Are you a night owl? Most people have heard the phrase ‘the early bird gets the worm’, but various studies have actually shown that night owls may be smarter.

As everyone else is nodding off, the night owls start to become productive, resulting in all kinds of benefits.

Check out 10 reasons why night owls are smarter people.

1. They Have ‘Evening Strength’

There may be a physical advantage to being a night owl: researchers at the University of Alberta tested the leg strength of nine early birds and nine night owls and found that the leg strength of an early bird remained consistent throughout the day. However, the leg strength of the people who stayed up later actually peaked to higher levels during the evening!

Olle Lagerquist, the co-author of the study, said the reason for this may be because night owls “show increased motor cortex and spinal cord excitability.”

2. They Tend To Be More Relaxed

Early birds often have higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which stay high all day. However, night owls are often much more relaxed, as they don’t receive the same amount of cortisol in the morning.

3. They Score Higher On General Intelligence Tests

A study conducted at the University of Madrid looked at the sleeping patterns of roughly a thousand teenagers. The study came away with two pretty different results; while early risers are more likely to get better grades, the night owls actually scored higher on tests related to general intelligence.

4. They May Need Less Sleep

Researchers from Belgium and Switzerland have discovered that night owls may not actually need as much sleep to function as everyone else. The study noted that after sleeping seven hours a night, early birds started to get wearier. However, this didn’t happen with the people who stayed up later, suggesting to the researchers that they required less sleep.

5. They Can Remain Alert For Longer

A study at the University of Liege, Belgium, monitored 15 extreme night owls and 16 extreme early birds. The participants continued with their normal sleeping patterns, and the researchers measured their brain activity when they first woke up, and then again just over 10 hours later.

While the scores were similar in the morning, they noted that unlike the night owls, the early birds had lower brain activity in various areas relating to their attention span.

6. They Are More Flexible With Work

Although there are many people who prefer to stay up later, many of them have no choice but to adjust to an early morning schedule for work. Not only do night owls still regularly thrive in these situations, they also easily adapt to the extended hours in their day. This means night owls can often work effectively first thing in the morning, as well as last thing at night!

7. They May Have A Higher IQ

An interesting study conducted at the London School of Economics and Political Science by Satoshi Kanazawa, found a connection between adaptive behaviors and intelligence. The study discovered that “more intelligent children are more likely to grow up to be nocturnal adults who go to bed late and wake up late on both weekdays and weekends.”

8. They Have Productive Evenings

Night owls always have the option of socializing or working in the evening, because they have the energy to do so. As they go to bed so late, they also still have some wind down time before bed.

9. They Have Time To Prepare For The Following Day

Night owls normally have a long time between finishing work and going to bed, so they often have time to prepare themselves for the following day. From mentally planning the next day to setting out their work clothes, night owls often have their next day planned before it even starts.

10. They Have Strategic Thinking Abilities

Night owls often struggle to sleep, and the dark brings them peace and solitude. During this time night owls contemplate their lives and the world around them, making them more strategic thinkers and helping them to effectively deal with their issues and problems.

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There are more than six billion people in this world and I am willing to bet that the majority of us are probably procrastinators. It is just an easy habit to fall into. Think of procrastination as if it were like quick sand. It is easy to stumble and sink into and hard to get out of. Not to worry though, here are some tips that can help pull you out of the procrastination pit.

1.Set an abundant amount of alarms.

As a procrastinator, you all know the feeling of waiting until about fifteen minutes passed your alarm to actually get up. Set several alarms to force you out of bed and to give you time to transition from morning yawns and sighs to being ready for a new day. Also, make hitting the snooze alarm harder to hit to make you get out of bed with each alarm.

2.Write things down!

It is best to start out with a dry erase calendar to remind you of what you are needing to do. Big bright letters or bold black letters are going to be best to make sure it catches your eye when you walk by. Keep it up there and cross it out as you complete the tasks you must finish.

3.Set things out.

To save you some time, try setting the things you need the night before, as oppose to the day of. It gives you time to start your day off right instead of frantically searching for something in the morning and pushing everything on your schedule forward.

4.Minimize distractions.

Having the TV on while you clean, or while you are doing homework works for a few people, but more than likely it takes more time. If you’re like me, you probably stop a few minutes here and there to actually watch what is going on the screen rather than working on an assignment due in a few days. Try putting music on if you need white noise in the background and place it further from you. This will help keep the procrastinator in you from grabbing your phone to “change the song” and ending up on facebook.

5.Reward yourself.

Remember when you were a child and your parents rewarded you for doing simple things every once in a while? Remember how excited you got? It helps out to reward yourself after completing that paper that was due or cleaning your house. Set aside a DVD or a slice of chocolate cake for you to enjoy after your tasks are completed. It works! Trust me!

6.Set time aside to do activities you do when procrastinating.

It is important to set time aside for mindless news feed scrolling, game playing, and sleeping. Even though we are super humans, our brains need rest every once in a while. Set time aside to just lay around. Set a timer and give yourself about fifteen minutes

7.Snack on food that gives you energy.

Stay away from heavy snacks that make you sleepy and lazy. Grab an apple or an orange and enjoy mother nature’s pick me up. You will feel better and your body will be more energized to get tasks done.

8.Minimize your To-Do list.

Instead of trying to accomplish a huge goal all at once, break it down into little goals. For example, instead of trying to re-arrange and clean the whole house by next Tuesday, break it down by room each day. Clean the kitchen one day, the living room the next day, etc. It will give you a list that will seem do-able and not so overwhelming.

9.In your office/study area/ work area set the clock 10 minutes fast.

This is for the ones that like to wait until last minute to start making dinner or getting ready. It won’t give you too much time, but it will at least give you a head start on things.

10.Get up earlier.

There are a lot of people that get more done in their day than I do in mine. If you think you are not going to have time in a day to get everything done, set your alarm to wake up earlier. You will give yourself an extra two to three hours that you usually don’t have to finish all that needs to be done.

11.Take breaks.

It is important to give your brain a break when trying to finish something like a paper or a take home test. Take ten minutes here and there between each hour to stand outside or grab a snack.

12.Don’t sit down right after work.

We are all guilty of it and we all can’t deny that we do this. Sitting down after work when there is a lot to be done is a huge mistake for us procrastinators. We sit down and everything we needed to do is either out the window or an extreme inconvenience from then on to finish. Our bodies get comfortable, and our brain starts to shut down.

13.Have an organized friend be your mentor.

Ever heard of “if you lie down with dogs, you get fleas?” It is usually used when someone is hanging around bad company, but it also works on the opposite side of the spectrum too. If you hang out with someone who is organized, does everything in a timely manner, you will slowly start to as well. It can go either way though, so make sure you chose wisely.

14. Use Post-It Notes

When you don’t see the dry erase board telling you what to do, place post-it notes on the things you do walk by daily. On the fridge would be an ideal spot and it would be perfect to remind you to have a healthy snack before your meeting in an hour. It will also remind you to do little things like “finish cleaning the guest room” so you can check it off the list.

15. Accept it.

On the days you find yourself still in bed binge watching Netflix just remember, you are not perfect and neither is anyone else. Sometimes we need those kind of days. The keyword being sometimes.If all else fails, accept it. Accept it and get help. Remember, it takes two weeks for something to turn into habit and a month for something to be a regular routine.

Featured photo credit: Gradeeation- Andrea Van Orsouw via flickr.com

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Do you want to be more successful? Highly successful people often have similar attitudes and mindsets that help them to achieve their great success.

From having goals to being flexible, here are 10 things you need to consider if you want to become highly successful.

1. They don’t make excuses for themselves.

Almost everyone has dreams, but many people have excuses for why their dreams are impossible. Highly successful people don’t think this way; instead they focus on overcoming obstacles and being proactive.

Ask yourself: What makes my dreams impossible? If I put in all 100% effort, would it still be unachievable?

2. They are flexible if they need to be.

Highly successful people know that if something is not working, they need to switch up their method. Doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting new results is a waste of your own time; instead, see your plan as a rough guide and make adjustments as you go along.

Ask yourself: Why is my plan not working currently? How could I improve my plan?

3. They don’t quit.

Anybody can quit when things become difficult, but that is not the way to become highly successful. Even when times are hard, successful people stick at it and keep working. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs once said: “I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.”

Try to think of your end goal, and how every day you get closer to achieving it.

Ask yourself: Do you have to quit or do you want to quit? If you quit now, is there a chance you will one day regret it?

4. They are a business.

Successful people often think of themselves as a business. They have the right people around them, they work whenever inspiration hits and they have a strong, strategic focus. Try to make sure your goals are clear and you are working towards your plan in every aspect of your life.

Ask yourself: Could I be more productive during the day? What do I want to achieve this week? What do I want to achieve this month?

5. They have clear goals.

A big part of succeeding is setting yourself goals, both big and small, and committing to them. This will help to keep you feeling motivated, and it often helps you to progress faster. To be successful, it is important to be focused on your goals; Steve Jobs said:

“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully.”

Ask yourself: What are my goals? How can I achieve them? How long will it take? Can I put all of my effort into this?

6. They understand that sacrifice is important.

Often successful people have to make sacrifices to achieve their goals. For instance, Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, dropped out of Harvard so he could focus on his goal to build a software empire. Make sure you set yourself realistic goals to make sure your sacrifices pay off.

Ask yourself: Will this sacrifice help me to achieve my goals? Is it worth the risk? Am I willing to make this sacrifice?

7. They are willing to jump in at the deep end.

Mark Zuckerberg said on success:

“Move fast and break things. Unless you are breaking stuff, you are not moving fast enough.”

While it may feel frightening initially, there can be huge rewards. Failure is a method of learning, and means you will have a better shot if you try again with your newfound knowledge.

Ask yourself: Do I think it is worth it? Do I want better results? Can I overcome my fears?

8. They live in the moment and don’t hold grudges.

Many successful people understand that the past has already happened and can no longer be changed. Dwelling on the past means you are thinking less about the present and the future—and you could be missing out. Be aware that you are here today despite hard times in the past, and that it does not define who you are or your future.

Ask yourself: Am I still affected by this? Can I stop thinking about this? Does it affect my future?

9. They embrace change.

Many people fear change, but often highly successful people understand it is simply an unavoidable part of life. When you have to change your plans and strategies, simply shift paths and keep moving towards your goal. It may feel frustrating and difficult, but when you achieve your goal, it is likely you will feel glad you did.

10. They are thankful.

Being thankful is an important part of success. Founder of eBay Pierre Omidya believes that:

“Ebay’s success as a company depends on the success of the community of sellers.”

Highly successful people are thankful for both the big and the little things in their lives, and are often very aware that others around them assist them on a daily basis.

Ask yourself: Who has helped me today? Have I thanked them?

Can you think of any other things to tell yourself if you want to be highly successful? Comment your ideas below!

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According to Leon Ho, founder of Lifehack and Steply, there are three types of people, those who do not ask enough questions, those who have a lot of questions but no intention to answer them and those who ask good questions and seek ways to answer them.

We live in a world that is plagued with going with the conventional way and settling for the ordinary. But that is not the approach of the successful. Successful people are restless and nothing is good enough until it becomes better. That is why they ask the right questions and discover ways to answer them.

1. Is this what I really want to do?

Many people do not know how much passion and desire connects to bring forth success. They settle for what is below par because they are okay with the status quo. But successful people are concerned about giving something extra and making a difference. Whatever they are committed to has to borne out of a desire and an unquenchable passion to excel in.

2. Will this provide an avenue for growth?

In the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyiosaki, Rich Dad says:

“The most successful people in life are the ones who ask questions. They’re always learning. They’re always growing. They’re always pushing.”

Successful people are not okay with being boxed up in a comfort zone. Beyond getting an experience in a venture they want to be certain that they will learn and grow from it.

3. What strategies will define my success at this?

Successful people are not only concerned about the beauty or the splendor of getting what they want. With a dream, they build a design. They want to have a road map on how their project, task or mission can be accomplished.

4. Do I have the belief to accomplish this?

They want to be able to determine their success with the resilience and conviction it requires. They are not just eager but they have a calm feeling of assurance that within there is the knowledge and strength to see them through it.

5. What are my greatest strengths?

Successful people know their flaws and their weaknesses, having knowledge on these two things help them know where and how to channel their energy. They focus on their greatest strengths because they know what competitive advantage they have over every other person in the race for success.

6. Can I improve the lives of others with this?

Successful people know that their happiness is not independent but rather also dependent on the satisfaction and happiness of others. They are concerned about adding value and making a contribution to the lives of their clients, family and their communities.

7. What rules have to be broken to get this done?

Successful people cherish character and reputation. And if the journey to a successful venture doesn’t align with their values it is not worth it. They want to have a satisfactory feeling of accomplishment rather than a self destructive one of misery.

8. Am I learning from my mistakes?

As much as successful people look ahead at a gladdening horizon, they also look back at their worst hours. They know that those periods of low results can provide knowledge on how to approach the future. Nothing should be ignored; rather they take a cue from the past and try not to repeat mistakes.

9. Will the people around me be supportive or destructive?

There is relevance in surrounding yourself with the right team to see you through success. Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg and Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin Group have not only built a strong company culture but also the right team to help them actualize their goals of success. It will always be important to find like minded people who will help you strengthen your goals.

10. What bad habits do I need to stop that can alter my success?

Successful people know that they are not good enough. They want to be more productive and resourceful. And destructive habits can be a roadblock to achieving the success faster. If they are waking up late and need to wake up earlier, they do that. If they have to stay healthier by visiting the gym, they do that. Success is a non-stop cycle and it means making progress ahead of challenges.

Featured photo credit: http://www.pixabay.com via pixabay.com

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“Be careful of the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful of the friends you choose for you will become like them.”

—W. Clement Stone (1902-2002) Author/Businessman

It is a fact of life: success is hard; failure is easy. If you want to succeed in life, you must do what needs to be done, work hard every day and never give up. If you wish to fail, you need to do whatever you feel like doing: sit on your butt and never start so you do not have to give up.

For those who are seeking the easy way in life, I have seven simple reasons that you stay right where you are. Each of the seven habits require you to do very little, and can be done by anyone and they are guaranteed to work when followed.

1. You are lazy.

There is a difference between being lazy and getting rest. Rest requires you to do something to rest from and as French Dramatist, Jules Renard said, “Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired.”

When we are lazy we take little notice that life is passing us by. To the lazy person, there is always tomorrow. To the success-minded person, there is only today. Since you cannot relive yesterday, and tomorrow never really gets here, all you have to work with is today. This dilemma is always ignored by the lazy person.

2. You are negative.

Many people develop the habit of negative thinking more out of convenience than out of experience. They think that somehow, if you believe everything will fail, then you just don’t have to try.

Success-minded people understand that positive thinking is not pretending that everything is find and happy. In fact, positive people see life as it really is. What success-minded people know is that for every problem there is a solution and for every challenge is a greater benefit.

3. You make excuses.

Benjamin Franklin wisely said, “He who is good at making excuses is good at very little else.” One of the keys to success is that of personal responsibility. Excuse making robs us of the ability to take control and make changes in our own lives. It is always easier to blame someone or something for the fact that we just are not willing to put forth the effort to win.

Success-minded people are responsible people. Rather than spending their time thinking up excuses, they use their energy to think of answers. If you do not have excuses you have nothing you can do but succeed.

4. You hang out with defeated people.

It really is amazing that we become like the people we spend time with. If you are with people who are lazy, defeated and empty, you will become the same way. Then again, I believe that is the purpose for the company we choose. If our friends are not achieving anything, then we do not have to feel guilty for not achieving either.

You will find that successful and productive people spend their time with other successful and productive people. Those who can perform better than we can and are better skilled than we are help to pull us up and make us better. Another fact of life: It takes no effort for a dead fish to float downstream.

5. You settle for the way things are.

“Sure I would like to succeed in life,” someone says, “but this is just the way it is and I cannot do anything about it.” This is what many really believe. Our Creator, in His great wisdom, gave us control over only one thing in the entire universe that is ourselves. Not only can you control your life, you are the only one that can.

One reason that some folks succeed and some just float downstream, is that those who succeed refuse to settle for the way things are. It is as former President John F. Kennedy said, “Once you say you’re going to settle for second, that’s what happens to you in life.”

6. You expect nothing.

It is simple to figure out, if you expect nothing you will never be disappointed. Of course you will never get anything either. After all, we get what we expect to get. If you expect nothing or if you expect bad things, you get them. If you expect success or good things, you get those too.

Success-minded people expect to succeed, so they do. They expect to face challenges, so they face them willingly. They expect to win, so they win. It is as the great Zig Ziglar said, “You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.”

7. You read nothing.

People who are successful read. People who are not successful do not read. Therefore, I really don’t think that many of those who I talk of in this piece are reading this at all. So why write it? To remind you, success-minded people, that your success and ability to achieve are not just by chance. It happened because you happened.

If you are still on that road to the achievement of your goals, keep going. Remember these lessons and do what it takes to win in life. It will take hard work, commitment, determination and desire to succeed, but these are the very things that make up the success-minded person. The fact that you read things that help you develop and learn is proof of that fact.

Featured photo credit: Sleepy bulldog by sabianmaggy via Flickr via flickr.com

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How much thought do you put into your LinkedIn profile?

LinkedIn is a great way to gain a professional edge as a business owner. Using the platform effectively allows you to connect not only with potential clients by expanding your reach within a business community; it is also a great way to make powerful connections and partners in your industry. I have connected with people who have helped to grow my client list significantly through referrals and partnerships with others in my industry. LinkedIn is a great way to start exploring networking online for those who may not have the time to invest in networking events.

Like all social media platforms, however, there are ways to use your platform effectively and ways to miss the mark.

1. Stop accepting every LinkedIn invitation.

Be picky with those you choose to connect with. Not everyone who sends you an invitation is someone you should want in your network. Like Michael O’donnell states in this insightful article published on LinkedIn Pulse, you should make time to review the profile of every person who invites you to connect, in order to make sure that all connections are relevant to your professional endeavors.

2. Don’t invite everyone!

The concept works the other way as well: you should not accept every invitation, and in turn, you should certainly not invite everybody. If your purpose is to use LinkedIn to grow professional network and to grow, extend your reach, veering of that course will create disorganization. Work according to your vision in order to ensure success.

3. Anonymous viewing is creepy; make yourself identifiable.

Anonymous viewing has its pros, but it doesn’t change the fact that for those who check to see who has viewed them, it looks creepy. There are many who use LinkedIn to take a look at the clients that their competitors have, which is another reason to be picky about who you choose to invite and the invitations that you accept.

Thanks to technology, there are always little ways to get around roadblocks, and there are those who find a way to uncloak their anonymous viewers. Tread lightly when choosing to browse anonymously.

• Click on your thumbnail image on the right-hand side, choose privacy and settings.
• Select what others see when you’ve viewed their profile.
• Click the option: Your name and headline.

4. Be involved.

Stay in touch with your connections by checking their status updates. Whether you are building your network or simply staying in touch with clients, past and present, follow their updates and stay involved by commenting, and more. It will keep you on their minds!

5. Hide your connections from creeps.

Protect your connections, LinkedIn Creeps by editing your settings. The benefits of protecting your connections is not just for your benefit, but for their benefit as well. Your competitors and recruiters can access your connections in order to contact them, keeping your connections private will protect their identities as well.

• Scroll to the upper-right hand corner of your LinkedIn profile, in the drop down menu select: Privacy & Settings.
• Then click on the link “Select Who Can See Your Connections” and from there choose the option: “Only Me” When this is done, save your changes.Managing Your Endorsements

6. Customize your public profile URL.

Customizing your URL makes your profile easy to find, remember, and share. You can create a custom URL by going to your public profile and choosing Create a Custom URL on the right-hand side of your screen.

7. Create a profile badge for your website or blog.

Create a profile badge that you can easily add to your website or blog, in order to promote your profile, and help to grow your network by making it easier for your followers to find you.

8. Get rid of generic anchor text links.

Gone are the boring days of generic anchor text links for your websites, whether business or personal. You can add custom text links to your blogs, and websites, by following some simple steps.

Increase your website clicks by adding some interesting text links that will draw page visitors and connections to your websites.

• Simply click on edit profile, and the contact info, link, a box similar to the one below should pop up.
• Under websites option, choose other, and add your custom text link.

9. Optimize your profile, and get found.

Simply have a LinkedIn profile page does not guarantee that the right people will find you. Optimizing your profile, however, will certainly help to increase the chances that you will be found through searches. Add keywords that are relevant to you, to your headline and summary.

10. Complete your profile.

This goes without saying, and yet, so many choose to leave their profiles incomplete. On a platform built for professionals, an incomplete profile makes you look like anything but that.

• Make the time to make sure that your history (summary, education, and work) is complete.
• Give those who would like to connect with you the ability to connect with you on multiple platforms, and add your websites and contact information as well.
• Remember to add samples of your work as well.

11. Build a kick-ass digital resume.

One of the many benefits of using Linkedin for job seeking is the ability to transform your profile into a kick ass resume. Make sure that you have a complete profile and use the Resume Builder Tool to choose a template, edit, and transform it into a PDF that you can print or share!

12. use OpenLink to expand your network.

As a premium account holder, you will have the ability to be part of the OpenLing Network, allowing you to be available for messaging with other LinkedIn members. Open Link gives an out for those who would like to connect with other beyond the first-degree connection.

13. Know who has viewed you.

Keep up with those who view your profile, not simply to keep up with potential stalkers, but in order to understand how you stack up against those that view you and to connect with those that may have been viewing you. You do have to make yourself identifiable in order to use this feature, no anonymous creepers need attempt.

14. Join LinkedIn groups.

Like Facebook groups, LinkedIn groups are a great way to expand your network and to connect with like minded professionals. You are able to gain access into industry circles and networks by simply joining groups and remaining active within the groups.

It also makes connecting easier, because you can message group members directly, by passing first-degree connections.

15. Share updates on Twitter.

Although automatic syncing your tweets to publish on LinkedIn is no longer an option, you can still post your LinkedIn updates to Twitter by simply selecting the Everyone + Twitter option in Share With dropdown while adding updates.

16. Use Pulse.

As a writer/blogger, I find Pulse to be a useful tool for promoting blog posts and articles that I have contributed to other platforms. I have found many clients thanks to my ability to promote my work through Pulse.

Use Pulse to stay updated on industry news, and share your work in order to increase your readership and connections.

Featured photo credit: Freelancers Union via Flickr via flickr.com

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In a world of unlimited opportunities we find fewer people taking advantage of what surrounds them to become successful. It is not as if there is a manuscript written for the “success role.” Rather there could be some limitations or common flaws that are hindering the unsuccessful from becoming what they can be.

1. They procrastinate

Unsuccessful people put off projects and tasks until they are ready or all factors seem perfect for them to act on a task. Importantly, to be successful means not waiting but taking charge of a task or a situation as quick as possible. Successful people don’t wait, they act immediately.

2. They are not resolute

Unsuccessful people give up when faced with challenges or obstacles. Fighting to the finish line seems so daunting and they rather settle for a secure or comfortable position. However to attain success you have to be willing to face obstacles and conquer them.

3. They think and talk negatively

Have you heard the saying that the optimist sees the doughnut but the pessimist sees the hole? Unsuccessful people see problems in every opportunity. They rather make excuses than look for reasons to keep on marching towards a goal. It takes positivity to be successful.

4. They daydream a lot

How much the unsuccessful adore the successful. Yet they are not willing to put the work by taking action. They rather dream all day than create an actionable way to attain their dreams. To reach success one has to be willing to put in the work as well.

5. They don’t admit to their flaws

Unsuccessful people think they have it perfectly laid out. They don’t want to listen to other people’s opinion or learn from their mistakes.

According to Zig Ziglar, “More people would learn from their mistakes if they weren’t so busy denying them”.

6. They have poor relationships with people

Unsuccessful people do not realize that to surge ahead requires developing and building on relationships. Being able to develop rapport with others is a skill the successful have developed and unsuccessful people should also do.

7. They do not take care of themselves

As much as your desire to be successful, there should be a time you give your body the rest and care it deserves. Unsuccessful people do not see their body as a tool that should be well managed and taken care of, and with this can occur either a physical or a mental breakdown.

8. They spend time with the wrong people

To trigger success time has to be spent with the right people who are there to offer you the energy, support and direction to keep on going. But the unsuccessful people will rather sit and settle with people who are unsuccessful like them and do not have the ambition to ever be successful.

9. They don’t take risks

No one likes to be disappointed and meet failure. Yet failure is an important element in attaining success. Unsuccessful people have a wrong perspective of failure and are willing not to fail rather than commit themselves to a task or a possible opportunity.

10. They never appreciate others

Unsuccessful people are not willing to share any credit with anyone. They think it bad about them and do not believe in teamwork. It takes appreciation to be successful. You have to be willing to help others grow if you want to be successful.

11. They are not passionate about work

Unsuccessful people think work results in getting paid or as a survival strategy. Rather success requires you to be passionate about work and willing to help others get what they want.

12. They do not value their time

Unsuccessful people never place a value on their time. To succeed, time has to be managed efficiently and spent on productive pursuits that will lead you to your goals.

13. They are not willing to delay gratification

We live in a “now” age when you want your desires met immediately. Unsuccessful people are not willing to delay gratification or wait for their actions to yield results. It takes patience, tolerance and resilience to pass through challenges and become successful.

14. They are not willing to improve

Unsuccessful people are only positioned for the status quo and not willing to change, adapt or improve. To be successful you have to be willing to constantly develop and improve yourself to match your goals and desires.

15. They don’t believe in themselves.

You have to be self-aware and know what you are capable of achieving. Unsuccessful people are not aware of how much they can achieve and thus doubt their potential or abilities.

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Sometimes the most charismatic people are the ones who finish first. Added to our skills should be how we make the other person feel when he/she engages us. Yes, great conversations stick to our heart for a long time. People who make great conversations are interesting to be with. It is a law of attraction to want to be around those who listen with their heart and also speak to our hearts. This is why people will always appreciate people like Stephen Fry and Charlie Rose. Here are some elements that make some conversations with some people more memorable than others.

1. They offer genuine compliments.

The human is wired not to refuse reciprocity. Great conversationalists offer thoughtful and genuine compliments during a conversation, which makes the other person feel validated and appreciated. This stirs the conversation and propels it in a positive direction. Make sure your compliment is sincere and these compliments could be directed at what they are wearing, doing, or saying.

2. They maintain steady eye contact.

In many cultures, maintaining eye contact with who you are speaking with adds sincerity and appropriateness to a conversation. It means you are serious and engaged during the conversation. Great conversationalist know why and how to make eye contact—they do this between 70–80% of the time and add value to the conversation with this non-verbal act.

3. They contribute to the conversation.

It is better to also be a giver during a conversation rather than just a taker. Add interesting facts or elaborate on a statement. People who make great conversations observe their environment and pick up interesting stuff from it which could be infused into a conversation. It is like they are building something together with the other person. Great conversationalists contribute to the conversation and thus make the other person relaxed and comfortable.

4. They listen and are attentive.

“I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.”

—Ernest Hemingway

By listening and paying attention, you show you respect the other person. When the other person is listened to, he or she will feel important during the conversation. According to Michael Hyatt, great conversationalists listen with their hearts, and this doesn’t require any verbal action, but rather, good body language and attentive ears.

5. They remember the names of those they are speaking with.

People tend to like and appreciate you more if you use their name a few times during conversations. According to research, people respond better to their names as it validates their identity. Remembering names means you are a detailed person and this makes great conversationalist stand out.

6. They keep the conversation informative.

“Never leave home without reading the newspaper.”

—Leil Lowndes, author of How To To Talk To Anyone

The brain has a very short attention span so it is safer to be informed and provide an interesting conversation. This is why it is important to be abreast about current trends. They don’t have to start talking about a complex topic. It could be what happened on the last episode of Game of Thrones. As far as you bring an intelligent and informed angle to it, you will make a great conversation with it.

7. They are enthusiastic about what the other person has to say.

“You can make more friends in two months by becoming really interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you. Which is just another way of saying that the way to make a friend is to be one.”

—Dale Carnegie

“When you’re interested, you’re interesting,” says Jill Spiegel, author of How to Talk to Anyone About Anything! Be open to what the other person has to say and ask intelligent questions moderately which would show that you are willing to know more about the other person.

Featured photo credit: Stephen Fry in V for Vendetta via mystery756.files.wordpress.com

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1. The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss

The 4-Hour Work Week teaches techniques to increase your time and financial freedom giving you more lifestyle options. By automating a passive income and liberating yourself from unproductive tasks, you can live the lifestyle of the “new rich”—one defined by having, doing and being what you want. Even for those people who have no interest in starting their own business, the principles in The 4-Hour Work Week can be applied to almost any situation or environment you find yourself in. The ideas behind the 80/20 principle, outsourcing, elimination and liberation will help you develop a much more productive mindset.

2. Getting Things Done by David Allen

Getting Things Done is arguable the world’s most well known book on productivity. The lessons in this book should be considered essential reading for anyone looking to pursue a more productive lifestyle. Getting Things Done takes you through a workflow which you can use to manage your workload much more effectively. The principles in the book are simple, but are often the things we forget about that we need reminding of. Getting Things Done was recently updated to reflect how this workflow applies to modern technology.

3. How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Everyone, and I mean everyone can learn something from How to Win Friends & Influence People. The principles in the book are simple, but something a lot of us fail to use or remember. This book will help you to convince people to your way of thinking, avoid arguments and become more liked. If you’re in a leadership or sales type role, I strongly recommend this book. HTWFIP was one of the first best-selling self-help books ever published. Written by Dale Carnegie and first published in 1936, it has sold 15 million copies world-wide. But what has it got to do with Productivity? Well, by managing people more effectively (particularly in a working environment), you can produce better quality work together. This increased effectiveness goes hand-in-hand with higher productivity.

4. I Will Teach You to be Rich by Rami Sethi

I Will Teach You to be Rich helps you identify where your money is going and gets it working for you so that you can save for the things that will bring you true happiness and lead a rich life. The six week program identifies how to create a system for optimising your bill payments, savings and investments so that your money goes to all the right places with less than an hour of maintenance a month. Now who wouldn’t want to spend less time managing their bank accounts while at the same time knowing that your money is going to the places it needs to be. Automating your finances like this is incredibly rewarding and will save you heaps of time every month.

5. Manage Your Day to Day by 99U

As the book describes; should you answer that email, or answer your calling? Tune into social media, or tune in to your own voice? Respond to other people’s needs or actively set your own agenda? When it comes to creative work, every decision, every day, matters. 99U brings together the insights of 20 creative experts to produce Manage Your Day to Day. Learn how to build a rock solid routine, find focus and sharpen your creative mind.

6. Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson

Sleep Smarter is a quick and easy read packed with facts, studies and scientific insight all about getting better quality sleep. Author, Shawn Stevenson takes you through the essential components of a good nights sleep. The book also contains a few surprises about how much impact sleep has on your day to day health. When you improve the quality of your sleep, almost every aspect of your life improves, including—yes, you guessed it—your productivity. By the end of the book you’ll definitely be settling in for a good nights sleep.

7. What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast by Laura Vanderkam

Productivity researcher Laura Vanderkam has combined her three mini e-books into one comprehensive guide. Through Laura’s research and interviews, What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast reveals how to plan your mornings, weekends and work time to be achieve greater productivity and happiness. It was after reading Laura’s book that I transformed my morning routine which is now one of my favourite times of day. If you’d like to learn the most common productivity skills among the worlds top performers, then this is the book for you.

Featured photo credit: PicJumbo via picjumbo.com

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Running and Entrepreneurship?

I bet at this point, some of you are wondering, how on Earth running and entrepreneurship even correlate. Entrepreneurship is a mindset, one that inspires all the qualities of successful entrepreneurs, from being a visionary, having drive, the aggression necessary to overcome, etc. Entrepreneurship is about having a laser like focus on survival and setting everything else aside; only an experienced runner can understand this direct connection, one that has helped to mold me into a mentally fit, and driven Fempreneur.

1. Disciplined

Discipline means excuses are no longer an option.

A disciplined entrepreneur understands the importance of timeliness, of getting things done, and in turn earns the respect of his peers, and team members. Lack of discipline creates chaos, and a disorganized environment that does not set the precedence for a successful environment.

Running has and continues to instill discipline in my life. Fitting running into my impossibly busy routine has helped me to understand the importance of sticking to a routine. In order to build strength, and stamina as a runner you have to keep it up. Starting and stopping will only make the process challenging for you, but creating a routine, will help to strengthen your body, and before you know it, one mile will turn into 2, and then 3.

This discipline can then be applied to your life as an entrepreneur, allowing you to stay one step ahead every time.

2. Determination

A few weeks ago, I discovered a great hill 2 blocks from my home. I was almost done with my run, and I thought it would be a great way to end my run with a few laps up and down the hill. I gave myself 5, but by the time I had run up and down the hill 3 times my body was telling me it was done. My mind, however, was singing a different tune. I knew that if I pushed myself, I could finish my lap, and make the last two blocks to the house.

I remember a time when I would easily have given up and turned back to the house, but it’s hard for me to walk away from these challenges, as a runner and as an entrepreneur, thanks to running. As a runner, I face a similar situation every time I choose to put my running shoes on and hit the pavement.

You are pushing yourself to do something that challenges every muscle in your body, and challenging your mind and body to go beyond their limits.

I am a determined Fempreneur, because I am a determined runner.

3. Visionary

According to Michael E Berger, an entrepreneur is a creator:

“So, when you start your company, you must think of it as though you were about to write a book. What would that book of yours say? What would you, as the author of your book, wish to impart to your reader that would hopefully transform the way they think about their life, about their success, about their future?”

A creator is able to envision his creation beforehand, from the moment the decision to create has been made to the end of the journey.

I find that as a runner, I am successful when I visualize myself succeeding. Whether I am running 1, 2, 3, or more miles, I complete the run in my mind before I take my first step, envisioning my success is what helps me during mornings like the one I mentioned earlier. My body is exhausted, and yet, I push through.

In business as in anything else in life, being a visionary, seeing and dreaming when others are asleep, creating, building, and achieving where others fail to, will lay a path for success before you.

4. Confidence

Runners are confident.

Not because of their physical accomplishments, but even more so than that, because of the mental accomplishments. It challenges you to overcome fear, exhaustion, and so much more!

How doesn’t that create a better entrepreneur?

In every way the entrepreneurial mindset is the mindset of the over comer. Those that are first to accept challenges and to take them head on, without confidence, it is difficult to walk head first into situations that challenge you in front of your peers. A great runner is confident, and bold in every way.

There are many ways that running has inspired and continues to inspire me as a business owner, mother, and a wife. It takes strength, determination, will power, and ambition to choose to run, and when you do achieve more than what you thought possible, you can carry the same mindset to the board room.

What are some things of the unexpected things that inspire you as an entrepreneur?

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