Things You Need to Stop Wasting Time

 

Today I received a thank you email from my blog reader named Hope.  She said my blog helped motivate her through an arduous recovery process last year.  Although her entire story was both heartbreaking and inspiring, this one line made me pause and think:
It’s hard to think about a story like Hope’s and not ask yourself:  “What do I need to stop wasting time on?”
Here are some things to consider, that I’ve been examining in my own life:

1. Distractions that keep you from special moments with special people. – Pay attention to the little things, because when you really miss someone you miss the little things the most, like just laughing together.  Go for long walks.  Indulge in great conversations.  Count your mutual blessings.  Let go for a little while and just BE together.
2. Compulsive busyness. – Schedule time every day to not be busy.  Have dedicated downtime – clear points in the day to reflect, rest, and recharge.  Don’t fool yourself; you’re not so busy that you can’t afford a few minutes of sanity.
3. Negative thinking about your current situation. – Life is like a mirror; we get the best results when we smile.  So talk about your blessings more than you talk about your problems.  Just because you’re struggling doesn’t mean you’re failing.  Every great success requires some type of worthy struggle to get there.

Surround Yourself With People Who Challenge Your Thinking

Are you feeling uninspired and stuck? Perhaps it's the people around you. Here are five ways to get people to challenge and inspire you to success.

 

It's nice to have people around who support you and are of like mind. Agreeable people boost your confidence and allow a certain level of relaxation. Most of us develop a stable of people with whom we like to work. We know their styles, and they know ours. It's comfortable and expedient. It is easy to find a rhythm, and it works. Unfortunately, that level of comfort can stall the very learning and innovation that can expand your company and your career.

It's nice to have people agree, but you need healthy conflict and differing perspectives to dig out the truth from a group-think and ideation. If everyone in the group has a similar point of view, your work will suffer from confirmation bias, rarely breaking boundaries and creating often unnecessary failure.

Reasons You Should Set Big Goals

It’s the end of the year, and the beginning of a new one. So it’s very common for people to turn their attention to setting new goals, and plans to improve their life this time of year. Personally, I advocate the “continual goal setting” method, so that whenever an old goal is completed, we have already started a series of new ones. However, if you are using the start of the new year as a measuring point to kickstart your life or business and make life more fulfilling, that is fantastic, and you’ve come to the right place.In this article it’s my intention to make the case for “setting big goals”, and giving five specific reasons why setting big goals is worthwhile.

Most of us are familiar with the S.M.A.R.T. method of goal setting. S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym used to remind us that goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time bound. This method of goal setting is fantastic. I have used it many, many times to produce visible results in my life and business. I’m not suggesting that we should stop setting S.M.A.R.T. goals, I’m just going to make the case that life is really fun when, in addition to our S.M.A.R.T. goals we also throw in some “massive, huge, audacious, incredible” goals to go along with it.

Big goals are scary to many of us. They cut right to the “A” in the S.M.A.R.T. scheme, that is, we may think that we can’t attain them. We look at a big goal, and then we look back at ourselves, and where we are right now, and we think “what is the point of setting a goal like that, I can never attain it.”  The reality is that in many cases we don’t know what we are actually capable of achieving until we try.  We don’t know our limits until we actually test them.
As a result, massive, crazy, wild goals can make our life more enjoyable and fulfilling. Here is why:

Rising above the clouds

Circumstances changes people -- for the Better. Growths are developing basic qualities like intelligence personality and expand skill, effort, strategies and persistence — it makes them more challenging. They teach how to love hard things, persist, and master them at any given point. They don't need to be puffed. It's a life in which you fulfill your potential, you will automatically experience moment of blessed silence in your head and it's not just being happy all the time, a life of growth that is if you want to create real positive change in your life

There is perhaps no area of your life where self-discipline is more important than in the way you manage your time. Time management is a core discipline that largely determines the quality of your life. By exerting your self-discipline with regard to time, you can choose what to do first, what to do second, and what to do not at all. And you are always free to choose.
You require tremendous self-discipline to overcome the procrastination that holds most people back from success
you always need to pay attention to and spend time on what you most value, whether it is your family your health, your social or sports activities or your money and career. It is only by looking at how you spend your time that you, and everyone else, knows what is really important to you.

Just keep in mind that few things matters and looks for absolute development and adjustment in the conscious because being and having start a step away from them, and we are now referencing to 3 points that can help development and our steps to achievement

Ways You Should Never Describe Yourself

When other people use these words to describe your talents, it's OK. When you do it, you just sound like a pompous jerk and people will take it that you are just fool of yourself.

Picture this: You meet someone new. "What do you do?" he asks.
"I'm an architect," you say.
"Oh, really?" he answers. "Have you designed any buildings I've seen?"
"Maybe," you reply. "We did the new library at the university..."
"Oh wow," he says. "I've seen it. That's a beautiful building..."
And you're off. Maybe he's a potential client, maybe not... but either way you've made a great impression.
You sound awesome.
Now picture this: You meet someone new. "What do you do?" he asks.
"I'm a passionate, innovative, dynamic provider of architectural services who uses a collaborative approach to create and deliver outstanding customer experiences."
And he's off, never to be seen again... because you sound like a pompous ass -Pardon my french!
Do you--whether on your website, or more likely on social media accounts--describe yourself differently than you do in person?
Do you use hacky clichés and overblown superlatives and breathless adjectives?
Do you write things about yourself you would never have the nerve to actually say?
If so, it's time for a change.
Here are some words that are great when used by other people to describe you, but you should never use to describe yourself:
"Motivated."
Check out Chris Rock's response (not safe for work or the politically correct) to people who say they take care of their kids. Then substitute the word "motivated." Never take credit for things you are supposed to do--or be.
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Things to Stop Doing to Yourself Part 2

Here I am again with another segment of things you should stop doing to yourself. If you just started, click here for the part one of this write-up

1. Stop being jealous of others. – Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own.  Ask yourself this:  “What’s something I have that everyone wants?”
2. Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself. – Life’s curveballs are thrown for a reason – to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you.  You may not see or understand everything the moment it happens, and it may be tough.  But reflect back on those negative curveballs thrown at you in the past.  You’ll often see that eventually they led you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation.  So smile!  Let everyone know that today you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday, and you will be.
3. Stop holding grudges. – Don’t live your life with hate in your heart.  You will end up hurting yourself more than the people you hate.  Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.”  It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to me ruin my happiness forever.”  Forgiveness is the answer… let go, find peace, liberate yourself!  And remember, forgiveness is not just for other people, it’s for you too.  If you must, forgive yourself, move on and try to do better next time.
4. Stop letting others bring you down to their level. – Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.
5. Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others. – Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it anyway.  Just do what you know in your heart is right.

Things to Stop Doing to Yourself

 

Life is to short to waste time.Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”  Nothing could be closer to the truth.  But before you can begin this process of transformation you have to stop doing the things that have been holding you back.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.  If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you.  You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot.  Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth.  And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.
2. Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on.  No, it won’t be easy.  There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them.  We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems.  That’s not how we’re made.  In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall.  Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time.  This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become.
3. Stop lying to yourself. – You can lie to anyone else in the world, but you can’t lie to yourself.  Our lives improve only when we take chances, and the first and most difficult chance we can take is to be honest with ourselves.  
4. Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.  Yes, help others; but help yourself too.  If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.
5. Stop trying to be someone you’re not. – One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you like everyone else.  Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you.  Don’t change so

The Worst Excuses for complacency And Not Changing Your Life Part 2

In the last edition of my writeup, I promised to continue from where we stopped  on the worst excuses for complacency and not changing your life. If you want to view the first part click here Here are other excuses we give when asked why we have not accomplished or achieved our dreams.

7. I don't have the right connections.

Between company websites and LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and all the other social media platforms you can reach almost anyone besides the Pope and maybe Bono. In fact some people are surprisingly accessible (maybe that's one of the secrets of their success?)

Still, start small. Start feasible. Build a foundation. A great network is like a pyramid with a wide base, not a thin vertical line that goes straight to the top.

And never forget that the more influential the person, the more they tend to be inundated with requests. Have a good reason to connect, give before you expect to receive, and you will be surprised by the people who respond.

8. I'm too late.

Jobs beat you to the graphical interface and mouse... but Xerox beat him. Zuckerberg wasn't first in social media. Buffett is hardly the first to buy and hold.

The list goes on and on. Innovation is never one-and-done; some of the most successful companies – and careers – are based on refining earlier ideas and innovations.

You're only too late if you're not willing to be better, faster, stronger, cheaper, or just ever so slightly different than whoever got there first.

9. I can't think of a great idea.

Dreaming up something new is really, really hard.

Reacting to something that already exists is really, really easy.

Walk around and start complaining (to yourself.) You'll see tons of problems that require solutions. Those solutions are ideas.

Or walk around your workplace and start complaining (again, to yourself.) There are tons of problems you can address.

"New" is hard to imagine. "Better" is much easier.

Most careers and businesses are built on "better," not on "new."

10. I can't take that risk.

Any risk you take today is a risk you can recover from tomorrow. Given time you can overcome almost any setback, stumble, or failure, and emerge stronger and smarter and better equipped to succeed the next time.

If you never try, all you will be is regretful. When you're old and grey and "done" you'll have to look back on your life and think, "I wonder what might have happened if I had only..."

Having to look back with regret is one risk you should never take.

11. I'm better at planning than execution.

No you're not. You're just too lazy to do the grunt work. Or you think you've already paid your dues. Or you think you're above it. Or – pick your excuse.

Every successful person I know can and does, when necessary, roll up his or her sleeves and just plain outwork everyone else. (That's one of the reasons they're so successful.) 
You don't need some undefined innate quality to be good at execution; all you need is discipline.

The Worst Excuses for complacency And Not Changing Your Life

I looked around and realized that people tend to be complacent and refuse to change their life for the better because of some silly excuses just to appease themselves and by more time. It's likely that one of your excuses is that you don't have enough time, so let's get right to it. These are some of the excuses people give each time you ask them why they are not pursuing their dreams and these are my response to such people.

1. I can't get anyone to listen.

People will listen to anything that is entertaining, interesting, heartfelt, amusing, shocking, informative, titillating, stupid, satirical, controversial, sad, silly, sexy...

If you can't get anyone to listen, they aren’t the problem: You’re the problem.

What you want to say is irrelevant; change your message so it means something to the people you want to reach.

Then they'll listen.

2. I'm too scared.

Join the club. Everyone is scared.

So you have a choice: Let your fears hold you back... or use those same fears as fuel to do whatever it takes to succeed.

Complacency is the enemy of achievement; use your fear to drive complacency away.

3. I don't have the money.

For most entrepreneurs, business is all about the art and science of accomplishing more with less: Less money, less people, less time, etc.

Face it. You will never, ever have "enough" cash or capital or funding. Never. If you don't have enough capital to launch your business the way you plan, change your plan.

You can't always control what you have, but you can control what you choose to do with what you have.

Finding the Courage to Take Risks and Crack Open the Box

 

If you want to make big moves in life, you have to take risks. But taking risks isn’t easy, and it puts most people in unfamiliar territory. Unfamiliar territory can, in turn, often feel dangerous and cumbersome. The human mind loves familiarity, as familiarity usually means safety in some form as well as access to resources. This love of familiarity is literally hardwired into our brains and with good reason. During our evolution, those who could remember where water holes and predators were located, well, they had a better day!

Tossing all of this familiarity aside and deciding to take risks and think outside the box can be very difficult and feel scary. Yet, it is critical that you realize that this is exactly what you may need to do to reach your career or business goals. Taking bold and decisive action at the right moment in time may be what separates you from the fulfilling life you want and living a life that is less than what you dream. Oddly enough, walking away from the security of the know into the insecurity of the unknown is likely what you’ll need to do to achieve your goals and happiness.