How Archimedes, Thomas Edison, and Elon Musk used First-Principles Thinking to Create World-Changing Technological Breakthroughs

How Archimedes, Thomas Edison, and Elon Musk used First-Principles Thinking to Create World-Changing Technological Breakthroughs

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Roshan Thomas was one of the first employees at Tesla, joining the upstart electric car company in 2001. Across from him sat CEO Elon Musk, a tall, energetic engineer who described his dream of replacing the internal combustion engine with a global fleet of electric cars.

He asked Musk whether taking on a problem that automotive giants with their billions of research dollars had failed to solve was too ambitious. The CEO answered that he looked at only two things before embarking on anything. First, can it be done? Are we breaking any laws of physics by doing this? Second, is it important enough for humanity that it would make a major dent? If the answer to 1 and 2 is ‘yes,’ then he would move forward.

Musk describes this approach to problem solving as “First-Principles” Thinking. It is a thought process that allows a designer to innovate in clear leaps instead of incremental gains. With first-principles thinking, an innovator begins at the most fundamental truths and reasons up from there.

Such an approach has allowed Musk to do unprecedented things with the Tesla Model S. Musk is obsessed with each car being perfect. He has told his teams that he wants the cars to be so accurate that they could be used as a calibration device. If he wanted to know how long a meter was, he could measure the car. This approach to design comes from the design book for rocket design, which he uses for his rocket firm SpaceX.

This is very extreme for the car business, but for the rocket business it is not, so from my standpoint, when people say you can’t do that, it’s like, ‘I do that every day. What are you talking about? I know it’s possible.’ We’re trying to take the precision of rockets, where fractions of a millimeter can mean the difference between success and failure. We’re applying rocket science to the car business. If you want to make the best car, that’s what you have to do.”

Musk is not the first person to apply first-principles thinking to problem solving. Aristotle said 2,300 years ago that approaching first principles is the key to doing any kind of systematic inquiry. Another ancient Greek inventor also applied this thinking – Archimedes.

Archimedes was the Elon Musk of his day, building technology centuries ahead of his time and discovering scientific proofs that were not rediscovered until the time of Newton. He was such a genius inventor that Roman chroniclers claimed he built a primitive laser out of an array of mirrors. Its bursts of solar energy burned down an entire enemy naval fleet.

Archimedes lived in the city-state of Syracuse, a Mediterranean backwater with little access to technological tools or written works that he could use to carry on his studies. Despite his isolation, Archimedes’s aggressive adherence to logic allowed him to make big discoveries.

Many of Archimedes’s inventions are still in use today: the compound pulley is still the basic mechanical feature of an elevator. He invented a screw that moved water uphill and catapults that defended Syracuse from Roman invaders. He was the first scientist to apply abstract mathematical principles to the world around him.

The third inventor to use first-principles thinking is Thomas Edison. He achieved similar levels of productivity as Musk and Archimedes. He was arguably the most prolific inventor in all of history, with 1,093 patents to his name. His lab in Menlo Park, New Jersey, churned out a minor invention every 10 days and a big thing every six months or so.

While many of Edison’s most famous inventions were more practical versions of things that already existed (such as the light bulb), he applied first-principles thinking to come up with original designs, such as the phonograph. While other inventors had already made devices that recorded sounds, Edison’s invention was the first to reproduce the recorded sound.

The phonograph took nearly a decade to bring to the market. He first conceived of the idea in the 1870s of turning electromagnetic waves into speech. Edison first used grooved paper disks or spools of paper tape. Edison eventually settling on a tinfoil disk. But tinfoil was so delicate it could only be played once or twice before becoming unusable.

Edison spent 10 years testing every substance imaginable until settling on the wax cylinder. His invention spread rapidly and became the dominant audio recording format for most of the 20th century.

Being a first-order inventor meant having every conceivable material on hand in order to test any theory. Edison’s laboratory materials supply items included over 8,000 kinds of chemicals, every size of needle, every kind of screw made, every kind of cord or wire. It also included hair of humans, horses, hogs, cows, rabbits, goats, minx, camels, silk in every texture, cocoons, ostrich feathers, and even a peacock’s tail.

Whether you are an ancient Greek scientist like Archimedes, an American tinkerer like Thomas Edison, or a CEO of a rocket ship firm like Elon Musk, first-principles thinking can help you overcome problems in a completely different way than those around you.

Michael Rank is a doctoral candidate in history. He is the author of 12 books and host of the History in Five Minutes Podcast. His most recent book is The Most Productive People in History: 18 Extraordinarily Prolific Inventors, Artists, and Entrepreneurs, From Archimedes to Elon Musk

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Why Punishing Ourselves Never Works the Way We Want It To

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We all have feelings. That’s obvious. But did you know there’s no such thing a wrong feeling?

Has someone ever told you you’re not allowed to feel what you’re feeling? Maybe. Have you ever told anyone they’re not allowed to feel what they’re feeling? Perhaps.

BUT have you ever told yourself you’re not allowed to feel what you’re feeling? I guarantee it. AND you do it WAY more often than you even realize.

As humans making our way through our lives, going about our business, and doing the best we can with what we’ve got, we sure seem to have this thing with kicking ourselves when we’re down.

When’s the last time you felt mad, sad, bad, angry, jealous, depressed, lonely, anxious, worried, scared, or vulnerable? Think about it for a second. And then think about what was going through your mind – what were you thinking when you were feeling one of above said emotions?

You may not know right off the bat, but I will bet, no, I can almost guarantee you were thinking to yourself something like: “you’re so weak! How can you let yourself feel this way?” or “You’re pathetic. No one else let’s themselves get in to an emotional state like this!” or “What’s wrong with you? Why can’t you keep it together!” or some other really encouraging, uplifting, and compassionate phrase.

To be fair, many of us do believe in earnest that we can whip ourselves in to a calm, peaceful, and balanced emotional state by criticizing and berating ourselves to no end. It is kind of how our society works: use punishment in order to keep the people in line.

Unfortunately that doesn’t work with our emotions – and I’m not even sure it’s the best way to run a society either. It’s almost like saying you can scream and yell at a crying child to get them to snap out of it and be happy. Pretty harsh Julia, but it’s true.

So now that we’re more aware that we tend to get all nasty with ourselves for feeling bad, mad, sad, angry, guilty, or depressed AND it doesn’t actually make us feel any better, what are we to do?

Let’s say a good friend came to you and said they were feeling really down, low, worried, scared or anxious – how would you respond to them? Something like: “You’re pathetic!” or “Stop being such a baby!” Oh man I sure hope not.

So then why do we think it’s okay to say things like that to ourselves?

What would you actually say to a close friend who was struggling? Why not try responding to yourself in the same way? You deserve to be treated at least half decently too.

It’s really important that we learn to take better care of ourselves – because let’s face it – we’re the only one of us we’ve got.

It’s okay to feel what we’re feeling. I’ve learned there aren’t actually any wrong feelings. We may not like what we’re feeling, but that’s okay, and it’s normal – life is not always pleasant. And that’s just a fact.

And by both giving ourselves the freedom and compassion to feel what we’re feeling, and also working on treating ourselves in the same way we would a close friend who was struggling, those unpleasant feelings really won’t stay around very long, AND they won’t be nearly as intense as they were when we were unknowingly making ourselves feel bad simply for feeling bad.

headshot Julia Kristina is a Mental Health Therapist who lives in beautiful Vancouver, BC, Canada. She runs a vibrant clinical counselling practice, is a speaker, workshop facilitator, blogger, and recovered ‘Friends’ junkie. In her spare time she likes to power walk, power talk, and power drill. You can read and see more from Julia Kristina on her Good For Me Blog.

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5 Ways to Control Anger and Improve Your Life

5 Ways To Control Your Anger & Improve Your Life

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Our hearts and minds are filled with a lifetime of memories – both good and bad. But, for some reason, instead of savoring the good memories, many of us just dwell on the bad ones.

Well, that needs to stop. Accepting the hurt from your past, and then moving on, is a healthy way to sort out your feelings of unrest. I have first-hand knowledge of what it’s like to dwell on the negative memories that haunt your daily life.

I grew up in a relatively large family – I was the youngest of four kids. Overall, my childhood was very nice. My mother was a compassionate and loving woman. My siblings treated me like an adored baby brother. And my father was an excellent provider. But he also had an extreme anger problem, which resulted in sporadic verbal and physical abuse.

He was a police officer, who had difficulty handling stress. He would get overwhelmed with his job and raising a family. In his heart, my dad only wanted what was best for us. But, he let that anger out too many times, and in too many inappropriate ways. He had a rough childhood. His father was not a pleasant man. Luckily, he also had a great mother. She balanced him, as did my mother after they got married.

Those memories of being hit very hard, and being insulted in a nasty manner, have always haunted me. In the past, if I felt slighted or disrespected in any way, the inner beast would get fired up. Fortunately, I have never been physical. I have never hit anyone. But, the anger I felt was real. And deep. I needed to change. So I did.

Not everyone who suffers from anger issues has had the same experiences I did. We are all unique people with diverse backgrounds. But, regardless, of what road led you to your anger, you can still change direction. It’s never too late.

Anger is a disease that eats away at your soul and spreads to those whose lives you touch. So, here’s five things you can do to keep your anger under control.

  1. Stop pretending you’re OK.

If you are constantly agitated, and it only takes the slightest thing to propel into you a tailspin of anger. Then, you have an anger issue that needs to be resolved. It is not healthy to feel that way. Or act that way. For you. And for everyone else that you encounter. Look yourself in the mirror and finally admit to yourself that you are not okay, and a change is needed.

  1. Find a “peaceful” role model.

This may seem like an odd thing to do. But, trust me. It works. If you are an angry person, I know you’re aware of people in your life that you admire for their calm and peaceful demeanor. Learn from them. Watch them handle stress and pressure. Now, I am not saying being a copycat. Rather, just like anything in life – learn from the masters.

  1.  Release the aggression (constructively)

You must find a way to let out that beast within. Exercise is, of course, an amazing way to release that extra tension. I personally love to hike. It really calms me down, and keeps me in good spirits. Also, another way to release your angst is through a creative outlet, like writing, drawing, photography, etc. I have been doing stand-up comedy for the past two years, and it is such a rush to get up on stage and make people laugh. I feel so relaxed afterward.  I am not saying you have to become a stand-up comedian, but you do have to find a way to release your anger in a constructive way.

  1. Forgive the person who wronged you.

This may be the most difficult thing to do – in life. Seriously. Forgiveness is a monumental task, and an even larger accomplishment. Once you forgive, you take back the power from the wrong-doer. I used to think this whole forgiveness theory was a bunch of bull, and some cliché that has been perpetuated by the people who seek forgiveness. But, it’s not BS. It really works. Try it.

1. Laugh. A lot. 

This one is my favorite. And the easiest to accomplish. The first step is to be able to laugh at yourself. Stop taking yourself so seriously. Once you can do that, the sky’s the limit. People who can laugh at themselves live 20 years longer than those who cannot. OK, I just made-up that statistic. But, you get my point.

The key to all of this is accepting your past and resolving to change your old way of approaching things.  I wish you luck in your pursuit for inner peace.

——–

Kevin is a writer, attorney, comedian and photographer. He hosts a blog at kevinhotter.com, the aim of which is to inspire, motivate and entertain the world. 

 

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3 Ways to Become More Mindful During Your Workout

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You step on a treadmill and get into a groove after a long day at work. Thoughts of your looming to-do list might be racing through your head. Or maybe you’re stressing about family or financial issues. And before you know it, you’ve forgotten you’re even there, pounding away on that rubber strip like a mindless robot.

Like most people, you probably want to take your mind far away from the excruciatingly slow-ticking clock before you. But tuning into your feelings while working out is hugely beneficial to your mental and physical health. It provides an opportunity to reconnect with a piece of you that might have gotten lost amid your hectic life and puts you on track to achieve your goals.

Of course, it’s not always easy to process the sweat pouring from your face, your pumping heart rate, and loud breathing and fathom what it all means. And with the omnipresence of media and entertainment and the piling stresses of daily life, distractions are almost impossible to ignore. But by focusing on the now, you can come back down to reality and start making the most of your workouts.

What Will This Do For Me?

Checking in, even in a brutally hard workout, helps you gain a keener sense of how hard you’re working physically and in a broader context. When I remain in the moment, I can ask myself whether I’m benefitting from the activity at hand. In terms of exercise, I can more accurately gauge where I am: Is my heart rate up? Am I breathing harder? Am I challenging myself or plateauing?

While running mile 16 in an IRONMAN triathlon, I became so displaced that I failed to notice a woman spectator running next to me. She was telling me to smile because I had this amazing opportunity, and that connection brought me back to a present state and forced a smile across my face. Instead of trudging through the marathon portion and dwelling on the pain of it all, I realized it was a blessing and completely turned around my state of mind.

How Can I Be More Mindful?

By bringing awareness into your workouts, you can stimulate your mind and body instead of taking part in a mindless routine. Here are three ways you can be more mindful:

1. Drown Out Your Thoughts 

In our always-on society, no matter where you are, you’re probably connected to a device. Even outdoor noises like cars rushing by and strangers conversing can be distracting.

Because we’ve become so obsessed with thinking about other things, our minds often take over and pull us away from the moment. And in a snap, the moment has passed, and we can’t recall it.

If you want to tap into your unconscious mind, you have to quiet your thoughts. This quiet time allows you to use your mind rather than let your mind use you.

2. Build a Ritual

Establishing rituals is a great way to train your unconscious mind to be more present. Setting up a ritual can calm an overactive brain, even if it’s something as simple as dimming the lights. As humans, we respond to rituals because they take the worry about “what comes next” out of the equation and allow us to focus on what really matters.

3. Meditate

Meditation is powerful — and not just from a spirituality standpoint. It’s an amazing tool that gives you the chance to connect with something bigger than yourself; it just requires some willingness. As your breathing becomes slower and more deliberate, your anxieties slip away. Meditating before or after a workout for just five minutes can help you refocus and remind you of what you’re doing and why. Don’t just go through the motions; actually be there.

When I’m mentally present during a workout, I think about different parts of my body in a connected way. How do my ankles feel? How does it feel when I break a sweat? This adds a whole new mind-body connection that’s induced by the exercise. It’s not even emotional; it’s a gauge or checkpoint for how I’m feeling.

Of course, you’ll inevitably have days when you hit the pavement and use the stress and tension as fuel to push yourself. And when being unmindful can help you get through a slump, it can have a positive impact. But as long as you recognize that distractions are everywhere — and you hold the mental capacity to get back on track — you can start putting mind over body and make your workouts worthwhile.

Rick Martinez is the CEO and founder of Project BINK, a community and platform that guides people to purpose-driven happiness. Find out more about how to eliminate distraction and become more mindful in your career, workouts, and life on the Project BINK blog.

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10 Books To Inspire You To Get Rich

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Books are a key to success. It’d be hard to attain any kind of success without reading! Yet we are constantly flooded with so many books to read. It is important to be picky on the subject you chose to read, and if it is on being inspired to become rich with ease, here are some books I have taken my time to write about. I believe they will be really helpful in making your desire come true.

1. The Magic of Thinking Big by David Shwartz

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From the day of its release this book became an instant success. Written by Dr. David Shwartz, renowned expert on motivation and earning more money, it follows the adage according to Donald Trump, “if you are going to be big, you might as well think big.” This book offers you a methodical approach on how you can get the most out of your job, your marriage and family. It also helps you see the bigger picture on how you can make those big dreams become attainable.

2. Awaken the Giant Within by Anthony Robbins

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This book is a noted production by Anthony Robbins for his spiritual approach to attaining wealth. With the guidance from this book you can take control of your mental, emotional and physical factors of achieving goals and making those smart decisions that count.

3. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell

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This book illustrates that little things can really make an enormous difference in your life. It emphasizes tapping into the power of creativity and getting the best of the magic moments it offers. A small idea could ignite great things and lead to extraordinary and outstanding accomplishments.

4. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck

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It all starts from the mind. How we think and what we think about is what can lead us to immense success. Where we are supposed to be all starts from how we think it. According to psychologist Carol Dweck of the famous Stanford University, our mindset determines the success we can get from our business, relationships and even parenting.

5. Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind by Al Ries, Jack Trout

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Positioning methods could put you in the right place and distinguish from the rest of the pack. According to the authors of this book, how you position yourself could be in form of branding, management and marketing. To excel you have to understand the difference in consumer behaviors and trends. Positioning makes you seen and heard in a noisy marketplace.

6. Thick Face, Black Heart: The Warrior Philosophy for Conquering the Challenges of Business and Life by Chin-Ning Chu

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What this Asian author offers you is from ancient Chinese military wisdom. How you can apply these principles from the listed practices could determine how efficient you can be in your field of entrepreneurship and career. According to Success magazine, the information and material in this book could be as vital as that in Napoleon’s Hill bestseller, “Think and Grow Rich.”

7. Helping People Win at Work: A Business Philosophy Called “Don’t Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A” by Ken Blanchard, Garry Ridge

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In this book the author identifies the secret of productivity and attaining more. According to them a satisfied worker will always attain more than an unsatisfied worker. It is important for business leaders and employers to help people attain more satisfaction at what they do and their success will propel your organization or career. The game plan is to help people win first and you will also win.

8. Rework by Jason Fried

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Co-founder of 37 Signals, Jason Fried talks about how you can start and be successful at owning your own business. Business ventures may be what will offer you the opportunity to get wealthy easier and exponentially. According to Jason Fried, becoming successful at your business goes beyond drafting a plan and approaching success through the conventional approach can be harmful.

9. How to Get Ideas by Jack Foster

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This book focuses on how you can develop new ideas which certainly will trigger your success and wealth. Jack Foster shares his techniques on how to generate amazing ideas and making them a part of your career and business endeavors.

10. Creativity Workout: 62 Exercises to Unlock Your Most Creative Ideas by Edward Bono

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In this book creativity is explained as an important element in career success and is discussed expansively. According to Edward Bono, creativity is not a skill for only a few people. Rather it is up to every one of us to tap into the creative juices that is actually present in every one of us.

To get rich with ease will not be so daunting if you take a shot at any of these books.

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6 Things To Do Every Day To Ensure You Stick To Your Goals

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Sticking to goals can be challenging. We all want better health, better careers, better jobs and to cast an impression on everyone that we are living fulfilled lives. Yet to reach our goals and make every minute of our time count requires commitment, consistency and hard work. Certain daily practices have to be observed to get the best out of us. Here are some things you have to ensure daily to reach your goals.

1. Involve others

You have to be accountable for the actions you are committing yourself to. Involve everyone around you, get them engaged and talk to them on how they can help you accomplish your goals. When you involve others you feel you have a responsibility towards them as well as yourself. Every day, make sure you are accountable to sticking to your goals. By joining groups or engaging others you have more motivation to reach your goals. For example if you want to read more, try joining a book club, if you want to be a better entrepreneur, join an entrepreneurial organization.

2. Visualize the rewards

Reaching a goal can be challenging, sometimes it can be overwhelming. When the journey becomes tough and difficult, try to stick to visualizing your successes every day. Wake up to visualize what rewards you will get from sticking to meeting your goals. If you want to lose some pounds, visualize yourself already underweight and benefiting from being underweight. The mind has a way of channeling your body and intentions to sticking to your goals and reaching them.

3. Break down your goals

Try to break down your goals into tiny chunks. The smaller the size of the goals, the more willing and prepared you are to meet them. For example, if you find it difficult getting out of the house and taking a workout at the gym, why not try to break the goal into making sure you are always dressed for the gym daily? By doing this you demonstrate you are moving in the right direction and you can keep the momentum to meet with the larger goal.

4. Reward yourself

For every progress you make daily towards reaching your goals, try to vindicate yourself and reward yourself. By doing this you appreciate yourself and the hard work you have put in for the day. When you reward yourself you program yourself to benefiting from a larger reward in the future. You also propel yourself to gaining daily rewards which can be enticing and motivating.

5. Measure your progress

It is easy to become frustrated when you are not getting instant results. Change can be slow and rewards are not always immediate. Still, progress can be measured even in tiny bits so take time to look back at where you are coming from. You don’t have to feel depressed about not making that major progress in an instant, but when you journal or snap pictures to document your progress, no matter how small, you will feel grateful and elated to see what difference you have made from where you are coming from up till now.

6. Believe in the possibilities

According to researchers, by believing in the possibilities of accomplishing a goal or a task you increase your chance of reaching it and eradicating whatever roadblocks or challenges you may face. Believe in what you can achieve. What self belief has over self control is that while self control can be depleted, self belief cannot. We all have an enormous reservoir of how much we can believe in ourselves. With believing in ourselves comes perseverance, determination and desire to meeting with our goals. Every day understand that what you need to keep on going is how you think of achieving your goals. Your goals are reachable if you think you can reach them!

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10 Things People Do Every Day Which Make Them Unproductive

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Everyone wants to get more done! Trying to aim for the stars could mean that you start paying attention to needless distractions that may just be entirely consuming your time. Instead of devoting attention to some of these things, why don’t you get them out of the way and focus on getting more results.

1. Procrastinating

Procrastination is a thief of time. Putting things off until later can hinder your productivity. Get your tasks done immediately, as soon as you can! If you have free time try taking on the tasks you have delayed for later.

2. Staying glued to social media

We all like social media. We all want to be connected with friends and be a part of the gossip. Yet this becomes an addiction for many. Perhaps you are unaware of it, but this could hinder your productivity. Stay away from those tempting gadgets and focus on getting your job done.

3. Not eating right

Eating right goes a long way to making you stay active and healthy. Many are not conscious of their diet and sometimes even skip meals. Doing this can cause mental and physical fatigue. Try eating right, make your mornings consist of diet related to carbon, fibre and protein rather than fatty foods that will quickly be broken down by the body and lead to exhaustion.

4. Not planning your day

Planning is very helpful to your daily success. How productive you can be depends on how much you have structured your day. By doing this you understand what is important and what should be prioritized. Not juggling up too many activities and trying to accomplish so many activities all at once can make things go frenetic and frustrating. Plan your day right and increase your productivity.

5. Multitasking

People feel they can do so many things at once. They feel by taking on so many tasks they can be more effective and achieve more, but studies show otherwise. Multitasking is a productivity killer as it affects our ability to learn and could be brain damaging.

6. Not taking a needed rest

Rest is very essential daily. Working so hard and being busy is not the same as productivity. To become more productive, you have to offer your body the rest it deserves. The human mind was designed to recharge and take breaks. So adjust your schedule to taking a break and finding the time to rest.

7. Trying to be perfect

We all cannot be perfect. You can be excellent at work but shooting for perfection would only hinder productivity. Try to aim for what you can reach and attain rather than those things that may appear unreachable. Being a unicorn can become a dreadful pursuit.

8. Not taking care of your health

Taking care of your health is pivotal to your success as ambition can be useless without a sound health. Make sure you are mentally, physically and emotionally stable. Treat your health properly. Take breaks, exercise regularly and eat right.

9. Not accepting responsibility

Accept responsibilities for everything that is before you. Don’t shy away from what you are meant to do or start delegating or assigning others to help you complete your tasks. By accepting responsibility you trigger a feeling of accomplishment. This incites happiness and stirs you to get more work done.

10. Not setting goals

Goals are important to success. By setting goals you can measure and track your progress. Setting goals has a way of steering you to finish a project or task when it has to be finished. The human mind loves deadlines and setting goals will signal your subconscious to taking action on your desires.

Take charge of your life and be in control and do not leave anything to chance. Although you may have built habits or unknowingly done these things every day, try to channel your energy into becoming more productive now.

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15 Self Help Books Everyone Needs To Read

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Self-help and personal development material is one of those things that’s either embraced with open arms, or pushed away like a bad meal. I prefer the former. And I’m guessing that if you’re reading this article right now, you’re (at least) thinking about embracing this list of self-help books below.

So, without further ado, here are 15 of the best self-help books available today. Hopefully they’ll help you make as many positive strides towards your own personal development as they have for me.

1. “Flow” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

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Let’s kick this party off with a quick little exercise: imagine for a moment that you’re working on something—a project, perhaps—and this thing you’re working on; it happens to be something you absolutely love doing. It’s also something you’re damn good at, too … How do you feel when you’re doing this type of work? Does it make you feel good? Does it energize you? Do hours seem to fly by like minutes? If yes, then you’re probably in what’s known as a “flow” state. Wondering how you might be able to bring more flow into your life? Pickup this book.

 

2. “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey

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Unless you’ve been living under a rock for couple of decades, chances are you’ve heard of ”The 7 Habits” by the late great Stephen Covey — but have you actually read it and put it to use as the self-help book it was meant to be used as? If not, then now’s the time to consider doing that. The power of this book comes from the timeless principles (or habits) it’s based off of. Each of the habits laid out in this book are designed to act as individual prescriptions for effectiveness in every area of life: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

 

3. “Willpower” by Roy F. Baumeister, John Tierney

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I learned a super crucial self-help lesson from “Willpower”. Here it is: There are basically two qualities that correlate with success: one of them is intelligence and the other is self-control. So far scientists haven’t figured out what to do about intelligence, but they have re-discovered how to improve self-control. That’s what this book is about — improving impulse control — which is probably the most under-estimated aspect of self-help that there is. Get this book. It’ll change the way you live your life.

 

4. “The ONE Thing” by Gary Keller, Jay Papasan

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Think of the ONE thing you ultimately want to do with your life, career, or business over the long-run. Once you’ve got that in your mind, think about how many dominoes you need to line up—and then knock down—in order to achieve it. Simple right? Actually, yeah. It is. But just because it’s simple doesn’t make it easy. That’s why “The ONE Thing” is such a powerful book. According to the authors, the key to success is figuring out your ONE most important goal — in your business, career, health, relationships, and every other area of life that matters to you — and knocking down one domino at a time until you’ve achieved that ONE goal.

 

5. “Psycho Cybernetics” by Maxwell Maltz

self-help books

Get this: “Pyscho Cybernetics” was written by a plastic surgeon who decided that one day, he wanted to help his patients see their beauty from the inside-out as opposed to the outside-in, which is presumably why most of them walked into his office. This is a surprisingly powerful little self-help book that’s packed with practical advice on improving confidence, overcoming fear, and more.

 

6. “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg

self-help books

The interesting thing about habits, is that once we develop them, they go about totally un-noticed in our day-to-day activities. For example: you probably don’t think about how many simultaneous actions go into reversing your car out of the garage and into the street safely and smoothly… you just do it. That’s a habit. But so is smoking“The Power of Habit” teaches you how to be deliberate about building better habits that serve you both in life and in business.

 

7. “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius

self-help books

“Meditations” is filled with Stoic wisdom that’s just as applicable to the world we live in today, as it was when it was when it was first written 1,800 years ago. The remarkable thing about the advice in this book, and the reason it shows up on this list, is because a vast portion of the spiritual principles that were practiced and written down so many centuries ago, have since been confirmed by science to be effective on our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Find out more by picking up a copy of this age-old text to see if you can bring a little old-school Stoic wisdom to the 21st century.

8. “Getting Things Done” by David Allen

self-help books

Yah know — you can have some of the greatest, most innovative ideas in the world — and have every single one of them flop due to a lack of ability to EXECUTE. If you lack the willingness + capability to get things done with effectiveness + efficiency, it doesn’t matter how great your ideas are because when it’s all said and done, success depends upon consistent action. Which is exactly why David Allen’s “Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity” makes for such a crucial read.

 

9. ”How To Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie

self-help books

Decades before we had the science and research to prove the power of Emotional Intelligence, Dale Carnegie had already written the definitive guide on how to leverage it to our lives and in our businesses. “How To Win Friends and Influence People” is one of those self-help books that seriously needs to be in everyone’s collection. I’ve lost count how many friends I’ve gotten copies of it for.

 

10. “Waking Up” by Sam Harris

self-help books

Still teetering on which box to check under the “Religious Preference” category?—Or whether to check any of the boxes at all? It’s not as big of a deal as it used to be.

In ”Waking Up”, neuroscientist Sam Harris breaks down the science behind how the brain relates to consciousness — and how that relates to spirituality — showing us that you can, indeed be spiritual without religion.

11. “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek

self-help books

“Leaders Eat Last” is a self-help book disguised as a leadership book. In the book, author Simon Sinek lays out actionable insights about why leaders need to replace the old “carrot & stick” models of management with more sustainable approaches, that are grounded in empathy and designed to boost engagement and a sense of camaraderie that’s missing in the modern workplace… Pick this book up if you plan on — or already are — leading a career or business that’s comprised of teams of people that depend on working together in order to succeed.

 

12. ”Give and Take” by Adam Grant

self-help books

Some people say that the only way to get ahead in life is to crush our enemies and claw our way to the top. Followers of this way of thinking believe it doesn’t matter how many fingers you need to step on to get to the top, it just matters that you get to the top. This is non-sense. And in his book, ”Give and Take”, author Adam Grant has the research to prove it. Grant says that the true drivers of success are centered not around taking, but giving.

13. ”Never Eat Alone” by Keith Ferrazzi

never eat alone

The reason why “Never Eat Alone” — a book about connecting with people — is on this list because everything in life happens through people. And in this book, author Keith Ferrazzi breaks down the science behind building meaningful relationships. My biggest take-away? Stop trying to “network” with people to get what you want, and start trying to add value instead. Just read the book. It’s a game changer.

14. “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell

self-help books

This is a book about success… and how there’s a lot more to it than being smart and working hard. Maybe you’ve heard of Gladwell’s famous 10,000 hour rule and how it relates to success – but even then – there’s still so much more to learn about how successful people became so successful in the first place. “Outliers” is a must-read title if you’re looking for some self-help literature that’s focused on the subtleties and nuances that contributed to the success of icons like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.

15. “10% Happier” by Dan Harris

self-help books

If you’re a skeptic by nature, then this is the book for you. “10% Happier” was written by news anchor, Dan Harris. In the book, he chronicles his run-ins with over-the-top self-help gurus (like the quacks behind The Secret)—and cross-references their claims with science to determine whether they held up or not. Along the way, he uncovers the intersection of where science meets spirituality. Good stuff.

Which book will you read first?

Now that you’ve got this big ole’ list of self-help books — there’s only one question left: Which one do you read first? Should you go out and get all of them immediately? Should you read them all at once? So many options. So little time. Ultimately, it’s totally your decision what you do with this list and how you apply it to your life and career.

But if I may, here’s what I would suggest you consider as you get started:

– Subscribe to a book summary site, like FlashBooks to get the key-takeaways from the books on this list.

– If you’d prefer to read an entire book, I would highly suggest that you read just ONE book at a time. Sometimes, when we see something new and exciting, we have tendency to want to do/learn/read it all at once… and as we all know, this is nearly impossible to do without stressing ourselves out. So, choose a book. And then commit to reading it from start to finish.

– If you’re in a rush, try Audio books, or Audiobook summaries.

– Finally, if you’re in a super rush, checkout some YouTube video book summaries, like this one.

——

Dean Bokhari is best-selling author and host of Meaningful*FM (MeaningfulHQ.com),one of the web’s most popular personal development podcasts.

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5 Smart Reasons to Practice Creative Visualization

how to visualize

“Oh gosh! Is this what the rest of my life is going to look like?”

Have you ever found yourself asking this tough dilemma? Have you ever felt like something in your life is taking the wrong direction? And it seems that you can’t do nothing to change that?

There comes a point in your life when you realize that you’re meant for something bigger than working your 9-5 hours (or more) under fluorescent lights and in unhealthy environments.

When you realize that you don’t want anymore lead a normal existence, conforming to society’s expectations, but you want to create something epic, something valuable for you and the millions of people out there.

But the problem is that most of the time you have no clue where to start to make this happen. Maybe you deeply desire to become a full time writer, a famous world-travel youtuber or a meditation instructor in a luxury retreat in Bali, but you feel stuck because you don’t know how to accomplish that specific goal.

Fortunately, you have the power to radically transform any aspect of your life and experience more happiness, joy, abundance, prosperity, health or any kind of success you truly desire. This power is called creative visualization.

Creative Visualization has now become one of the most widely used and popular personal growth tool on the planet to help you realize your full potential and live the life of your dreams.

But if you are still skeptical about incorporating visualization in your daily routine, here are some good reasons why you should consider taking up a creative visualization practice.

1. You discover your higher purpose

When I started my journey of self-discovery and awakening, I had no idea how to stop doing what I hated and start doing what I were meant to do.

Fortunately, visualization helped me to figure out how to get from where I was to where I wanted to be, and what actions I needed to take.

Therefore through visualization you can gain inspiration about the steps you should take towards your biggest dreams, because we are more likely to believe and act in the direction of our dreams, goals and aspirations, if we can actually see them as possible and achievable in our mind.

2. You become happier

Just after a few days of Visualization, you’ll start to feel more confident, happy, relaxed and mentally stronger. Visualizing yourself successful and living on purpose has a great impact on your moods and brain chemistry because your mind can’t see the difference between what’s real and what’s created in your imagination, thus your body will respond in the same way it would if you where actually experiencing that which you are visualizing.

3. You heal yourself naturally

This is my favorite one. Whenever I experience any type of aches and pain, I dive deep in my visualization practice and I clearly visualize my body rebuilding itself and getting better. And it’s pretty awesome when you realize that you can actually consciously control your body’s natural self healing mechanisms with just your mind. So, if you don’t visualize for any other reason, give it a try for this one.

4. You attract synchronicity in your life

When you start to visualize something you deeply desire to experience, you’ll begin to see great opportunities present themselves. You’ll meet inspiring people, have sparkling ideas and flash of insights. You’ll finally know what to do, how to get you back on track and, most importantly, how to transform any ideas into an action plan.

5. You become the best version of yourself

It’s time to acknowledge that your present life is largely the result of what you’ve visualized (consciously or unconsciously) up to this point. And if you’re like most folks out there, you’ve created results that aren’t so exciting as you think.

So, by visualizing yourself more healthy, successful, compassionate and happy, your subconscious blueprint starts to change, in this way, you will finally start to shape and create your destiny with your hands.

As you can see, these are really good reasons to start practicing visualization, and if you haven’t done already, I encourage you to practice it on a daily basis until it becomes as regular in your schedule as brushing your teeth.

You can get anything you want in your life. There’s nothing you cannot accomplish, because there’s nothing that you cannot envision. Decide today to make your life exactly as you want it.

So guys, now I’d like to hear form you: “What would you like to create in your life?”. Leave a comment below!

—–

If you are ready to take a step forward in your life Sign Up for FREE for Mastering Creative Visualization Masterclass, to discover how to make your life exactly as you want it.

Luigi Potenza is on quest to help people like you create a healthy, happy and EPIC life. Check out his Website to receive tools, ideas and techniques you can immediately use to improve any aspects of your life. Connect with Luigi on Facebook and Twitter

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10 Things Early Birds Do that Make Them More Likely To Be Successful

10 Things Early Birds Do that Make Them More Likely To Be Successful

Are you an early bird? Most people have heard the phrase “the early bird gets the worm,” but they may actually be getting much more than that.

Early birds are more likely to be proactive, happy and healthy – check out 10 things that early birds do that make them more likely to be successful.

1. They Can Accomplish Tasks As Soon As They Start Their Day

It doesn’t take long for our days to get started; family, friends, career obligations, emails, and tidying mean that there are things to start doing as soon as you wake up. Early birds get a head start on this first thing, accomplishing most of their tasks in the morning.

This is good in another way, too – as early birds accomplish tasks when they wake up, they are more likely to have a relaxed evening.

2. They May Be Wired To Be An Early Riser

Researchers have discovered that around 10% of us are born early birds. This means many early birds are actually wired this way, and forcing themselves to sleep in will reduce how proactive they are. So embrace your early bird status to achieve success!

3. They May Be More Intelligent

A 2008 study from Texas University discovered that the students who identified as being early birds actually scored a full point higher on their GPAs than the students who identified as night owls.

4. They Are Most Focused In The Morning

Many people feel more focused first thing in the morning, and early birds really get to embrace this as they get up when most people are asleep, creating far fewer distractions.

The most efficient way to work is in two to four hour block sessions – and by 11 many early birds have already completed their first block.

5. They Are Following The Habits Of Extremely Successful People

It appears greeting the day early is one of the keys to success. Many successful entrepreneurs are early birds themselves; CEO of Apple Tim Cook is up for 4:30 a.m. and Richard Branson is up for 5.45 a.m. This may be because getting starting early gives you a head start on the day.

6. They Get A Good Night’s Sleep

A good night’s sleep is essential to a productive day, and early birds often have more opportunities to sleep.

Many people struggle to fall to sleep straight away, and many wake up during the night. If this happens, you may need an extra half an hour in the morning – and as early birds rise so early, they have the opportunity to get a little extra sleep if they need it.

7. They Are More Proactive

In a 2008 study at Harvard, Christop Randler discovered that morning people are more proactive.

The early birds were more likely than the night owls to agree with proactive statements like “I spend time identifying long-range goals for myself.”

A proactive attitude naturally leads to higher productivity, which means early birds are more likely to be successful later on.

8. They Have Time For Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but many people do not make time for a proper breakfast, or even a rushed one. Early risers have more free time in their mornings than other people, so they have fewer excuses to skip breakfast.

A survey from the Harvard School of Public Health discovered a possible link between not eating breakfast and a higher risk of coronary heart disease, so having a good breakfast can benefit you in many different ways.

9. They May Be Happier

A study at the University of Toronto has actually shown that morning people are likely to be both happier and healthier than night owls. The health part is partially logical; as early birds are up earlier they have more opportunity to eat a good breakfast and exercise.

The happiness is the more interesting part; morning people report higher levels of happiness, which could be due to how proactive they are.

10. They Have Great Personality Traits

Studies have shown that early birds are more likely to show some traits than night owls. Night owls are more likely to exhibit creativity and pessimism, while early birds are more likely to exhibit optimism, conscientiousness and satisfaction.

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