You’re reading Meditation Isn’t the Answer to Overthinking, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

You’ve been meditating daily for the last week, month, or maybe even years. In moments it’s blissful, in others it can be frustrating. Thoughts come and go – but you’re now more aware of them.

But not too long afterwards a meditation, your mind can go back to its habitual patterns of thinking, churning negative thoughts in different periods of the day.

Over time, I’ve come to learn that meditation, while incredibly therapeutic, isn’t always the answer to overthinking.

Why we overthink and what we can do about it

Meditation brings awareness into your being and your thoughts. Done consistently, it allows you to begin to understand how your mind works. But there’s an issue that lies behind most of overthinking that isn’t tied to meditation.

It’s tied to the way you breathe.

When you only breathe from the neck up, you’re likelier to stay stuck in your head. When you breathe through your body, as you feel your belly rising with you; it’s far easier to be grounded.

If you were to change the way you breathe, you would change every single living moment of your life. Let that sink in for a moment…Simple reminders to deepen your breathing can help. But for many of us, our muscles around our neck are so tight that this alone won’t work.

You’ve been conditioned not to breathe properly

So many things in our society perpetuate a castrated way of breathing. From the ties we wear, to the belts we tighten every Monday-Friday, to the monitor displays that force us to bend our necks down, to texting on our phones – most of our activities are training us to not breathe properly!

You may also not be breathing properly because:

• You sit down too much
• You have poor air quality in the house
• You do far too many pushing exercises and not enough pulling movements at the gym
• You have an allergy you haven’t addressed
• You eat high sugar foods which increase your anxiety and shorten your breathing

Express more of your thoughts

The deeper you breathe, the more of life you let in. Surprisingly, what could also be holding you back from breathing fully is not speaking enough.

I remember months going by where I read so many books and had all these ideas swirling in my head which I didn’t share with anyone. The result was that my mind felt castrated, and my breathing patterns deteriorated as a result. I remember weeks going by where all I was doing was working, not seeing any friends. I now realize how important it is to engage in heartfelt conversations with people – for my humanity, sanity, and breathing.

Any sense of social isolation can quickly make part of us feel like we’re rattling in our cage, which then inhibits our breathing. Express yourself as often as your heart permits, through your friendships, your career, and even a journal.

“The more you overthink the less you will understand.” – Habeeb Akande

It’s far harder to take your thoughts too seriously when you’re breathing deeply – almost as if everything on your mind takes a back seat. I’ve certainly not reached that place permanently, but the idea here isn’t to seek perfection in our breathing patterns, but to merely make small gradual improvements over time.

Begin a Yoga or Pilates Weekly Class

There’s a reason why Yoga, Pilates, and other stretching classes are becoming more and popular. They essentially melt away our rigidities, allowing us to breathe deeper and feel more alive.

All our muscular tensions are symbiotically connected to our minds, and the more we lengthen, stretch, and relax our muscles, the more we can breathe with depth and vibrancy. The day I started stretching on a daily basis, was the day my mind became a lot more relaxed throughout the day.

I didn’t even start with a class – even stretching my hamstrings and chest for fifteen mins every morning created an unbelievable difference in the way I breathed – and that’s what I highly recommend at the start.

If you still get stuck overthinking

Remind yourself to breathe deeply by focusing on your belly button rising and falling. And if you ever find yourself lost in a tangle of thoughts, refer to this quote:

“You will have bad thoughts. The key is never to fight them. They are your friends. Accept them just like a loving parent would to their misbehaving child and let go so you can breathe deeply. Treat your mind with love, and love will flow and emanate from you, one breath at a time.”

If you’re a creative and interested in learning how to live meaningfully in this digital, get my free book.

• You’ll learn how to see your time differently
• How to heal Smartphone Addiction
• Avoiding Internet Burnout
• And so much more…

---

 Samy Felice is a writer who brings meaning to words. His Free Book explores how to redefine success in a digital age. 

 

You’ve read Meditation Isn’t the Answer to Overthinking, 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 Follow a Healthy Mental Diet, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Yon Cassius has a lean and hungry look.
-Shakespeare, “Julius Caesar”

I’ve never liked the word or concept of “diet”, because it implies something that’s temporary.

In fact, let’s put this eating plan into action, you make it permanent and rename it.

Come on over for a meal.

1-Healthy Conditions for Food Preparation and Enjoyable Dining

I started planning today’s “food” by consulting yesterday’s diary, my recipe book.

Yesterday went well, with the right mix of ingredients, good preparation, mindful eating, productivity, rest, and exercise.

Come on in.

A well-lit, spacious, uncluttered kitchen and eating area are a must.

Emptiness is the most surprising beneficial quality of mind that I’ve ever found.

So, let’s sit and be mindful. If your mind is empty, it is also well-lit, with new thoughts and feelings easily spotted.

An empty mind provides a clean and dry floor so that cook and diner keep their balance.

The cook needs to be attentive and observant.

Not judgmental, not critical, just observant.

Remember, this is a meal together, but it’s also a template for daily healthy living

2-Protein

These elements don’t have to be in any particular order.

Mindful productivity is the protein or fuel of mental activity, keeping off procrastination on the one hand and obsessive activity on the other.

The chef needs to be attentive for maximum preparation, and the diner needs to eat slowly
Chew the protein, observe the bites mindfully, enjoy healthy activity.

Of course, part of this mental protein is regular exercise plus necessary tasks.

3-Carbohydrates

Take the plate, please.

Creativity is essential for sustenance, and its equivalent in the eating world is whole grains.
This class of food that satisfies, but, due to the difficulty in breaking it down, it helps keep off weight and provides essential fuels.

Contemplation, structured or not, are the fruits and vegetables of the diet, yielding essential nutrients and the healthiest forms of sugar.

4-Fats

Don’t be put off by the idea of fats.

Fats are extremely important.

They provide insulation and temperature regulation.

Fats provide energy, plus, they aid in absorbing vitamins and producing hormones.

In terms of living, authentic emotion comprises the fat of a balanced mental diet.

Too much fat, in the form of inauthentic emotion, forces our psychic body to work too hard to be healthy and perform its required tasks.

Meanwhile, the stifling of authentic emotion produces defensive thinking, cutting us off from experiencing life directly.

5-Vitamins

Pick up the bottle, and take out three of them. I’ve checked the dosage, so don’t worry.

Here’s some useful information.

Vitamins come mostly from the food we eat, so the better we eat, the more we’ll take in the vitamins we need.

Vitamins are the experience, (Remember, I had you take three above!) the sum of our actions, our history, and our creativity.

6-Water

Hand me your glass…thanks.

Liquids and especially water are essential for health.

After all, 80% of our body is water. Thoughts are our water.

Sometimes it seems as if 80% of our experience is taken up with thought.

Water (not just ANY liquid) provides the best kind of healthy regulation of the body.

So, observed thought and productive thought that enhance intelligence and habit are psychological water.

Avoid the sugary sweet or intoxicating liquids of obsession, fear, or anxiety.

7-The Act of Eating

Okay, let’s sit for a moment and consider all that we’ve consumed.

Healthy eating requires mindful chewing and enjoyment of this balanced diet.

Both cook and diner must be patient and open to the experience.

Healthy companionship and relationships maximize a balanced life.

I hope you enjoyed sharing this meal; I enjoyed having you.

Sharing our gifts, like sharing food, is vital to helping both others as well as our own growth.

When we are “full” in a healthy way, we must note that observation and cease consumption.

8-Cleaning Up

While we enjoy the eating of life easily, we are reluctant to “clean up”.

As a result, some spiritual practices are hard.
But “cleaning up” requires forgiveness of others, repentance, self-sacrifice, and looking carefully at emotions such as anger and frustration.

So, when it comes to living, follow a balanced “eating” regime.
Call it whatever you wish, but eat follow a healthy psychic diet for the rest of your days.

Eat well, and be happy.

---

Lars Nielsen has decades of experience helping individuals and businesses discover and share their core message. Whatever your message or audience, grab his “Make YOUR Message Matter Cheat Sheet” (http://ift.tt/2v5s0a2) and put his time-tested techniques to work immediately.

You’ve read How to Follow a Healthy Mental Diet, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

http://ift.tt/2x4paTK

You’re reading How to Follow a Healthy Mental Diet, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Yon Cassius has a lean and hungry look.
-Shakespeare, “Julius Caesar”

I’ve never liked the word or concept of “diet”, because it implies something that’s temporary.

In fact, let’s put this eating plan into action, you make it permanent and rename it.

Come on over for a meal.

1-Healthy Conditions for Food Preparation and Enjoyable Dining

I started planning today’s “food” by consulting yesterday’s diary, my recipe book.

Yesterday went well, with the right mix of ingredients, good preparation, mindful eating, productivity, rest, and exercise.

Come on in.

A well-lit, spacious, uncluttered kitchen and eating area are a must.

Emptiness is the most surprising beneficial quality of mind that I’ve ever found.

So, let’s sit and be mindful. If your mind is empty, it is also well-lit, with new thoughts and feelings easily spotted.

An empty mind provides a clean and dry floor so that cook and diner keep their balance.

The cook needs to be attentive and observant.

Not judgmental, not critical, just observant.

Remember, this is a meal together, but it’s also a template for daily healthy living

2-Protein

These elements don’t have to be in any particular order.

Mindful productivity is the protein or fuel of mental activity, keeping off procrastination on the one hand and obsessive activity on the other.

The chef needs to be attentive for maximum preparation, and the diner needs to eat slowly
Chew the protein, observe the bites mindfully, enjoy healthy activity.

Of course, part of this mental protein is regular exercise plus necessary tasks.

3-Carbohydrates

Take the plate, please.

Creativity is essential for sustenance, and its equivalent in the eating world is whole grains.
This class of food that satisfies, but, due to the difficulty in breaking it down, it helps keep off weight and provides essential fuels.

Contemplation, structured or not, are the fruits and vegetables of the diet, yielding essential nutrients and the healthiest forms of sugar.

4-Fats

Don’t be put off by the idea of fats.

Fats are extremely important.

They provide insulation and temperature regulation.

Fats provide energy, plus, they aid in absorbing vitamins and producing hormones.

In terms of living, authentic emotion comprises the fat of a balanced mental diet.

Too much fat, in the form of inauthentic emotion, forces our psychic body to work too hard to be healthy and perform its required tasks.

Meanwhile, the stifling of authentic emotion produces defensive thinking, cutting us off from experiencing life directly.

5-Vitamins

Pick up the bottle, and take out three of them. I’ve checked the dosage, so don’t worry.

Here’s some useful information.

Vitamins come mostly from the food we eat, so the better we eat, the more we’ll take in the vitamins we need.

Vitamins are the experience, (Remember, I had you take three above!) the sum of our actions, our history, and our creativity.

6-Water

Hand me your glass…thanks.

Liquids and especially water are essential for health.

After all, 80% of our body is water. Thoughts are our water.

Sometimes it seems as if 80% of our experience is taken up with thought.

Water (not just ANY liquid) provides the best kind of healthy regulation of the body.

So, observed thought and productive thought that enhance intelligence and habit are psychological water.

Avoid the sugary sweet or intoxicating liquids of obsession, fear, or anxiety.

7-The Act of Eating

Okay, let’s sit for a moment and consider all that we’ve consumed.

Healthy eating requires mindful chewing and enjoyment of this balanced diet.

Both cook and diner must be patient and open to the experience.

Healthy companionship and relationships maximize a balanced life.

I hope you enjoyed sharing this meal; I enjoyed having you.

Sharing our gifts, like sharing food, is vital to helping both others as well as our own growth.

When we are “full” in a healthy way, we must note that observation and cease consumption.

8-Cleaning Up

While we enjoy the eating of life easily, we are reluctant to “clean up”.

As a result, some spiritual practices are hard.
But “cleaning up” requires forgiveness of others, repentance, self-sacrifice, and looking carefully at emotions such as anger and frustration.

So, when it comes to living, follow a balanced “eating” regime.
Call it whatever you wish, but eat follow a healthy psychic diet for the rest of your days.

Eat well, and be happy.

---

Lars Nielsen has decades of experience helping individuals and businesses discover and share their core message. Whatever your message or audience, grab his “Make YOUR Message Matter Cheat Sheet” (http://ift.tt/2v5s0a2) and put his time-tested techniques to work immediately.

You’ve read How to Follow a Healthy Mental Diet, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

http://ift.tt/2x4paTK

You’re reading Erin’s Things: August 20, 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 is pretty much about podcasts – great podcasts – with a a touch of entertainment! From living a healthier life, cultural events and a focus on old Hollywood, you’ll have a fresh stock of inspiration for the upcoming week.

THE BEGUILED – Sofia Coppolla’s new film makes for the most enjoyable melodrama around. Compassionate female leads and a somewhat vulnerable male lead make this a wholly different version than the Don Siegel 1971 film. We’ve got bottled up passions and cool motivations that lie behind the first half of the film, only to explode toward its end. Winner of the Director’s prize at this year’s 2017 Cannes film festival, ‘The Beguiled’ will have  you as captivated as its characters.

THE ULTIMATE HEALTH – This is a podcast that inspires to reach your potential in healthy living. There are interviews with health and wellness experts and its weekly show with Dr. Jesse Chappus serves up an array of tips toward achieving a proactive model of health. The podcast’s Marni Wassermann, believes a healthy lifestyle can begin to be as simple as eating real food every day, make it simple and delicious and you’re on your way.

CLASS DOJO APP – A free App that is available via Apple Store and Google Play is essentially a social media community for parents, students and teachers. Parents can see their children’s schoolwork by photos and videos the teachers upload. It’s a shared classroom experience, one where parents can even ‘like’ what they are viewing. Taking it even further, a behavior tracking element to this app, allows parents to see how their child is doing based on how the teachers take or give points based on their conduct. In some instances this can be useful.

YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS – Karina Longworth’s best kept secret is out. This podcast gives me so much happiness, she narrates, records, edits each episode in her home. The storytelling is on point and is all about the forgotten history of Hollywood. It is raw and gives a real insider perspective to the stories that mystify us when it comes to the legends of the screen, the movies we love and those who made them. Guests include: Dana Carvey, Adam Goldberg, and Wil Wheaton.

WAKING UP – Yet another podcast, this week, I know! But from neuroscientist and philosopher Sam Harris, comes a fantastic podcast exploring facets of the human mind, society and all manner of current events. Harris is also a best selling author of ‘The End of Faith’ (winner of 2005 PEN award) and ‘Free Will’, among many others. Many of the topics are controversial and touch on the nature of our moral lives.

---

Got something worth sharing? What is inspiring you this week? Share your thoughts and suggestions below!

Be well,

Erin

You’ve read Erin’s Things: August 20, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

http://ift.tt/2xeJLEp

You’re reading Erin’s Things: August 20, 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 is pretty much about podcasts – great podcasts – with a a touch of entertainment! From living a healthier life, cultural events and a focus on old Hollywood, you’ll have a fresh stock of inspiration for the upcoming week.

THE BEGUILED – Sofia Coppolla’s new film makes for the most enjoyable melodrama around. Compassionate female leads and a somewhat vulnerable male lead make this a wholly different version than the Don Siegel 1971 film. We’ve got bottled up passions and cool motivations that lie behind the first half of the film, only to explode toward its end. Winner of the Director’s prize at this year’s 2017 Cannes film festival, ‘The Beguiled’ will have  you as captivated as its characters.

THE ULTIMATE HEALTH – This is a podcast that inspires to reach your potential in healthy living. There are interviews with health and wellness experts and its weekly show with Dr. Jesse Chappus serves up an array of tips toward achieving a proactive model of health. The podcast’s Marni Wassermann, believes a healthy lifestyle can begin to be as simple as eating real food every day, make it simple and delicious and you’re on your way.

CLASS DOJO APP – A free App that is available via Apple Store and Google Play is essentially a social media community for parents, students and teachers. Parents can see their children’s schoolwork by photos and videos the teachers upload. It’s a shared classroom experience, one where parents can even ‘like’ what they are viewing. Taking it even further, a behavior tracking element to this app, allows parents to see how their child is doing based on how the teachers take or give points based on their conduct. In some instances this can be useful.

YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS – Karina Longworth’s best kept secret is out. This podcast gives me so much happiness, she narrates, records, edits each episode in her home. The storytelling is on point and is all about the forgotten history of Hollywood. It is raw and gives a real insider perspective to the stories that mystify us when it comes to the legends of the screen, the movies we love and those who made them. Guests include: Dana Carvey, Adam Goldberg, and Wil Wheaton.

WAKING UP – Yet another podcast, this week, I know! But from neuroscientist and philosopher Sam Harris, comes a fantastic podcast exploring facets of the human mind, society and all manner of current events. Harris is also a best selling author of ‘The End of Faith’ (winner of 2005 PEN award) and ‘Free Will’, among many others. Many of the topics are controversial and touch on the nature of our moral lives.

---

Got something worth sharing? What is inspiring you this week? Share your thoughts and suggestions below!

Be well,

Erin

You’ve read Erin’s Things: August 20, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

http://ift.tt/2xeJLEp

You’re reading Never Let Go of a Childhood Dream, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston S. Churchill

http://ift.tt/2uQW7pr%5D

Becoming a published novelist is a story of blind luck and perseverance—of never losing a childhood dream, even when life seems to steer you into a different direction.

As with many novelists, I began as an avid reader from a young age, starting with a collection of books called My Book House. It was a beautifully produced twelve-volume collection that first introduced me to nursery rhymes, and as I grew older, to fairy tales and eventually Shakespeare. I recall my parents reading me the nurseries as a pre-bedtime ritual, and eventually reading the books on my own as the years started to accumulate. Who would have known that a childhood book would influence the course of my life so deeply—I certainly didn’t.

I was a voracious reader. I fondly recall the moment I entered the hushed, sacred precinct of the Brownsville Children’s Library in Brooklyn where I grew up in the mid 1930’s. I think I cleared the library shelves and read every book of Bomba the Jungle Boy, The Hardy Boys, and Allies Boys. But my most profoundly joyous memory is walking through the crowded, noisy, aroma-filled atmosphere of Sutter Avenue, between rows of pushcarts selling everything edible and wearable, on my way to that vine-covered magic castle of books. It was like crossing a moat from the reality of a contemporary world of struggle and strife, to a paradise of storytelling, which opened infinite possibilities and aspirations in a young boy confronting a strange and scary future.

By the age of fifteen, my love affair with reading inspired my seedling of a dream to become a novelist. After high school, I went to New York University and pursued a degree in English Literature, where I was introduced to the roster of great American novelists, becoming bewitched by the works of Hemingway, Faulkner, and Fitzgerald. My freshman English professor, Dr. Don Wolfe, inspired me and I later went on to study creative writing with him at the New School, along with Mario Puzo and William Styron. Throughout the years I’ve had many careers, but even when I was working a million jobs to make ends meet, I always made time to write and haunt the library — I could not stop doing either.

I didn’t end up publishing my first novel until I was forty-five. Before that I had published some short stories in anthologies, and I had even written several novels over the years, but I never tried publishing those manuscripts; I never preserved them either.

At age forty-five I was running an advertising and public relations agency in Washington, which I had founded, but my true ambition to become a working novelist stayed lit within me. I had finished my manuscript, Options, and it had received the usual rejections that a first novel typically receives.

Then a man walked into my office and changed my life.

The man, John David Garcia, had written a brilliant book titled The Moral Society. He arrived at my office by simply picking my agency name out of the yellow pages. His objective was to find an agency that could help him promote his book published by a small publisher in Philadelphia. I liked John instantly and although I had not read his book I agreed to help him publicize it, a difficult task at best.

When he asked me what our fee would be, I had the eureka moment that would profoundly impact my future. I told him that if he could persuade his small publisher to publish my first novel, that would serve as the fee. He apparently liked the challenge, submitted the book to his publisher and I had a deal. My first novel Options (I later renamed to Undertow) was to be published. No advance was involved but publishing the novel was good enough for me. As they say, the rest is history.

I was ecstatic—I was beyond happy. It was one of the happiest days of my life, a celebration and a vindication. Even though Options had practically no sales, publishing my first novel was a feat—a gateway—a break through into my writing career. It was the acceptance of my second novel by Putnam, a major publisher, that was my real breakthrough.

We all heard this a thousand times before when it comes to our dreams, but it is true: never surrender—never give up. Keep the flame lit. If it’s the real thing it will stay lit. If it’s not it will flame out. I continue to believe that. Of course you must have the self-validation and perseverance that spurs you on, not to mention the element of luck, which remains a mystery.

---

Warren Adler is best known for his bestseller turned box office hit The War of the Roses, starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, and Danny DeVito. He has written 50+ works of fiction, including Random Hearts and The Sunset Gang. You can explore Warren’s most popular titles here.

You’ve read Never Let Go of a Childhood Dream, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

http://ift.tt/2wYYwMj

You’re reading Never Let Go of a Childhood Dream, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston S. Churchill

http://ift.tt/2uQW7pr%5D

Becoming a published novelist is a story of blind luck and perseverance—of never losing a childhood dream, even when life seems to steer you into a different direction.

As with many novelists, I began as an avid reader from a young age, starting with a collection of books called My Book House. It was a beautifully produced twelve-volume collection that first introduced me to nursery rhymes, and as I grew older, to fairy tales and eventually Shakespeare. I recall my parents reading me the nurseries as a pre-bedtime ritual, and eventually reading the books on my own as the years started to accumulate. Who would have known that a childhood book would influence the course of my life so deeply—I certainly didn’t.

I was a voracious reader. I fondly recall the moment I entered the hushed, sacred precinct of the Brownsville Children’s Library in Brooklyn where I grew up in the mid 1930’s. I think I cleared the library shelves and read every book of Bomba the Jungle Boy, The Hardy Boys, and Allies Boys. But my most profoundly joyous memory is walking through the crowded, noisy, aroma-filled atmosphere of Sutter Avenue, between rows of pushcarts selling everything edible and wearable, on my way to that vine-covered magic castle of books. It was like crossing a moat from the reality of a contemporary world of struggle and strife, to a paradise of storytelling, which opened infinite possibilities and aspirations in a young boy confronting a strange and scary future.

By the age of fifteen, my love affair with reading inspired my seedling of a dream to become a novelist. After high school, I went to New York University and pursued a degree in English Literature, where I was introduced to the roster of great American novelists, becoming bewitched by the works of Hemingway, Faulkner, and Fitzgerald. My freshman English professor, Dr. Don Wolfe, inspired me and I later went on to study creative writing with him at the New School, along with Mario Puzo and William Styron. Throughout the years I’ve had many careers, but even when I was working a million jobs to make ends meet, I always made time to write and haunt the library — I could not stop doing either.

I didn’t end up publishing my first novel until I was forty-five. Before that I had published some short stories in anthologies, and I had even written several novels over the years, but I never tried publishing those manuscripts; I never preserved them either.

At age forty-five I was running an advertising and public relations agency in Washington, which I had founded, but my true ambition to become a working novelist stayed lit within me. I had finished my manuscript, Options, and it had received the usual rejections that a first novel typically receives.

Then a man walked into my office and changed my life.

The man, John David Garcia, had written a brilliant book titled The Moral Society. He arrived at my office by simply picking my agency name out of the yellow pages. His objective was to find an agency that could help him promote his book published by a small publisher in Philadelphia. I liked John instantly and although I had not read his book I agreed to help him publicize it, a difficult task at best.

When he asked me what our fee would be, I had the eureka moment that would profoundly impact my future. I told him that if he could persuade his small publisher to publish my first novel, that would serve as the fee. He apparently liked the challenge, submitted the book to his publisher and I had a deal. My first novel Options (I later renamed to Undertow) was to be published. No advance was involved but publishing the novel was good enough for me. As they say, the rest is history.

I was ecstatic—I was beyond happy. It was one of the happiest days of my life, a celebration and a vindication. Even though Options had practically no sales, publishing my first novel was a feat—a gateway—a break through into my writing career. It was the acceptance of my second novel by Putnam, a major publisher, that was my real breakthrough.

We all heard this a thousand times before when it comes to our dreams, but it is true: never surrender—never give up. Keep the flame lit. If it’s the real thing it will stay lit. If it’s not it will flame out. I continue to believe that. Of course you must have the self-validation and perseverance that spurs you on, not to mention the element of luck, which remains a mystery.

---

Warren Adler is best known for his bestseller turned box office hit The War of the Roses, starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, and Danny DeVito. He has written 50+ works of fiction, including Random Hearts and The Sunset Gang. You can explore Warren’s most popular titles here.

You’ve read Never Let Go of a Childhood Dream, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

http://ift.tt/2wYYwMj

You’re reading Insanely Simple Time Management Tips that Actually Work, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Time management can be a tough job. What is important and what is urgent are often times two totally different things.

This same principle is actually true for your health. Where the important issues are almost not that urgent but the urgent issues normally get ignored.

For instance not going to the gym isn’t an urgent task but it is important in the long run.

Now the question is, is there anything you can do in 24 hours, how do we actually use these hours more effectively?

Here are 3 tips that can help you be more productive throughout the day:

• Eliminate half-work done

In this era of constant distraction, it is really a stupid decision to work on several things at the same time. Usually, we juggle between emails and text messages and to-do lists, trying to get things done. But we don’t get the most out of anything.

In our age of constant distraction, it’s stupidly easy to split our attention between what we should be doing and what society bombards us with. Usually, we’re balancing the needs of messages, emails, and to–do lists at the same time that we are trying to get something accomplished. It’s rare that we are fully engaged in the task at hand.

• Do the most important things first

Disorder and chaos tend to increase as your day goes by. At the same time, the decision you take in the spur of the moment decides your tomorrow. Maybe the decision you take today will forecast your coming life for 5 years.

If you really think something is important then do the important things first and get them over with. Don’t wait and risk getting distracted. Take out the to-do list and do the most difficult and important things first thing in the morning. This will not only reduce stress levels, it will also motivate you to achieve more things in less time.

3) Reduce the scope but be Flexible with the approach

When it comes to day to day, work it is important to know where you are going. As I have said before make your to-do list first thing in the morning. Do the most difficult task first and move on to the next one. Keep in mind that you need to achieve all the tasks on the list but what you can do is to change your approach. If something is taking more time than usual, you need to change your approach and see how it can be done. Allowing for flexibility and fluidity in your day, to find your most efficient rhythm will really help get things done.

To conclude it all

There are thousands of time management apps and productivity gadgets that can help you to work fast and smart. You’ll find more advanced calendars and task list managers to get things done in the most efficient way. But whatever you choose to do, make sure you follow these 3 basic tips that can help you with any time management project.

When it comes to a healthy and productive life, I do focus my energy on the above-mentioned things:

Eliminate half–work and focus deeply.

Do the most important thing first.

Reduce the scope but be Flexible with the approach

How have you managed your time better and accomplished more at work, at home, or at the gym?

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Anwer’s unique blend of passion & expertise makes him one of the most highly pursued Digital Marketing evangelists across the globe. Currently employed in https://taskque.com/ TaskQue – task management software,  Anwer specializes in search engine marketing, influential blogging, managerial business tips and digital marketing.

Photo Credit: petradr

You’ve read Insanely Simple Time Management Tips that Actually Work, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

http://ift.tt/2uVpMdb

You’re reading Insanely Simple Time Management Tips that Actually Work, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Time management can be a tough job. What is important and what is urgent are often times two totally different things.

This same principle is actually true for your health. Where the important issues are almost not that urgent but the urgent issues normally get ignored.

For instance not going to the gym isn’t an urgent task but it is important in the long run.

Now the question is, is there anything you can do in 24 hours, how do we actually use these hours more effectively?

Here are 3 tips that can help you be more productive throughout the day:

• Eliminate half-work done

In this era of constant distraction, it is really a stupid decision to work on several things at the same time. Usually, we juggle between emails and text messages and to-do lists, trying to get things done. But we don’t get the most out of anything.

In our age of constant distraction, it’s stupidly easy to split our attention between what we should be doing and what society bombards us with. Usually, we’re balancing the needs of messages, emails, and to–do lists at the same time that we are trying to get something accomplished. It’s rare that we are fully engaged in the task at hand.

• Do the most important things first

Disorder and chaos tend to increase as your day goes by. At the same time, the decision you take in the spur of the moment decides your tomorrow. Maybe the decision you take today will forecast your coming life for 5 years.

If you really think something is important then do the important things first and get them over with. Don’t wait and risk getting distracted. Take out the to-do list and do the most difficult and important things first thing in the morning. This will not only reduce stress levels, it will also motivate you to achieve more things in less time.

3) Reduce the scope but be Flexible with the approach

When it comes to day to day, work it is important to know where you are going. As I have said before make your to-do list first thing in the morning. Do the most difficult task first and move on to the next one. Keep in mind that you need to achieve all the tasks on the list but what you can do is to change your approach. If something is taking more time than usual, you need to change your approach and see how it can be done. Allowing for flexibility and fluidity in your day, to find your most efficient rhythm will really help get things done.

To conclude it all

There are thousands of time management apps and productivity gadgets that can help you to work fast and smart. You’ll find more advanced calendars and task list managers to get things done in the most efficient way. But whatever you choose to do, make sure you follow these 3 basic tips that can help you with any time management project.

When it comes to a healthy and productive life, I do focus my energy on the above-mentioned things:

Eliminate half–work and focus deeply.

Do the most important thing first.

Reduce the scope but be Flexible with the approach

How have you managed your time better and accomplished more at work, at home, or at the gym?

---

Anwer’s unique blend of passion & expertise makes him one of the most highly pursued Digital Marketing evangelists across the globe. Currently employed in https://taskque.com/ TaskQue – task management software,  Anwer specializes in search engine marketing, influential blogging, managerial business tips and digital marketing.

Photo Credit: petradr

You’ve read Insanely Simple Time Management Tips that Actually Work, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

http://ift.tt/2uVpMdb

You’re reading How To Quit Your Job (with romantic worst-case scenarios), originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

If you feel sick with the prospect of being an employee for the next 20 to 30 years of your life then I hope that what you will read will put you a minute closer to showing the teeth to the crazy idea of scheduling the best years of your life to a time when your body is frail.

Free beer on Fridays is not enough freedom

I always thought to be ‘successful’ meant having a permanent job, earning 40k, working for 7,5 hours a day and then spending the rest of your time in cool places doing the things you really ‘love’ doing.

When I finally made it through the muddy and cold waters of internships and low-paid entry jobs and I got my first permanent job, I instantly realised how wrong I had been all along.

I would not only do my 7.5 or 8 hours Mon to Fri but I would add a 2-hour commute plus another hour getting ready and planning for work. Only this way I could deliver my work to the highest standards. Because any negative feedback at work would make me feel anxious for weeks or even months.

But it didn’t end there. The roles I was doing were designed to continuously get me promoted to the next level, which was great in the sense that my companies cared about my career progress, but this meant I needed to work overtime to make sure I excelled on the long-feared wintery appraisal.

Instead, watching others climb ahead of me would effectively make me feel like a loser. In this context, seeing my colleagues getting promoted while spending their weekends partying until dawn made me jealous. “I don’t have any energy for that, I am so wiped out during the weekend that all I want to do is stay at home quietly and do productive activities” I used to say to myself.

But wait, I was too tired to do anything productive!

“I am investing my whole life in the benefit of somebody else and I don’t have enough time to do the things that really enrich me, like playing guitar and learning languages.” I thought.

“Will this go on until I’m 65 or before (as long as I die before that age)?”

Reading the four-hour workweek by Tim Ferriss didn’t help, for it made aspire that freedom to design your lifestyle but didn’t really convince me to pursue it, which in turn made me more frustrated.

Life puts you where you belong

Unexpectedly, I met someone who had recently done what I wanted to do so bad. He wholeheartedly encouraged me to quit and follow my dream. I was almost convinced.

A final kick by the most important person in my life put me straight in that meeting room handing over my notice and negotiating the end of my contract. I felt the wings popping up from my back.

The first thing I did was going on an amazing road trip to celebrate such a milestone in my life. I don’t go on a road-trip every day, but I still celebrate that decision EVERY SINGLE DAY.

This post commemorates the first year of my life after-employment. I must say my 7 years of higher education (bachelors and two masters’ degrees) didn’t teach me half of what I have learnt in the past year. And I have been able to not only support myself but also…

• Create a brand
• Design a range of awesome service products
• Deliver a talk to an audience of local entrepreneurs
• Move to an amazing location in Spain on a protected natural dune.
• Get a rescue dog
• Learn how to sing to a ‘cringe-free’ level
• Learn how to play two of the most difficult classical guitar pieces ever written
• Have experienced life-affirming near death experiences while surfing
• Fire a client (and loving the result)
• Get married with the love of my life
• Visit Thailand
• Lose my fear to surfing
• Join a martial arts club
• Work one week in Berlin
• Take two road trips to South of Spain
• Visit Lithuania and work from there
• Learn how to record and edit videos
• Complete a 3-month coaching course that changed my life
• Wake up whenever I want (early anyway)
• Experiment with intermittent fasting regimes
• Fully express myself with my family

I am not a millionaire nor I aspire to be one. I am something more powerful than that. I have seen what is possible when you commit yourself to living on your own terms, and I am fully committed to continuing optimising my lifestyle and thus reminding myself that the sky is the limit.

I am so passionate about growing and consolidating my dream lifestyle that I will never stop. And I promise you, if I run out of money somewhere in the process, I will grab my guitar and busk on the streets rather than work on somebody else’s terms.

Here is how you can get started (this is what worked for me):

• Work with a coach to make you set and stick to your goals
• Create very specific products based on what you know creates value
• Get a website and build your own brand
• Read your email once or less per day
• Put effort on the non-income-generating things you love doing

If you are not exuding joy at your current job but think it somehow is the best thing you can get (as I did when I was in that position), you are wrong. The world has nothing but opportunities ready for you to take them.

Are you ready to commit?

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Peru Buesa is the founder and digital strategist at Gozen Media, an agency determined to help innovative ideas and products reach far.

You’ve read How To Quit Your Job (with romantic worst-case scenarios), 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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