If we want to be successful this year, it’s important to streamline our plans and priorities. This way, we can achieve our maximum potential over the next coming months.

We all spend our lives juggling priorities and making sacrifices in some areas of our lives to excel in others. We burn ourselves out focusing on one goal while all of our other priorities get neglected.

The “Four Burners Theory” depicts life as four burners on top of a stove, each represents a core area in our lives.

Those four core areas include health, work, family, and friends. They divide our time, emotions, strength, and energy on a day-to-day basis.

We can harness our inner energy and grow across all four quadrants or we can choose to excel in only the areas that truly matter to us.

You can make your choices. After all, you control your own destiny.

What The Four Burners Theory Teaches Us

The Four Burners Theory teaches us that to be successful, we must cut off one of our burners. To be really successful, we must cut off two!

But would you trade family and friends for improved health and a better career? Would you leave your job or risk your health for family or friends?

Or are there ways to embrace this theory? Can you use it to your advantage to get the most out of life?

Maximize Productivity

You can become 100% more productive by following these points!

It would be difficult to allocate all of your time to one burner without dire consequences to the other three burners in your life.

Think about it.

What is the most important burner in your life right now? Are you spending enough time with your family or are you working too much?

Are you letting your health slip in order to work harder? When was the last time you sat down with friends and relaxed?

Once you’ve established which area to focus on, ask yourself some more questions…

• Can I spend time working out on my lunch hour?
• Can I exercise with my family with a fun activity or sport?
• How can I manage my time to become more productive at work?

By asking those simple questions, you can start managing your time more efficiently- without sacrificing a burner.

Outsource and Delegate

It’s up to you to decide how much or how little you do, but give yourself a break!

Modern life is full of difficult choices but it’s also full of positive opportunities and potentially magnificent outcomes.

Delegating or outsourcing certain tasks can seriously take the pressure off of your four burners, freeing up more time and allowing you to do the things you enjoy more often.

Applying this idea to just one quadrant of your life will immediately free up time for you to focus on the other three burners.

Here are some examples of how you can outsource each burner in order to maximize your time and effort.

Health: Instead of spending ten hours a week in the gym, develop a plan that will dramatically improve your overall well-being in just 5 hours or 30 minutes a day. Research online and consider diet and nutrition combined with exercise in order to maximize your overall well-being in just a short time. One of the easiest ways is to drink enough water each day.

Work: If there are tasks that you can outsource online or to your staff, then why are you still doing them? Sometimes, allowing others to complete arduous tasks on your behalf can free up time and maximize your overall productivity. Don’t be afraid to delegate!

Family: Have you considered day-care for your children or hiring a babysitter while you free up time to focus on the other three burners of your life? Have you considered hiring a cleaner so that you can spend an extra hour or two with your children or spouse? Think of all the options available that can make family life and time easier for you.

Friends: Delegating or outsourcing for your health, family, and work will ultimately give you more time to enjoy life with your friends. When was the last time you talked to a friend?

See Also: 5 Reasons to Outsource Your Crazy Life

The Seasons of Life

Remember, every season can feel like summer if you’re focused and motivated!

If you split your life into seasons and spend time focusing on a particular burner, this will lead to mastery in that area of your life.

There are several reasons why this can be beneficial:

• You can travel on longer vacations with your family and friends.
• You can set aside time to work on projects that you previously had no free time for.
• By dimming one burner or two, the others will spark and fire up brighter, leading to passion and understanding in key quadrants of your life.

Work-life balance is important. Using the above examples and ideas, fire up your inner stove and focus on the things that mean the most to you. Divide, delegate, constrain and most of all…

Be true to yourself and light the burners with the fire within your soul!

What is the most important burner in your life today?

A Work-Life Balance? 8 Steps to Help You Juggle It All

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One of the worst mass shootings in the United States is the Las Vegas shooting incident which has woken up everyone worldwide. Even I was deeply affected by the news as I read through what victims and the families of the dead have endured during the tragic event.

Because of what has happened, hundreds of people around the area and thousands of people all over the world probably have one thing in mind: How to survive a mass shooting?

To help spread awareness, we’re listing down the crucial steps which can help save lives if such incident happens. Here’s what you need to keep in mind.

Run Away

This is your first priority. Do your best to escape and run away as far as you can from the shooter.

Make sure that you have identified the escape routes around the building or area you are in. While running, avoid any rooms or areas where you can hear gunfire.

React Fast

If you do hear gunfire or panic ensure around you, do NOT freeze up or waste precious seconds trying to figure out what you should do next.

Go look for the escape route nearest to you. Take off anything that can slow you down, like your heels or your bag. Run in the opposite direction of those gunshots.

Do not bother trying to pack your belongings. They aren’t as important as your life!

Run to the Exit

When you run towards the exit, go straight ahead.

If you need to take cover from the shooter who’s blocking or following you to the exit, create a zigzag motion to make it harder for him to shoot you. If that’s not the case, simply run straight ahead and focus on your escape.

Bring Others

When you are running to the exit, it’s best to bring others around you or to encourage them to run with you. If they aren’t able to run, then drag them.

Just like saving yourself and looking for a way out, saving others should be a priority as well. Plus, it makes it harder for the shooter to target individuals when running as a group.

Hide

If you aren’t able to go to the nearest escape routes or if the shooter is around and the exit is blocked, then the next thing you should do is to hide in any room.

When you find an empty room to hide in, lock and barricade the door and try calling an emergency number while doing so. Get any weapon you can use to strike the attacker if he approaches you.

Take Cover

While you are finding cover, look for places that will be able to stop a bullet. Think of walls, thick trees or support beams.

For those in an office, hide behind a heavy desk or cabinet that would not restrict movement. Turn off whatever can make a noise, including your phone or watch. While hiding, stay cool and collected to avoid being noticed.

Teamwork Helps

If you manage to get other people to run or hide beside you, then it helps to assign tasks to everyone. One can keep watch while others try to connect to the authorities.

Play Dead

And if everything else fails and you are unable to escape or find cover while the shooter is active, then play dead. If ever the shooter does catch you, you can attack.

Do NOT bother reasoning out and simply attack with whatever sharp or heavy object you can find. Commit yourself to it until the weapon is out of the shooter’s hands or he is injured.

Wrapping It Up

And there you have it!

I hope that this article on how to survive a mass shooting helped you become more knowledgeable about what you need to do to keep yourself and others safe and alive.

All my thoughts and prayers are with the victims and families of the dead. Hopefully, we don’t get to read another news about mass shootings ever again.

The post How to Survive a Mass Shooting: 8 Actionable Tips from Experts appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Are you happy? How to be happy everyday?

This is a really subjective question when you think about it.

Happiness can’t really be measured easily through quantitative measures. Happiness is dependent on a lot of things, including your circumstances.

But one thing is for certain. You need to develop certain habits in order to become happier overall.

Factors Leading To Greater Happiness

Though happiness may be subjective and deeply personal, there is still a basic formula to it. Factors that affect our general happiness include economic, social, and the state of our health.

• Economic -Income, employment, career
• Social – Education, friends, family life, peer interaction
• Health – Mental, physical, access to healthcare

The Happiest Place Isn’t Where You Think

Contrary to popular belief, that amusement park with animals isn’t the happiest place on earth- for that you’d want to visit Norway.

Residing in a cold and often dark climate, Norwegians’ survival depends on strong community support and close communities. Norway is also one of the wealthiest countries on the planet and their economic and security benefits offer universal education and family allowance.

Apart from that, Norway also:

• Sees months with very little sunlight and the natural vitamins that boost the brain’s “happy” receptors
• Is the fourth wealthiest country in the world based on GDP per capita
• Offers free education in the university level for all citizens

America’s Happiness

The US comes in at #19 of 155 countries in terms of happiness, far behind Norway. From social unrest, healthcare concerns to education, the level of happiness Americans express is less than ideal.

The case of American happiness is a unique one and the following are cited as contributors to their decreased happiness:

• Perception of lowered personal freedoms, such as body pat downs and invasive government surveillance
• Income inequality issues and deteriorating educational systems
• Political unrest and a general frustration with current political climates

Though it’s clear Americans collectively have a lot on their mind, it isn’t all bad. In fact, the happiness level and optimism of Americans are rising.

• In 2017, 33% of Americans say they are happy (an increase from 31% in 2016)
• 86% of Americans say they have positive relationships with their family members
• 72% of Americans express they are optimistic about the future

Happy Habits Are The Key

When it comes to happiness there is a no one-size-fits-all solution. We all must approach happiness on our own terms. That said, there are steps that encourage happiness as a habit.

Here are some of them:

Practice gratitude: Psychology research shows that feelings of gratitude and thankfulness are associated with happiness.
Embrace and accept negative feelings: By acknowledging the full spectrum of our emotions, we can better appreciate the complexity of life.
Place a higher value on time than money: Prioritizing time is a behavior associated with greater happiness.
Practicing compassion and generosity with others: This will lead to more self-compassion and less negative self-talk

See Also: 8 Inspiring Habits of Happy People

Even physical effects can make us feel happy. Even just spending some time outdoors can do wonders for one’s mood and can even help establish happy habits.

• Serotonin is secreted when the eyes come into contact with sunlight.
• Vitamin D, produced when UV rays hit the skin, literally makes us feel happier.
• Simply forcing a smile can “trick” the brain into feeling happy.

Happy people do have some traits in common with one another.

Living in the moment: Happy people seek out new experiences, even if they may seem a little scary at first.
Goal-focused and big-picture oriented: Happy people don’t necessarily sweat the small stuff but still keep the endgame in sight.
Optimistic and idealistic: Instead of dwelling on the problems of the world, happy people tend to be more proactive.

How Can You Become Happier Today?

The happiest man in the world, Matthieu Ricard, meditates daily for at least 15 minutes on happy thoughts and compassion. Start this habit today and see how it can uplift your mood.

Learn more about the habits of the world’s happiest people from this infographic!

See Also: 5 Key Insights For A Happy Life From Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations

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The first time I thought about the success of various big organizations, I used to feel that their success was just a result of some huge luck. I also thought that the founder of those organizations had a lot of money in stock before they started their businesses.

I started studying what could have led to their huge success and how they were able to maintain their growth in today’s most challenging business era. This is when I realized the strategic utilization of business analysis.

“If you invest more in analyzing your business challenges today and identifying the most effective solution for future challenges, one day, you will not have to struggle, but will sit in one place and watch your hard work pay off.” -Chidiebere Moses Ogbodo

The reason I admire the job of business analysts is that those experts understood and learned from yesterday’s businesses and they apply tried and tested ideas with today’s trends. Isn’t that awesome?

I will explain the three factors of an effective business analysis, but before that let me share a story with you.

On a good Friday morning, I was walking down the street of Amagu Akegbe Ugwu. I met a good friend of mine who was running a supermarket.

You know how lucrative this business can be especially when it is in a target area and you are providing what the people need and with good discount rates.

I asked him how his business was going and he replied that it’s not so good. He has invested a huge amount of money and hardly gained a good return on his investment.

I thought for a while and asked again if he had the time to think of what could be the reason for such challenges. He responded that he was not having enough time.

As a businessman, his schedule is very tight.

Now, you see the problem?

If you must succeed in your business, you must first plan, prepare, and wait for the opportunity to strike hard. If you are keen on identifying people’s problems and solving them, then you’re good to go in your business.

A good example is Facebook.

Why do I say so?

This organization dedicates time to listen to its customers. Whatever they may be complaining about, the business will work hard to resolve it soon. It also implements one or two new things to keep users interested and engaged.

The 3 Factors to Consider in your Business Analysis Quest

• Customer Satisfaction

Your customer should be the main focus of your business.

If you have a product and there is no one to pay for it, then it will be just a waste.

If there is one thing you need to consider this year, it’s to analyze the concern of each customer you have. Provide them with the most suitable solutions.

If a customer realizes that you are giving him/her personalized attention, he/she will always come back for your services. Everybody needs caring and people will go to where more of it is coming.

• Employee Growth

The happier your employees are, the more motivated they’ll be in working towards your organization’s goals.

An effective leader identifies the individuality of their employees, listens to their problems, and responds to them promptly.

Business analysis involves the process of engaging your employees to express themselves at every level in the organization. When employees understand that their employer knows them by their individual names and specific features, they will never think of leaving the organization. This is a very good trait of an innovative company.

See Also: What Can Employers Do For Employee Appreciation Day?

• Organizational Innovation

The environmental changes, industrial growth, and important trends that relate to your organization must be identified and properly integrated.

An organization that is fast in implementing or incorporating the latest trends in the industry carries the highest chance of succeeding.

So, extend your business analysis to adequately address the industry trends. There should always be continuity and a clear path towards your organizational goals.

To achieve that, you need to identify what’s working and what’s not. Once you have identified what’s working, fortify it with more investments.

If I was the Business Analyst in Your Organization

• I will ensure that there is a timely and result-oriented identification of solutions to the challenges that the organization may face.
• I will try to know what concerns my customers and provide solutions even before they ask for it.
• To steer the business towards a brighter path, I will lead the teams with industry-proven strategies.
• I will give my best to gain the most commendable result so that the business will stand out.

See Also: Why Strategy Is Important In Business

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Have you ever felt like you’re not good enough? Have you ever questioned yourself why you’re not appreciated and valued for who you are?

Well, let me tell you what I think.

1. You’re constantly comparing and measuring your standards of success against others.

“So what If I’ve graduated with a Bachelors degree, people are graduating with Masters and PhDs, I’m just not smart enough; I’m never gonna get a good job.”

2. When you don’t take care of your health, you feel like crap and you underperform.

Imagine this:

You only slept two hours the night before and you tried to work out the next morning. No matter how hard you try, you couldn’t lift as heavy as your last record. You start to think that you are deteriorating and you’re never going to improve.

See Also: Importance Of Sleep: How It Can Put Your Health In Serious Jeopardy

3. You complain that you’re not good enough but you don’t do anything to change.

You still continue doing the same shit every day that makes you mediocre.

“Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.”– Jim Rohn

4. You think you should be like Wonder Woman and be good at everything.

Well, you don’t have to, because you never will. This brings me to my next point.

5. You are a self-proclaimed perfectionist and big-time procrastinator.

“If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.” ― Ecclesiastes 11:4

6. You’re constantly thinking about the ‘What If’s’ but you don’t look at your current assets and how you can work them to your advantage.

7. You try to do everything but give up everything in the process.

You don’t have a goal or a list of things you want to achieve. You’re constantly stuck and feeling lost.

8. You’re not fully present when you’re working on something.

After you’ve completed a task, you don’t even remember what you did.

9. You don’t want to admit that you’re just a lazy prick and you’re not willing to put in the effort to succeed because acknowledging that makes you feel worse about yourself.

10. You constantly think that you’re not good enough.

“What you think, you become.” – Buddha

By now, you must be thinking:

“Well, this girl sounds like she’s giving me advice because she’s got everything in one piece and is living out her life purpose which is making a difference in people’s lives by doing what she’s good at…”

Hell, no.

This girl is very aware what it feels like to never be good enough. However, despite that, she’s still trying to get out of her hole.

She scrolls through Instagram looking at her friend’s post about a pretty unicorn smoothie bowl he made and she thinks: “I have a degree in food nutrition and I can’t make stuff like that… I’m not healthy enough.”

She goes to Cross-fit class and she sees others doing pull-ups and handstands and she thinks: “I’ve been working out for donkey years and I still can’t do any of those… I’m not fit enough.”

She and her friend go traveling together and she sees her friend being the one connecting with people along the way and she thinks: “I can’t talk like that…I’m not sociable enough.”

And as she is in the process of writing an article, she thinks: “Why am I even spending my time doing this, I’m not…”

I’m not enough. I can’t.

You get the gist.

Final Words

If you don’t feel the same way, kudos to you. Keep it up!

If you do, then know that you’re not alone in facing this ‘fear’ of imperfection, of never being good enough.

I’m not here to offer pity or start preaching that you should change and start thinking positively.

Don’t get me wrong.

I’m just hoping to be able to offer some comfort and make you feel comforted as well.
There’s no room for judgment here. Only understanding.

Oh, and ice cream.

Join me for ice cream? I’m thinking cookies and cream. What about you?

The post 10 Possible Reasons Why You’re Always Not Good Enough appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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If you are getting on in years, you have to start thinking of your brain health. Dementia and Alzheimer’s diseases are becoming so common nowadays that it’s become imperative that you know exactly how to keep your brain young.

Here are 10 simple ways that can keep your brain from aging too fast.

Play fun games

Brain exercise can be fun and easy. Play matching games like Hay Match to stimulate your brain and release more dopamine. Mental stimulation can be a way to stay young longer. Your brain needs to be exercised, just like every muscle of your body, so get into the habit of playing puzzle games regularly.

Exercise

Moving the body is also good for the brain. The increased blood circulation will lead to a better supply of oxygen to your head. This helps your brain to function as it should.

Exercise at the gym and try to move throughout the day. If you have a job where you sit in front of a screen, take breaks every 20 minutes, and be sure to stand up and move!

Eat better

Try to change your diet to one that includes ingredients that are good for your brain. Foods with high levels of antioxidants are considered good brain food. So are foods that contain omega 3 and 6. You might also want to have a look at your intake of water to avoid dehydration.

Keep your blood sugar levels on an even keel

This point relates to the idea of eating better. If you can keep an even blood sugar level, it will benefit your brain. You will feel more energetic.

With more energy you can think more clearly and it will help you to get the most out of exercising too. This leads to a good cycle of motivation and inspiration.

Don’t smoke!

Did you know that cigarettes damage the brain? They can damage the parts of the brain that are responsible for memory, perception and language. If your brain capacity in these areas becomes weaker, you will inevitably be perceived as older than you really are. So never start smoking and quit now if you are already a smoker.

Laugh a little

When was the last time you laughed? Laughing and smiling are good for you. These are things that will help you stay young. If your friends are not funny, find a comedian that you can listen to every now and then in order to break out into some healthy laughter that will release beneficial hormones in your body.

Sleep enough

We must sleep to restore brain chemicals. During sleep, the brain can deal with all the events of the day. This sorting process is important for the brain to stay healthy and fully functional. You can try to go to bed earlier and also look into the possibility of taking a power nap during the day.

See Also: Five Ways of Overcoming the Problem of Getting Sleep

Have a vacation

Get a change of scenery and do something else. Your brain will benefit from this!

Take a mini vacation and leave all the gadgets behind. You might be surprised to realize that you can find your way without GPS by simply talking to other people.

Get a pet

Pets are very good for our emotional health. Your pet will give you a daily dose of joy. Going on long walks, laughing at your pet’s antics and sharing the love will help you stay young and fresh!

See Also: 10 Brain Damaging Activities You Need To Stop Doing Now

 

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Las Vegas is considered the entertainment capital of the world and it’s easy to see why. The city literally has something for nature enthusiasts to nightlife lovers. This is why there were and over 42 million the year before.

If you are thinking of visiting the place, here are the best things to do in Las Vegas to help you plan your trip.

Concert Residencies

Las Vegas is famous for its concert residencies from the world’s biggest superstars. Elvis Presley, Cher, and Prince have all headlined there in the past.

Nowadays, Sin City revelers have the chance to see stars like Elton John, Jennifer Lopez, and Britney Spears perform sellout shows along the Las Vegas Strip at famous venues, like the Colosseum at Caesars Palace and Planet Hollywood Resort.

Lady Gaga recently sealed a deal that will earn her an impressive $1 million per show. It’s set with 74 dates in MGM’s Park Theater beginning late 2018.

One act that has been going strong for many years now is David Copperfield’s residency at the MGM Grand Casino. There, he captivates his audience with spectacular illusions.

The magician performs 15 incredible shows per week in a residency that has lasted 18 years to date.

Nightclubs

The nightlife in Las Vegas is one of the biggest attractions for young and old tourists. It has a wide range of bars and clubs that play host to the world’s most reputable music acts and DJs.

Venues like Hakkasan at the MGM Grand are the epitome of what nightlife is all about there. With a capacity of around 6,000 people, a mindblowing sound system, and the likes of Calvin Harris and Tiesto regularly headlining, it’s no wonder why tons of people gather there.

XS at the Wynn Encore has hosted EDM superstars like Skrillex and Diplo and features an outdoor pool which is perfect for cooling off from the stifling heat.

Fremont Street Experience

Fremont Street Experience is an outdoor entertainment district that spans five blocks in downtown Las Vegas. It has countless free concerts people can enjoy all year.

It also has the world’s largest screen. It’s made up of 12.5 million energy-efficient LED lamps and accompanied by a 550,000-watt sound system.

You can find a number of bars and restaurants in the area. There are also a lot of games and various visual experiences. You can find a huge zipline, too!

17 million visitors per year see the free Viva Vision Light Show.  This makes the place a must-see for any tourist.

Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. A day trip is definitely one of the best things to do in Las Vegas.

More than 5 million people come each year to see the magnificent views filled with different types of terrain and inhabited by diverse wildlife. The Grand Canyon Skywalk is perched up over 4,000 feet above the surface, offering visitors the chance to dine in style with views of the Arizona sunset.

Spanning 446 kilometers in length and stretching 29 kilometers at its widest point, the Grand Canyon isn’t the deepest canyon in the world. It’s a title that goes to Peru’s Cotahuasi Canyon or Kali Gendaki Gorge in Nepal, depending on who you ask.

However, because of the spectacular view it offers, the place is definitely one of the most popular attractions in the United States. The Grand Canyon is located 200 km from the Strip, with multiple coaches and helicopter tours available daily.

Hoover Dam

Built in 1935, the Hoover Dam is a National Historic Landmark. It has enough water to irrigate up to 2 million acres of land. It’s a hugely popular tourist destination which you can find just over 30 miles away from Las Vegas.

There is a selection of tours that allow you to explore deep into the depths of the dam where you can marvel at the incredible engineering work. While you’re in the area, you can also take a relaxing boat tour to Lake Mead or the Colorado River.

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Every day, we are bound to face conflicts and many people shut down completely because of that. Although that sounds like the easy way out, it won’t help you in the long run. In fact, it’s the other way around. Facing conflicts offers a lot of benefits.

It Helps You Move Forward

The main problem with always veering away from any type of confrontation is that it denies you of opportunities for growth and improvement. Avoiding animosity stops you from moving forward in life and this is a huge problem. You won’t be able to fulfill your potential personally and professionally.

On top of that, holding grudges against people can put you at risk of mental disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia.

The simplest way to avoid all of those things is to face the issue. It will seem scary at first but its benefits far outweigh the initial difficulty.

It will pave your path towards self-improvement and also quiet down any negative and consuming thoughts you might have running around in your head.

Thus, if you feel things get too loud, you should try dealing with them directly every now and then. You’ll see that it can really work wonders.

It Relieves the Stress of Daily Life

If you’re the type of person who keeps his emotions inside all the time, then you already know how hard it gets after a while. Every day, life becomes a lot more stressful because of that. You might even start feeling anxious all the time.

Now, if you stop keeping your emotions bottled up, you’ll soon realize that your fear is getting you nowhere and that it’s actually making your life harder.

See Also: 12 Stressful Things To Let Go Of If You Want To Live A Calm Life

It Mends Your Relationships

The Balance author Rhonda Scharf exemplified this situation best by illustrating it with the story of one of her former co-workers. According to Scharf, this one colleague of hers had a particularly unhealthy mechanism for coping with conflict. He would carry out an entire conversation with the people who made him angry but just inside his head.

He started doing the same thing whenever he and his wife encountered marital problems. Instead of talking to his spouse, he chose to keep it all in. The situation escalated to such a point that it almost tore apart their marriage. That is when he finally expressed his emotions directly.

There is one important lesson that we all can learn from this: confrontation leads to communication and proper communication can mend any relationship, including romantic partnerships.

It Boosts Your Self-Confidence

One of the main reasons why people choose to bottle up their problems and avoid any form of confrontation is their lack of self-confidence. When faced with such situations, most of us think that there’s nothing we can really do about it.

Nevertheless, you can’t know for sure until you try it. And when you finally do, you will realize that it’s not really that hard after all.

See Also: 7 Powerful Habits To Skyrocket Your Self-Confidence

Final Thoughts

While conflict seems like a negative thing, it’s actually highly beneficial when approached right. Therefore, if you stop running away from it, you’ll be able to give yourself enough chance to grow both personally and professionally.

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Groundbreaking steps are happening in the technology industry all the time. In the past couple of years alone, leaps and bounds have resulted in better augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, speech recognition, and more. This year, you can expect more tech innovations to enhance our lives.

Here are the top technology trends you need to watch out for this year.

Augmented Reality

We’ve already seen what today’s AR mobile apps can do and games like Pokémon Go are a far cry from it, to say the least.

The AR technology from companies like the startup DAQRI, however, extends well beyond a mobile game experience. Its technology is found in other products, like its $15,000 AR helmets.

You can wear those helmets entirely hands-free and it can work for hours. A requirement for its primary users: industrial workers, sailors, and soldiers.

Take note that these headsets aren’t quite full-scale AR because they suffer from the common problem of most AR headsets. It’s the narrow rectangular view that cuts off images when the user moves.

Now, as the company has partnered with Two Trees, a holography specialist, and is working on developing new dynamic holography technology, it could possibly revolutionize AR.

See Also: How Augmented Reality Is Changing The Game

Google RankBrain

One of the biggest contributors to the advancement of search algorithms in recent years has been Google’s machine learning Artificial Intelligence (AI) system, RankBrain.

Since its inception over two years ago, Google continues to embrace RankBrain, using it to return the best results that match a Google user’s query. It has gone from being used in 15% of Google search queries to now being used in all of them.

Google has also been dabbling in other AI interests. This includes the development of a Cloud Vision API, which has the capability to recognize a huge number of objects. Plus, its Google Brain division has reportedly been developing an AI that can build AI better than humans can.

Artificial Intelligence

Google RankBrain aside, artificial intelligence isn’t only found in data. It’s in just about every industry. Journalism, financial services, video gaming, gambling, automotive, the military, and even healthcare are just some examples.

Currently, the vast majority of AI systems function as a supportive tool that can make certain processes more simplified, effective, and faster.

That said, as AI enters more and more fields, people like Jack Ma question what impact the future of AI will have on society as a whole. The concerns of Alibaba’s founder and Executive Chairman were made known earlier this year during the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos.

“The AI, Big Data is a threat to human beings. The AI and robots are going to kill a lot of jobs because, in the future, these will be done by machines,” Ma stated during a discussion panel.

He believes that AI should be used to support people and added that tech giants, like Alibaba, Amazon, and Facebook, need to be responsible and “should spend money on technology that enables people, empowers people, and makes life better”.

See Also: 5 Reasons Why You Should Consider AI Automation for Small Business

Smart speakers

Forget about talking to your smartphone. The future is all about voice-controlled smart speakers now.

This technology perfectly fits into the ecosystem of a smart home as smart speakers can function as the main control hub. They can answer questions, set timers, play music, and control other devices at home.

As you might imagine, there is a fierce competition between market leaders. Amazon, Google, Apple, and Microsoft aim to develop and sell the most sought-after smart speakers.

Today, the competition is tight between Amazon and Google. These companies are leading the market with smart speakers that are affordable, accessible, and superior to Apple’s Siri.

And once Apple’s smart speaker (HomePod) is out later this year, fans will still flock to buy it despite the high price tag. That only reflects people’s desire to always get their hands on the latest technology.

Speech recognition

Speech recognition is another tech that has recently advanced both in its capabilities and its use. Whether you’re asking your smartphone a question or your smart speaker, speech recognition is at play.

While there has always been a lot of kinks to work out when it comes to this technology, last August, Microsoft claimed a new speech recognition record. It was able to reduce its error rate to an amazing 5.1%.

This percentage matched the error rate of multiple human transcribers in a well-known accuracy test.

Microsoft’s continued improvements in speech recognition technology are a part of its wider effort to advance state of the art AI and bring these new innovations to the market.

Conclusion

Of course, no one really knows what the future holds for these top technology trends. Maybe full-scale AR will eliminate the need for mobile phones. Perhaps, speech recognition may prove to be superior to human transcribers- or maybe not. Only time will tell where these innovations might take us next

The post 5 Top Technology Trends That Will Shape 2018 appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Walking on the path of entrepreneurship can be a difficult task as there will always be obstacles and challenges. As someone who’s new to entrepreneurship, you should be prepared to face them.

As you embark on your journey, you will encounter issues about legal matters, finances, product development, intellectual property, and much more. The list can easily overwhelm new players.

This makes it important that you fully commit yourself to your business. If you feel that you cannot handle things on your own, there are teams of entrepreneurial finance assignment help that can assist you in getting organized.

And to make sure that you are completely prepared, here are some of the best tips for new entrepreneurs.

Always Keep Cash Handy

As an entrepreneur, you must remember that the money you prepared as capital may not be enough. For your business to function smoothly, there needs to be a consistent flow of cash.

Find investors and venture capitalists who can help fund your ideas and business. Convince them and make them believe in your vision.

Take note that they will likely ask about the expected returns on their investments.

Focus on people and their needs

Stay focused on what your employees need. Make sure to invest in their training.

The skills and knowledge that they’ll learn will be really valuable to the success of your business.

Ask yourself on what business model fits you

If you have started a business just for the sake of earning money and you don’t have any interest in it, don’t expect that business to last long.

Before you start a business, make sure that it’s something that goes in line with your passion and interest. When you are passionate about something, you’ll work really hard to make it successful.

Now, this doesn’t mean that passion is everything. There are factors and situations that can also influence the result you’ll get.

Keep your personal life away from your professional life

As an entrepreneur, you will spend at least 12 to 13 hours a day working on your business.  As a result, you may not have time to socialize anymore.

As an entrepreneur, you need to know how to balance your work and personal life. Spending too much time on work can result in burnout and that can make you less productive and focused.

Take a break when you need to. It will not only refresh your mind but it can also give you better ideas that can improve your business.

See Also: 5 Ways to Balance Work and Family Time Even if You’re a Workaholic

Don’t let your debt pull you down

When you are starting a business for the very first time, remember not to lose yourself in debt. You have just started your business and you need money for many things.

Credit should not be one of your worries. Moreover, it is incredibly risky to take debts in the initial phase.

If you are in debt and your business skyrockets to success, it’s all well and good. However, if your business fails, you would still have to pay your debt off since you’re the designated personal guarantor of the loan.

If you really need to borrow money, make sure that it’s within manageable limits.

Jot down your ideas and what you learn

As an entrepreneur, you will have a million things running inside your mind. With so many ideas, there’s a good chance that you’ll forget them in a snap.

The best way to avoid that from happening is to write down your thoughts and lessons in a notebook. You can look back at your notes whenever you need to recall your ideas.

See Also: 5 Benefits of Journaling To Inspire and Motivate You

Take some, leave some

Wise words from someone experienced can be an asset to your business. However, to ensure the success of your business, learn to sieve good advice from the bad ones.

Once you’re able to do that, you’ll be off to a good start. If you are unsure about what to do, just trust your instinct.

Conclusion

The 7 tips for new entrepreneurs can make you a smarter player in the business arena. If there is one thing on that list you haven’t implemented yet, then it’s time that you do.

Small changes can make a big difference. So, keep your mind fueled with positivity and stay healthy and happy. Success will follow shortly.

The post Tips for New Entrepreneurs: What You Need to Know Before Starting A Business appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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