Here Are 4 Reasons Why You Need to Know Your Entrepreneurial Type

It turns out entrepreneurs have many similar personality traits. That’s probably not too surprising, however, these traits are not evenly distributed. Different entrepreneurs possess different levels of each trait. It is because of this that different entrepreneurial types have emerged. There are different tests and articles detailing these traits.

In general, entrepreneurs tend to have various combinations of the following personality traits:

Diplomatic – Diplomats value protocol. As the trait may hint, they work very well with people, and tend to inspire loyalty among clients and workers. They set very high standards for accuracy and following proper procedures.

Authoritative – This is the entrepreneur who goes into business because they are an expert at something and have the self discipline and attention to detail to handle business ownership on top of that. They do very well in businesses with high consumer demand where consistency and reliability are valued. They do not feel a need to work in ‘fun’ or ‘sexy’ industries.

Managerial – The manager is goal oriented. They tend to be sharply focused on outcomes and continually adjust processes to get the results they want. They appreciate loyalty and tend to form close relationships with their teams. However, their decision making largely focuses on systems and outcomes.

Innovative – These entrepreneurs often go into business because they conceive new and better ways to make and do things. They often remain successful because they are constantly adding new products and services, and improving processes and procedures.

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” – Steve Jobs

Collaborative – These entrepreneurs work great with people. They recognize others’ strengths and are able to find ways to use everyone’s strengths to move business ideas forward.

Motivative – A motivator is great in tough times. They persevere when things are going poorly and motivate people to stick to their game plan when things are tough. They do very well in businesses that require them to lead teams in order to succeed.

Enthusiastic – These entrepreneurs are energetic and socially astute. They are driven, competitive, and independent. They lead because they set a great example for working hard and persevering. They are excellent at leading people and do great in customer oriented businesses.

So, why should you care if you are one of these personality types or some combination of them? Here’s why:

1. Knowing Your Potential Weaknesses Can Help You Fill in Any Gaps

Chances are, your combination of entrepreneurial traits will leave you better suited for some tasks, and a very poor match for others. For example, you may find that you are excellent at coming up with ideas and motivating people to work hard, but on the other hand, testing may reveal that you are not detail oriented and that you get frustrated with formal policies and procedures.

Once you are aware of this, you can act to close any gaps. First, you can challenge yourself to improve in areas where you are lacking. You can also bring people onto your team who have the talents that you lack. This combination of self improvement and maximizing the talents of others is key to your professional growth as well as the success of your company.

2. You And Your Team Members Will Know What Everyone Brings to The Table

Not only should you test yourself to learn which entrepreneurial traits you have, you should encourage everyone on your team to do so as well. Let them know that even if they never plan on owning their own business, success in a startup is much more likely if they can adopt an entrepreneurial mindset. Only good things can happen when your team members view themselves as innovators, diplomats, managers, and collaborators.

Also, when you know each team member’s strengths and the areas in which they can be natural leaders and groundbreakers, that makes your job as their leader that much easier. You can avoid frustrating people by giving them tasks that aren’t related to their talents. Conversely, you can  help your employees grow by giving them opportunities to shore up their weaknesses.

3. You Can’t Exploit Your Strengths if You Do Not Know Them

The frustrating thing about talents and abilities is that you never know you have them unless you run into an opportunity where they are revealed. The problem with this is that many people go their entire lives unaware of innate skills that they have. This is where tests come in. Many think of them as being tools to expose weaknesses or lack of knowledge. While this is true, tests like this can also reveal your strengths and talents.

Imagine not knowing that you were a natural salesperson, or that you have an excellent ability to focus on the details that can make or break a successful enterprise. That is pretty empowering. Not only can you incorporate that knowledge into your business strategy, you can draw on those strengths when you face challenges.

“I believe that the biggest problem that humanity faces is an ego sensitivity to finding out whether one is right or wrong and identifying what one’s strengths and weaknesses are.” – Ray Dalio

4. You Can Avoid Spending Time on Tasks That You Aren’t Good At

As an entrepreneur, where and how you spend your time matters. If you are already successful, chances are you make a pretty decent rate no matter what task you perform. If this is the case, you owe it to yourself, your organization, your team, and any investors to make the best use of that time. You aren’t doing that if you are working on tasks that you aren’t suited for.

Even if you are in the very early stages of your business, perhaps not yet drawing a salary, your time is still valuable. Growth and success depends on your talents being maximized. Again, by knowing your entrepreneurial type you know your abilities. This means you can select the tasks that are the best use of your time and serve your company best.

The more you know about yourself the better. You can use the results from an entrepreneurial personality test to better use your skills, know which jobs to delegate, and understand your best path to growth. Each of these things will help your company to become more successful. Why not test yourself today? You have a lot to gain from the experience.

What is your entrepreneurial type? Let us know in the comments below!

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3 Exercises That Can Help You Destroy Your Mental Roadblocks

Whenever I talk to people about how they set goals for themselves, the first barriers they cite to progress are often their own mental roadblocks. They start off too optimistic, or too pessimistic. They put themselves down, or they forget to plan out the next steps in their head. Mostly, they forget to adequately prepare their mind for taking action.

There are various ways for tackling mental blocks and drains on motivation, but from my experience there are a few simple, straightforward tools that can help just about anyone overcome those mental blocks, if implemented properly. The following was inspired by Caroline Webb’s recent book ‘How to Have a Good Day’.

Here are the three mental tools that you can use to help destroy mental roadblocks and tackle your top priorities in less time:

1. Create mental contrasts

James Stockdale was a US prisoner of war in Vietnam for 7 years. During that time, he described the fact that prisoners who were overly optimistic about their chances or too pessimistic were less likely to survive than those who were able to balance their focus on the end goal while having a deeper appreciation of the challenges they would face.

As he puts it, “You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.” This philosophy of duality has come to be called the Stockdale Paradox.

To this end, consider the value of creating mental contrasts in your daily life. Sure, you likely won’t be facing hardships like those faced by James Stockdale, but you may very well find opportunities to balance both a positive outlook on future goals with a realistic understanding of the challenges you will face.

“The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.” – Moliere

One way of making sure you spend enough time focusing on strategic tasks which support your long term objectives is to balance positive thinking with negative. This means thinking about what is likely to get in the way of you achieving your goals so that you can address those issues head on without being blindsided by them.

This technique is called mental contrasting, and it requires holding both a positive outlook for the future of a task or activity while simultaneously looking holistically at the challenges and potential obstacles that stand in your way and will prevent you from reaching your goals.

You must balance faith that you will reach your goals in the end with the facts of the current (and often brutal) reality of the challenges you will face on a daily basis. Realistic idealism of this kind is important to drive action and help people achieve their goals. What’s important is that people simultaneously work to envision the goals they are striving for and the obstacles they are facing. The key is to plan for both so that you can weather any storm.

2. Prime your actions with the right thoughts and stimuli

Have you ever listened to a song that put you in a good mood which carried on through the day? Perhaps it made you feel more productive, more energetic, more likely to start a conversation with your colleague or that stranger down the hall.

What you associate with productivity and success can often be manipulated. Once one small part of your brain is activated in a positive way, you may be able to drive productive thoughts and activities throughout the day. This is often referred to by scientists as the spreading activation effect.

One way to drive your ability to tackle priorities is to prime your actions with the right thoughts and external stimuli. Consider the way your brain associates certain feelings with specific thoughts, images, ideas, etc. If you experience one positive emotion or sensation based on a certain stimuli (e.g. sitting in your favorite seat at your favorite coffee shop), you will subconsciously be more productive and more energised to take action and do more efficient work.

Unfortunately, this won’t happen every single time, but the more frequently you make these connections, the more likely it will be that these strong bonds are created. Neuroscientists say that “neurons that fire together, wire together”. Take this to heart as you consider which stimuli to expose yourself to as you consider the best way to stay motivated and focus on your objectives.

“The biggest obstacle to wealth is fear. People are afraid to think big, but if you think small, you’ll only achieve small things.” – T. Harv Eker

3. Conduct a mind’s eye rehearsal

Think about the last time you got ready to do something that was stressful or difficult. Perhaps it was preparing for a presentation or a speech or maybe you were psyching yourself up for a big race or a competition.

Research suggests that our brains activate in much the same way when we visualise something happening as when we experience it for real. If we visualise a speech going horribly wrong, or we envision ourselves tripping up at the starting block, chances are we won’t perform to our highest level when the time comes.

Practice makes perfect, and the more you visualise an activity in the way you would like to accomplish that activity, the more likely it will be that you can make that thing happen. Interestingly, the same neural pathways that are created when we repeat activities over and over again in the physical world are also created when we visualise those activities.

So, next time you want to get something done, consider rehearsing in your minds eye exactly what you want to get done, including every detail of the activity, and exactly what you want it to feel like when you accomplish your goal successfully.

How do you overcome mental roadblocks? Comment below!

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Struggling With Procrastination and Self-Doubt? Here’s How to Overcome Both

Procrastination and self-doubt are two of the biggest killers of dreams and goals. I’ve been there more than once in my life regarding some important goal I set for myself to achieve. Only when it comes time to take physical action on my plans in the real world, and expose myself to rejection or failure, I start experiencing paralyzing self-doubt and fear. This turns into procrastination in the form of distractions that only create a false illusion I’m achieving my goals. In reality, I’m accomplishing nothing.

Have you ever been there? If left unchecked and unresolved in your life, this cycle of procrastination and self-doubt will soon become a habitual downward spiral where you can go for months without having produced any substantial results towards the goals. Eventually you’ll just give up on the entire goal altogether, leaving the hopes and dreams you had associated with that goal to be delayed even longer.

Here are my 3 best tips for overcoming this goal-killing self-perpetuating cycle of self-doubt and procrastination:

1. Winning The Mind/Body Game

If you’ve studied personal development for even a few minutes, you should already know that anything and everything we ever want to achieve or experience in life first starts in the mind. However, there’s also another component to the process that is just as important to develop control over, and that is the body.

Our minds can conjure up an unlimited number of ideas, solutions, and businesses with ease, but if the body isn’t activated effectively to carry out these ideas and bring them into physical reality, then nothing is accomplished and the ideas remain as only a figment of imagination, not benefiting anyone.

To overcome self-doubt and procrastination in your life, it’s first important to realize that you must become 100% acutely aware of these two components of yourself and how they operate. There is also a third component to who you are – the consciousness of you, some call it your Higher Self, which is in control of both mind and body.

We as humans have the ability, at any time that we choose, to use our conscious intention and a higher level of personal awareness to guide our thinking patterns and our physical actions in a very focused and productive way. If done this way, we can create certain desired outcomes and achieve our goals.

Without this level of self-awareness, you’ll be almost totally powerless to overcome the negative forces of self-doubt and procrastination once they start gaining momentum in your life. Know that you have the awesome creative ability to observe, evaluate, and correct your own thinking patterns and personal habits from this higher perspective.

“You have to change your thinking if you desire to have a future different from your present.” – Germany Kent

2. Developing Brutal Honesty

When we find ourselves caught in a negative cycle of procrastination and self-doubt, one critical action you should take right away is to become brutally honest with yourself about the situation. When I do this, I get out a notebook and start writing out all the things (thoughts, actions, behaviors) that I know I should be doing in order to achieve my goals, and then I write out all the things that I’m actually doing so that I can see the stark contrast between the two.

This makes it plainly obvious to me why my goals aren’t being reached, and what I can do to immediately change that trajectory. Then, I like to contemplate and visualize the pain I would experience by not seeing my goals accomplished, and compare that to the minimal amount of “pain” I may experience from taking appropriate action and staying true to my goals. At this point, it becomes clearly obvious which is the greater of the two pains – which is not achieving my goals and living with regret.

3. Third-Party Accountability

Once you’ve started getting an understanding of your mind/body connection, and developed brutal honesty with yourself, the best way to tie it all together is to establish a third-party accountability structure with a trustworthy person.

For this role, a professional accountability coach is by far the best investment anyone could make into their future. Similar to a life coach, an accountability coach is specifically focused on helping you stay 100% accountable (or as close to 100% as possible) to the daily actions, behaviors, and habits that are necessary for you to make your goals a reality.

Not only that, but a good accountability coach will also impart a heavy dose of motivation, inspiration, and positive energy with every interaction you have with them. They’ll help you believe in yourself even when you don’t. They’ll be a trusted partner who walks with you step-by-step through the journey of creating your dreams and goals.

“Choose to focus your time, energy and conversation around people who inspire you, support you and help you to grow you into your happiest, strongest, wisest self.” – Karen Salmansohn

The top-performers of every industry all rely on having specific types of coaches, consultants and mentors to help them follow-through on their goals and achieve excellence in their results. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t even be in those top positions of their field.

How much has procrastination and self-doubt affected you?  Leave a comment and let me know!

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23 Most Inspiring Tom Hanks Quotes

American actor and filmmaker Tom Hanks is one of the most respected men in Hollywood, and for good reason. If I were to describe him with a single word, it would be delightful. Well-known for frequently playing ordinary character in extraordinary situations, Hanks is among the most relatable and down-to-earth people on the big screen. Having […]

The post 23 Most Inspiring Tom Hanks Quotes appeared first on MotivationGrid.

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What It’s Like To Be A Blogger.

I’ve been blogging since 2014 and I wanted to share with you what it’s like. This serves two purposes: one it might inspire you to do the same or two it will show you the imperfection that is often hidden from blogging, and more broadly, success online.

You might be wondering what the difference is between writing and blogging. Here’s the best description I know of:

“Blogging is to writing what extreme sports are to athletics: more free-form, more accident-prone, less formal, more alive. It is, in many ways, writing out loud.” – Andrew Sullivan

Here’s what it’s like to be a blogger:

 

Some days it’s like walking down the street naked.

Blogging is all about being vulnerable and sharing the thoughts, ideas and beliefs that we’re all thinking in our busy brains, but too scared to say out loud or in front of others. After you write a piece that is quite revealing, it can feel like you’re not wearing any clothes.

You can walk into an open plan office and feel like the whole world is looking at you and judging you for something you said. As a blogger, you get used to this feeling. You learn pretty quickly that feeling naked is the only way to break your comfort zone and write something epic which helps people.

“The casual conversational tone of a blog is what makes it particularly dangerous” – Daniel B. Beaulieu

 

Some days it’s stressful.

The game with blogging is consistency. If you don’t write and publish enough, then your results start to drop off. Your writing can get worse and your audience may shrink. This very idea can cause unwanted stress.

Living with extra stress will not set you up to win. I’ve learned to develop a habit of blogging so that no matter the result, I don’t stop. This reduces a lot of the extra stress.

Thinking you can occasionally work on your passion is a delusion. Daily or at least multiple times a week is the only real way to do it right.

 

Some days it’s like having a conversation with yourself.

Many of the articles I write are hidden conversations with myself. When I’m writing about not giving up, I’m trying to inspire all of you and also have a conversation with myself at the same time.

By consistently blogging and talking with myself, I help work through the many mental challenges and daily emotional obstacles I encounter. I think we need more of this in the world.

Talking with ourselves through blogging is therapeutical and it helps us get out all of the stress, anxiety and fear that we bottle up inside ourselves.

 

Some days it sucks.

Like when I said blogging was therapy and it could help reduce mass murders. This statement had good intention behind it when I wrote it but it was poorly written, badly delivered, and worst of all, poorly timed – there was a mass murder on the same day.

This recipe for disaster blew up in my face. Some of the publications I write for wanted to fire me, a close friend was very angry with me and the public wanted me burned at the stake.

This day sucked big time. Yet all the other days where I inspired people and helped many through their darkest days made this horrible day bearable.

“There are never times when everything is hi-fives, free pizza and two for one drinks all day. There are good days and bad days in blogging. Such is life”

 

Some days you feel unstoppable.

Like when I got my first customer for my side business or got an email from a famous CEO I admired. These achievements made me feel unstoppable and like I could do anything. Naturally, this attitude leaked into the writing I did on these days.

 

Some days I CBF.

Maybe I had a big night out or perhaps didn’t get enough sleep. The answer is not always obvious and it doesn’t have to be. Some days I CBF and I do it anyway. I may blog in the form of responding to emails or writing things in my gratitude tracker.

I may even give a speech at Toastmasters and call that my blog for the day. The reality is that being a blogger is like any pursuit: some days you’re on and other days you’re off. Don’t try and be on 100% of the time or you’ll burn out. Be kind to yourself.

 

Some days you feel inspirational.

Like when I shared a video about a man blocking the street with his truck so a boy could cross the road. My commentary on the matter inspired many and my social media profiles lit up like a Christmas tree.

I felt like an inspiration on that day and I saw how important messages of kindness could be through the medium of blogging.

“I believed that maybe I could be the modern-day version of Martin Luther King. I saw unlimited possibility and how powerful our human existence is”

It was on this day I decided never ever to give up blogging.

 

Then there are days like today.

Where I look back on life before blogging. I look at the people that matter and I practice gratitude. I take a step back from the thousands of likes, comments and shares and just enjoy right now.

I stop wondering what it will be like if I hit Tim Ferriss or Tony Robbins status. I place the dreaming big on hold for a day. What I’m really saying is I just stop and embrace non-reactivity. The best way I do this is disconnect from the outcome.

Being outcome focused all the time and having to be productive can be exhausting if it’s not balanced out with moments of nothingness, blank space and time to think.

 

But most of the time, blogging is…

The best thing I’ve ever said yes to and what I recommend to everyone reading this.

Blogging is how you can help millions of people.

Blogging is how you discover the value you hold.

Blogging is how you find yourself.

If you want to increase your productivity and learn some more valuable life hacks, then join my private mailing list on timdenning.net

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4 Essential Money-Making Tips You Should Follow

A recent study by Purdue University found that there’s an income line an individual must meet so that life feels more enjoyable. The study that was drawn from a Gallup World Poll covering over 1.7 million suggests that this income line is around $100K per year, especially for those living anywhere in America, Australia or Europe. The study suggests though the happiness curve flattens as you reach a certain degree of income, you still need money to feel happy, confident and relaxed. So how can you make more money?

Here are four money tips you need to follow to increase your income this year:

1. Find your unique PQO

“If you want to become extraordinary, you need to figure out the productive outputs that matter in your field or industry,” says the high-performance coach and bestselling author, Brendon Burchard.

One of Burchard`s keys to massive productivity – and making money – is focusing on what he calls ‘The Prolific Quality Output’ (PQO): The one thing you output that you must produce consistently to take your business to a new level.  A PQO is the essence of your business and whether you find it or not will determine how much money you`re going to make.

For salespeople, a PQO is contacting prospects. For entertainers, writers and Vloggers, it`s producing content every day. For athletes, it`s taking more throws, running more miles or swimming more laps. If you can figure out your PQO and produce more of it, then you will make more money.

“If you want to become extraordinary, you need to figure out the productive outputs that matter in your field or industry.” – Brendon Burchard

2. Build strong relationships with everyone

Moving from the bottom fifth to the top fifth of your classroom popularity can increase your income by 10 percent according to a recent study by Stanford University. Another study by psychologist Richard Wiseman also found that there`s a strong relationship between luck and the size of one`s network.

Wiseman, who surveyed over a thousand millionaires, lottery winners, and happily-married couples, noticed that building strong relationships was one thing for which lucky people were known for. They referred to themselves as ‘people collectors’ and used any chance they could get to connect with new people just to have fun.  

You can have more money if you commit to improving your social skills. Your network can give you media coverage, get you hired and promoted, and help you make more sales. First, you should understand the role that relationships play in your life and how they affect your happiness and income, then commit to becoming genuinely interested in people.

Set a goal each month to approach a certain number of people and make it a habit to follow up with these people. By the end of the year, and regardless of where you start, you will have a decent network, and you`ll feel more confident around people.

3. Be good at selling

Learning how to sell is a complementary skill to good networking. You have to become more persuasive – not manipulative, just persuasive – to convince people to pay for your products/services and buy into your ideas.

Almost every self-made millionaire or billionaire has mastered sales in one part of their lives. Look at Warren Buffet, Steve Jobs, even the Kardashians, all have a clue on what it takes to convince investors, build raving tribes, or generate enough buzz to make sure they stay under the spotlight for as long as possible.

You have to get out of your way and join the masters. Of course, the process will be painful and you will face rejections (lots of them). When someone asked self-made billionaire John Paul DeJoria what sales tip was the closest to his heart, he said, ‘look for rejections.’  DeJoria understands that the biggest hurdle people face in almost any business is rejection. If you know this in advance and are mentally prepared for it, you’ll have a much easier time staying upbeat and eventually succeeding.

“Frugality includes all the other virtues.” – Cicero

4. Have enough money to invest

When doing business, a good idea is as important as having enough cash flow to back it up. You can overcome almost every business hurdle if you have enough capital: advertising, getting mentored by experts or recruiting the best employees around…just to name a few.

You will also need money to invest in other businesses and maximize your time. The simple reason why the rich get richer is that they have enough money to invest. That`s all. You need to do two things so you can make more money:

• Save enough money each month to invest in your business (or other businesses). The amount you need to invest according to business consultant and bestselling author, Ramit Sethi, should be no less than 10 percent of your take-home pay (after taxes).  

• You have to work harder. Work harder and aim higher and you`ll subsequently have more money to invest

So where to start? Begin by learning how to sell. I have seen people with no degree make tons of money just because they are good with people and understand the secrets to good persuasion. If you`re still young, I suggest you get a job in sales and learn under fire – even a part-time or summer job will do you good. If you can`t, however, then I suggest you pick three sales/persuasion books of your choice and study and implement everything in them everywhere you go. This will take time and practice, but you`ll eventually reap the reward.

How do you save money? Comment below!

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There’s No Excuse For Not Living Your Passion: End Of Story.

There’s a hell of a lot of complaining going on. All of you want to live your passion or say that’s what you want.

Then you come home and watch Netflix for 4 hours and say:

“I’ll figure it out later.”

“It’s too hard.”

“There’s too much competition.”

“I don’t have enough money.”

Okay if we were having this conversation ten years ago, then these excuses may have been acceptable (probably not).

 

There’s something in this world you love.

Don’t give me this BS that you don’t know what your passion is. What do you happily do now for free? I am writing this article for free. Money or no money I’ll be blogging. So, my answer is going to be blogging.

It’s that f*cking binary. If playing video games is something you do a lot for free then that’s your passion. Monetize it. Do it.

 

The social part of your passion.

As humans, we’re social whether we like it or not. Living our passion all by ourselves is for many of us an idea that’s worse than death.

“One of the reasons you watch so much Netflix is so you can talk about it at work on Monday with your colleagues”

You have the strategy to find your passion in the previous point. The strategy took me five sentences to write. Next, you’re going to need to make it social. Find other people that love the same thing as you and go all red-faced with excitement when they talk about it.

Search far and wide. No matter how obscure your passion is, there are other people out there that are crazy like you. Just like ideas are a dime a dozen, your passion is almost certainly not unique. Sorry to be the grim reaper and bring you this news. Someone had to do it, so it may as well be me.

 

And then there’s complaining…

If there is one thing I hate, it’s people who whinge about not being able to live their passion. They spend so much time focused on the problem and the challenges that they never get started with anything.

Complaining is for losers. At this point in our human existence, anyone of us can do something epic and tie it to our passion. Our friend Zucks (founder of Facebook) is even bringing Internet for free to the parts of the world that have none.

Your local library has the internet if you really can’t get it. There’s never been a better time to do what you love. All the tools are there. You’ll need three things:

–    Epic content that is uniquely you

–    A mindset that comes from embracing personal development

–    A solution to a problem. This could be simple such as entertainment for a bored person.

 

You already have the time to live your unique passion.

The word “busy” is thrown around like a toilet paper roll. People say the word now more than they greet people. It’s a default word that shows you are a 21st century hero that owns a smartphone and can surf the internet.

My question to you is this: “Busy doing what?” We can all use up our time. Heck, I can sit on the couch and chew up time.

“The only way to use your time correctly is to use a disproportionate amount of it on your passion”

That means whenever you have two options in front of you, you’ll choose your passion first in 99.9% of circumstances.

Quit telling me (and the world) that you don’t have time. You do have time for your passion if you make it the only priority and choose your passion. Achieving progress has never been easier and tracking progress is even easier again.

Stop standing in the way of your passions and putting other activities in the way of your dreams. You’re making these choices – no one else is.

 

Sustained focus must not be forgotten.

Even if you choose your passion, you’ll never achieve anything meaningful unless you focus. This means moving distractions out of the way and being unwavering in your pursuit to put the work in.

“All this passion talk sounds great. Throw in a few nice images with fists in the air and we’ve got a self-help party. It’s all pointless unless you embrace your ability to focus and reach flow states”

This will require you to go deep and invest blocks of time in one specific area. Let me give you an example. I have been posting my articles on lots of social media channels and experimenting with video, audio, interviews, etc.

I found that I wasn’t going deep enough in one area. Instead, I now have only two social channels and everything else has been removed. Twitter, in particular, was taking up a lot of time and producing zero results.

Outside of blogging, I was also reading a lot of books. This was draining my time and moving me away from my passion. I still read and believe it to be powerful but now I only read books that are phenomenal. Many of the books I was reading previously were adding no value to my life.

Reducing my reading time has given me more time for blogging which is the underlining passion I have. Even with a tough decision like doing less reading – which many say is the holy grail habit in their lives – you have to be brutal with your passion.

Making these uncomfortable decisions to focus at all costs on your passion is how you start seeing a return. That return, by the way, is fulfillment.

 

What starts out as one passion, can become something different.

That’s what happened to me. What started out as a passion for music and interviewing people turned into blogging about personal development and entrepreneurship. Part of the reason you may not be living your passion is that you haven’t embraced this concept.

Your excuse for not living your passion could be nothing more than a simple case of what I like to call “Mistaken Passion.”

You may be close to your real passion but not on the bullseye just yet. There’s no reason to have a mental breakdown and seek sympathy from your drinking buddy’s tiger. We’ve all encountered this universal challenge.

The key is to keep pivoting around your current passion like a tribal dance until you find the groove. Experiment around your passion with other closely aligned interests, people or social media audiences. Somewhere in all of the haze will be your true passion.

 

The only answer is yes.

Overcomplicating has become somewhat of a drug that many choose to indulge on to avoid taking action. The only answer to the question “Will I live my passion?” is yes. There’s no “maybe, perhaps in the future or I haven’t found it yet.”

The only answer is “Yes, I’ll live my passion starting from right now and I won’t stop until I find out what the exact formula is to my own passion.” There is no book or course you can take on passion. The only judge is you and passion comes from experience.

 

Rant on passion = over.

I don’t want to see another email or instant message about why you’re not living your passion. Whatever the answer is you provide about why you’re not living your passion is only an excuse. No one can stop your endless excuses except for you.

The only answer from now on is “Yes I am going to live my passion right now!”

If you want to increase your productivity and learn some more valuable life hacks, then join my private mailing list on timdenning.net

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How to Stop Limiting Your Potential: 3 Eye-Opening Insights That Can Change Your Life

Have you ever seen one of those videos on social media showing how you’ve been using certain products, or eating certain foods, wrong your whole life? And you say to yourself, “Wow! I never thought of doing it that way!” That’s a little like how I felt when my personal growth mentor (and future husband) gave me some insights on the life challenges I was struggling to resolve when we were first dating.

These insights turned my whole world upside down! I couldn’t unlearn what I had learned, so I had to change my old ways of functioning if I wanted to move forward. It was hard, but it was worth it.

Here are the 3 life changing insights I learned that can change your life:

1. If what you think, what you do, and what you say don’t line up, it can hurt your self-esteem and your credibility.

I said and did things that represented the person I wanted to be on the outside, while I hid the things I wasn’t proud of and lied just to keep on people’s good sides. My mentor figured this dishonest behavior probably was connected to the low self-esteem I struggled with (which affected everything in my life), and he was right!

Besides hurting how I felt about myself, he pointed out, I could lose my friends’ or family’s trust the second anyone found out I wasn’t being genuine. He said if you want people to be able to count on you, you need to actually be the person you present yourself to be.

I practiced paying attention and catching myself every time I was being dishonest. It can take a lot of work, but if you get your values/beliefs, words, and actions in alignment, the person people see is the person that you are. Some will like it and others will hate it, but those who stick with you are the ones who appreciate, respect, and admire you for who you are not for the image of yourself you present.

You will feel better about who you are, your relationships will benefit because people will trust you, and your word will actually mean something.

“Hiding how you really feel and trying to make everyone else happy doesn’t make you nice, it just makes you a liar.”  – Jenny O’Connell

2. What you believe about yourself dictates what you chose to say; but what you chose to say also dictates what you believe about yourself.

Another way I was unknowingly limiting myself was through my language. It seems like common sense that what you say aloud reflects what you believe, but what surprised me was that you can also reprogram your beliefs with what you chose to say.  

Say “I need this” enough times when the truth is you want it, and you will begin to believe that you need it. Limiting words are things like can’t, always, never, and need. Non-limiting words/phrases are things like seems like, feels like, and right now.

For example, the statement “I can’t handle my life – it’s too hectic” makes you feel hopeless and disempowered, versus “I’m struggling to handle my life right now,” which reminds you that what you’re going through is temporary, and there’s hope for change in the future. The truth isn’t that you “can’t do it,” the truth is that you’re having a hard time “right now.

Whether you use limiting words/phrases about your abilities aloud or to yourself, you’re teaching your mind what to believe. Instead of using limiting words and phrases that aren’t true, try switching to more accurate and encouraging ones. Such as seems like, feels like, or right now.

3. You don’t need to control how you feel – you need to control how you act.

Trying to control your emotions is like trying to control waves in the ocean, you just can’t do it. And to make things worse, the harder you try the more frustrated you get – adding to your emotional overload. It wastes a ton of energy and gets you nowhere.

Instead, try to let your feelings be; realize that they will pass and focus on what you can control – what you say and how you act. You can feel angry but still talk calmly with the person you’re angry with. You can feel hurt but not treat the person you feel hurt by coldly or rudely.

Not being aware of the separation between feelings and actions can get you into a ton of trouble. I used to believe that if my feelings were strong enough I couldn’t help but act on them. Absolutely not true! This got me into trouble bigtime when I was younger.

I therefore believed that in order to act how I wanted I had to control how I felt. Learning that this too was complete B.S. changed my life. I no longer felt I had to put energy into doing something that was impossible.

“Heroes and cowards feel exactly the same  fear. Heroes just react to it differently.”  – Cus D’Amato 

Wondering how to put these insights into action?

Start by growing your self awareness – this is the beginning of all growth. If you pay attention to yourself, you can align your values, words, and actions for a better relationship with yourself and with others, help make your mind work for you instead of against you, and handle overwhelming emotions without doing things you’ll regret later.

What insights have you learned that helped you see the world and/or yourself in a new and positive light? Let us know in the comments!

Image courtesy of Twenty20.com

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“Where Do You See Yourself In 5 Years?” – Who Knows And Who Cares.

With all the self-improvement overload of information we get, we’re told that we must have goals. Goals are important and I personally set them 12 months in advance.

What’s incorrect is thinking you can realistically plan your life 5 years in advance.

The question I hate the most which we’ve all had in a job interview is:

“Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”

In my head I’m thinking:

“Retired on the beach with a New York Times Best Selling Book? I don’t freaking know!”

 

Not knowing is the best bit.

Too much certainty makes life really boring. Not knowing where you’re going to be in five years is awesome! If I rewind to 2011 when everything fell apart around me, I would never have predicted where I am today.

Back then I hated writing, had no clue what personal development was and thought my life was going to be miserable forever.

The surprise of seeing myself turn it all around is what makes me so proud. No one came and gave me something for free. I worked for what I have and fostered the proper mindset for success and you can too.

The parts I love about my life now are things I treasure most.

Uncertainty can be your best friend if you let it be. Stop trying to know everything in advance.

 

You’ll probably be wrong anyway.

Yep, that’s the sad news ladies and gentlemen.

Break out the tissues, shed a tear with me, accept that fact and then get to work. Life is full of suffering and you will definitely encounter a left hook to the face that will knock you flat on your ass. It will take you by surprise and your “5-year plan will take an instant backseat.”

In that moment, you’ll realize what you truly value and what your life is all about. Then you’ll rise and then fall again when the next event happens. Life is made up of these patterns.

“Once you accept this and understand that you’re never going to be your own fortune teller, shit gets real”

 

The case for short-term goals.

So why I don’t advocate for having these big, difficult, goals that exist in the Neverever Land of 5-year’s time: I’m a big believer in a couple of short-term goals. You need a tiny bit of direction otherwise you’ll get lazy and watch Netflix thinking you’ve got everything covered.

As an example, my two goals right now are changing my career and doing some big public speaking gigs. These two goals are both joined at the hip with my life’s purpose. They motivate me every day to get my lazy ass out of bed and put in the work.

As for five years’ time, I have no clue. I know the direction but I welcome the surprises.

Your future is similar to mine. You’ll need some big goals to get you there but trying to predict it is pointless.

“Thinking you have it all figured out is the disease of someone that thinks they know it all”

 

This mindset will get you into deep trouble.

Part of being humble is knowing that you don’t have all the answers. What matters is that you have faith in yourself and genuinely believe you can achieve some great accomplishments. What those exact accomplishments are is detail that is not required.

 

Not getting what you want is all part of the game.

The stupid thing about 5-year plus goals and visions is that it doesn’t take into account one thing: not getting what you want is so important.

If I’d got the successful long-term business I wanted five years ago, then I would never have hit rock-bottom and discovered personal development or blogging. I’d be running a business that I hate, to impress friends that I don’t like, to buy rubbish that brings me no happiness.

When you fail or don’t get what you want, you should be happy. It means there is going to be another avenue. It’s a sign.

Thinking you’ve got it all figured out and in five years you’ll have done X forgets about this very important detail.

“It seems counter-intuitive but not getting what you want is how you get what you need”

 

What should you focus on then?

Two big short-term goals and a purpose for your life. Short and sharp, just the way I like it, amigo.

Once you know why you exist on this planet, everything else will fall into place and the need for a 5-year plus plan will go out the window.

For example, my life purpose of inspiring the world through entrepreneurship and personal development could be achieved through the following ways:

– Speaking

– Writing books

– Blogging

– Starting a podcast

– Running events

– Working for a global brand

There are so many ways to achieve my life’s purpose and who really cares how I do it. I’d like to think it will be blogging. If I were to back a winner today, it would be probably blogging although I have a habit of being wrong about such matters of life.

The hardest bit is knowing your life’s purpose. Once you know that, the rest is execution. Lose the obsession for caring about which vehicle you end up using to fulfil your purpose – it’s not so important.

 

Final Thought.

I hope I’ve inspired you to rethink these long-term scenarios in which you’ll almost always be wrong. I hope you can see now how crucial the macro is compared with the micro.

Don’t get caught up in the details and quit being a wannabe fortune-teller. Those wrinkly old things never did serve any of us any good.

Get to work and remember to dream big.

If you want to increase your productivity and learn some more valuable life hacks, then join my private mailing list on timdenning.net

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Top 23 Best Robert Downey Jr. Quotes

 An A-list American actor Robert Downey Jr. is witty, confident and well spoken. Over his lengthy Hollywood career, he has become one of the most highly respected actors. During his time in the movie industry, he has faced and overcome drug addiction and multiple legal conflicts. Despite that, he managed to re-launch his acting career and […]

The post Top 23 Best Robert Downey Jr. Quotes appeared first on MotivationGrid.

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Simple but Effective Branding Tactics That Can Be Learned From the Kardashian Family

“You’re either a somebody, or a nobody.” That was one of the most epic quotes from the movie American Gangster and was said by none other than Denzel Washington. If we apply that quote to our own lives, it’s true. You have an idea, or a desire, or some kind of motive to make your impact on the world. Yet, if you are seen as a “nobody”, then nobody will actually care about what you think or plan, let alone that you even exist.

If you want to make an impact on the world, you have to be seen as a somebody! Not to everybody, but at least to the people that matter. And the people that matter are those who can influence the outcome or reality of your ideas, desires or motives.

Probably the best example of this is the Kardashian family. If you strip away everything about them, their core and story around their lives isn’t so dissimilar to what most people will experience in their own circle. So what makes them stand out? Are they famous for being famous or is it more than that?

It’s actually to do with their branding. If you look at the method that they have used since launching “Keeping up with the Kardashians”, it isn’t too different from what vloggers, Instagrammers, or bloggers have been doing for the last decade.

Love them or loathe them, the tactics that they’ve used has allowed them to create an iconic brand that has allowed them to become successful. But what is even more valuable is how their brand has created the power to influence.

“Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.” – Jeff Bezos

How can you apply similar tactics to improve your personal brand and your ability to influence?

They used the power of storytelling and revelation to intrigue and build their audience. The Kardashians are always in the media because they feed publications with stories that can then be shared with their audience. People read the stories and the media outlets get paid with advertising. The more intriguing stories they create, the more media attention they will gain. This cycle allows them to have influence over the media. And they’ve been playing the cycle to their advantage for over a decade.

Additionally, their stories always have a sense of revelation. So when the story breaks, it’s typically something that is promoted in a similar way to a news story. It’s not uncommon for the family to use the “Human Interest PR tactic” to arouse interest in their family’s lifestyle. It’s a simple strategy, but it works for the audience that they are trying to appeal to.

Whether it was the “Kim Kardashian sex tape scandal” or “ The revelation of Bruce Jenner transitioning to Caitlyn Jenner”, there’s always a story that will keep their audience interested. The stories that they are sharing aren’t uncommon. In fact, several similar stories have broken before, but they are strategic in the way that they maintain their audience’s interest.

They continually published content on different media outlets

The Kardashians are consistent with their content promotion. You will not see a week go by without something being released by the family. For over ten years, they have created a loyal following that is always looking forward to the content that they release.

Whether it’s releasing an episode via their television show or participating in interviews, their audience always has something to look forward to. And it delivers the value that they are after, which is entertainment.

You can develop this with your personal brand simply by uploading content to your media outlets. This could be through blogging on your own website, uploading videos to YouTube, uploading photos to Instagram or even releasing regular podcasts.

“If people believe they share values with a company, they will stay loyal to the brand.” – Howard Schultz

Brand everything

The Kardashians are great with their brand building. Whatever they do, it is branded. Then people buy into the brand and what it represents. Whether it is something in the media or a product or a joint venture, they use their branding to expand the awareness and the perceived value of their name and what they stand for.

You must do the same. Brand yourself by putting yourself out there and create a logo or monogram that people will instantly recognise and associate with your brand. Then, use the brand in any documentation or watermarks on media so that people recognise the brand and what it represents.

Demonstrate your value

It is something that the Kardashians do very well. Their value is demonstrated either through the content that they share, the people that they associate with or the activities that they are doing. They live their lifestyle as they wish, but the improved perception of their brand is no accident.

The family understands that their reputation is everything. Especially since they have a multimillion dollar brand riding on the value that they demonstrate. For your own personal brand, it is the same. Whether you are looking to make tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands or millions, your actions and interactions must enhance the perception of your brand’s value.

Are you ready to make yourself somebody with influence?

It is much easier to accomplish nowadays due to the platforms across the web that can put you in front of a large audience. You don’t need an audience of millions, but you do need to build a brand presence that will appeal to the niche market that you are targeting. Typically, this will mean building an audience of 10,000 people or more. And you can accomplish this by using the very same tactics that the Kardashians used to build their empire.

What do you think of this famous family? Comment below!

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The Number One Reason I Give Everything Away For Free: There Are No Secrets.

Every week I give away tons of content for free. People sometimes think I never sleep and am a content generating machine that lives off vegetables and canned beans.

When I learn something new, I tell everyone.

When I find a way to reach more people for free, I tell everyone.

When someone wants to know a strategy I used, I tell them for free.

Many people think this is crazy. They say “But Tim you can charge for all of this. You’re giving away everything for free!” My response is this: “There are no secrets. All information exists on the Internet for free.”

 

The only thing that matters is traction and execution.

The reason people want to use my services in both social media and coaching is because I have traction and my skills have been validated by the market. The principles I teach around personal development, entrepreneurship, social media and life are based on universal principles.

Stop thinking I’m special or that you’re special and have some magic secret. Remember everything can be Googled for free.

 

Instead, help as many people as you can.

“Rather than dwelling on keeping things secret and believing you have some superpower that no other human has uncovered, help as many people as you can get what they want”

Do your best to solve people’s problems and self-develop at the same time. Focus your gift of helping others on a few niche areas and create raving fans. In other words, help people and go beyond their expectations. Put your heart and soul into your work.

Once you help a few people, ask them to recommend you to others. If you’ve helped them to the best of your ability and solved their problems, they’ll happily do this.

 

Do all of this with humility.

My own superpower is humility. I get emails all the time from readers telling me that my best trait is humility. I don’t think I’m some awesome bloke and I do my best to be human.

Translation: lower your own view of how important you are and be human by picking up on people’s emotions and using this knowledge to assist them. Use compassion, courage and kindness as you help people with your skills. This will 10X your results when combined with giving away your content for free.

 

Quit focusing on what you’re getting.

I meet so many people that are so laser-focused on what they can get out of everything that they turn away the people who could open so many doors for them.

The reason I give everything away for free is because it helps a lot of people and that achieves something far greater than my own selfish desires. Transcending into this headspace will breathe new light into your perception of business and reality.

“Attempting to lock up your knowledge and secrets is nothing more than a mindset battle with the idea that you don’t have enough”

You do have enough and once you understand that then you can start giving away your content and strategies for free and build a real audience.

 

Your knowledge is useless if it never gets to be applied or seen by anyone.

Once you start giving away your content for free, you’ll build an audience that will turn into real people who see value in what you do. That’s because you’ve taken core principles that can be found on the internet for free and applied your own opinions, perspective, experience and network to them.

That list right there is the real value you have.

 

A note on time.

Giving away stuff for free is a long-term strategy. You’ll probably see zero results for a while and that’s normal. There is no overnight success.

 

Your content has to be good.

Plenty of people give away content for free. In fact, that’s part of the problem. So many people are giving away free content that the strategy is almost useless. That’s of course unless your content is really good. There’s not much of that being given away for free.

Just putting stuff out there to tick a box and say you’ve followed the advice of this article is not enough. If the content you give away for free doesn’t align with who you are, your passions and something you know well, nothing will happen.

For your content to be good it needs one or more of these elements:

–    To be entertaining

–    Feature how-to advice

–    To be different

–    Visually appealing

–    Easy to consume

–    Deep and narrow in a particular field

–    The same themes repeated over and over

–    Simple

 

The end of secrets.

Now you know there’s no secret. You don’t have some unique product or idea that hasn’t been thought of before. We’re all thinking the same shit, like: “Wow there’s no Uber-type service for dry cleaning or car mechanics.”

Sorry pal but we’re all thinking that already. In summary, the aim of the game is to give away your content for free, so you can attempt to build traction and monetize later if that’s your end game.

If your intentions are purely selfish and you’re giving it all away for free to get famous, that also won’t work long-term. Why? Because you’ll end up hating yourself.

Make the best content you can and then give it all away for free. That’s the only strategy and anyone can do it including you.

If you want to increase your productivity and learn some more valuable life hacks, then join my private mailing list on timdenning.net

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How to Make an Impactful Impression in the First 7 Seconds

Innocently making a bad first impression has happened to many of us. Not coming across as you intended can create challenges in your personal and professional life. People may mistrust you, dislike you or not even notice you. Sometimes, the fault is yours.

You know what you are feeling, what you are thinking, and you tend to believe those thoughts and emotions leaking out of every orifice of your body. You overestimate how obvious what you truly think must be and fail to recognize other people in your life are in their own bubbles, thinking the same thing about their inner worlds. This is the illusion of transparency.

Your words and behaviors are subject to interpretation. Imagine you are sitting in as an audience member and you begin staring off into space while your colleague is speaking in the meeting. Are you thinking about whether you blew the candle out before you left your house? The harsh words that you mouthed to your partner when he left you with no petrol in the car or maybe you were in deep thought about the valid example of how things need to improve in the workplace. Your colleague has no way of knowing what you are thinking in fact no one knows why you are behaving the way you are but the people around you will come to some perceived conclusion.

Rightly or wrongly, our brains are wired to respond in this way. Even more than that, people make assessments all the time unconsciously relying on your appearance, status, role and body language. Prematurely or not, the person takes it further by gathering data to make a judgement about you. The rose water colored glasses provide a lens of perception that shapes their view of you. Can they like, know and trust you?

Let me share with you 7 ways to help others draw the correct impression:

1. Project warmth

Giving the right signals early in the relationship is important. Making eye contact, smiling when appropriate and acknowledging comments, being present in conversation and listening without interruption. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Being a person of your word creates a foundation of where trust is fostered, and collaborative partnerships are formed.

“It’s pretty simple, pretty obvious: that people’s first impressions of people are really a big mistake.” – Vincent D’Onofrio

2. Overdeliver

Demonstrating how instrumental you are every opportunity is gold. Go beyond any expectation, give without being asked and detach from the outcome or wanting something in return. Have a servant’s heart.

3. We-centric culture

Building an environment where we nurture an inclusive culture, creates a strong sense of ‘us’. Celebrate the strengths and achievements of others, acknowledge the values you see in others and how the shared vision belongs to you all.

4. Revise your opinion of others

Have you ever misjudged someone by letting some kind of bias get in the way? Creating stories about why someone is behaving in a way, how wronged you have been by someone or making assumptions based on the clothes someone is wearing and where they fit in the workplace. Maybe it’s time to hit the pause button as we know that there can be a wide gap between intent and impact. Adopt a curiosity lens and come with good intentions.

5. Have proper etiquette

Your body language tells a lot about you. Sloppy time keeping, or scruffiness can be taken as signs that you are not bothered and may raise questions about your general level of commitment. Be conscientious, exude professionalism and remember you are being paid to behave in a certain way.

Handling simple expectations such as punctuality, demonstrates a level of simple responsibility. Asking quality questions and putting your hand up first to offer assistance without being asked and proposing ideas allows you to start adding value right away.

6. Show kindness

Saying thank you is so underrated. It is so important to show your colleagues appreciation when they help you out. Showing gratitude lets people know that you value their time and energy.

“We don’t know where our first impressions come from or precisely what they mean, so we don’t always appreciate their fragility.” – Malcolm Gladwell

7. 360 feedback

It is not easy to understand how other people perceive us. We are often uncertain, confused or even oblivious of what we project. In the workplace, the lack of self-awareness can be limiting. A narrative can emerge and is often shared as advice or gossip. Getting feedback how people perceive you can be a starting point. One way can be to identify 3 key people you see you repeatedly in work situations and you know will tell it to you straight.  

Ask them directly what their general perception of you is and what could you do differently that would make a difference in the workplace. Whilst receiving feedback, manage your emotions and resist the temptation to explain, defend or justify your actions. Gathering information provides an opportunity to close the gap between how people perceive you and how you want to be perceived. The choice is yours if you want to make the commitment to change.

How do you leave a great first impression? Comment below!

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4 Things You Must Know About Building Your Brand in a World Full of Noise

Thanks to the internet, you no longer need to come from money or a certain family to become well-known. You can create a name for yourself by simply posting a Youtube video or becoming Instagram famous.  But, why is it that some people are able to get millions of views while others seem to merely exist on the web?

A fair amount of those people who exploded to online fame weren’t even trying. Somehow, their posts spread like wildfire. The internet is still pretty unknown, but what is certain is that it has no shame. While we would like to hope the content that resonates the most is about stuff that really matters, that’s not always the case.

Let’s face it, we all need a little entertainment now and then. The real world can get a tad too serious, so we turn to the web and go to what we really want to see. Whether we need the answer to a question or want to watch a new show, it’s all right there at our fingertips.

This information overload is causing our attention spans to decrease like never before. We need a better way to navigate the through the unknown web.

Read on for a fews ways you can use the internet as a tool to tell your story:

1. Filter to What Serves You

We need the capability to filter through all of the noise, deciding what’s relevant to us. Given the opportunity to connect with others throughout the world, are we really making the most out of it? We have the ability like never before to create a name for ourselves without spending thousands of dollars on advertising. If you’re thinking about starting a blog or online business, it seems that the power is in your hands.

However, on the path to building something that matters, we get stuck scrolling through Facebook comparing ourselves to others. Given that we have the power to choose what we view online, you would think that we would just X out of sites that are actually making us depressed, but that’s easier said than done.

The problem is not that there isn’t uplifting content online, but that there is so much content in general. We have to be able to filter through it all faster than humanly possible. Yes, we can choose who we follow online, but we can’t control all the ideas and opinions that are thrown at us constantly.

The only thing we truly can control on the internet is what we put out there. It’s far too idealistic to assume that all the content you create should serve a greater purpose. But, if you are intentional about using the internet to build your brand, you can begin using it to your advantage.

“Visual content, more creative storytelling, and interactive content contribute to experiences that inform and create an emotional connection with buyers. Brands are still creating more content, but it’s held to a higher standard by customers.” – Lee Odden

2. Create an Honest Brand

You can look at the internet and social media as a way to get likes or a certain number of views. If that happens, then fantastic! There are definitely tactics you can learn to better understand social media algorithms and how to better connect with your audience.  

But putting out content solely to increase your likes might eventually lead to feeling empty. The more likes we get, the happier we feel at the time. But, what about after? Can we say that we’re honestly controlling what we put out there or is the web controlling us?

What matters most is that you’re building a name for yourself that is greater than skin deep. And trust me, I don’t think everyone on the internet needs to be laser-focused on building their brand. But, if you’ve committed to using the internet as a way to further your personal brand, ask yourself how it can serve a greater purpose.

3. Build with the Future in Mind

The internet is still very undefined. We’re told to be careful what we post, because it will last forever. And yet we look back at our Facebook memories wondering why we posted completely random song lyrics back in the day.

The good thing is that if you’re not where you want to be career-wise, you have the opportunity to showcase your objectives and tailor your current status to accentuate skills that will get you to where you want to be. I suggest getting as clear as possible on your objective. Don’t let the internet pull you in ten different directions. This is where simplicity rules.

The clearer you can be on your agenda, the quicker you can filter through all the noise to what matters to you. More and more online trainings are popping up where you can master new skills for free or a more affordable rate. You can dip your toes in the water without going back to school. Just be sure that any trainings you embark on are reputable and in line with your vision.

“If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes.” – Andrew Carnegie

4. Connect in a Purposeful Way

Most importantly, we have the ability to connect with others who are where we want to be. While it’s always great to form connections face-to-face, we can reach out to role models online eventually leading to a phone call or meeting for coffee. I’ve learned more in a 15-minute call from a business owner I met online than I have in hours spent with others.

Even if you’re just exploring different career routes, you have the power to reach out to individuals from all paths. As long as you reach out to those people in an honest and grateful manner, most people are willing to share their story. As always, take advice with a grain of salt, but it can prove to be eye-opening in a way that you never imagined.

Whether you’re where you want to be or just getting started, you have the power to use the internet to develop your personal brand. Use this power to show others online your purpose. By controlling what you put out there, you never know who you just might connect with.

How are you building your brand in the noisy online world? Share your best tips below!

Image courtesy of Twenty20.com

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A Step by Step Process That Will Help You Make the Impossible, Possible

We have all been there, looking at something and wishing we had it. The girl, the car, the money, the family, the lifestyle…but then we tell ourselves “Yeah, but that’s not me”. The people who get that are cut from a different cloth and we keep telling ourselves that until it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. We waste the wings we got believing the entire time that we can’t fly and that it’s impossible for us. We don’t even see our wings most of the time.

1. The Invisible

This is the area we know nothing about since it’s is not even on our radar. We don’t know that it exists, only when we discover (by accident) or someone else tells us that, do we move the needle from the Invisible to Impossible.

Let me give you some examples of The Invisible.

1. Ibrahim Hamato – A table tennis player with no hands. He plays using his mouth and neck, but the biggest surprise is how he serves.
2. Building a 15 story hotel in 6 days in China is an every day activity.
3. Charlie Munger reads 500 pages per day. Considering that the average book is around 250 pages, that means he reads 2 books a day or 650-700 books a year. An average American reads less than 4 a year.

The Invisible now becomes visible. You know that it’s happening somewhere out there but not here, not where you are, not in your life. So that’s why the Invisible becomes the Impossible. “Oh wow, that’s amazing. But it’s impossible for me.” So welcome to the second stage.

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela

2. The Impossible

This is the area of get-rich-quick schemes. This is where the hagglers mostly operate, promising to give you something that would move you from the Impossible area to the Actual area, but it doesn’t work like that in real life. You are not accustomed to that kind of lifestyle and you can’t handle the jump.

If you need a proof of that, just look at what happens to the lottery winners who go from rags to riches. The suicide and depression rate within that group is one of the largest in the country, and the paradox is that they were happier with their lives before they won the lottery.

All of the steps need to be taken in order and you can’t jump through them. You need to feel each and every single one of them and figure out how to get from one to another. From the area of the Impossible, you start questioning how. How do I get there? How do I move ahead? This asking leads you to the mindset shift (from fixed to growth mindset) needed to make something impossible, possible.

3. The Possible

When you shift your mindset from a fixed to a growth mindset, that’s when you reach the Possible area. You start believing that it is possible FOR YOU to achieve that. It is no longer something which exists out there for someone else and it’s no longer for the people you think are made from a different cloth.

You start believing (and proving to yourself) that there is no “made from a different cloth.” You realize that there is just hard work, perseverance, and belief. Now, the biggest hurdle has been jumped and it’s time to give your mindset shift complementaries. The complementaries are based in knowledge and skills. When you start working in the area of the Possible, that’s when you step into the next area of the Probable.

4. The Probable

This is where you mix your mindset shift and the belief that you can do it, with the necessary knowledge and skills to do it. This is where your Why and How gets its What.

In the area of the Probable, you learn the What of the craft. You learn how to make your dream and your vision a reality. This is the part where habits and every day (compound) actions take place. This is one of the longest periods because most skills take so much time to become second nature.

If you want to achieve your vision and dream, you need to attain mastery in the field which would bring you there. Mastery simply takes time, but don’t be discouraged, you are now on the right path and success is inevitable. Just keep on pushing, keep on working, keep on grinding and believe it will happen. When it happens, you will begin to enter the last phase.

“No one gets very far unless he accomplishes the impossible at least once a day.” – Elbert Hubbard

5. The Actual

This is where your vision and your dream becomes a reality. This is the end goal you will feel, touch, smell, and live through. But only if you believe, work for it and achieve mastery. This is the place where dreams come true but it isn’t a magical place that fell from nothing. It is a product of your beliefs and hard work you put in for years until you saw the desired results.

At that moment, the hard work and perseverance finally pay off in the best feeling in the world, the feeling of accomplishment. The moment when you conquered not the people around you or the environment, but the moment when you conquered yourself.

And because of that, you are now living your dream in the reality.

What’s next?

On to the next goal you have. The circle never stops, the only thing that changes is our position on it. I have obtained the Actual in one area of my life, but in the other one, I am still at the Probable phase so there is still a lot of work to do.

How about you? Which area of your life’s dream are you in and how would you continue your pursuit towards the Actual? Share with us below!

Image courtesy of Twenty20.com

from
https://addicted2success.com/motivation/a-step-by-step-process-that-will-help-you-make-the-impossible-possible/