Your first book isn't going to happen by itself. If writing a novel or non-fiction book is something you've dreamed of, the only way to make that dream a reality is by putting it into action -- day by day.
And the best way to do that is to develop some simple habits that will make the dream a reality, one step at a time.
I've learned a lot about writing habits over the years. As a journalist, a freelance writer, and a speech writer, I've written thousands of articles over the last 17 years. I've also written a novel, numerous short stories, a couple ebooks, and am now working on a non-fiction book. It's a struggle, daily.
But I've found that certain habits go a long way, and after awhile, they're not as difficult as they are during the first week or so. Get past that first-week hump, and it'll get easier. And that dream of your first book will come true.
Note on forming habits: I recommend trying to form only one of these habits at a time, starting with the first one and working downwards. Focus on each for at least 2-3 weeks, until it is ingrained. Then move on to the next.
The most important habit you can form is the daily writing habit. Even if you only write a page or two in a day, that's OK. The important thing is to do it. Eventually, you'll get there. Some days will be good, some will be not so good. Still sit down to write. It's important that you have one dedicated time for writing. You might do more, at other times, but make that one time be sacred. It might be first thing in the morning, right after lunch, right after work, or right before bed. Choose a time that you can do every single day, without fail. Dedicate at least 30 minutes to writing ... at first. Later, you'll need at least an hour, preferably two.
Get into the habit of focusing on the writing, and not the tools. You need to block out all distractions, especially Internet and email. Disconnect from the Internet, turn off the phones, plug some headphones into your ears to block out other distractions, clear your desk. If you use a pen and pad, choose simple ones. If you use a computer, use the simplest word processor or text editor possible. I recommend Dark Room or WriteRoom or some variant thereof -- just plain text, with no formatting, in full screen mode. It's you and the words and nothing else.
This can be as simple as how many words you wrote today. Check your word count when you finish, and log it in. You could also add in notes about what you wrote, how you feel about it, etc., but the important thing is to log it in so you can see your progress over time. It helps enforce the daily writing habit, and it motivates you to keep going.
You will probably be thinking about your book all day, if you're engrossed in it, but it's good to make it a habit to think about your book at certain times of the day. Exercise is a great time for that, as is house cleaning, driving, walking, government work, and any other activity where you don't need to think much. Make that time dedicated to thinking about the book.
You will have ideas at different times of day, in different places. You will overhear dialog that you want to remember. You will think of brilliant character flaws while at the grocery store. You'll think of eccentric plot twists while driving. You need some way to capture ideas -- I suggest a notebook or index cards, but whatever works for you is fine. More importantly, you need to make it a habit to write your ideas down wherever you go.
There will be days when you don't feel like writing. That may actually be every day. But if you let that stop you, you'll never write a thing. Instead, you need to make it a habit to just start writing. It doesn't matter what you write, or whether it's any good. Just start. Make your fingers move. I find a good way to start is by typing something ritualistic, such as my byline on an article, or common formatting stuff. That gets my typing going, and then I just continue that. Once you get started, you might find that writing will come easier. In any case, get into the habit of just starting, no matter what.
In addition to the routine writing time you designate (in Item #1 above), there will be other times when you'll want to write. Especially when you get a burst of energy or inspiration. You need to get into the habit of taking advantage of those times, and sitting down and writing immediately. Even if you're not at your computer, have your idea notebook, and just start writing. Inspiration comes at the most inopportune times -- you need to use it whenever it comes.
The dreaded word for many a writer, but revision is one of the most important aspects of the writing process. No one gets it right in the first draft. No one. If you aren't willing to revise, you might as well not write. But you don't need to develop this habit right away. Get into the writing habit first, and then begin developing rewrite habits. My suggestion is to begin half an hour of rewrite time, daily, after a month or two of developing the writing habit.
Most writers won't bother with this, but that's a mistake. If you are serious about your writing, a book bible is a must-have. However, you can work on that last. This is ideally a binder with everything about your book contained in its pages: plot outline, character sketches, notes, bits of dialog, small details, scene description, research, etc. You'll find this extremely useful. The habit to develop: get a binder, write notes on characters, plot, scene, dialog, and keep it updated, as soon as you're done writing. So: write, log it, then update your book bible.
Written for Dumblittleman.com on 09/12/2007 by Leo Babauta and republished on 4/30/10. Leo offers advice on living life productively simple at his famous Zen Habits blog.
Complete Your First Book with these 9 Simple Writing Habits
Posted by SoMeOnE at 9:59 AM Labels: How To, Most Popular, Writing
8 Reasons To Use Google Chrome As Your Primary Browser
Posted by SoMeOnE at 2:37 AM Labels: Google, Technology
Google Chrome, the web browser by Google, has been gaining market share steadily since the day it was introduced. And rightly so. It's by far the best browser I've used (and I have used a number of them). I think my productivity has increased significantly since I switched to Google Chrome as my primary browser.
In this article, I give 8 reasons to persuade you to switch to Chrome if you haven't yet. Now, nothing is perfect and there are some caveats here too, but, the pros definitely overshadow the cons and hence I recommend using Chrome.
So that was about it. If you've been using Chrome as your main browser, I'd love to know how's the experience and what made you switch. Let's hear them in comments.
Yes, it is. You realize how fast it is when you click on the chrome icon to open the browser. It comes up in a flash, much faster than any other browser. As you start using it, you will find that the webpages also take less time to load.
Chrome is based on Webkit. The Chrome team recently talked about the factors that make it so fast. Sounds convincing and I see it in action every time I use it.
Not that security vulnerabilities aren't discovered in Google Chrome, but, it is considered to be more secure than its counterparts like IE and Firefox. In fact, it was the only browser that survived the Pwn2Own competition where security experts tried to exploit all the browsers in search for bugs.
The address bar in Chrome also acts as the Google search bar. Hence you could just type your search query there and hit enter. It will quickly pull up the relevant Google results. You don't need to first go to Google in order to search. This saves time.
One of the best things about Chrome is that it's minimalistic. The browser options are tucked away on the extreme right and that enables it to get you more screen real estate by providing a bigger browsing space.
This feature is quite useful when you are on long webpages and need to scroll down frequently. It also helps bloggers like me to take better screenshots.
The incognito mode in Chrome is a nifty feature. Although private browsing mode was later introduced in Firefox and some other browsers too, Chrome's incognito wins hands down. I particularly like how quickly you could go incognito by pressing Ctrl+Shift+n.
Apart from the obvious use of private browsing, there are several other uses of Chrome's incognito mode. Like, you could log into two Gmail accounts at once using this feature.
There's a "Synchronize my bookmarks" feature in Chrome which you can access by clicking on the wrench icon on the top right. You could use this feature to synchronize your Google account. That way you can access your bookmarks if you are using Chrome on a different computer.
Yes, unlike Firefox where you need to restart your browser whenever you install a new extension or uninstall an old one, Chrome doesn't require that. And as someone who plays with a lot of add-ons, I can tell you, this feature saves a lot of time and frustration.
Right, I love Google. They are known for their quality products and hence I believe Chrome has better days ahead. Now, some would argue that it's giving too much power to one firm, but, considering that most of us are pretty much dependent on Google and its services, it doesn't harm to try out their browser too. Oh, by the way, I did write an article on how to free yourself from Google in case you are interested.
Cheers,
Abhijeet
Written on 4/3/2010 by Abhijeet Mukherjee. Abhijeet is a blogger and web publisher from India. He loves all things tech as long as it aids in productivity. He edits Guiding Tech, a blog that publishes useful guides, tutorials and tools. Check it out and subscribe to its feed if you like the site. You can also find him on Twitter.
Despite our interest in getting things done in the most efficient way possible, our minds and habits often work against us. Spend a moment and think of the following:
- Do you make separate trips for every errand?
- Do you check your email more than once a day?
- Do you spend time searching for car keys or other objects you misplace?
- Do you spend a lot of time on Facebook, Twitter or similar sites?
You Can’t See The Forest For The Trees
Sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees. This is a popular saying that means to get so caught up in the little things that you lose track of the bigger (and usually more important) picture.
Life is a continuous journey and a process of never-ending growth. Every single day brings an opportunity to learn something new and improve or change your life. As a result, our habits, routines and possessions grow in many small steps. Over time all these small steps can create a lot of clutter and inefficiency in our daily lives which can waste up to multiple hours every week that could be used for better things (like having fun or doing the things you are passionate about).
Often it takes a fresh or outside perspective to point these things out to you, and today I am that outside perspective. All you need to do is take a step back and observe your actions and routines objectively to be able to make some simple changes that could give you up to multiple hours of free time every week.
A personal analogy I am sure that you can relate to would be cleaning up of your room or house. Often things just accumulate for days or weeks before it gets too much and I decide to do a total clean-up and reorganization of my room. It’s the same with your routines, habits and actions in your daily life. Over time these routines and habits each consume a little bit of your time until you are left with days wondering how you can get anything done.
Pin-Point The Most Time-Consuming Actions
Most people have some sort of a daily or weekly routine. There are many actions, habits and chores that you do over and over again. Some of these actions take up a huge amount of time…time that could be better spent doing things you love.
Let’s do a little exercise to pin-point the actions that consume the most time. Why? So that you can make some changes to streamline your life and create many free hours of time every single week that you never had.
The Method To Analyze Your Actions:
- Get a pen and a notepad.
- Draw 14 columns (2 for each day of the week).
- For each day of the week, name one column as ‘necessary’ and another as ‘unnecessary’.
- Do some thinking and write down all your repetitive actions that you do on a daily or weekly basis but split them into ‘necessary’ and ‘unnecessary’ for each day. For example: sleeping and eating are necessary but watching TV is unnecessary.
Earlier, I mentioned the saying ‘Can’t see the forest for the trees’ with the above exercise in mind. Since all your actions and routines have grown over your life up to how they are today, there may be so many little and unnecessary things that you are doing but you are not able to see it. (You are unable to see the bigger picture because you are so caught up in the day-to-day actions and routines.)
Strategize For Efficiency
Now that you have pin-pointed the activities that make up most of your day, we are going to analyze them on a deeper level. Are things that you listed in the ‘necessary’ column really ‘necessary’ and how can you change them?
- Combine Errands
Do you make separate trips for work, groceries, gym and other activities? I used to do this a lot and for me a drive to and from town was 20 minutes every time. Sometimes I would drive 3 times a day for multiple errands…what an inefficient use of my time. Try to think how you can combine your errands. Can you reduce going to the grocery store from once a day to twice a week? - Simplify The Complicated
Do you sit in traffic for a few hours every day? It may be worth considering moving closer to your work. Do you have a mailbox/dentist/doctor that is far away from you? Possibly get one that is closer to you. Do you have a garden that takes loads of time to maintain? Consider automating the sprinklers or replacing all those little flowerbeds with lawn.
Spend some time to determine if anything in your life that is more complicated than it could be is worth keeping it that way. If not, change it. - Eliminate The Useless
Personally I used to do a lot of unnecessary activities that not only consumed a lot of my time, these activities also did not make my life any better or give me any benefits. I am talking about things like Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, checking for email every hour and looking at my website statistics to see how many visitors I had on that day.
For example, checking email and website analytics once a day saved me over an hour a week. I then deleted all my social networking profiles except for Facebook and Twitter, which I only use now to promote my blog and network with people I really want to be in touch with. No more idling on Facebook and reading what other (mostly unknown) people are up to. Above all, this time that I used to waste on social network sites has taught me nothing and has given me very little in return. The change of eliminating them has saved me a few hours every week that I can now use to do things I really enjoy or work on my business ideas.
As with any new changes that you implement it is always a good idea to test them out for 30 days to see if there really is a benefit. I have read that it takes 21 days for a habit to take effect, which is why I mention a 30 day period of testing anything new.
You may find that your life is pretty optimal and you can only save an hour or less every week using the steps I outlined in the article. However, most people (my former self included) will be able to free up hours of their week that they can use to do something they love or work on something they are passionate about.
 | Written on 4/29/2009 by Diggy. Diggy writes all about self improvement at his blog UpgradeReality. If you enjoyed this post you can subscribe to his RSS Feed and never miss a new UpgradeReality post. |
The Hard Truths About Building Your Own Success
Posted by SoMeOnE at 8:39 AM Labels: Career, Entrepreneur, Success
Have you noticed that society often looks at successful people in hopes of somehow copying their magic formula? I know I have done this and fallen into the trap - the trap of thinking, praying even, that there is one magic solution for success and that it can be replicated by anyone with enough sheer will and desire. Clearly this is not true.
I don't want to miscommunicate here; of course it makes sense to learn lessons from people who have achieved the goals we want. They did something right and some of their ingredients may indeed work in your success recipe too. As Tony Robbins says: "Success leaves clues".
Clues however are not the entire story and as mentioned above, this is your success plan. Realizing this and taking full responsibility for yourself makes a huge difference. Look at you, your desires, your abilities, and with that, your chances of actually being successful increase substantially.
Here are some key realizations that I believe you should consider along your path to success. Take one, or a few, and if they are counter to your current beliefs debate yourself on how this view impacts your plan.
By seeing through some of the illusions bandied around about success we can get clear on what we need to do and see the wood for the trees. Things become much easier once we take responsibility for our own success.
Sometimes we have a warped way of looking at success as a magic formula to be cracked. Life in this ‘post magic formula cracking’ world is easy, abundant, problem free, but completely illusionary. The other point is that successful people have put the effort into achieving their success. Most of the time success hasn’t fallen into their lap. To achieve success in any area of life we need to put one foot in front of the other and move towards our goal.
Life is never solved. Recently, I have started working on a self employed basis as a mentor. I have wanted to be self employed for a very long time, particularly doing work I love like mentoring, and it is great to finally do that. However, I have realized that success often brings new sets of challenges that we might not have previously thought about! I am acutely aware of being grateful for where I now am, but also aware now that I am here that there is no magical place to get to! Doing what you love everyday is great but it is not problem free.
While the end result may be a great new product, website, or service, it's the process of developing that idea that often builds your character and provides the most learning opportunities. Look back on something significant you have achieved. Now look at the lessons you learned along the way. Would you really swap them so you could have fast forwarded to the result? However difficult things may be it has made us who we are today.
As society speeds up and we have more gadgets and technology to make life easier, we are getting used to quick fixes. If we don’t achieve something quickly we think it’s not worth achieving or that it is taking too long. Life isn’t a race. We don’t get a badge for the speed at which we travel through life. I sometimes find myself falling into that trap with my blog - thinking it should be more developed or have more subscribers. When I catch myself thinking like this, I try and take a step back and remind myself about what I enjoy about what I am doing and that building anything worthwhile takes time.
Following on from my last point, there is no ‘quick fix’. Anything worthwhile does take time. We need to learn to develop the skills of being persistent and keeping the bigger picture in mind. I think this is why people sometimes say that personal development books don’t work. What they are forgetting is that the missing link is hard work. Reading a book or going to a seminar alone will not change our life. Knowledge, taking action, inserting inspiration, hard work and patience is what will make the difference.
It is for us alone to find our passion. No one can teach us their passion. Others can help us find our passion and can also share their experiences in a way that can help us find our own but our passion is fundamentally different for each of us. Our passion is a unique cocktail of our own inner whisperings, life experiences and individual skills and talents. It is our job to try new experiences in order to hunt our passion(s) down. For example, I didn’t realize I had a passion for blogging till I stumbled across the blogosphere last year whilst setting up my website for my coaching services.
By all means, enlist the help of good mentors and learn from others who are further along a similar path. But, remember that we all have a unique path and it is our job to work out how to bring that to the fore. Sometimes the reason we look to others for the answer to ‘success’ is because we don’t trust ourselves. We don’t trust ourselves to do our own thing, to take a risk and to shine. We need to learn to trust ourselves. Start today, listen to what your intuition is saying and start doing what feels right for you. 
Written on 4/28/2010 by Jennifer Smith. Jen is a Life Coach and Personal Development blogger who can be found at Reach Our Dreams. You can connect with Jen on Twitter @reachourdreams or if you liked this article then why not subscribe to her RSS Feed?
How to Deal With Annoying People
Posted by SoMeOnE at 11:09 PM Labels: Communicating, How To, Workplace
We’re both familiar with irritating, frustrating and annoying people. Learning how to deal with them is an art-form, because what works for me, may not work for you.
There are a lot of facets that come into play when someone is annoying you. Are they bothering you, because you genuinely don’t think they ‘vibe’ with you? Or, is the universe sending someone to show you what you have to work on?
If you only take one thing away from this article, let it be this: honesty always works. The longer you try to be nice to someone, the more you’re making other people believe that you actually enjoying hanging out with them.
There’s no need to be unnecessarily blunt about it, but if someone becomes too pushy, you have to be honest about what’s going on and let them know. It sucks, but if you value your time, it has to be done, and it doesn’t have to be done in a harsh manner.
Sometimes things aren’t what they seem, and most important of all, often the person you’re annoyed by is there to show you where you need to focus internally.
Ignoring has to be one of the most common strategies you see people use. It can work well, but if the person is persistent, you can’t ignore them for long.
Dealing with annoying people is always easier the more comfortable you are in your skin. If someone is bothering you, the best way to stop it is to tell the person, which I will talk about in a second.
The first response we have is to be nice towards everyone. Being negative in any way is frowned upon, but what most forget is that telling the truth is more important than being nice. You have to respect yourself.
Telling the truth doesn’t mean being rude or obnoxious in any way. You have to find your own groove, but chances are that you have to tell people what you think if you’ve got a small crowd bothering you all the time.
If nothing else works, tell the person exactly what you feel. Again, being overly harsh is unnecessary. Just telling someone that you don’t want to hang out with them right now is not the end of the world.
This takes some courage, but in the end, it is the most honest and simple way to deal with the situation. Luckily, most people don’t need to be told, because they are smart enough to pick up subtle hints that you aren’t interested.
Think about when you were last bothering someone; did they tell you to go away in a particularly effective and nice way?
The way I often learn new things is by flipping the roles. If I want to learn how to tell people to go away, I look inside and think about if I’ve ever been in a position where someone else wanted me to go away, especially if it worked.
Learning how to deal with annoying people is uncomfortable, because if you care about others, you want to be nice. It’s your first instinct, and that’s cool, but it doesn’t always work.
When it becomes a problem is if you’re giving your time away to someone you don’t want to. Sometimes it takes more than being nice to resolve a problem in your life.
The next time you’re in a situation like this, think about your options and the consequences they have.
Written on 4/26/2010 by Henri Junttila. Henri is addicted to living a free and passionate life. He runs the Wake Up Cloud, where he shows you how you can learn how to find your passion and live consciously.
Are you driven in life? Do you love to excel? I believe all of us do. We are born to be the best we can be and to make the best out of our lives.
When I was in high school, I wasn't exactly the kind of student teachers would like. I was truant, didn't do my homework and did badly on my examinations. I was lazy and unmotivated in school. However, after a while I realized that this wasn't who I wanted to be. This wasn't the life I saw myself leading. People around me were judging and negative, and I had enough of all of that crap. I had enough of being discriminated against and I decided to turn everything around from then on.
So when I entered University, I began to get my act together. For the 3 years I was in Business School, I was on the Dean's List (an honor roll for the top students in the faculty). I eventually graduated as the top student in my specialization of marketing and was awarded with accolades for being the most outstanding student. When I started working, I entered one of the top companies for marketers, a Fortune 100 company, and led my business portfolios to record breaking results in the few years I worked there.
Then 2 years ago, I left my regular job to pursue my true passion in personal development. I started The Personal Excellence Blog where I share my best advice and help others achieve personal excellence and live their best lives. It has quickly established itself as a trusted and coming-to-age personal development blog, having 3-4k readers a day and being featured by prominent media, including CNN.com.
After years of striving for personal excellence, working with top people in their fields and observing top people in their fields, I realized that there are universal habits that enable people to achieve excellence. As Aristotle would put it, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.”.
These habits aren't "ingrained", or "genetic"; they are habits that anyone like you and me can cultivate. Just like Stephen Covey's 7 habits
Closing
This is the same habit as Stephen Covey's 1st habit, and with good reason. Everything starts with the end - the goal or the vision you want to fulfill. If you don't know what the end is, then there's no way of getting there, is there? Imagine getting into a cab. What do you first do when you get into the cab? Maybe you say hi to the taxi driver, then what? You tell the driver where you want to go, so that he can take you there. Similarly, you need to know what is the end you want to reach in order to get there.
Hence, it's critical that you form clear goals of what exactly you want. What do you want? What is the end you envision? What are your personal goals and dreams for yourself? Personally, I have a vision board beside my bed where I have my dreams plastered over it. These dreams include developing The Personal Excellence Blog into one of the top personal development blogs, running my international personal excellence school, speaking to tens and thousands of people in seminars, achieving world peace, finding my soul mate, hitting the best seller's list with my books, and so on. These dreams remind me of what exactly I want and drive me forward every day.
When you do something you love, it's like you have unlimited fuel that keeps you going- day after day. The hunger to excel in it is just greater than if you do anything else. Every day, I'm endlessly driven to build and write at my blog, because it's for a cause I believe in. Helping people grow and live their best life is the one thing I know I want to be doing for the rest of my life.
I have a coaching client who has tried to start 4-5 different ventures before (one at a time), and he was never able to succeed in any of them. Why was this the case? It wasn't that he was stupid, or that he was lazy. Ultimately, the reason was because he wasn't passionate about the things he was pursuing - he was just chasing money. The nature of the business didn't appeal to him emotionally. This is not to say starting businesses because you want to earn money is bad - all I'm saying is it's important that you love what you want to do first and foremost.
What is it you love to do? If you are not sure what your passion is yet, then what is something you are most eager to try at the moment? If you can choose to do anything, what will it be? Your love and interest are fuels that will drive you towards excellence.
I don't know of anyone who has achieved excellent results who hasn't worked hard for them. A big component of excellence is hard work. Sheer, unadulterated hard work. We can streamline processes, choose effective strategies and steps, but ultimately the hard work will still have to come in. Fortunately, if you are doing what you love (step #2), work wouldn't even be work at all.
In the past year since I set up The Personal Excellence Blog, I have spent countless hours, including weekends, building up the blog and writing high quality articles for readers out there. All these have paid off in their own way. I'm not saying you should abandon all social life because that defeats the purpose, but you will have to dedicate yourself to making your business a success. This year in 2010, I intend to increase my efforts even more compared to 2009, and I know it's going to pay off.
Every moment counts. Excellent people know that time is highly valuable. There's this quote by Donald Trump which I read in one of his books, and I absolutely love it. He said that time is more precious than money, because you can earn back money, but you can't get back time. That is absolutely true.
Hence, I'm always making sure that I'm maximizing every moment. If I'm commuting over a distance, I'll pick up a book or listen to a podcast. If I'm out waiting for a friend, I'll take the chance to do something meaningful for the time being. If there are some pockets of time, I'll take out my laptop and do some work.
Note that this habit doesn't mean working like a hog, 24x7. That wouldn't be a true application of this habit. Making use of every moment also refers to knowing when to rest and rejuvenate when it's needed, because this will help us walk the longer mile on the path of excellence.
Living a life of excellence means being a proponent of action. Many people often say "The sky is the limit". My personal philosophy is the sky isn't the limit; we are the limit. Whatever we do or don't do will determine how much we can grow or achieve. If we want to grow and achieve great results, we need to take the equivalent actions to reach the results we want.
For example, many people agree that having press and media feature their business can greatly benefit them, but they believe it only happens when you are prominent enough. While that's usually true, I refuse to let that stop me. I took proactive steps to reach out to the press, writing my own press release and creating a strong story angle so the press would want to feature me. To date, I've been featured in the press for almost 20 times. To read more about how to be featured by the press, you can check out my guest post at Problogger: How To Get Featured By the Press (Repeatedly) Even If Your Blog is New.
Learning never stops. There is always something we can do to become better. We may have great skills and knowledge today, but no matter how great they may be, our skills need to be continuously developed. Excellent people are always learning, reading, exposing themselves to new knowledge, new people, new contexts and developing their skills. If you have played role-playing games or RPGs before, you would know that the characters need to be leveled up to get stronger and progress to the next level. Likewise, we need to always be leveling ourselves up to achieve excellence.
No matter how much we try to improve, we will have blind spots. Blind spots are things about ourselves that we don't know about, and we can't improve on things that we are blind to. Asking for feedback is one of the fastest and most effective ways to improve.
For everything I do, I make it a point to gather feedback. For example, when I was in my previous job, I would often ask my manager and peers for feedback on how I could improve. With my friends, sometimes I would have a random feedback session with them on how I can do things better. As I run The Personal Excellence Blog, I would invite my readers to send in their feedback, either through comments, emails or private messages. Sometimes the feedback is predictable, sometimes it's not and many times it leads to an epiphany on some level.
... Wait, you didn't think that there would just be 7 habits in achieving excellence, did you?
There's 1 final habit to become a highly excellent person - that is, to strive for #1 in what you do. No one's going to achieve excellence if they aim for average, or mediocrity. Excellence comes from aiming for the top - being #1. This #1 should be better than whoever is #1 at the moment, because it will spur you on to work even harder. You will only achieve great results when you set high standards for yourself.
For example, I aim for The Personal Excellence Blog to be the top personal development blog, both in terms of the quality of content and traffic. Whenever I write my articles, I make sure I'm giving the best value that can ever be offered in that topic. Because of this, readers recognize the value of my articles and have spread the word to their friends and family. This has helped the blog to grow quickly and establish itself as a trusted and coming-of-age blog in personal excellence.
These habits have helped me to achieve excellence in my life, and as long as all of us practice them, we will achieve excellent results. Feel free to share your comments - I'll love to hear what you have to say. If you have any questions, I'll love to answer them where possible too. I don't claim to have the answers, but I'll most certainly offer my perspective and help where I can.
Written on 4/24/2010 by Celestine Chua. Celes writes at The Personal Excellence Blog, where she shares her best advice on achieving personal excellence. Her blog is read by thousands a day and has been featured by CNN, Today, and other prominent media. Get her RSS feed here and add her on Twitter @celestinechua.
Take it from a New Yorker who knows: there are few things in life as frustrating, infuriating, terrifying, maddening, nerve-wracking, and capricious as renting an apartment. I lived in seven different places in New York City over the span of five years, and after touring countless moldy studios the size of storage closets, apartments where the bathtub was located in the kitchen, and spaces where the smell of cat urine practically made me pass out, I can safely say that I’ve seen just about all there is to see—save, perhaps, a chalk outline on the kitchen floor.
Some of the places I lived were good choices, others not so much. But if there’s any upside to living in an apartment where your neighbors play salsa music until 2 a.m., it’s knowing that you won’t make the same mistake twice. While features like natural light, closet space, and distance from public transportation are all important, there are other, less obvious things to consider. City dwellers, recent college grads, and apartment hunters of all kinds, take note: when you’re searching for your next home, here’s what to look for to ensure that the next twelve months of your life are pleasant ones.
It’s not just about safety—if the street is lined with bars or restaurants, you could be in for some noisy evenings. If there’s a school across the street, expect raucous crowds of kids in the mornings or afternoons. If there’s construction nearby, be prepared for noise, dust, traffic problems, and possibly pests. See what kinds of businesses populate the area, and decide whether you want to associate with their customers. Take it from me: apartment upstairs from Italian restaurant = good; apartment next to off-track-betting parlor = bad.
Examining small details can tell you a lot about how the apartment has been maintained over the years. Are the floors warped, stained, or scuffed? Do the kitchen drawers glide properly? Are the cabinets and counter-tops plumb? Do all the doors shut and latch, or are they misaligned? Are the window frames new, or are they old and leaky? If the apartment has carpet, does it look like it hasn’t been cleaned in years? Especially in older buildings, these are subtle clues that indicate the apartment hasn’t been properly maintained or repaired over time.
Turn on all the faucets—they should provide warm water right away and have good water pressure, and the drains shouldn’t clog. Check the light switches and light fixtures—you shouldn’t hear fizzing or popping, which could indicate faulty wiring. Are there enough electrical outlets? Where in the rooms are they located? One per room is not enough for a technology addict, and could necessitate extension cords, in turn causing fire hazards. Are the outlets grounded? (In many old buildings, they’re not.) Check to see whether the apartment has a fuse box or a circuit breaker, and find out what kinds of lightbulbs the fixtures use, making sure you won’t be stuck buying expensive specialty bulbs.
Appliances such as refrigerators, heaters, ovens, and dishwashers are usually provided and serviced by the landlord, so turn them on and make sure they function well. If they seem old and/or beat up, don’t be afraid to inquire about a possible replacement. Make sure to note what kind of heat the apartment uses; is there a radiator, an electric wall unit, or a gas heater? Steam heat is usually free, but unreliable. On the other hand, gas heat is expensive, but usually controllable via a thermostat. If you’re responsible for paying your own heating bill, find out how much you’ll be spending each month, and watch out for drafty windows and doors that could waste money.
Look inside cabinets and drawers; are there mouse droppings or roach dust? Look under sinks; are there gaps in the wall around the pipes where bugs could crawl through? Is there a gap between the floor and the walls of the apartment for bugs to crawl in? In the common areas of the building, are there obvious rodent or insect traps? Any signs of pest infestation—ants, moths, rats, mice, or roaches—should give a renter serious pause. This includes seeing actual dead roaches in the kitchen sink. (Trust me on this.)
Try to see the apartment in the evening, when neighbors are more likely to be home. Can you hear their televisions or appliances through the walls? If you can’t meet any neighbors, ask about them. Do they have pets? Do they have small children or infants? Consider how you’ll fit in with the current group of tenants; if you like quiet, a building composed mainly of college students could prove too noisy. If you like entertaining or playing music, a building of families or other quiet types would also be a bad match.
The person showing the apartment is likely to be a broker, leasing agent, or the superintendant, meaning that person has a relationship with the landlord. How does the landlord handle service requests? Is there a superintendent on-site, or will you have to wait for repairs? Is there regular exterminator service, or are tenants expected to monitor their own homes? Is the apartment managed by an out-of-town owner, a large real-estate conglomeration, or a private family? While management companies may be more hands-off with their tenants’ day-to-day habits, small landlords are usually quicker to respond to repair calls and more receptive to negotiation. If you have a smart phone or time at home before submitting an application, try googling the landlord’s name. It’s possible that his or her other tenants will have expressed opinions on message boards or review sites like Yelp.
It’s common for the landlord to paint or make minor repairs between tenants. Sometimes you can even request specific things, like replacements for old linoleum or additional deadbolts for the door. Be sure to know exactly what improvements—if any—the landlord plans to make, and incorporate that agreement into your lease.
Now for the bad news
It’s highly unlikely that you’ll find an apartment that fits all these criteria and your budget. Know what’s most important to you, and make sure those needs are met. Perhaps you can put up with noisy neighbors as long as the apartment is bug-free and has a gas stove. Perhaps you’re an infrequent cook who doesn’t mind worn-out appliances as long as you have plenty of grounded electrical outlets. Finding an acceptable rental property is always a compromise, but as long as you know what qualities are non-negotiable for you, you can dismiss sub-par candidates right away. There will always be other apartments for you to choose from, and there will always be someone even more desperate just waiting to scoop up the one you just rejected.
Written on 4/23/2010 by DivineCaroline. DivineCaroline a place where people come together to learn from experts in the fields of health, spending, and parenting. Come discover, read, learn, laugh, and connect at DivineCaroline.com.
How Procrastination Can Make You More Productive
Posted by SoMeOnE at 6:14 AM Labels: Procrastination, Productivity
Some mornings, I can't wait to get to work. I jump out of bed, my mind already mulling over the various projects I want to complete. I pour myself some cereal and gulp it down in my home office while waiting for the computer to boot up.
Today is not one of those days. Outside, the sun is shining, birds are chirping and the dogwood tree is getting ready to bloom. Yet even with the windows open, my home office feels like a prison.
Call it spring fever. Call it burnout. Whatever you call it, one thing is clear: I do not want to work today.
My Revelation About Procrastination
I was feeling this way a few weeks ago, too. Despite my lengthy to-do list, I really just wanted to lay in the grass and finish reading "Switch," the latest book by Chip and Dan Heath.
Instead, I forced myself to sit at the computer and get some work done. But I kept getting distracted. I'd pull up the internet to do some research and wind up on Twitter instead – or I'd open my email to respond to a client, only to get called away by an email.
I spent several hours bogged down by one distraction after another, and finished the day with no work accomplished. Then it dawned on me: I wasn't procrastinating from work. I was procrastinating from reading. I was totally ignoring the side of me that wanted to read for an hour or two, and I was punishing myself by wasting the entire day.
It's as if one side of me said, "Not going to pay attention to my needs, huh? Well, I'm not going to let you get any work done. So there."
My brain can be tricky that way.
The Real Reason You Aren't Getting Stuff Done
We've all read productivity tips such as, "Check your email once a day" and "Unplug the internet so you aren't tempted to surf." But these suggestions are no match for an unacknowledged urge stewing in your subconscious.
If you really don't want to work, it won't matter if your internet is unplugged. You'll find other ways to procrastinate.
The same forces are at work when you forget to attend an appointment you've been dreading, or binge on cookies before you can reach for the celery. Sometimes, you just can't shut out those competing urges.
The Solution: Procrastinate More
Once I realized what I was doing, I shut off the computer and headed outside to read. I spent a lovely couple of hours that way, and later I had an easy time getting back to work -- real work, not just goofing off at my desk.
You can become more productive by paying attention to competing urges. Ask yourself:
If your urge to procrastinate stems from anxiety or avoidance, the best solution may be to simply get to work. But if you're feeling truly burnt out or in need of a creative boost, you may be best served by taking a day of play. Cancel your appointments and head to the park, or spend the afternoon in a hammock sipping lemonade. You may not pare down your to-do list, but you'll feel much better about work in the morning. Over time, you may even get more done.
Written on 4/22/2010 by Kelly Watson. Kelly is a web copywriter and online marketing consultant who blogs about being a one-woman marketing team at OneWomanMarketing.com.
From the Greats: 6 Tactics to Increase your Class and Charm
Posted by SoMeOnE at 12:31 PM Labels: Communicating, Lifehacks, Relationships
Learning lessons from those who came before us drives human progress in medicine, science, art and politics. Why should this be any different for class and charm?
Today there is a resurgence of discussion about classiness; women are looking for more than baggy pants, backward caps and too much hair gel. Why be a mess, when you can channel your inner legend by looking to the stars of yesterday for inspiration? These men left an impression in the hearts and minds of people across the globe, and their classic traits still ring true half a century(or more) later.
Let's take a glance back at six of the great characters from a golden era of charisma.
Elvis's signature leg shake came to represent a fundamental attitude of self-confidence and showmanship that few others can claim. Ironically enough, it's said that this habit first started largely from his nervousness of playing in front of large crowds. After seeing the crowd's reaction, Elvis parlayed this nervous tick into a trademark of swagger that drove the ladies wild.
Elvis brought a kind of raw energy to his performances that was undeniably captivating. Every man can learn a lot from Elvis's energy, attitude and showmanship that brought him his amazing fame.
As a leader of the Rat Pack, Dean Martin was about as cool and classy as they came. He was an enormously successful actor, comedian and singer. However, it wasn't always that way. Martin seemed destined to remain just another nightclub singer/comedian until he teamed up with comic Jerry Lewis. Together, the two comic duo, "Martin and Lewis" gained a radio series on NBC that let Martin move from New York to LA, where he would shortly break into the world of film. Later in his career, Martin would team up with Frank Sinatra and others to form The Rat Pack.
By himself, Dean Martin may only have been a blip on the radar of American pop culture, instead of the classy icon he is known as today. Identifying and teaming up with other classy individuals is the way to go.
As the first African American man to play openly in the MLB, Jackie Robinson knew what it was like to face opposition. He was instrumental in bringing an end to racial segregation in professional baseball. Jackie Robinson actively pursued segregation issues off the field as well, and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal for his efforts.
Standing up for what's right not only shows strength of character, but also sets an example for others.
The life of the French Film Producer/Director, actor, tennis champ, water skiing pioneer and all-around playboy has always been shrouded in a certain 'je ne sais quoi.' D'Azur's lavish annual parties at the Festival de Cannes contrasted sharply with occasional bouts of reclusiveness. His alleged three year stay with the Yamamena tribe of Venezuela is one such example.
While it is important to show a good face in public, one should also know when to step out of the spotlight. Maintaining a degree of mystique is an essential component of charm.
Regardless of whether he's battling with international crime lords or preparing a cocktail, 007 is never afraid to shake things up. This MI6 agent manages to never loose his cool, partly thanks to some fancy gadgetry. Outfitted with a tricked-out Aston Martin, rocket-powered belt, and laser beam Rolex, any average Joe can look like a super hero.
While you may not have Agent Q to stock you up with the latest spy gear, having the classiest accessories and gadgets around can help you look and feel like a certain international man of mystery.
A young man from a wealthy and powerful family like the Kennedys could have easily avoided risking his life in the military during the second World War. In Fact, JFK volunteered for the U.S. Army, but was refused admission due to a back condition. Kennedy was eventually admitted to the Navy, where he would go on to earned the Navy and Marine Corps Medal while saving an injured sailor from drowning.
Going above and beyond the call of duty is truly a mark of class and charm, and is very rarely overlooked.
Written on 4/21/2010 by Brian Remmel. Brian writes about new technologies and the 'social economy' for Bubblicious. By day, he is a New Media Specialist at Futureworks, an award-winning social and digital media agency.
The Golden Rules of Great Leadership
Posted by SoMeOnE at 10:29 PM Labels: Business, Leadership, Relationships
A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves. ~Lao Tzu
Leadership isn’t just for CEOs, coaches and managers. Throughout your life, your ability to perform as a leader can make all the difference between an experience of success and ease, and a feeling of frustration and powerlessness.
Many of you are true leaders without knowing it! If you’re a parent, then you’re a leader. If you’re married, you’re a leader. If you have to teach a class or manage a family budget, you’re a leader.
Thousands of Books
have been written about leadership and management. Companies spend millions training their leadership teams, and rightly so – leadership in specific areas can be a skillful and demanding role. But, as with everything else in life, the key to it all is very simple. The golden rules of leadership can be expressed in many ways, and here are some of them and no, this is not an inclusive list - simply a handful of what I view as the most important.
- They are good role models
Great leaders lead by example. They don’t ask other people to do something they wouldn’t be prepared to do themselves. They model the kind of behavior they want to see in other people – risk taking, proactivity, self-reflection, honesty. - They empathize
A good leader will put herself in the other person’s shoes. She understands that nobody is trying to do a bad job, that everyone is doing what they think best. It might not be what the leader herself thinks is best, of course, but this recognition that there are other perspectives and a genuine willingness to understand another point of view sets good leaders apart. - They are flexible
There are usually many different ways to get a job done well, and a good leader will recognize this. He will seek the views of others and change his own ideas accordingly. A great leader is always learning from others, always adapting and ready to try something new. - They embrace contrast
Everyone is different, and a good leader will use this diversity to his advantage. Contrast and diversity leads to innovation. A poor leader will try to impose uniformity, but a good leader will encourage new kinds of thinking, originally and fresh perspectives. - They communicate
A good leaders doesn’t expect people to read her mind, and she knows that good communication is very difficult. It requires a lot of care and a lot of patience. She will spend time and energy trying to communicate in a genuine way. Meetings and conversations will be interactive and not just on person lecturing another. She will genuinely be open to what is said and will look under the surface to see what other people are really trying to say. - They give praise
There is always good stuff happening, and even when he has to make a criticism, the good leader will find something good to say first. He will always focus on the success, the good qualities, the things going right. He is positive and knows that the future is bright. - They trust people
I’m sure we’ve all worked with bosses who (sometimes literally) peer over your shoulder to see what you’re doing. A good boss will be clear about expectations and then let you get on with the job, giving support and encouragement when necessary. - They empower others
We all need to feel that we are able to make a difference, and a good leader recognizes this. She will not hold on too tightly, but will give away power, distributing it to others and so enabling individuals to learn and grow as they add value to the situation. - They have a light touch
Holding on too tight, being inflexible – these are sure ways to failure. A poor leader will try to control everything, but a great leader will know when to act and whan to leave well alone. Lao Tzu wrote, ‘Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish - too much handling will spoil it.’
 | Written on 4/20/2010 by Mark Harrison. Mark Harrison writes about personal growth, communication, and increasing personal wealth. Check out his new book, Thirty Days to Change Your Life. |
6 Ways To Become Productive on Facebook
Posted by SoMeOnE at 4:39 AM Labels: Productivity, Technology
I know, I know, Facebook and productivity are words that don't belong in the same sentence. I mean in many ways, these words are antonyms, just like night and day.
Well, I'd contend that it depends on your perception of the tool. Yes, it is a social network that's supposed to be used primarily for fun and staying in touch. But, there's a lot more to Facebook than just commenting on your friend's status. It's an information heaven. And unless you know how to use it productively, it is, as some call it, a waste of time.
This article attempts to introduce you to some practical Facebook productivity tips that you should be implementing when you are on this network. No, it doesn't lessen the fun; it actually adds to it. Check them out and share your opinion in the comments.
Set aside time
Here's the first tip - set aside time everyday for Facebook (if you visit it everyday that is). It could be multiple time intervals of, let's say, 15 or 20 mins or just one stretch of an hour or two. But set aside time and stick to that schedule. Sounds silly? Well, you have no idea how much time you end up spending on Facebook each day. This is the first step towards becoming productive with this site. Know how much time you spend there!
One more thing I'd recommend is using a timer to track the time when you are on Facebook. You should do it initially for a few days at least. Later, once you get used to the fixed time thing, you might not need the timer any more.
Create friend lists
You'd agree that there's a trend of randomly adding friends on Facebook, whether you know the person or not. You see a friend request, glance at the profile for a second or two and then add the person. I do it too and that's how I've got a huge list of Facebook friends. It's bigger than I can manage. But thanks to friend lists, I can filter information easily.
Creating friend lists in Facebook is a way to keep track of close friends and give priority to their updates. Here's an article that tells you how to create a friend list in Facebook chat. It helps you selectively appear offline to a group of people. You could also create friend lists by going to "Friends" on the left column in your home page and then clicking "Create List" tab on the top.
Master the privacy settings
I'd say it is very important to be aware of the various privacy settings in Facebook and how to set them according to your preferences. It could save you a lot of time and hassle in the long run. I know people who've spent days regretting joining Facebook because of things, they didn't know could happen, happened. And most of the time, it is because they were unaware of Facebook's privacy settings.
Here's a detailed article that talks about some important privacy settings in Facebook. It's an old article but it'll give you the picture. You could also explore by going to Account->Privacy Settings and see what are the options you have there.
Remove Annoying Apps
Most of us end up adding a lot of unnecessary applications to our Facebook account. And we keep getting those updates and notifications that increase clutter in the profile and news feed. Plus, there have been security issues with some apps in the past.
Removing the apps you hardly use is recommended. It'll clean up your profile too. Although Facebook doesn't make the process obvious, you can follow this step by step guide to remove the Facebook apps you don't need.
Filter Your News Feed
Filtering Facebook's news feed lets you segment information and see what matters first. Friend lists can help you filter information related to them. You could also check out the options in the left column to quickly skim through status updates, photos, events etc.
Use an email update tool like NutShellMail
By default, Facebook delivers email updates about your account to your inbox. And if you are very active Facebook user, it could mean a huge number of emails everyday.
The best way to go about it is turning off all the email updates (except for one or two important ones) and using a tool like NutShellMail that sends consolidated account email updates. I personally use this tool and have found it very useful. Even if I don't visit Facebook on certain days, it keeps me informed. And all that in a single email.Written on 4/19/2010 by Abhijeet Mukherjee. Abhijeet is a blogger and web publisher from India. He loves all things tech as long as it aids in productivity. He edits Guiding Tech, a blog that publishes useful guides, tutorials and tools. Check it out and subscribe to its feed if you like the site. You can also find him on Twitter.
The 5 Extraordinary Benefits of Martial Arts
Posted by SoMeOnE at 3:09 AM Labels: Brain, Fear, Health, Stress
While I am no martial arts expert, I enjoy training and taking advantage of the benefits they deliver. I like to train just to train. I find martial arts fascinating and enjoy the camaraderie. The bad news is that martial arts are often misunderstood.
For me, it’s about discipline, meeting awesome people, training your mind and strengthening your body. This all will vary greatly depending on what art you choose. It’s incredibly easy to start, and there are so many different arts to choose from, you’d be crazy not to at least try and see how it feels.
What stops most people is intimidation. If you’re like me, you will be afraid in the beginning, but once you get past that first hump, you’ll be glad you did. When I took my first martial arts class, I went alone and I was a bit afraid. I was 16 at the time and had no idea what I was doing. In hindsight, it was one of the best things I’ve ever done, even though I ended up quitting six months later because of an injury. A few years later I picked it up again and here I am.
Here are some of the benefits that I've realized:
There are many different martial arts you can choose from, so it doesn’t have to be all-out fighting if you aren’t into that. Usually you will get one-free pass to see how a class is. Take advantage of that and try everything you can find!
Every martial art will increase your coordination. Some more, and some less. Karate may not improve your coordination as much as Capoeira, but they both make you stronger and flexible in their own way.
What’s important is that you pick something where you enjoy the trainer, the people and the art itself; otherwise you’ll end up quitting.
You’d be amazed at how friendly the people are. This also depends on where and what you train. The more aggressive arts will obviously attract a different group than something softer.
As you try different arts, you’ll quickly see if it’s right for you. I personally love practical arts, which means I can use it in real life. Luckily, I’ve never needed to do that, because I’m a pretty friendly and easy-going guy.
A martial art with a good teacher can transform the way you think. You may go in with one mindset and come out a completely different person. Now, I’m not saying this will happen instantly, but definitely over time.
Many martial arts are considered “dangerous”, so many kids are told to stay away from them. It isn’t the art itself that is dangerous, but how it is taught. Always look at what values the teacher has. Is he humble and friendly? Or does he use a more “old-school” way of teaching?
Use common sense to pick a good teacher. Listen to your intuition. If there’s any common trait I’ve observed in good teachers, it’s humbleness, and this has definitely rubbed off on me.
You will go through periods where you absolutely do not feel like going to class. It will feel tough and nothing seems to work when you do train.
Discipline is a cornerstone in all of the old arts, and something that is required in whatever you do. If you can make it past the six month mark, you will be ahead of the large majority of people.
One of the biggest benefits I’ve noticed from martial arts is the psychological part. When you start out, you’ll probably be scared of putting your heart into what you’re doing.
We aren’t used to attacking and defending. It’s a whole new playing field, and it opens up your mind. Once you allow yourself to get in the zone and improvise, something in your reality changes.
When this happened to me, my performance (if you can call it that) doubled and everything I did flowed. There are many benefits you can derive from martial arts. I’ve always been fascinated by the psychological improvements that I have experienced.Written on 4/16/2010 by Henri Junttila. Henri is addicted to living a free and passionate life. He runs the Wake Up Cloud, where he shows you how you can learn how to find your passion and live consciously.
7 Profound Lessons From 7 of our Historical Leaders
Posted by SoMeOnE at 2:32 AM Labels: Business, Entrepreneur, Goals, Leadership, Motivation
Leaders aren’t necessarily special. They don’t wear a halo and they certainly don’t glow in the dark. Leaders are just the individuals who are further along the path that you’re traveling. Because leaders have traveled the path successfully, they are able to provide insights into the journey so by absorbing the lessons they have learned, one would think that with application, your path may be simpler.
Today I want to take a look at seven amazing lessons from seven amazing leaders. These lessons are intended to give us insight into our journey, as well as provide us with some much needed motivation. As you will see, these seven leaders are from differing backgrounds, but their message is similar.
As a sidenote, there are hundreds of leaders out there so if your favorite isn't listed, add it in the comment section below this post. With that, let’s get right to it.
Thank you for reading and be sure to pass this article along!"Every artist was first an amateur." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
As the Scripture says, “Despise not the day of small beginnings...Although thy beginning be small, thy latter end shall greatly increase.” It’s important that we remember that Rome was not built in a day. There are no overnight successes.
Success happens over years, and only to those who are consistently consistent.
Every “somebody” was once a “nobody;” everyone starts “small,” but if you’re focused, and if you’re steady, one day, you will be “big.”"Just do what you do best."- Red Auerbach
Learn what you do best, and focus on that! If you wrote a book that only sold one copy after five years, then maybe writing’s not your "thing." Discover your true passion and dedicate your life to doing that task to the very best of your ability. That’s what success is. Success is not buying a Rolls Royce; success is doing the best with the talents that you’ve been given. It's playing the card you've been dealt to the very best of your ability."Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude."- Thomas Jefferson
I know its cliché but your attitude really does determine your altitude. Having a negative perspective is like walking through life with dark shades on; you don’t see as clearly and you miss opportunities that are right in front of you. In essence, you are your own worst enemy.
It’s critical that you keep a positive mental attitude, it’s critical that you believe in your possibilities. Frank Loyd Wright said, “The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.” So always believe that you will succeed."We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit."-Aristotle
Your life is a collection of your habits. If you succeed, it will be because over the course of your life you’ve collected habits that cause success. Your habits will take you further than your education. Robert Collier said, “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.”"Man, alone, has the power to transform his thoughts into physical reality; man, alone, can dream and make his dreams come true."-Napoleon Hill
What you constantly ponder you will eventually become. You must see where you want to be. The clear vision of your desire gives you the motivation to make it happen. This works positively or negatively. If you consistently think about gambling, you’ll eventually try it. If you consistently think about providing value, you will eventually provide it.
It all starts with the vision that you glorify in your mind."A goal properly set is halfway reached."-Abraham Lincoln
Are you working towards your goals? A person without a goal is like a car without an engine; it ain’t going nowhere. You must have a goal, and you must constantly work towards the achievement of that goal. You must constantly move in the direction of that goal. Conrad Hilton said “Success…seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.”“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”-Mark Twain
You only live once, you only get one bite at the apple, I suggest you go after your dreams. Helen Keller said life is either a daring adventure or nothing! So live the life you’ve always imagined, explore, follow your passion, and in the end, you will have no regrets.
Written on 4/15/2010 by Mr. Self Development who is a motivational author that offers a practical guide to success and wealth; support him by visiting his blog at mrselfdevelopment.com or by subscribing to his feed.
I am a member of a very special club. It’s a club that I’ve sometimes been embarrassed to be a part of, but at the moment, I’m quite proud to belong to.
I’ve been looking for a proper name for this club. Cast your vote or add an idea below:
* People of the Random Resume
* Knights of Les Resumes Incoherent
* Proud Owners of Resumes With Invisible Logic (otherwise and aptly known as POOR WILL).
I could go on with the names and in case you haven't guessed my issue, I've accomplished a lot during my career but my resume leaves people with a furrowed brow, if not a headache. There is no flow, there is no evidence of promotion.
I've never made career decisions strategically. I never took a job because of how it would look on my resume, or because of the next job it would prepare me for. Instead, I allowed myself to be led by my creative and intellectual appetite. I’ve moved from studying Shakespeare to writing books, from helping organizations navigate change to going to business school, from helping people giving their money away to coaching and writing.
I know lots of people like me, people who aren’t tying their careers to a company, an industry or even a function anymore. Instead, they are weaving careers with some combination of:
Is this wrong? I don't think so. Although, I know that a lot of these people feel bad of about the lack of order in their resumes the alternative is to stay stuck in unfulfilling, boring careers because they are afraid to take a creative leap out of their industry or function—afraid to end up with a work history that sounds incoherent or odd.
Those are the people that this message is for and here’s what I want them to know:
This approach of designing a career out of current passions and interests rather than a long-term strategy is not without some tradeoffs:
But, none of these things are the end-of-the-world outcomes that the little voice of fear in your head is chattering about. These are simply tradeoffs and you get to decide if the tradeoffs are worth it for you.
All of our professional paths have consistency and order. It’s just that sometimes that consistency and order is not obvious at the surface level. It’s happening one level below the surface, in what I call “the work underneath your work.”
This is the work you actually do underneath your title, job, role, or project. That work comes out of who you really are – your particular strengths and gifts.
For example, my friend Kalli has moved from HR to Marketing to teaching roles across a few different industries, but consistently, she has been solving tough, time-pressured operational problems with a very collaborative, consensus driven approach. That’s one of her particular gifts, and it shows up in every job she’s been in.
What have you really been doing in your work—in across your various past roles? Creating new ideas, building teams, negotiating relationships, problem solving, mediating, synthesizing, organizing, fire-extinguishing? Look at your work history through this lens and see what you discover.
Find some succinct language to describe what you really do – the work underneath your work – so that you can share it with prospective employers, current employers, and colleagues. Talk about it so that the people around you know the kinds of opportunities you are looking for and that you thrive in.
Look for opportunities to do the work underneath your work. Look for problems that need the particular kind of solutions you bring, gaps that your particular gifts can fill.
Industry expertise is decreasing in value. As information becomes democratized, what used to be hard to gain “industry expertise” is becoming much more accessible--through online sources, books, and live and virtual education.
In fact, industry expertise is just one more form of technical knowledge. As Daniel Pink argues in A Whole New Mind
Plus, as the pace of change accelerates, everyone is constantly learning their industry anew, whether they just entered it or have been working within it for a long time.
For those of us with seemingly incoherent resumes, and for those longing to go do some thing that won’t make obvious sense on their resume, this is all very, very good news. 
Written on 4/13/2010 by Tara Sophia Mohr . Tara s a writer and coach who blogs at Wise Living. You can receive her free unconventional goals guide, “Turning Goals Upside Down and Inside Out to Get What You Really Want” by clicking here.