. Global outlookThe digital world is interconnected and bereft of barriers that curtail opportunities. Today, it is relatively easier to build things and reach more people than ever. They attract opportunities by looking for global distribution models and collaboration. Companies like Google, Apple, Netflix, Facebook and Amazon have all been driven by leadership, especially relevant to the digital age. It has resulted in enormous growth, scalability and unprecedented success for these companies. 4. Building strong relationships & trustA Harvard Business Review survey reveals 58 percent of people say they trust strangers more than their own boss. It’s shocking, but true. The culture of trust is built by open communication. You embrace your team’s faults as well as their strengths. It is not a zero sum game; in fact you only win when your team wins. Great leaders establish trust, because they are authentic themselves. They communicate, operate with transparency and never mislead their people. You build trust by being trustworthy yourself.
5. Accomplishments, not just activityIn the digital age, getting busy doing nothing is quite common. Even the best ones are led into the trap of mistaking activity for progress. The most effective leaders are able to draw the line between activity and results. These leaders are able to set benchmarks that result in progress oriented work for their teams and themselves. They understand the value of time, prioritise stuff and get things done. They benchmark their progress with the right metrics to achieve the key result areas. 6. Develop more leadersA great leader develops more leaders at all levels. The reason it becomes more relevant in the digital world is because decisions need to be taken at all levels. It is no longer the top down approach. For many decisions and actions, the top leaders depend on advice from those working down the ladder. People working on actual problems should be empowered to make their own decisions. As a leader, you have to trust their knowledge and guide them to acquire more skills. The best leaders are open to new ideas and approaches. They can change their opinion to do what is in the best interest of the team. 7. Self organise, learn and growWhen opportunities are limitless, it is important to identify key focus areas beyond the hype, noise and fads. The best leaders have a knack of picking the right trends that help them in their quest for sustainable success over a period of time. They are able to build teams which have the capacity to self organise, learn, and grow together. The knowledge base keeps evolving in the digital world so it is indispensable to keep yourself updated. 8. View failures as experimentsThe best leaders view failures as experimentation to learn and get things right. It takes time to get things right when you are innovating. They give space to people to fail, experiment and build incredible things. Leadership is often tested during failures. The digital world needs constant evolution, innovation and to reimagine new business models. It requires iterations and experiments to make things work. Even the most innovative companies fail in their experiments, but they channelize learnings from these failures to build better solutions. The best leaders encourage their teams to experiment, evolve and build incredible things as a result.
9. Unflinching faith and commitmentWhat separates great leaders from ordinary ones? It is often the courage, conviction and the unflinching faith in their mission. It is the commitment and drive towards making something happen. They give it everything. The strong conviction and ability to bear the pain for common good is what makes them great leaders. They are driven by a higher purpose and they are ready to sacrifice things to achieve it. They think long term and they don’t give up until they’re done. 10. Stay fit to be productive & effectiveWhen you’re energetic and ready to go, the team picks up the cues. The best leaders prioritise their health, exercise and stay fit. It helps them add more time to their day and makes them more productive. The leadership role demands intense concentration, high energy and ability to handle stress. The truly remarkable leaders excel on emotional, intellectual, physical and mental levels. Leaders like Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Branson work out to stay fit. They devote time to stay at their peak. The digital world is an age of communication, transparency and empowerment. Leaders in business today are influencing relationships with other countries. Trade is shattering boundaries between nations and creating a level playing field promoting globalism. The digital leaders are writing the rules of the game, reshaping our world, and its future. Which one of the above 10 leadership attributes resonated most with you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!from https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/10-must-have-attributes-to-be-a-highly-effective-leader-in-the-digital-world/ Silencing the voice of self-doubt can be downright difficult. There are the doubters and then there are the fear mongers. What differentiates one from the other? Doubt is a deterrent. It means you are not sure the process will work, whereas, fear can totally paralyze you from moving forward. If you want to build trust in yourself and replace the negative chatter with positive thoughts, then you have to “show up”. Showing up means taking a proactive approach towards your goals in spite of the fear, doubt and anxiety. It’s easy to believe those negative voices playing over and over again in your head preventing you from trusting yourself. Don’t allow the chatter to get stuck on instant replay. Press stop, rewind and rewire the brain to connect with a motivating moto or positive mantra.
Whatever label you attach to these positive statements, it will serve as a reminder to reaffirm your goals, how to feel in the moment and the courage to honor yourself at every level.
Making Sense of the DifficultiesBeing able to get through the difficult times, make the right decisions and learn from your mistakes is key to having a fulfilling life. Is there is a decision you are struggling with? Is there something you want to do but perhaps you don’t feel confident in your abilities? If the answer is YES, how would it feel if I gave you permission to make the choice you really want! My guess is you would feel relief. However, your immediate response may question the relief with: What If? What if I hurt someone? What if I fail? What if it isn’t the “right” decision? What if people don’t agree with me? All these “what if’s are actually keeping you a prisoner of your own fear. They are reinforcing a limited belief that other people’s feelings or expectations are more important than your TRUTH. Let me give you an example of some questions you may ask someone else:
What you’re doing is asking for permission. However, deep inside you already know the answer! Of course you do! You just have to believe you do. You don’t need permission to do something that your soul is already telling you. Why do we need someone else to give us approval to move forward? I want you to trust yourself and believe in you. I want you to STOP running to other people for permission. If you are miserable at your job, you know what you need to do. If you are stuck in a toxic relationship, move on. If you have always wanted a college education, what are you waiting for? Calling someone else and asking them for the answer is not going to change your decision. Trust your own intuition and take responsibility for your own life. You have all the power. I can’t make the decision for you, only you can. TRUST yourself. Here are a few strategies to encourage you to believe and trust in yourself:1. Avoid People Who Undermine Your Self-TrustThe people who undermine your self-trust are the ones who are jealous of your enthusiasm and passion. They give themselves permission to control your pleasure, your success and are the “dream smashers and naysayers.” Keep these individuals at arms-length and do not share important information with them. They may see you as a genuine threat and could sabotage your efforts. 2. Keep Promises to YourselfDeveloping self-trust also includes becoming your own best friend, which includes keeping promises to yourself. You might make a commitment to take a walk every day, go to bed earlier, or visit the gym on a weekly basis. When you commit to your intentions, you are agreeing to stay focused even though it may be difficult. Building habits and working towards your goals takes effort but it’s well worth the energy. 3. Speak Words of Wisdom and Be Kind to YourselfWhen you speak words of wisdom, you are acknowledging you are in control, you have the power to overcome your circumstances and are determined to trust in yourself. These declarations will reinforce the power you have to face all challenges and solve every obstacle in your path. Also, be ready to suppress the inner critic. You do not have to perfect, instead aim to improve, do a course correction and try again.
4. Write A New StoryTrusting in yourself takes work and effort, however, with daily practice you will be able improve your confidence, self-esteem and have inner peace. Your job, if you choose to accept it, is to be happy in spite of your circumstances, rise above the inner critic and love yourself. We all have a story to tell, however, today I want you to begin writing a new story about your life; one where you are grounded in confidence, self-love, commitment and courage. Start by taking action steps towards changing your story from self-defeating thoughts to thoughts that empower you to make sound decisions and trust yourself! You are more than capable to achieve your heart’s desire. I BELIEVE in you! How do you trust yourself? Comment below!from https://addicted2success.com/life/how-to-trust-yourself-and-embrace-your-personal-power/ While most people settle for average, you strive for the best. You don’t want to work at a dead-end job because you want to build a successful business. You don’t want to be unhealthy, because you want to transform your body into a muscle machine. Some days you’re proud to have set challenging goals for yourself, but on most days, you’re stressed and disappointed. You’ve been working towards your goals for months and made little progress. The result? You question your capabilities and consider lowering your standards. But what if there was an easier way to achieve your goals? It would still require hard work, but you’d make consistent progress. Best of all, you’d start reaching your goals and gain your confidence back. So what’s the solution? The Kaizen method because it will help you achieve more and replace bad habits with effective ones. Here’s how you can use the Kaizen method to reach your goals: Why Kaizen Is The Answer To Achieving MoreThe Kaizen method is a series of small steps to improve a habit. These aren’t your typical “small steps,” because they’re so small they appear insignificant at first. This might be the opposite of what you’re currently accustomed to, and where most run into trouble. Here’s why towards the early stages of any goal it’s easy to get excited. You’re able to put in long hours for the first few weeks until you burn out or lose interest. For example, people wanting to lose weight start going to the gym 3–5 days per week when first starting out. Yet, instead of breaking down their goal into smaller steps they aim to reach their goal as fast as possible. Because they’re overworking themselves, they burn out and become frustrated. A better approach to losing weight would be to take smaller steps and make consistent progress. Instead of going to the gym 3–5 days per week, start by power-walking during TV commercials. Following this, gradually increase your task’s difficulty as it becomes easier. How do I know Kaizen works? I’ve used it to start a Podcast, change careers, and have experienced success. But don’t take my word for it, Toyota achieved massive success using Kaizen in their assembly line.
Less Is More When You Want To Reach Your GoalsNothing worth accomplishing is “easy”, but it doesn’t have to feel exhausting. Here’s how Kaizen can fit into your busy schedule. Before you start working towards your goals, start asking small questions. For example, if one of your goals is to lose 10 lbs this year ask the following: “How can I burn 100 calories today?” “How can I drink 2 bottles of water today? Easy right? Completing small tasks can feel like you’re making little to no progress, but you’ll start building positive habits. As you’re completing your tasks, track them in a journal to stay motivated and focused. Another problem you face is your fight-or-flight response triggered by your amygdala. This is a psychological reaction our ancestors used in the past to flee harmful events. Small questions work because they avoid triggering your fight-or-flight response. With small questions you’re making it almost impossible for you to fail by working on small tasks. Remain Committed By Rewarding YourselfThink of your motivation as a gas tank, in the morning it’s full, but throughout the day it gets depleted. In the perfect world, you’d have 1 goal and more than enough motivation to stay committed. Nonetheless, the reality is that you have many goals and obligations that drain your motivation such as a soul-sucking job or nagging friends. By the end of the day, you’re exhausted and unmotivated to pursue your goals. Small rewards work because they’re a form of recognition instead of a material gain. For example, take American businesses and the notion that they reward their employees with large cash rewards. This fails because employees tend to focus on ideas big enough to produce large rewards. This results in little to no progress for companies trying to solve problems. Instead, focus on small rewards so you continue to make consistent progress. For example, after writing for 25 minutes reward yourself with a 5-minute break on YouTube. This way you’ll have an incentive to complete your tasks, and be closer to reaching your goal.
Achieve Any Goal You Decide To ChaseWhat if you were able to achieve any goal you’d decided to pursue? You’d break down your goal into smaller tasks and follow a proven system to help you achieve it and improve your confidence. The truth is you can achieve any goal you decide to pursue, but it will take courage, sacrifice, and hard work. Start by asking small questions to break down your goal into smaller tasks. As your making progress no matter how small it is, remember to reward yourself for your hard work. Challenge yourself to reach your biggest goals using the Kaizen method. Don’t wait until the beginning of the year to set new goals. Start today. You have only one life to live, so tell us what big things will you achieve this year?from https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/achieve-jaw-dropping-results-with-this-simple-method/ Starting your own business is the dream for many, but actually doing it and getting your idea off the ground can be an incredibly intimidating process. Statistics which suggest 50% of small businesses fail after five years could be enough to deter any potential entrepreneur from taking the leap from employment to self-employment. However, many entrepreneurs fall before the five-year mark due to a lack of research and a lack of experience. There’s a wealth of great tips and advice out there that if you listen to carefully, you can avoid many of the pitfalls where people tend to get stuck. Here are a few tips to start your business from scratch:1. PlanIt might not be one of the most exciting bits of advice, but it is one of the most crucial. As the famous Benjamin Franklin quote goes, “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail”, which holds very true in the world of start-ups. It can be all too easy when starting out to get carried away with your business idea and rush into the launch process. Nonetheless, building a business plan will not only help you create a strategy for launch and the future of your business, but will also help you secure that potentially all-important investment and/or bank loan. Your business plan will ideally cover 3-5 years of business, lay out your business objectives, market research, detailed financial forecasts, opportunities for the business in the future, highlight direct competition to your business, a marketing strategy and a business management plan. Taking time to create a plan will give you direction and goals to use as a benchmark for your success. 2. Identify What You’re Good AtBefore launching your business, it is important to know what you’re good at and what you’re not good at and act accordingly. Identify your skills, such as management, bookkeeping or product design along with your weaknesses such as marketing or public speaking. This will give you a good foundation to start with. If you are good at product design but bad at accounts, take the lead in the product development process, but find someone you can trust who can help you with the accounts side of things. Working to your skills and that of those who can help you will set you up for a much better chance of success when your business really gets going.
3. Be Smart About Your FinancesThis might sound incredibly obvious, but with so many things to consider as an entrepreneur it can be easy to overlook the most important aspects of business. Your finances are the lifeblood of the business so it’s crucial to have someone who knows what they’re doing. Keep your financial projections realistic and monitor how likely you are or aren’t to meet them. If you are going off target, ask yourself why, what needs to change and how you’re going to change it. There is also a lot of help out there for start-ups in the form of loans, grants and investments. Think wisely if you are to go for loans or investment – do you really need it? What is the interest rate and will you be able to afford to pay it back? How much of your company are you willing to give away? 4. Build a Marketing ListMarketing is one of the most important elements of your business – if people don’t know about you, you’ll have no business. Along with your business plan, it’s vital that you put a strong marketing strategy in place. When starting from scratch, it’s important to build brand awareness and a list of warm leads. Capturing potential customers’ emails – with their consent – via social media marketing or on your site via contact forms, will provide you with a great way to announce your company’s official launch. Using leads in email marketing often proves to be an effective and cheap way to not only get those first few orders, but also to get your customers coming back time and time again.
5. Find MentorsBeing an entrepreneur can be a lonely and stressful experience. However, it doesn’t have to be because there are many business mentorship programs out there along with great networking events in a huge variety of industries at which you can meet potential mentors. Finding someone who has experience in business in the same or a similar industry to yours can prove to be priceless. A mentor is not only there as a sounding board for your ideas or frustrations, but also to foresee issues in your business which you may have overlooked, guide you in the right direction, help you to avoid the pitfalls they fell into and review your overall business plan. No two businesses are the same and no two entrepreneurs follow the same path to success, but there are few things everyone can do to turn the odds in their favour. Planning properly in advance, making realistic financial projections, doing your market research, building a marketing list and finding successful and relevant mentors will all set you up for a much better chance at success in the future. Which one of these tips do you think will help you more in starting a business? Let us know your thought below!Image courtesy of Twenty20.com from https://addicted2success.com/entrepreneur-profile/5-of-the-best-tips-for-starting-a-business-from-scratch/ There is only one thing in the world you get to control and that’s your effort. When you put a lot of effort in, and you do it consistently, you get a lot back such as more pay, more joy, better relationships, and more fitness. When you constantly exude effort, and you experience the results that make you grateful, you start automatically associating your effort with gratitude. This helps you become confident that your work will create amazing opportunities in the future. If you want to be more grateful and successful, then start a gratitude practice. However, even more important is getting super serious about the consistency of your efforts. Otherwise, your ingratitude for the progress you aren’t making will outweigh your gratitude for what you already have. Below are four different ways you can cement your gratitude practice and take your success to the next level:1. Start an “Amazing Efforts” note tabMost people stop putting in effort because they don’t have enough positive reinforcement for the work they put in. They work, but they don’t see results by the time they think they should have. Because they haven’t encouraged themselves or felt grateful for their efforts, they fizzle out. The simplest solution is to start an ongoing note tab for your amazing efforts. This note tab will be populated with all the good decisions you make from waking up and sticking with your morning routine even when you felt like hell to taking care of your body. You’ll have several amazing efforts to write about each day, and when you write about them, you shine a spotlight on your effort, which makes that the reward in itself. You feel grateful for doing what less motivated people wouldn’t, and you feel empowered. All of this brings you a step closer to the person you want to be and the things you want to achieve.
2. Create a list of daily non-negotiablesIt’s awesome to practice gratitude, but if you sit on your duff practicing gratitude when you should be busting your butt to make things happen, you won’t progress, and your gratitude practice will not be effective. How can you get up and give your best when you don’t even know what you should be doing? My solution is to draft a recurring list of daily non-negotiable goals. Once a week, sit down with a pen and paper and think of your highest priority goals. Let’s say you want to get paid for writing, or for your design work—then writing, designing, pitching, applying for work, and studying to advance your craft should be the things you’re doing every day, no excuses. There’s not going to be one massive action you take that gets you there, it’s going to be your daily effort towards the small-but-important goals in your non-negotiables list. If you have that list written down, and imprinted in your brain, you wake up knowing exactly what must be done to give your best effort for the day. When you’re done with your morning routine, and feeling awesome about all the good things in your life, and excited about the great things to come, then you go out and do work. You put a ton of effort in and when you reflect on your day at night, you’re grateful that you cared enough about yourself to bust your butt. You’re grateful for the things that will come, because you know they will come. 3. Things you need to include into your non-negotiablesAlong with any daily actions you need to take for your career, include your goals for health, fitness, happiness, and any kind of self-improvement that’s critical to you for the next week. For instance, meditating, journaling, practicing something you love, and exercising will probably appear on your non-negotiables list. Don’t saddle yourself with too many goals—otherwise you’ll feel paralyzed and scared to even try. But at the same time, try to challenge yourself, and get yourself out of your comfort zone. The most important thing is that you’re putting in consistent effort towards the things that matter most.
4. Get someone to keep you accountable to your effortsIt’s one thing to do less than what you expected of yourself, and to let yourself down. You’re not affecting anyone else, right? No one’s going to give you any guff about it, and you can rationalize your effort with any number of excuses. But when you’ve got someone who’s as invested in your wellbeing as you are, and who’s not going to accept your lame excuses, that’s when excuses get a little painful. Your friend, your mentor or your coach will be a constant mental reminder that you’ve got a standard to uphold, and that your excuses don’t actually matter. When you’re at a fork in the road, and you’re thinking about slacking off on an important goal, your accountability partner will appear in your head, and you’ll think, “What am I going to tell him if I don’t do this?” That thought won’t feel good, and that’s when you’ll find the motivation to do what ordinarily you would’ve made an excuse for. This will boost your self esteem through the roof. Then, when you check in with your friend, mentor or coach, you’ll tell them about the amazing efforts that you made, and they’ll celebrate your efforts and give you a thousand times more positive reinforcement than you could experience on your own. You’ll associate your efforts with an incredible person who cares about you and who’s excited about your progress which will help you make amazing efforts no matter how you feel! If you don’t have someone who can keep you accountable and celebrate your successes, it’s extremely important to find a mentor or coach who you can rely on. ConclusionIf you’ve practiced gratitude only to quit, or you didn’t get the results you wanted, start putting in more effort today. Feel awesome about your efforts by starting an amazing efforts note tab, Ensure that you’re never lacking direction by creating a weekly list of daily non-negotiable goals, and if you really want to take your efforts to the next level, get someone to keep you accountable. Which one of the above 4 tasks will help you on your journey towards success most? Let us know your thoughts below!Image courtesy of Twenty20.com from https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/4-ways-to-be-grateful-and-achieve-massive-amounts-of-success/ Have you ever felt the need to do and experience something greater? Does the location you live in allow you to unleash your full potential? These are only a few of the questions someone could ask when trying to find new ways to further improve themselves. In some cases, success and happiness doesn’t only depend on our motivation levels, but also many external factors like location, societal changes and even new norms. Relocating to a different country can prove to be a great precursor to happiness and success. We may do it because we want to check out a new way of living and culture. There are even cases where people are kind of compelled to move due to unforeseen financial strains. Regardless of the reasons, moving to a new country can deliver great benefits to your mental health and overall well-being. Let’s see the 4 reasons why moving countries can help you grow and improve your life:1. You will escape the current normIf you feel that your life is too ordinary, moving to another country is the ideal way to change your routine and any mundane feelings you may have. Everyday activities like going grocery shopping or for a coffee will be a little more exciting since it will be a new challenge. You’ll get the chance to experience new sights and trends which will last for more than a usual two-week holiday. 2. You will learn a new languageDid you have trouble learning a new language when in school? Well, you will soon come to realize that interacting with a new culture on a daily basis will be an easier and more enjoyable way to learn. Learning a new language will not only become a great self-rewarding experience but also an excellent skill-set that will stick and can be used for a lifetime.
3. You will see things from a new perspectiveA stressful routine can negatively affect your mental health and output. If you feel stuck in life, moving to a new country will be an excellent way to get a fresh perspective on the things that really matter. You will soon realize that making new friends, learning more about a different culture and exploring a new part of the world will help you expand your mind more than material things ever could. 4. You will boost your confidence levelsTo be honest, the process of moving to a different country is a diversity by itself. In other words, relocating will not only prove to be a daunting experience but also a great challenge for self development and growth. In turn, you will get the confidence boost you have been looking for. New experiences and tasks will push you to learn how to manage everything once again and even learn a new way of tackling situations or issues. You will eventually reach a new level of self-reliance and assurance.
ConclusionMoving abroad will indeed prove to be both a challenge and a development opportunity. You will get the chance to know more about a new culture but also become happier and more fulfilled. Before making the decision to move away from your current country though, make sure to consider the practical implications. You may need to save up to cover shipping costs as well as any new purchases you will be making once you arrive to the new place. In addition, you would also need to extensively research the country and area you would like to move to. Find something appealing which can help you reach your goals towards success, a calm mind and happiness. Consider your options and decide whether you are ready for such a transformative experience because it doesn’t just happen, it needs planning and action. Become the master of your own life now. Have you live abroad? If so, where? Let us know about your experiences!Image courtesy of Twenty20.com from https://addicted2success.com/life/4-reasons-moving-abroad-will-change-your-life-for-the-better/ When is the best time to set goals? We all know goal setting is important and that it helps us achieve bigger and better things, but when should we be setting goals? Revisiting and assessing goals is something you should be doing regularly. Many people who write out their goals revisit that list weekly. Others create vision boards with visual reminders of what they are working towards. Some people even write their goals out every day. However, when do you need to take the time out to completely reassess your goals and go through the entire goal setting process again? Or, if you don’t have any goals set for yourself yet, what could trigger you to start setting yourself goals? Check out 7 of the best times to set goals for yourself:1. When You Want New ResultsAs Newton said in his first law of motion, an object in motion stays in motion, or as the non-physicists would say, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. If you realise areas of your life can be improved, this is a good indication you need to set some goals. Do you dread your commute to work? Do you wake up next to your partner without that same level of emotion? If you look in the mirror and don’t like the person looking back, you need to set goals. You may not need to quit your job or your relationship to experience new results, but you likely need to shift your attitudes and behaviours to get better results. Write out your goals, assess where you want to go, and decide whether your current situation is supporting that. 2. When Something Unexpected HappensEverything is perfect but suddenly, the phone rings, you get the news, and you realise immediately life isn’t going to be the same. Whether these surprises are good or bad, what is important is that we assess where we go from this point and plan accordingly. How many times have you heard about lottery winners that lose it all and end up worse off than before? How about the person that says losing their job was the best thing that ever happened to them? If something unexpected happens, use that to your advantage and incorporate it into your journey. After all, no one said the path to success was a straight line.
3. When You Hit Rock BottomSometimes, we end up in a place we don’t want to be. As Einstein said “we can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them” and so to get off of rock bottom, something needs to change. Those people who are able to escape often have to make big changes in their life to make this possible. Although we never want to reach rock bottom, sometimes this is exactly the momentum shift we need to really start making good things happen in our lives. 4. At School or UniversityWhen you ask kids what they want to be when they grow up, you get some pretty inspiring answers. However, as they spend longer in school, that response often gives way to shorter-term goals of passing the test next week. Somewhere between dreaming of being an astronaut and passing their final exam, the big-picture goal disappears. By regularly setting goals throughout the education process, and by creating action plans to help achieve those goals that run alongside their education, not instead of, we can nurture those dreams, rather than extinguish them. 5. After A Big SetbackEven if the momentum is all going your way, sometimes suddenly the light turns red. Although we all hope nothing bad will ever happen to us, eventually we will experience a setback. For many people, this is enough to make them throw in the towel. However, setting goals has a positive influence on your persistence and ability to deal with adversity. You will have to change your plan, no doubt, but you don’t have to let this setback stop you from reaching your goals. It is not about the cards you are dealt, it is about how you play the hand. 6. After A Big WinOnce the confetti has settled, the hangover has faded and the congratulations messages stop coming in, what next? Often, when we reach a goal, we have put so much focus and effort on getting to that point, we haven’t looked beyond it. After big wins, take a moment to reflect and decide on your next challenge. You have shown it can be done, so now turn your attention to your next goal. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy the success, but this is not your destination, rather one significant stepping stone on your ultimate journey to success.
7. New Year’s ResolutionsFinally, we can use the new year as a signal we should re-evaluate the direction our life is heading. Although setting goals on New Year’s Day rarely works on its own, reflecting on the previous year’s results and experiences can provide some good context for areas of life to be developed. Using an exercise such as the Wheel of Life helps you decide which areas you need to develop. If in the previous year you fell short in some areas, those should be the focus of your resolutions. If you are going to set goals, set ones that are meaningful and work on those, rather than just joining the gym and blasting it for a week. If all the treadmills are busy in January, there must be space elsewhere to work on your other goals. So there you have it, the 7 best times to be setting goals. Ultimately,the more often you set goals, the more your attention will be focused on the things that are important to you, the more energy you will have to pursue these goals, and the more persistence you will develop in the face of adversity. If in doubt, set goals more often rather than less often, and assess your progress regularly. What are some of your goals? Comment below!Image courtesy of Twenty20.com from https://addicted2success.com/life/here-are-7-of-the-best-times-to-set-goals-for-yourself/ I’ve gone through a rough patch in my life recently where I’ve felt overwhelmed. It’s made me feel tired and my mind is constantly thinking. When I saw my situation for what it was and realized I was suffering from overwhelm, I decided to implement some practical strategies to deal with the problem. Many of us suffer from overwhelm and think it’s just part of life. What I’ve learned is that overwhelm doesn’t have to be part of life. You can be happy and not have to feel overwhelmed all the time. Definition of overwhelm:Having too many options or not enough time, and feeling stressed as a result. What causes you to feel overwhelmed?– Not dealing with problems and letting them mount up All of these causes that lead to overwhelm are a choice. When you make better choices, you quit feeling so overwhelmed. Here’s some practical strategies for dealing with overwhelm:Clear clutter.Messy offices and homes make us feel stressed which only makes our overwhelm problem worse. Freeing yourself from stress by learning to throw things away, declutter and only hold onto material possessions that matter to you can help you a lot. I threw away more than 50% of my possessions and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made. Now I don’t come home to a messy environment and I only have the things that make me feel joy. Reduce meetings.I’ve talked about, in another article, what I learned from doing no meetings for a month. The feeling of having an empty calendar that I get to add events to is one of the best. Empty space when you’re feeling overwhelmed gives you time to deal with the situation. Most meetings are not necessary and when you make your time harder to gain access to, people question their intentions and have to fight for your attention. This stops the “Let’s do a coffee catch up” requests that often serve no purpose. With fewer meetings, you can focus your time on the problems in your life that are leading to overwhelm. Listen to less and read less.During periods of overwhelm, I find the temptation to read all the books on my list and to listen to all the podcast episodes I haven’t listened to, stressful. It’s why I deleted all podcasts off my phone except for one and focused on 2–3 books — instead of hundreds of books like before. Make time to relax.I recommend the following: – Lavender filled baths Work at your peak time of the day.Mines 6 am. I get more done early in the morning, so that’s why I deal with all difficult tasks during this time.
The temptation is to focus our time on the easy wins, but they don’t give us the reduction in overwhelm we’re looking for. Batch similar tasks.Blogging on Saturday. Editing on Sunday. Picture finding on Tuesday’s and Thursdays. That’s how I batch tasks together that are similar.
I write everything for the week on Saturday because the headspace I need to be in to do it well is very difficult to find every single day. That headspace is flow and it requires an hour or so for me to drink some coffee, watch some motivational videos, relax my busy brain and make people feel the emotion through my writing. It’s also mentally exhausting. If I tried to find this state every day, I’d burn out quickly. Working on certain passions takes a huge toll on your body and that might be why you’re feeling overwhelmed.
Distract yourself.Yesterday I felt incredibly overwhelmed. Everything that could go wrong did. My work day was not fun and nothing I attempted to do worked out for the best. This led me to be in an angry mood and I knew I wasn’t going to be useful in this state. So, I packed up early and went and saw a movie that was very funny. I forgot about all my issues from the day and how overwhelmed I felt, and distracted myself. At the end of the movie, I checked my phone and three of the problems solved themselves. I was back on top again all because I took time out and distracted myself from the overwhelm. Try it for yourself. Learn to delegate.Many requests of our time can be outsourced when we’re feeling overwhelmed. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Often, tasks are given to us and we accept them, but we don’t have to. When we explain to the requester that we’re feeling overwhelmed, you’d be surprised how many times you’ll get them to change their mind. You don’t have to do it all. All of us have people around us that can help and that will be happy to. Multitasking is not helping.By working on a modern computer, our attention is easily spread amongst multiple tasks. Trying to change from one task to the other is exhausting to the brain. Multitasking has been proven to be useless. You need to focus on one task at a time. Set your computer up in such a way that you’re not easily distracted by popups and temptations like emails. Turn off notifications.Constant popups on your phone are increasing your feelings of overwhelm. We don’t realize, but much of the stress we encounter comes from our phone. There’s always another notification, another person to text and another person to reply to. Turn off all of your notifications and watch how it decreases your feelings of overwhelm. The biggest one of them all is instant messaging. These conversations never end and you consistently have to think of new responses which wastes your precious energy. Take a break from social media.“Instagram made me smarter” says no one. You don’t need to be on social media all the time. By having to manage my own social media, I’ve found it to be problematic and its led to my recent episode of overwhelm. I had three LinkedIn/Facebook groups I had to keep checking, hundreds of tags in posts, comments, likes and instant messages. Beyond a certain point, these features of social media go from feeling nice to making you feel overwhelmed. I appreciate it, don’t get me wrong, but responding to it all is a real challenge. The answer to this problem I’ve found is to batch check all social media twice a day. My goal is to get that down to once a day. I intend on time blocking the exercise, so I’m not checking apps for hours on end. I’d rather be creating quite frankly and that’s how I feel I can help people the most — that’s my end goal after all. Writing stuff down.I tend to keep to-do lists in my head and that makes me feel overwhelmed. When I’m trying to solve a problem, my brainpower is wasted on mental notes and things I know I must remember. Setting reminders on my phone and writing down lists helped me to deal with this issue. The moment my brain feels overwhelmed from too many ideas, events or mental notes, I write them down. That way I can come back to them later in the day and be present. Get stuff out of your head and onto paper or into your phone. Use the unsubscribe button.Everyone wants your attention and that’s part of the reason you feel overwhelmed. The need to keep up with podcasts, newsletters and group chats is challenging. Instead, unsubscribe on things you rarely get value from. I get lots of newsletters but I only really read Tim Ferriss’s one, and Ryan Holidays blog updates. That’s why I chose to unsubscribe from all other newsletters. Leave time in your schedule for blow-ups.Something is always going to go wrong. That’s a guarantee. I found I was overwhelmed because when the inevitable blow-up came along, I hadn’t left time or space in my diary to handle it. What I started doing was leaving one evening a week to deal with any blow-ups that may occur. Having time to deal with problems reduces their burden.
Realize when you’re out of control.During my period of overwhelm recently, I took a look at where the most pain was coming from. This is embarrassing to admit, but I was trying to write for more than ten online publications. Having to post content in so many places was exhausting and only two of them were actually providing me the results I was wanting. In the busy rush of overwhelm, I missed seeing how out of control this problem had become. In my head, I thought I was only writing on one or two. I used the excuse “I’m on ten publications but I only focus on two of them so it’s okay.” It’s not okay. Look for areas in your life where you’re out of control. The answer in my situation was to remove myself from almost all publications. I told a few of them that they could auto-upload my articles so then that way it was hands off from my side. We all have areas where we are out of control and being honest with ourselves about what they are is how we reduce our feelings of overwhelm. Thinking doesn’t fix overwhelm.So many people think about overwhelm and know they’re overwhelmed but never do anything about it. The best way (above everything else) to deal with overwhelm is take action. Go out there and smash out the tasks that are leading to the overwhelm. There’s nothing more freeing that dealing with the problem at the source. It’s easy to complain and feel overwhelmed and that won’t help. from https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/practical-thoughts-on-dealing-with-overwhelm/ |
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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