Being a successful entrepreneur and running your own business is hard. If you dream of quitting your job to become an entrepreneur, there are 3 things you should do today, in your current job, before you take the leap.

Create a Part-Time Side Hustle

Before you leave the comforts of your reliable health coverage and paycheck, start small and do some of your entrepreneurial work part-time. Find a way to create a side hustle to test your idea before going all in and quitting your job. It does require that you spend your free time working, but you will be further along when you do decide it’s time to quit.

Ideas to consider before you quit:

1. Create a website to sell or promote your idea and start testing who responds favorably.
2. Spend your weekends and evenings creating your business plan and share with friends and mentors for feedback.
3. Attend networking events related to your idea. Start to build your tribe of potential clients, customers, or supporters.

The opportunity to launch your own company is an enticing one, be sure to do as much as you can with the stability of your current job, before you take on the risk and try to launch your new idea.

Evaluate Your Current Job

Before you quit your job, ask yourself this question: are my ideas and passion something I could tap into with my current job or company?

If you can become an intrapreneur and launch new ideas and products within your current role, that could be the entrepreneurial sweet spot you are craving. Intrapreneurs have the opportunity to create new things, but with less risk, as you will still have your company’s resources available to you.

NOTE: You won’t have the same upside as a wildly successful startup. You won’t have the same equity in the idea as you would if you started it out on your own. That said, starting something new, right where you are, could be great practice and just the training wheels you needed to get your entrepreneurial feet wet and ready to do your own thing.

Assess Your Needs

Make sure being an entrepreneur is what you want. Do you need a change? Are you passionate about seeing your idea come to fruition? These are great reasons to become an entrepreneur, but you also need to be equipped to handle failure, rejection, and ready for the long-term implications that entrepreneurship brings.

Start by spending time self-reflecting on what would help you tap into your passion. Talk to mentors that know you, and start to uncover your internal motivations, and how you could get closer to your goals.

Also, spend time identifying what infrastructure you require to succeed. For example, do you need a steady paycheck to support your family? Do you work best when surrounded by a collaborative team? Think about how you will you manage the ambiguity that comes with entrepreneurship, and not having the built-in support and structure your current job provides.

Proceed with Caution

If you take these 3 steps, you will be better equipped and ready for launching your own product or service as an entrepreneur. It delays quitting your job today but gives you some tools to leverage if you do take the plunge further down the line. Taking these steps will ultimately ensure that you make a career choice that will make you happy and lead to success.

About the Author:

Entrepreneur turned intrepreneur. Co-founder of Pick-A-Prof and MyEdu. Launched new products at the California Department of Education and IDEO. Karen’s work has been highlighted in media publications including The New York Times, TechCrunch, NPR, CNN, and more. She has spoken at SXSW, COIN, Tech for Schools, EDVenture, and worked with companies and organizations across the public, civic, and non-profit sectors. You can follow Karen by visiting her blog or connect via Facebook and Twitter.

 

 

You’ve read 3 Things to Do Before You Quit Your Job to Become an Entrepreneur, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others and Make an Impact, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

In 1726, at the ripe age of 20, Benjamin Franklin created a habit-tracking system to help him live a more successful life. On each day of the week, he would give himself a crossmark for the virtues he failed to practice.

“I might mark, by a little black spot, every fault I found upon examination to have been committed respecting that virtue upon that day.” — Benjamin Franklin.

Benjamin’s 13 Virtues: Temperance. Silence. Order. Resolution. Frugality. Industry. Sincerity. Justice. Moderation. Cleanliness. Tranquility. Chastity. Humility.

 

Build Your Internal Compass

This checkmark system alone wasn’t enough for Benjamin.

Each morning, he would ask himself “What good shall I do this day?” before he wrote a short journal as he jotted down his ideas. Each evening, he would reflect on his day with this single question: “What good have I done today?”

“The quality of your life comes down to the quality of the questions you ask yourself on a daily basis.” — Tony Robbins.

His check-mark system, alongside his morning and evening questions – served to steer his life in a far more focused direction. It made him continually think about ideas he could implement each day to practice goodness, both for his benefit and the benefit of those around him.

You’ve read How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others and Make an Impact, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading Should You Be An Artist And Follow Your Dreams? Here’s Something You Must Know, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Do you often think whether you should follow your dream of becoming an artist? If you do, then read on.

Look at the painting above.

The painting you see is ‘The Red Vineyard’ by Vincent Van Gogh.

The only painting which Van Gogh ever succeeded in selling during his lifetime out of the 900 which he had painted.

He remained a failure for his lifetime, led a miserable life filled with mental illnesses and melancholy, until he finally shot himself and committed suicide.

“La tristesse durera toujours,” were his last words, which meant “The sadness will last forever”.

He never got to witness his success. He didn’t remain alive to see it. He couldn’t make a fortune out his art. Yet, he painted.

His art wasn’t respected in his time and pushed him towards the miseries he might not have imagined. Once he spent his money on paint rather than food, yet he painted.

Why did he paint?

If you could answer the question without a need to think, with a voice that comes straight from your soul, I doubt not that you’re an artist.

I believe you know why artists do what they do.

If you can feel how he might have felt and can’t help thinking with a sigh on your face for a while, then you’re an artist.

More than anything, if you could see your own reflection in what he did, you’re truly an artist.

Here’s a truth

Artists don’t always get what they’re known for. But neither have they always worked for those reasons.

Fame, money, attention, respect – are all cheaper than the reason which motivates an artist to create his art.

There’s nothing wrong if he expects some material outcomes. Yet, for all the blood, sweat and tears he puts in his art – these rewards are far less than compared to what he gives back to the world.

The fancy lie about being an artist

The world is often an ignorant place where people measure actions only in terms of outcomes.

If you can’t justify your work to them or fail to come up with a logical reason, they’ll build up their own assumption anyway.

As an artist, you’re selfless. You create because you love to. You share because you work brings smiles.

Sometimes, you create just because something kills you from within and you wish for nothing more than taking off that burden form your heart.

But world won’t ever get it. It will always think that you’re driven by some selfish motives and are a crazy maniac who has no regard for his life.

But you’re only misunderstood. Because even if money and fame might be among the reasons you create art for, they aren’t the only ones.

Why artists should be less attentive to the world

Artists owe nothing to the world. Nothing.

To the world, your art may be nothing less than a speck of dust.

Then why do you try so hard to make others care about our work?

It isn’t wrong to seek audience. After all, we create to be seen and appreciated. However, just because the world is blind to your art and disrespects it, doesn’t mean that you should quit.

Those who truly know and love you, understand the value of art in your life.

They’ll motivate you, not drag you. They’ll try to help you in all ways they can and try you to get your art the value it deserves.

As for the rest, how should react to those who wish to snatch the thing which is the reason behind the smile on your face?

Do what you always wanted to do for yourself. Give up your yearning for the attention of people.

Only then you can make the world restless and shake its ignorance. Soon it shall notice you, glare at you with wondering eyes, and give you the respect you deserve.

The moment you find some work that fills you with excitement or makes your heart pump faster, you feel an intense wish to do it.

You find yourself. Soon, you fear losing that feeling, and you wish to go on creating forever.

But then, you think what others might think of you.

You suppress the brightest part of yours by making yourself believe that you’re a fool to dream.

You think of the bread before your happiness, and of the world before your soul.

After that, you become a loser for life and are left to bear a regret forever.

No one ever knows what your dream was, your life remains normal, yet in your heart you know that you had lost something in life.

It doesn’t matter what you become to the world, in your heart you know that once you feared, and then remained a coward – forever.

If you don’t wish to be that coward, give up your fear of the world and start somewhere. Be what you want to be.

You wanted a chance? You already have it

Dare to dream. To be what you want to be. To create, not just for the world but yourself.

Step out of your safe zone, feel your vulnerability and surrender yourself to the work which scares you. The work which makes you love your life and vanishes your fear of death.

This is the moment you’ve got. Either you become the next faceless person who lived according to the conventions of the world, or die a rebel with a satisfaction that at least you had tried.

“Of all that is written, I love only what a person hath written with his blood.”

― Friedrich Nietzsche

A real artist doesn’t give up art

Being an artist can be painful and miserable. But you don’t let anything prevent you from becoming one. You go ahead, you play your part.

This world doesn’t owe you anything, but not giving it what you can would be a sin. More than that, it would only bring you misery and break you, for you fail to contribute your part in this world.

Don’t create art for gains, but yourself and for the happiness of the ones who appreciate it. The world is an ignorant place – so if you judge your art in the amount of attention you get – you might be forced to quit.

People are often conservative in their appreciation and won’t help you grow even when they can. Doesn’t matter. Create for the kind ones who care.

Above all, create for yourself.

Art can change you, the world, and everyone else. You have a price to pay too. Sufferings and pains always exist, but you don’t let them break you.

You are an artist only if you create. So create. Sometimes there aren’t any reasons to create, not many successes to celebrate, but the keep pushing yourself to create more.

“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?” – Vincent Van Gogh

When you’re an artist, you feel like a loser when you stop. You feel good when you create.

So create art, no matter what. Die with a bunch of admirable creations by the side of your deathbed, that’s the only worthy satisfaction you must have.

How long are you planning to think? How long will you stay a loser? How long can you quash the gift you’re born with?

Hope you decide soon.

I just wanted to tell you something.

If you ever wanted to be an artist, be one.

You can be everything else that you want to be, and also an artist. You don’t have to choose being one.

It’s always beautiful to create art and it’s great to be an artist.

About Author:

I’m Vishal Ostwal. A writer, blogger, and the kind of person whose name rhymes with his surname.

Apart from that, I’m a dreamer, and a storyteller who can talk about life tirelessly. Visit my blog to find my online home,or connect with me on facebook and twitter.

You’ve read Should You Be An Artist And Follow Your Dreams? Here’s Something You Must Know, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading The Art of Saying NO!, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

When is it ok to say NO? It is always ok to say no, and that’s regardless of what is being asked and by whom. I don’t mean saying NO, and then give an explanation as to why your answer was NO. Just saying NO as your response is more than enough. Explaining yourself as an adult is just too much when giving NO for an answer. I would rather a person just go mute, instead of lying about why you can’t accommodate the person’s request. I know, the world is sensitive and being raw and straightforward is frowned upon, but it’s needed to get answer understood. These lies that are being given as explanations as to why you can’t grant their request, are considered “little white lies”. These “little white lies” eventually turn into “HUGE white lies” that are hard to keep up with. Even if your explanation is truth, don’t use it as an excuse if your answer would have been no without the explanation. Those little white lies are detrimental to your growth. “The truth shall set you free.”

Lying is Comfortable.

Person 1. “Do you think you can help me move out of my current apartment into my new apartment this Saturday?”.

Person 2. “No, I’m sorry, but I have to work that day, but I wish I could give you a helping hand.”

The dialogue between person 1 and 2 is an example of person 2 lying about working on Saturday. Person 2 does not have to work Saturday, and in fact has no plans for that day except one, and that’s not helping person 2 move into their new apartment. Why is lying the first result and so comforting? It’s the first result because person 2 cares more about persons 1 perception of him/her instead of just telling the truth. “The truth hurts”, is a very true statement but in fact it not only hurts the receiver but also the giver. Most people don’t want to be labeled mean, an asshole, or selfish. Reputation has always been of greater societal value than character. Character is self-perception and reputation, is society’s perception of you, and of course society wins every time.

Character

Lying is a character killer that was given to us by our parents/guardians. We are lying to protect our reputation, even if our intentions aren’t to hurt the person asking. Our brains are made to protect us from harm, hurt, and pain always. Pain is inevitable for growth, and I mean good pain. Good pain is disappointment, heartbreak, failing, and working out. You don’t want good pain to be a constant occurrence, but if it’s out of your hands then you must accept it and keep going. Telling the truth to a friend or family member will have some pain involved mentally. All fear comes from others and our reputation being damaged is at the top of the fear pyramid. Caring how others feel and what they think has become priority over our feelings and thoughts.

Establishing the NO

You are the most important person in your life, and that’s the case if you have children or a spouse. Always tell the truth and be honest with yourself first and never lie. Telling the truth is liberating and should be a staple in your character. Just try and say NO to something that you don’t want to be part of. If there is an explanation that you choose to give for saying no, make sure it’s “because I said no”. I know I know, how can a person be so mean. This is just honesty, and honesty has been coupled with being mean or selfish. Lying has become so prominent that it’s accepted over honesty. Lying is always the first thought and choice when facing an uncomfortable topic.

Liberation

You can break this terrible habit by adopting a great tool in life. This tool is called “Not giving a f#*k”. This tool is amazing and will grant great liberation to your value of life. Now scream FREEDOM loudly as if you were William Wallace strapped to a table awaiting your decapitation, like the scene from the movie “Braveheart”. Your “not giving a f#*k” tool is now activated. You will have to practice saying no, with total disregard for the feelings of the person asking. You will place your character on a pedestal and not give a f#*k about your reputation. This tool will cause some damage and you may lose some people from using it, but that comes with growth. The people lost are not your concern and shouldn’t deter you from using your tool for the betterment of yourself. People that respect and genuinely love you will not stray from your honesty. You will feel guilty, but your job isn’t to please everyone, but it’s to please yourself. If you aren’t in great shape mentally and physically, how can you be of any assistance to anyone else. Saying NO is only for things that you don’t want to do, and not to be used maliciously to hurt others purposely.

Written By: Ronald Anthony Wilson

You’ve read The Art of Saying NO!, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading Embracing the Unacceptable, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

We all go through something in life we never wanted, desired, or thought even possible. If it hasn’t happened to you yet, well, consider yourself lucky and forewarned; something will happen one day, and you might want to have read these tips. Whether it’s coping with not having internet or cell phone reception for a week, (something unthinkable to so many this day and age), embracing a new life direction due to drastic job change, family dynamic, or even something like me, with a life threatening mystery illness, there is one common denominator: you have to get through it. And you can and will get through it; the how you get through it, is entirely up to you.

Here are my 5 lessons from going through my own intense health battles for the past decade and a half, resulting from a mystery illness and a sense of humor that simply refuses to give up in the midst of it all.

5 Steps For Embracing Something You Never Wanted

• 1. Side step the fact that you never wanted it. Don’t try to accept it or cope with it; just step around it. Often what makes something so unacceptable is the shocking contrast to the current, acceptable circumstances we are in. The acceptable life compared to the unacceptable life can seem too big a leap to grasp, reconcile, cope with. So, don’t try at first. Allow yourself to be in shock by simply going around the news. This way you have a little time to let the new reality sink into your mentality before actually dealing with it.

• 2. Find something outrageously positive about it—even if the reasoning might be slightly skewed. It’s a scientific law of nature that there is an equal and opposite element to every being. So, after the unacceptable has been able to seep into your consciousness, try to find some light to shed on it so it becomes as positive as can be. Perhaps you could compare it to something that would be way worse.

For example: my illness has left my body with terrible veins, a real difficulty as blood work is a necessity for my survival. One time, when I was having a particularly sick bout, I had a doctor take 3 hours of continuously poking me trying to find a vein that could hold an IV line to give me antibiotics necessary to save my life. In a particularly long “fishing” expedition of his needle deep in my arm, my positive thinking of was how much I would rather be in this scenario than at a banquet of a picnic that was covered in ants. That would really suck.

• 3. Become a salesman— pitch the positive perspective to your friends, family, and self. Time is passing, the acid taste in your mouth piles up every time you think of the unacceptable you are trying to avoid. Yet, it has slowly been turning into a part of your consciousness, and your outrageous comparable are slowing making the unacceptable seem an actual existence. You are bravely trying to put your chin up and somehow go forward. Not yet coping with it or even embracing it, more co-existing with it.

Now you need to sell it to everyone. Those who are closest to you will see the act of your sharing all the positives for what it is—an act (or at least we like to believe they do). If you can convince everyone, slowly, you might even start convincing yourself that this will somehow be survivable, maybe even okay. Perhaps you can even find pleasure in the act of trying to convince yourself of the positive. Sometimes the more ludicrous, the more amusing it can be—try it!

• 4. The Time of Acceptance Has Arrived. No, you never wanted it; yes, the positive reasons are outrageous. Life the beautiful way you imagined, knew, is no longer an option—maybe only for a time, maybe forever; who really knows? But you’re here; you can choose to be miserable, or choose to embrace this change and experience it to the fullest. *Remember, choosing to embrace the journey to the fullest doesn’t mean that you need to be positive, doesn’t mean that it will be all sunshine and daisies; it simply means that you will be fully alive, fully aware, and fully present. It’s your choice.

• 5.  It’s Your Choice; Your Power; Your Decision. You always have a choice. Even if you hate the circumstances, didn’t choose them, didn’t deserve it, whatever; it’s your choice in how you get through it. With bitterness, delight, tears, or laughter, or a combination in between—it’s your choice. You are not a victim, your life is not a result whim of Life’s folly; you do have a say in how you act, how you express, how you live this moment. There in lies the power within you.

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Cecilia Baldwin, Living As A Mystery Girl. After becoming a quadriplegic due to an unknown illness at just 15, Cecilia has spent the next 15 years fighting to recover what best her body could, search for answers, endure through misdiagnoses, cancer, and maintain her quirky sense of humor. With an amazing support system, super-hero Mom who is also her primary care giver, and faithful service dog at her side, she strives to not only survive but to thrive. You can follow her on her blog at : http://ift.tt/2yQljP0or on Twitter at @livingamystery

You’ve read Embracing the Unacceptable, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading How Reading Books Could Change Your Perspective on Life, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

A good book has the power to change our lives, unlike any other thing. But with the rapid advancement of technology, people seem to have forgotten the simple joys a good book could bring. Reading books let us travel through different worlds and opens up the portal to live the life of millions of different characters. It does not matter what you enjoy reading, as long as you enjoy reading. It could be enjoying reading Harry Potter finding all the Horcruxes or Mr. Darcy getting over his arrogance and pride.

There is no right book for anyone. That’s because a book automatically becomes the right one for you, once you start reading it. Big or small, fiction or nonfiction, biography or autobiography, reading books has the power to change your perspective on life. Let’s find out how:

#1: Reading Books Improves Imagination

Books are one of the most creative art forms. Every book that we read opens up a world of different characters, different storylines and different locations. Reading requires us to open up our mind to the world of imagination to experience our own perspective of the story. Our imagination and creativity automatically increase as we are enlightened with all the knowledge from a book.

#2: Reading Books Helps You Grow

Reading about people’s success stories and the struggles they went through to get to that position will inspire and help you grow in your own personal life. All of us need the motivation to move ahead in life. And books are the best medium for that. They give us the chance to tap into the character’s emotions and understand how they feel. These stories go on to become inspirations for us to keep moving upward on the ladder called life.

#3: Reading Books Builds Confidence

When we read books, we read about the various struggles and hardships that the characters go through. Sometimes we even relate those situations to our personal lives. Understanding how these characters overcome challenges in a positive way ultimately gives us the confidence to deal with difficult situations in our personal lives in a better way. A carefully crafted book helps you build all the strong and right opinions and gives you the confidence to stand by it.

#4:Reading Books Increases Knowledge

In the words of George RR Martin, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads only lives once”. It’s true, we live only one life. But when we read books we gain knowledge from thousands. Age does not matter when it comes to gaining knowledge from reading books. As it enhances the power of thinking in every field and simultaneously improves our vocabulary to a great extent.

#5: Reading Books Reduces Stress

Reading books has proved to be an essential stress buster. Fiction books are the best to cope with stress. Books have the ability to let you immerse into a different world by letting you forget all your personal issues, tension and stress, and helps you relax. With a great story in hand, all the daily life problems just slip away from the mind. In addition, books bring a sense of peace and tranquillity to the mind.

#6: Reading Books Strengthens Analytical Thinking

Reading books keeps us on our toes with questions that actively enhance analytical thinking skills. Our brain is always asking questions while reading. And at times we tend to crack the mystery behind the questions way before it is mentioned in the book. We can further apply these analytical thinking skills in real life by letting our minds stimulate and think in new ways.

Conclusion:

Reading books is an excellent way to pass your time. It’s simple. It brings joy. Reading refreshes your mood and makes you feel optimistic about everything happening around you. Reading does not take a lot of effort; you can read anywhere and everywhere and let yourself forget the world around you. And, if you want to do something great for yourself today, then start reading. Give yourself a chance to live more than a single life, a chance to build the right opinions and a chance to change the perspective on life.

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Ruturaj is the CEO and Founder of Pricekart and Mobikart. He is an energetic Digital Marketing professional with integrated marketing experience in the B2B & B2C domains.

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You’ve read How Reading Books Could Change Your Perspective on Life, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading 5 Tips to Achieve Your Goals Faster, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Is your goal taking longer than you thought? Are you feeling frustrated and on the verge to give up due to your lack of results?

If so, read on. In this article I share with you five tips that will help you achieve your goals faster.

Are you ready? Here are the five tips to help you achieve your goals faster

1. Find who has what you want 

Sure, you could figure it out all by yourself, but how much time will it take? Six months? One year? Five years?

There are people out there who have achieved a similar goal before you. They’ve been there and know the process so why reinvent the wheel? Why not ‘steal’ their blueprint?

Find people who have achieved what you want to achieve and learn everything you can from them. Look at their mindset, beliefs and habits. As Tony Robbins says, “If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do and you’ll achieve the same results.”

Who has what you want?

2. Create a new identity to match your goal 

Whatever your goal may be, you want to create a new identity in line with that goal. You want to think and act like the person who has already achieved your goal. To help you do so you can create a goal statement starting with ‘I am’.

Let’s say you want to lose weight to improve your health. Then, see yourself as a healthy person. An examples of an ‘I am’ statement for that particular example could be:

I’m a healthy person. I walk every day and I always take the stairs. I love eating healthy food because it makes me feel good about myself.

When you craft your statement try to be as specific as possible. Imagine how a healthy person would think and act. What specific actions would they take every day and why? Why is their health important? What emotional benefit do they get from taking care of their health?

When you write down your ‘I am’ statement make sure that:

• It starts with ‘I am’. Using I am statement is a great way to strengthen your new identity.
• It is compelling. You want it to resonate with you and inspire you in some ways
• You read it regularly. Practice reading your goal statement in the morning and in the evening. Add emotions to it and visualize yourself talking about your goals to people you’ve just met.

What identity do you need to create to achieve your goal?

3. Fall forward

Over time, as you strengthen your goal identity,  you’ll start believing in yourself and will take consistent action towards your goal.

However, let’s face it. Often you won’t feel 100% ready. Thus, one of the keys to achieve your goal faster is your willingness to start before you’re ready.

In the past few years I did many things I wasn’t fully prepared to do. I created a blog, shot YouTube videos, did Facebook Live and even quit my job. All of these activities were out of my comfort zone, but I did them anyway because I knew I couldn’t wait to be ready. I had to act now.

The truth is that your time is incredibly scarce. If you wait to be ready, you risk looking back at your life wondering why you didn’t do all the cool things you’d always wanted to do when you were younger.

What is one scary thing that if you did, would allow you to make a giant step toward your goal?

4. Ask, ask, ask

Get into the habit of asking again and again.

Sadly, most people are afraid to ask because of the fear of rejection. They don’t want to feel bad; they don’t want their ego to be hurt. Unfortunately, if you don’t ask, the answer is always no!

Many people out there are in the position to help you, and would willingly do so. They may have the time, the money or the connections you need. However, if you don’t ask, how are they supposed to know you need their help? Thus, the first step is always to ask.

Remember that, with the internet, it has never been easier to connect with people from all around the world. Find people who can help you, swallow your ego, and ask.

5. Expose your sneaky ways to procrastinate

Have you noticed that the harder you work, the luckier you tend to become. To achieve your goals faster you must commit to take concrete actions that produce real results.

Most people believe they’re take action towards their goals while in realty they’re procrastinating in some way or another. Watching a TED Talk is not work. Reading a great book is not work either.

Here is the difference between working and not working: intent. The key is the intent behind what you’re doing. Below are some examples:

• Work: Watching a TED Talk with the intent of using the content for one of your article or for a presentation at work.
• Not work: Passively watching a TED Talk.
  

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that watching TED Talks hasn’t some value. I’m simply saying that I wouldn’t call it work.

• Work: Reading a great book with the intent of using the content to write an article or develop materials for a seminar
• Not work: Reading a great book because you enjoy it.

Ideally, you want to spend 90% or more of your time taking concrete action towards your goal.

Now, make a list of everything you did this week. Then, answer the following question:

• Do you have a clear intent behind your task?
• Would your company pay you for that task?
• Is it a task you could delegate to someone else? (i.e. is that task valuable?)
• Is it the type of tasks you would write on your to-do list?
• Is that task really moving you toward your goal or is it a distraction?

As you go through this exercise, you may realize that many of the tasks you completed this week aren’t ‘real’ work.

So, from today, among these 5 tips, which one will you start using to achieve your goals faster? Leave me a comment below to let me know.

**** Here Is a Special Bonus For You ****

Why not go further in your personal development journey? If you like this article I’m sure you will benefit from my free e-book. You can download it below:

The 5 Commandments of Personal Development

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Thibaut Meurisse is the founder of whatispersonaldevelopment.org. Obsessed with improvement, he dedicates his life to finding the best possible ways to durably transform both his life and the lives of others. Check out his free e-book “The 5 Commandments of Personal Development” or order his book The One Goal: Master the Art of Goal Setting, Win Your Inner Battle, and Achieve Exceptional Results on Amazon now.

You’ve read 5 Tips to Achieve Your Goals Faster, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading How to Create an Exceptional Mindset Using Your 8 Superpowers , originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

The turning point in my life was when I realized that there was only one thing preventing me from getting everything I want out of life.

That one thing was:

My mindset.

Once I got that, my life took a whole different turn. And your life could too. The truth is that your mind is the most powerful tool ever created? But are you using it to its full capacity?

Because you can either:

Use your mind to consciously design the life of your dream

Or

Wander mindlessly through life not understanding why you aren’t where you want to be.

Which case applies to you?

Now, let me share with you what you can do to start designing the life you want using your the eight superpowers of your mind.

Shall we get started?

1. The power of belief

Every single building, bridge, chair, table, computer or piece of furniture is the results of a thought that was believed for long enough to manifest in the real world. For something to exist, someone somewhere must have the intent to create it. You have within you the ability to create a new reality by using the power of belief. Keep focusing your thoughts on something you really want. Soon enough, your actions will change progressively turning your thoughts into reality.

2. The power of intent 

Why do you read this article? What is your intent? Most people go through life without any clear intent. They wake up in the morning with no clear intent. They go to work with no clear intent. As a result, they end up wasting their time and accomplishing far less than they’re capable of. You have the power to set a clear intent. Whenever you do something ask yourself? What’s my intent here? What am I trying to do? The more you take control of your intent, the better results you’ll get in life.

3. The power of clarity 

What do you want? Where do you want to live? How much money do you want to make? What lifestyle do you want? Clarity is power. You can’t aim at a target that doesn’t exist. Sadly, most people have no clear goals. The more clarity you have, the better you’ll be able to leverage both the power of belief and the power intent to make your goals and dreams a reality.

4. The power of choice 

No. You’re not a powerless creature who need politicians to save you. You have the power to choose. At any time, you can decide to make different decisions that will change the course of your life. It’s only when you accept you’re 100% responsible for your life that you can start changing it. Whether or not you’re conscious of it, you’re making choices every day.

•    You choose to wake up early or late.

•    You choose to watch TV or to work on your side business

•    You choose to eat healthily or to eat junk food

•    You choose to educate yourself or to watch Netflix

•    You choose to focus on the positive or to dwell on the negative.

•    You choose to set specific goals or to wander through life aimlessly

5. The power of repetition 

Do you remember the first time you drove a car? You felt overwhelmed, didn’t you? But what happened next? By practicing again and again it becomes effortless. That’s the power of repetition. Through repetition, you can transfer any task or skill to your subconscious mind making you look as if you had some kind of superpower. You can learn anything you want. Just practice!

6. The power of conditioning 

I have bad news. You’ve been programmed! Most of the beliefs you currently hold are not actually yours. These beliefs were planted in your mind by your parents, society, the media, your teacher or your friends. And many of them don’t benefit you. They don’t support you in living the life of your dreams. The good news is that you have the power to reprogram your mind. Through daily practice, you can learn to be more grateful, more decisive or more confident for instance.

7. The power of patience 

Anything of value takes time. Quality relationships take years to mature. A fulfilling career takes years to develop. And any major goal you have right now will take years of hard work as well. Don’t give up prematurely because you didn’t get the results you wanted. If it is what you really want, stick to it! Focus your intent on it every single day and work on it. Patience is real power. Don’t underestimate it.

Remember that success is a very chaotic process, with ups and downs. Small successes are followed by major setbacks. And major setbacks often lead to important breakthroughs.

8. The power of perseverance 

Your ability to persevere will largely determine your level of success in life. Set a deadline for your major goal and resolve to spend most of your time working on it. Never give up. Keep working on it even if the entire world around you is collapsing. For any goal that matters to you, use the power of perseverance. You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish with it.

Cultivate these eight superpowers every day and you’ll be well on your way to achieving your goals and dreams. Finally, remember to be patient and to never give up.

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Why not go further in your personal development journey? If you like this article I’m sure you will benefit from my free e-book. You can download it below:

The 5 Commandments of Personal Development

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Thibaut Meurisse is the founder of whatispersonaldevelopment.org. Obsessed with improvement, he dedicates his life to finding the best possible ways to durably transform both his life and the lives of others. Check out his free e-book “The 5 Commandments of Personal Development” or order his book The One Goal: Master the Art of Goal Setting, Win Your Inner Battle, and Achieve Exceptional Results on Amazon now.

You’ve read How to Create an Exceptional Mindset Using Your 8 Superpowers , originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading Erin’s Things: November 6, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

This week I’ve discovered a cool new meditation app, a provocative new photo exhibit, a charity that helps provide clean water for the world and much more! Check out the below list and leave any discoveries you might have made this week in the comments below.

1. NIGHLIGHT – (nightligh.me) The ultimate meditation app is here and it does not involve pre-recorded meditations. If you’ve ever been to a focused group meditation class, you know that even though it is very much an internal process, the collective energy of those around you tuning in together can be that much more powerful. Nightlight is an app that allows people to find their mindfulness meditation community and meditate in real time together in a virtual room, with a live teacher. In our busy lives, being present in the moment can present a challenge, now with this app, it is easier for you to find your center by making self care a top priority.

 

2. WAVES FOR WATER – It’s a foundation that works to provide access to clean water for those who need it around the world, those affected by terrible natural disasters and poverty stricken conditions. Waves For Water works by implementing water filtration systems and identifying the specific needs for each place in need of a solution, Empowering community leaders to empower their people but helping them teach the filtration system. One filter provides clean water to 100 people, they are easy to use and pack, Portable filters, it’s an ingenious solution to a worldwide issue.

 

3. ‘WE ARE NASTY WOMEN LA’ – Photo exhibit at the Nous Tous art gallery – In the Chinatown district of Los Angeles. Back in 2016, in the wake of the election, a global art movement was born out of social media facebook post of ‘Nasty Woman’ by two New Yorkers (Roxanna Jackson & Jessamyne Fiore). An LA chapter was soon created by Anais Godard & Amanda Antunes, with a focus on women’s underrepresentation in mainstream arts and entertainment. ‘We are Nasty Women’ will feature a series of photos of ‘Nasty Women’, from DJ’s to tattoo artists . There will be a calendar of the shots available for sale with all proceeds benefitting Planned Parenthood. The idea behind the space is also to open up the conversation for all women from all walks of life to speak up and tell their stories and ultimately support the fight for women’s rights. Such nasty women, are definitely my kind of women!

 

4. LORD JONES – Pure CBD lotion for pain and wellness. The ‘green rush’ is upon us, as cannabis becomes legal recreationally in California come January, and with that comes no shortage of related products. To highlight an awesome one that uses the full spectrum of whole plant medicine to help aid in pain relief for sore muscles, skin conditions and joint pain. Each bottle is 50 ml/1.7 oz and contains 100mg of CBD (non psychoactive as it contains no THC) and each pump gives you a measured dosage of 1ml lotion that contains 2mg of CBD. It’s a rich and luxurious lotion with the scent of citrus, mint and sage and it’s formulated with a natural agent called Frescolat, which creates a cooling sensation on the skin.

 

5. ORIEL – Another gem in Los Angeles’ cool Chinatown district is a suave new wine bar that is nestled under train tracks. Dustin Lancaster (partnered with Michael Blackman) has done it again, from his locals favorite Bar Covell in Los Feliz and his other more eastside places such as Crawford’s and Hi-Hat’s comes this new addition complete with a tight wine menu chock full of French bottles and a spectacularly stylish interior by Sally Breer. A classic French bistro menu by chef Evan Algorri (Bouley;NYC) and the GM chops of Alain Jeu (Bar Marmont), has set this place up to win.

See you next week!

Be well,

Erin

You’ve read Erin’s Things: November 6, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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You’re reading Four Tips To Ditch Your Smartphone Addiction for Good, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

The modern world has brought to us an unparalleled quality of life that our ancestors could have never dreamed of.

Instantaneous communication with other people, information at the click of a button, and on-demand movies are just a few of the offerings on the modern buffet table.

For most people, all or most of these conveniences are accessed through their cellphones.

There’s no problem with this…until it gets to the level of a compulsive behavior (i.e. an addiction).

Why Cellphone Addiction Is Overlooked

Many people think addiction only comes in the form of a pill or a powder, that is mainly through external substances.

Parents have a good laugh amomg and say “Hah, hah, he/she just can’t put down his phone no matter what!”.

It seems innocent at the outset, but compulsive behavior is just one step from addiction (which is the end result).

Addiction is addiction regardless of the behavior or origin. Addictions still work on the neurotransmitter system within the brain.

There are many neurotransmitters but the main one involved in behavioral addictions is dopamine.

Dopamine is the neurotransmitter responsible for reward-motivated behavior.

Certain activities release more dopamine than others. These are activities related to sex, food, drugs, etc.

The Internet is a big stimulant of dopamine because the Internet contains a lot of novelty.

Social media, shopping, porn, email – these are all novel experiences only found on the Internet.

To us humans, novelty is rewarding because it tells the brain on a subconscious level, “hey, this might be useful for your survival”. New information releases dopamine. This is very good because our ancestors would not have made a majority of discoveries without this tendency to seek out novelty.

As of November 2016, over half of the world’s population accessed the Internet through a cellphone. What does this ultimately mean?

Cellphone addiction is inherently an Internet addiction, which is turn is driven by novelty seeking.

Smartphone addiction has no physical effects like drug addiction, so all’s well – right?

Wrong.

Why Smartphone Addiction Is Detrimental to Your Self-Development

You’re dedicated to self-improvement since you are reading this article.

One of the easiest ways to destroy your self-improvement efforts is to be addicted to your smartphone or the Internet.

Smartphones provide an endless assortment of stimulation. Games, Internet, chatting, text, the list of goes on and on and on.

But here’s what no one is saying: you are essentially wasting time. You aren’t doing anything inherently productive.

You can spend an entire day spiraling down the Internet-based rabbit hole making absolutely no progress on your goals, whatsoever.

Eventually, you will question where the time went – because you spent it on a smartphone.

This is especially dangerous to kids and teenagers, who have a greater tendency to develop addictions and compulsions because their brains are still growing at a fast clip.

If you’re trying to get better at a skill or manage your time better, being addicted to your smartphone will absolutely destroy the chances of that happening.

You may not think you’re addicted, but if you experience separation anxiety or withdrawal – those are strong signs that you are.

4 Tips to Stop the Madness

In the Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg states that for any habit, addiction, or compulsion you have, there is a cue, a routine, and a reward.

In this case, the cue is hearing or seeing your cellphone ring or buzz.

The routine is picking it up and fiddling with it.

The reward is the sense of satisfaction from using your phone.

All of these cascade to build up to smartphone addiction.

Use these four steps to hijack the “habit loop” before you can even start it.

1. Remove the stimulus

There’s a saying that goes: “cut the head off of the snake and the body dies”. This is true for smartphone addiction. Out of sight, out of mind (in a way).

If you have trouble with your smartphone use, keep it out of sight. Since it’s out of sight, there’s a lower chance that you’ll reach for the phone.

Put the phone in a lockbox until you are finished with work. This will train your mind to associate “work” with “not touching the smartphone”.

2. Buy an alarm clock

For many people, the first thing they do is reach for their phone…because their alarm rings and they go and turn it off.

Since the phone’s in your hand, might as well check the news right?

You are already starting the first five minutes of your day with a phone in your hand, mind you when the subconscious is still largely active.

What impact will this have on your psychology?

Bypass all of this with an alarm clock. When the alarm sounds, turn it off – not your phone.

3. Delete certain applications

If someone who’s heavily addicted to prescription medication can’t throw away the bottle – they can at least throw away the pills.

In this case, you can’t really throw away the “bottle” (phone) but you can throw away the “pills” (apps).

Instead of seeing an app and clicking on it (like a knee-jerk reaction), you can remove the cue entirely. That way, you won’t have to wrestle resisting the urge to go ahead and use the application.

In order to do this, you first have to have the willpower to actually delete the application from your phone. That take some degree of self-discipline.

Then again, if you have a smartphone addiction – your sense of self-discipline may be compromised in that area.

4. Revert to a flip phone

This is a “final solution”. If you find it hard to do all of the above, then you can return back to a flip phone (pejoratively known as a “dumb phone”).

Flip phones contain no shiny apps, no ability to rapidly connect to the Internet, no ability to play high fidelity games.

Flip phones are also workhorses. Their battery life is longer than the average smartphone.

Besides, you won’t be alone. Millions of people around the world still use flip phones and they function perfectly fine.

To wrap this up, it’s quite clear that cellphone and smartphone technology has changed our landscape to a significant degree.

As we progress further into the 21st century, the numbers of people who have a smartphone addiction will increase.

You don’t have to be one of them. By using the techniques here, you can break your dependency on smartphones and get on the high road to high achievement.

It’s a much better path to take and your future self will thank you.

You’ve read Four Tips To Ditch Your Smartphone Addiction for Good, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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