This project is located in Randwick, an Eastern suburb of Sydney, in the State of New South Wales, Australia. The project consists of an addition made to a single storey 1910 cottage that is surrounded by a swimming pool. Here, the water is the focus that brings the two distinct sections of the house together. The old building is really charming. Its aged red brick walls give it a unique..
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August 2nd
How Traveling for Self-Improvement Could Actually Work
You’re reading How Traveling for Self-Improvement Could Actually Work, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
We’ve all been there, in that moment when we hit a wall and can’t figure out what lies behind it. And each of us deals with that instance of our lives differently. But, what I’ve learned works for me is traveling. Although I haven’t traveled much and gone too far, most of the people I’ve met on my trips had one thing in common – they believed their journeys made them better and improved. And indeed, after every trip I took I felt better, invigorated, like every experience was an upgrade of me as a person.
So, if you’ve had some emotional turbulence or are just not feeling good about yourself, here are some ideas about what could help you self-improve while traveling.
Meeting new people will build up your confidence.
The great thing about traveling is that you get to meet people, and especially if you travel abroad you get to know travelers from all around the world. Don’t be shy or withdrawn, but start a conversation and exchange experience with them.
You are now outside your comfort zone and up for an adventure, so be adventurous. They could give you some hints about the place you’re going to, or be companions when sightseeing, as well as support that will empower your self-esteem.
Unfamiliar is good and welcoming.
The best way to fully immerse yourself in the destination you’re visiting is to choose a culture and country you know only the basics about. This means that you don’t know the language or the city, so you have to be resourceful and open-minded. Most of the time you will probably use a kind of pantomime to communicate with the locals, but after a while, you’ll notice that you’re starting to understand them better and will feel more accomplished and proud of yourself.
Choose a comfortable place to sleep.
This may seem contrary to the previous advice, but where you sleep and how you sleep is important no matter where you are. There’s lots of accommodation you can choose from when you arrive at your destination, but if you are already overwhelmed by the fact you are going to an unknown country, like Thailand for example, you might want to book ahead. My experience with Thailand hotel deals online was great and it made me feel more ready to jump into the culture I knew nothing about. The safety I felt at night empowered me for new adventures during the day.
Go to an adventure.
Constricted by my hometown and familiar faces, I was so obsessed with what others might say and what they thought of me. When I lost the job I loved several months ago, I felt like a failure and this obsession only weighed on me more. To compensate, I decided to try something uncharacteristic for me during every trip I went on. And every time the adrenalin and exhilaration hit, I noticed I cared less and less what others thought until I wasn’t bothered by other people’s opinions of me anymore.
The truth is, the only important opinion about you is your own. And it got better after every journey I had.
You control your travel and you alone.
Consider your travel to be a sort of a world inside the world, or more poetically a bubble within a bubble. However you choose to travel, with everything planned to a T or just with a backpack on your back and to jump into the unknown, the point is to always control what you do and what you would or wouldn’t like to experience.
This may seem hard to those of us who are too nice to say when something is not up to their standards or expectations, but there’s no more ideal place to start standing up for yourself than on your travels. And soon enough, it will become natural to you and you’ll be doing it all the time whenever the need calls for it.
In the end
Self-improvement is not something that gets invented or found while traveling, but rather something that awakens and is ready to be shaped. All those upgrades you want to have are already inside you, locked with fear and inhibition. So, you won’t become someone else, you will actually truly be the person you were intended to be all along. So close your eyes and place your finger on the map – the country you blindly chose is your next destination. Bon voyage!
You’ve read How Traveling for Self-Improvement Could Actually Work, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
How Traveling for Self-Improvement Could Actually Work
You’re reading How Traveling for Self-Improvement Could Actually Work, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
We’ve all been there, in that moment when we hit a wall and can’t figure out what lies behind it. And each of us deals with that instance of our lives differently. But, what I’ve learned works for me is traveling. Although I haven’t traveled much and gone too far, most of the people I’ve met on my trips had one thing in common – they believed their journeys made them better and improved. And indeed, after every trip I took I felt better, invigorated, like every experience was an upgrade of me as a person.
So, if you’ve had some emotional turbulence or are just not feeling good about yourself, here are some ideas about what could help you self-improve while traveling.
Meeting new people will build up your confidence.
The great thing about traveling is that you get to meet people, and especially if you travel abroad you get to know travelers from all around the world. Don’t be shy or withdrawn, but start a conversation and exchange experience with them.
You are now outside your comfort zone and up for an adventure, so be adventurous. They could give you some hints about the place you’re going to, or be companions when sightseeing, as well as support that will empower your self-esteem.
Unfamiliar is good and welcoming.
The best way to fully immerse yourself in the destination you’re visiting is to choose a culture and country you know only the basics about. This means that you don’t know the language or the city, so you have to be resourceful and open-minded. Most of the time you will probably use a kind of pantomime to communicate with the locals, but after a while, you’ll notice that you’re starting to understand them better and will feel more accomplished and proud of yourself.
Choose a comfortable place to sleep.
This may seem contrary to the previous advice, but where you sleep and how you sleep is important no matter where you are. There’s lots of accommodation you can choose from when you arrive at your destination, but if you are already overwhelmed by the fact you are going to an unknown country, like Thailand for example, you might want to book ahead. My experience with Thailand hotel deals online was great and it made me feel more ready to jump into the culture I knew nothing about. The safety I felt at night empowered me for new adventures during the day.
Go to an adventure.
Constricted by my hometown and familiar faces, I was so obsessed with what others might say and what they thought of me. When I lost the job I loved several months ago, I felt like a failure and this obsession only weighed on me more. To compensate, I decided to try something uncharacteristic for me during every trip I went on. And every time the adrenalin and exhilaration hit, I noticed I cared less and less what others thought until I wasn’t bothered by other people’s opinions of me anymore.
The truth is, the only important opinion about you is your own. And it got better after every journey I had.
You control your travel and you alone.
Consider your travel to be a sort of a world inside the world, or more poetically a bubble within a bubble. However you choose to travel, with everything planned to a T or just with a backpack on your back and to jump into the unknown, the point is to always control what you do and what you would or wouldn’t like to experience.
This may seem hard to those of us who are too nice to say when something is not up to their standards or expectations, but there’s no more ideal place to start standing up for yourself than on your travels. And soon enough, it will become natural to you and you’ll be doing it all the time whenever the need calls for it.
In the end
Self-improvement is not something that gets invented or found while traveling, but rather something that awakens and is ready to be shaped. All those upgrades you want to have are already inside you, locked with fear and inhibition. So, you won’t become someone else, you will actually truly be the person you were intended to be all along. So close your eyes and place your finger on the map – the country you blindly chose is your next destination. Bon voyage!
You’ve read How Traveling for Self-Improvement Could Actually Work, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.
Twelve Ways of Looking at Frank Lloyd Wright
Few things are more satisfying in the arts than unjustly forgotten figures at last accorded a rightful place in the canon. Then there are the perennially celebrated artists who are so important that they must be presented anew to each successive generation, a daunting task for museums, especially encyclopedic ones that are expected to revisit the major masters over and over again while finding fresh reasons for their relevance. Yet the Museum of Modern Art’s exhibition “Frank Lloyd Wright at 150: Unpacking the Archive” was a more hazardous proposition than its universally beloved subject might indicate.
Never promise a poor person, and never owe a rich one. -Brazilian Proverb
The Mysterious Music of Georg Trakl
Both Wittgenstein and Heidegger found themselves, at pivotal moments in their careers, turning to the arresting work of the early twentieth-century Austrian poet Georg Trakl (1887–1914). Not surprisingly, Wittgenstein and Heidegger responded to Trakl’s striking and still mysterious poems in sharply divergent—one might almost say opposite—ways.
Shenandoah National Park in Virginia has over 500 miles of…
Shenandoah National Park in Virginia has over 500 miles of trails, including 101 miles of the famous Appalachian Trail. Some trails lead to a waterfall or viewpoint; others penetrate deep into the forest and wilderness. With such an abundance of trail options and the famous Skyline Drive, it’s easy to find an adventure to fit your interest and ability. Sunrise photo by N. Lewis, National Park Service.
Modern and Romantic Summer House designed by Lilje-Huset
This comfortable and cozy house has been designed in such a way that natural light can enter and create bright and fluid spaces. This means that one can enjoy some morning coffee at sunrise, as well as a relaxing dinner at sunset. The light follows the daily flow of the house and the panoramic windows gives the impression of being one with the outside environment. It has been designed and..
The post Modern and Romantic Summer House designed by Lilje-Huset appeared first on HomeDSGN.
3 Steps to Getting That BIG Raise at Work
One of the most important components of achieving long-term financial well-being is increasing your income. In most instances, this will come in the form of raises to your salary. As you gain more experience and rise up the ranks, you’ll receive compensation adjustments.
But, do you know exactly how to get a raise?
In this article, we’ll discuss how to craft a compelling ASK which you can use to maximize your salary increase. This past year I used these techniques to increase my base salary by 10%!
Look at your work situation objectively
To start the process, you’ll first need to sit down and objectively look at your work situation. Have you been over-delivering on your project requirements? Have you been showcasing your leadership ability?
Sit down and write a list of 5-10 things that you’ve done to add significant value to your organization. If you can’t come up with at least a few things that you’ve done to add value, you may not be ready to ask for a raise.
If this is the case, don’t be discouraged. Use the situation as a motivator to improve yourself. Reach out to your boss and ask for feedback on what you can do to improve. Once you determine your areas for improvement, begin working towards your action items. Once you come up with 5 -10 talking points, it’s time to begin crafting your compelling ASK.
Crafting your ASK
You’ve done all the hard work of delivering results, now it’s time to talk about them. When developing your ASK, it’s important to determine how much of a raise you’d like.
Do you want a 5% raise? A 10% raise?
Be sure to research what an average raise for your position looks like and determine how much you deserve based on your performance. You’ll need to be prepared to justify this amount to your employer when you’re at the negotiation table.
Next, you’ll want to begin structuring your ASK appropriately. Start by thanking your boss for his/her time and express your appreciation for the opportunity to be a part of a great organization. This will help diffuse the situation and give you an extra positive boost when you begin your negotiation.
Next, you’ll want to highlight the 5-10 items on your list that have added value to the organization. It’s extremely important that you express the VALUE you’ve provided because, in the end, that’s what your employer cares about. Use metrics and other supporting data to solidify your case.
Once you’ve explained your positive results, close out by asking your employer for your determined percentage raise. Below, I’ve given an example of what a good ASK would look like:
“Over the past 6 months, my team and I have successfully delivered on project x & y, increasing revenue by $100,000 as well as reducing customer service average wait time by 3 minutes. I plan to continue to set the bar high for myself and my team so that we can continue delivering more results like these to the organization. As a result, I feel that my compensation should be adjusted by x% to reflect my performance”.
Practice your ASK in front of people to get comfortable delivering your request. This will most likely feel awkward at first, but practice can help you gain the confidence you’ll need to deliver. Now that you’ve crafted and practiced your compelling ASK, it’s time to set up a review meeting with your employer.
The Negotiation
Now that you’ve crafted a compelling ASK and practiced delivering it, it’s time to begin your negotiation. Reach out to your employer and request a time to speak with him/her. If you already have a pre-set evaluation meeting, mark it in your calendar.
On the day of the negotiation, show up dressed to impress and ready to kick some butt. When your meeting time finally arrives, thank your employer for meeting with you and sit down to begin your discussion. During the discussion, remember to highlight the VALUE that you’ve created for the organization and focus on the key metrics that you’ve delivered. Once you’ve given your pitch, ASK your employer for your desired raise.
From there, your boss will either accept or reject your proposal. If he/she accepts your proposal, congratulations! You worked hard and deserve every penny of your raise. If your boss rejects your proposal, ask if you could substitute some of your proposed extra yearly compensation with other forms of compensation, such as year-end bonuses, stock options or more vacation time.
Many employers are more lenient with this form of compensation and it may be a great option for you. If your boss still rejects the proposal, ask them if there is anything else you need to do to be considered for a raise in the future. When your boss provides you with feedback, take that feedback and implement it into your plan of attack right away. Once you’ve completed the desired items outlined in your discussion, re-engage the raise conversation.
Bringing it all together
As a high performer and excellent contributor to your organization, you deserve to be compensated fairly for your contributions. Preparing for this important interaction with your employer will not only help you achieve better results in the present, but it can also have a massive impact on your long-term financial well-being.
See Also: How Social Niceties Can Ruin Your Chances Of Getting A Promotion At Work
Pro-tip: Book Recommendation
A good book to read in this scenario is “The Greatest Salesmen in the World” by Og Mandino. Mr. Mandino delivers key selling success strategies through a parable set in ancient Babylon.
I found the timeless lessons he discussed in this book extremely compelling and I enjoyed the story he illustrated to frame these lessons. Learning the soft skills taught in this classic book will surely be of benefit to you in many life and work situations.
Do you have any stories or experiences of asking for a raise? Do you have any beneficial tips or strategies that you’ve utilized in a wage negotiation? I’d love to hear from you.
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Sig Nordal 