If you have a tendency to avoid reality by fantasizing about your dream scenario, then chances are you are an escapist. But it is not all bad being an escapist; like everything else in life, it does have its good and bad traits.

But believe it or not, there’s an escapist in all of us. But some of us tend to take escapism to the next level and this can be quite bad. In this article, I will identify 5 good and 5 bad signs of being an escapist. So if you want to know whether you are an escapist, check these 10 signs below.

The Good Signs

1. You daydream (a lot).

If you have a tendency to daydream (a lot), then you could be an escapist. Escapists are people who want to create their own reality whilst they go about their daily routine. And these day dreams don’t tend to happen purposefully; they actually happen quite naturally when you don’t expect it. And when they do occur, you welcome them. A lot these dream tend to revolve around your deepest desires, like being a rock star, celebrity or being able to stand up for yourself.

2. You are very creative.

If you are capable of making your own alternate reality in your mind, then you must be one imaginative and creative person. And because you developed this habit of imagining, you regularly exercise your creative muscles so you come up with new ideas all the time. If you think about it, some of the most creative works of literature or art (like Stars Wars, Batman—you name it) are all set in a dystopian universe.

3. You want to live life on your own terms.

If you are an escapist, chances are you are working in a job that you don’t really like. And you probably have this burning desire to quit your job. But being an escapist is not just about wishing to quit your job; there could be many things in your life that you wish weren’t there. They could be finance or family-related, and things which you don’t have control over. Escapists like yourself are longing to free from their shackles and live life on their own terms.

4. You love to travel the world.

You’re quick to be bitten by the travel bug. And by travelling, it is not your usual going to a beach and partying type of vacation (although you won’t mind doing that now and then). Your idea of travelling is to explore and to embrace the vibrant cultures that the world would has to offer. And since you are an escapist, you’ll be easily drawn to pictures being posted on Facebook where your friends are showing off their latest travelling adventures and you can’t help but to feel slightly envious.

5. You enjoying reading fiction like fantasy and sci-fi.

As mentioned in one of the previous signs, escapist are incredibly creative and they’re responsible for creating the greatest works of fiction, especially in the fantasy and sci-fi genre. And as a fellow escapist, you admire their work because it allows you be a part of their imaginary universe. It gives you a chance to escape.

The Bad Signs

6. Your desire to quit your job may lead you to under-perform in your job.

This is a classic sign for anyone who is an escapist. Chances are, if you are an escapist, then you may hate your job. There’s a part of you who wants to go on to achieve greater things, perhaps a better career, or you want to do something that you love. So you continue to daydream and lose focus of what you should be doing. And because of this, you are at risk of under-performing in your job.

7. You may be addicted to video games.

Video games have evolved so much recently that you actually feel as if you are a part of their pixelated world. Like many escapists, you are probably addicted to playing video games, and that is because these games allow you to escape into an imaginary reality. Games like the SIMs are becoming more popular because it allows you to create your own alternative version of yourself where you are living your dream world. And because you are so submersed in your universe that you have created, you don’t want to let it go.

8. You realise the world is a harsh place.

This is very common characteristic of all escapists, and it should be seen as a sign. As an escapist, you will have probably imagined this amazing future where you will be living the life of your dream. But when you go and pursue this dream, the shock of what the world is really like disappoints you. You will quickly realise this so go back to just imagining your dream world, where you feel happy.

9. You tend to procrastinate.

Although you may have all these aspirations to live your dream life, the truth is something is holding you back and it is preventing you from pursuing passion. The one thing that is holding you back is your fear of failure. In fact, you’re petrified of failure. You keeping asking all these “what ifs” and they all revolve around failure (e.g. “what if people all mock me because I want to be a writer?!”). And because of this, you end up staying where you are and you start procrastinating.

10. You can’t face uncertainty.

Similar to the last point, another sign which coincides with procrastination is your inability to face uncertainty. Your alternate dream world is where you go to escape the actual reality that you find difficult to accept. When you face uncertain situations, you tend to start procrastinating and start to fantasize. And that’s because you find certainty and security in your dream.

Conclusion

There good and bad signs when it comes to being an escapist. The good signs tend to lead to creativity and exploration, but the bad signs lead to procrastination and not being able to accept reality. If you do have difficulty in accepting reality and pursuing your passion, you could benefit from seeking professional help. But hopefully, this article has made you familiar with signs that are usually associated with being an escapist.

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According to Lars Backstrom, engineering manager for Facebook’s News Feed ranking, the average user’s News Feed has around 1,500 possible stories filtered through per day. Not all of them will make your feed as only about 20% are what you see. Yet, how much time you spend on Facebook and what you actually do on this social media site could explain how productive you are.

The average person spends 22 minutes a day on Facebook. And surely this social media site is willing to squeeze more time out of you. You really are not meant to like everything you see on your newsfeed and all Facebook’s fancy algorithms may not be what will inspire the most productive feed for you. Your Facebook newsfeed reveals how productive you are and how much you want to get value for your time. For many productive people I know, decluttering their newsfeed aids their productivity. Here is how your Facebook can tell you how productive you are.

1. You have fewer unknown friends.

We tend to put so much meaning to the word friend. We could think that many others users in our networks are friends, but how many do we really know? I have not met many of my “friends” on Facebook in person and when you either have to unfriend or unsubscribe a “friend,” we feel we might hurt someone’s feelings. Busying yourself with the activities or “noise” from unknown friends can affect your productivity negatively. The best thing is to appreciate quality over quantity and focus on the friends that are known and add value to your progressive goals. The rest you can either unsubscribe or unfriend or make adjustments to.

2. You have reduced many annoying applications.

There is nothing as irritating as being informed about someone’s farm or requests about you joining a farming group when actually this is not your interest. Such doesn’t add to your productivity so go to the upper right-hand corner of the app posting and block apps like Farmville and other annoying applications.

3. You are more selective about the posts you want to see.

Truthfully some of our friends on Facebook posts great content, but these contents could be deluged and clogged by poor contents from certain friends. If you have taken the time to engage in beneficial posts from perhaps from influential thought leaders, it means you are willing to be more productive and selective and have more of such incisive posts on your Newsfeed.

You could also improve on your Facebook experience by seeing less of someone’s annoying posts by clicking the Friends box and select “Close Friends” or “Acquaintances.” The acquaintances list will rarely be shown while “close friends” will be shown more often.

4. You have fewer sponsored posts and ads.

Some sponsored posts and ads can be annoying and distracting. Yet there is no way to fully eliminate ads from you News Feed. However productive people who’re concerned about less distracting ads use Adblock plus to get rid of annoying ads, and focus on the nitty-gritty of being on Facebook. You could also reduce annoying ads by providing feedback on the ads you like and those you don’t like by clicking the arrow in the upper right-hand corner of annoying ads.

5. You are willing to be flexible with your Facebook account.

People who get stuck to the old ways and approach are really unproductive and not willing to improve on their feeds. Being productive means you are willing to take measures to get value for your time. Getting informed about changes Facebook is making to the Newsfeed shows you are willing to get more value for your time and improve on what you see on your Newsfeed.

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It is no longer news that hiking has many physical and emotional benefits. Even though millions of Americans and people worldwide know this, many do not see the importance of this kind of exercise. At a time when organizations are looking for ways to improve workplace productivity, develop leaders, and help employees work more efficiently, it is important to look beyond just the therapeutic benefits and discover how hikers are more likely to be successful.

1. They have lower stress levels

According to the president of the American Hiking society, “Being in nature is ingrained in our DNA, and we sometimes forget that.” People who hike are better able to deal with moods and are more positive, according to some studies. Hiking combats symptoms of stress and anxiety.

2. They have more endurance

Hiking has a way of testing our endurance and perseverance. If you are carrying a backpack while hiking, your body and mind are both challenged and improve their strength and endurance. Your body is pushed to its limits, and you are tested: will you turn back or keep going?

3. They are healthier

According to a study done by Austrian researchers, hiking accomplished in different ways has different influences on the fats and sugars in the bloodstream. Additionally, hiking provides you with your daily dose of Vitamin D, lowers your risk of dying from cancer, alleviates your sleep, prevents and controls diabetes, and increases your bone density.

4. They have more energy

Hiking is an aerobic activity. Such activities bring extra oxygen and fuel to your muscles and other body tissues. This strengthens your muscles and lungs and, at the same time, increases your agility and alertness.

5. They are more focused

Hiking improves your focus, which is an important element of success. While hiking, you are able to get away from the distractions of technology and day-to-day life that can crush your spirit and weigh you down. Hikers have fewer distractions as they walk through nature. Their minds are cleared and their cognitive ability is improved.

6. They are physically fit

One of the foremost benefits of hiking is the physical fitness attached to it. Success requires good health and physical fitness. Hiking keeps your weight under control and burns calories. At a slow pace of 2 miles per hour, a person who weighs 150 pounds can burn approximately 240 calories per hour.

7. They are independent

Hiking comes with responsibility. You cannot rely on technology; in fact, you may not even be familiar with the territory. With a heightened sense of responsibility, the hiker is forced to be self sufficient and independent, resilient and tough.

8. They are more creative

According to this study, backpackers scored 50% higher on a creativity test after spending four days in the great outdoors. Nature has a way of relaxing the mind and increasing your attention span by allowing you to rest, leaving much-needed room for reflection.

9. They have an improved memory

Multitasking and regular day-to-day distractions have a way of impacting our brains negatively. Research shows that exposure to nature through hiking causes significant changes in the brain. Hiking lets you think more clearly, develop a greater focus and recall ability, and develops your cognitive skills.

10. They appreciate the simple things of life

For the hiker, it is not about the benefits or the rewards. Rather, it is about the experience of being close to nature, lost in a moment of discovery and adventuring to an unknown territory. This is what success means. And somewhere along this line, they value the simple provisions life has offered them.

Now that you know, will you take the extra effort and go on a hike?

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“A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us.”

― Franz Kafka

Books inspire me and have always been my refuge to conflicts in life. Here are the 6 books that challenged my perspectives and wiped of my stringent notions.

1. The Road Less Travelled by Scott Peck

Simply, buy this book for the path towards enlightenment in a spiritual way that encapsulates your personal growth. This book never gives you easy solutions to the conflicts, it simply says; “Legitimate suffering is part of life” and leaves you with better insights to lead a fulfilled life.

Profound wisdom in a nutshell

–       If you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem

–       Route to reality is not easy

–       Desire to love is not love – Love is both an intention and action

–       We cannot be source of strength unless we nurture our strength

–       My feeling of love may be unbounded, but my capacity to be loving is limited

–       An attempt to avoid legitimate suffering is the root cause of emotional illness

–       When I genuinely love I am extending myself, and when I am extending myself I am growing. Genuine love is self-replenishing. The more I nurture the spiritual growth of others, the more my own spiritual growth is nurtured. I am a totally selfish human being. I never do something for somebody else but that I do it for myself.

–       Individual growth and societal growth are interdependent

2. The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann

I didn’t even expect that such a small book could make a huge difference in my approach towards life. It simply says, “Give” and go on explaining 5 profound laws that directs the mankind and concludes that there is always a truth in the opposite.

Profound wisdom in a nutshell

–       What you focus is what you get

–       Giving leads to receiving

–       World is just a reflection of you

–       Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment

–       If you want more success, find a way to serve more people; it is just that simple

–       Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them

–       Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interest first

–       The point is not what you do. Not what you accomplish. It’s who you are.

3. Tao Te ching by Lao tzu

Tao Te Ching is one of the finest books on philosophy written by Lao Tzu, a Chinese philosopher and a Poet. It’s profound, intriguing and soul stirring. Read it and get in touch with the enlightening insights that give you enough thrills to pursue your life vigorously.

Profound wisdom in a nutshell

–       Rid yourself of desires to know the secrets

–       Adapt the nothing; because change is permanent

–       By virtue of nothing, you gain something

–       Way is vague and unclear; but still you have to follow; substance will be found – not to worry.

–       He who brags will have no merit; he who boasts will not endure

–       Good man is the teacher the bad learns form; and the bad man is the material the good works on.

–       Whoever lays hold of empire will lose it.

–       Anything that goes against the way will come to an end.

–       A man of highest virtue does not keep to virtue and that is why he has virtue

–       A man of the lowest virtue never strays from virtue and that is why he is without virtue.

–       Excessive meanness leads to great expense

–       Too much store is sure to end in immense loss

–       There is no crime greater than having too many desires

–       There is no misfortune greater than being covetous

–       Never attempt to be great, that is the only way in becoming great

–       Keep a thing in order before disorder sets in

–       One who excels in fighting is never roused by anger

–       One who excels in employing others humbles himself before them.

4. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

I never knew habits play such an important role in shaping our future until I read this book. It simply says, you are what your habits are, and also suggests the proven techniques to generate new habits that alter our lifestyle and eventually our life. A must read for everyone to understand the intricacies of the habits.

Profound wisdom in a nutshell

–       Brain converts sequence of action into an automatic routine

–       Cue-routine-reward; Habit loop

–       Brain makes almost any routine into a habit

–       The problem is that brain can’t tell the difference between good and bad habits

–       Since we often don’t recognize these habit loops as they grow, we are blind to our ability to control them.

–       The brain can be reprogrammed; you just have to be deliberate about it.

–       If you want to change the habit, you must find an alternative routine

–       If you genuinely believe in people that they have what it takes to succeed, they will prove you right

–       If you dress a new something in old habits, it’s easier for the public to accept it

–       To market a new habit – make it familiar

–       Every habit, no matter how complex is malleable

–       Habits can be changed; if you understand how can they function

5. The power of myth by Joseph Campbell

Myths – clues to the spiritual potentialities of human life; this was a revelation

The Power of Myth is a book based on the conversations between mythologist Joseph Campbell and journalist Bill Moyers. Believe me, it is such an astounding book that gives you a thorough understanding of the intriguing elements of life such as life, death, love, marriage etc. and leaves you spellbound.

Profound wisdom in a nutshell

–       Man should not submit to the powers from outside but command them

–       Myth is a manifestation of symbolic energy

–       The dream is an inexhaustible source of spiritual information about yourself

–       Myth is the public dream, dream is the private myth

–       The mystery of life is beyond all human conception

–       World is based on duality

–       Eternity isn’t even a long time. Eternity has nothing to do with time. Eternity is here – if you don’t get it here, you can’t get it anywhere

–       Myths must be kept alive and the people who can keep them are artists

–       Nature echoes in you, because you are nature

–       Our true reality is in our identity and unity with all life

–       A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself

–       When we quit thinking primarily about our own self-preservation and ourselves. We undergo a truly heroic transformation of consciousness.

–       Desire is the bait, death is the hook

–       Follow your bliss – Find where it is, don’t be afraid to follow it

–       The passage to fulfillment lies between the perils of desire and fear.

–       Your life is the fruit of your own doing

–       The greater life’s pain, the greater life’s reply

–       The demon that you can swallow gives you its power.

–       The images of myth are reflections of the spiritual potentialities of every one of us. Through contemplating these, we evoke their powers in our own lives.

–       If my guiding divinity is brutal; my decisions will be brutal as well

–       By expansion, your ego diminishes, your conscious expands

6. The science of getting rich by Wallace. D. Wattles

I have my own misconceptions of getting rich till I read this book. All were cleared off and made a huge difference in my life after knowing some of the secrets mentioned in this book. Read it, for it teaches you to become rich, not instantaneously but strategically.

Profound wisdom in a nutshell

–       Moral and spiritual greatness is possible only to those who are above the competitive battle for existence.

–       The very best thing you can do for the whole world is to make the most of yourself

–       People must be taught to become rich by creation, not competition

–       Never ever compel your will on others

–       You must know what you want, and be specific and definite

–       Grateful mind is constantly fixed upon the best, therefore it tends to become the best

–       Getting rich is not the result of doing certain things; it is the result of doing things in a certain way.

–       An ounce of doing things is worth a pound of theorizing.

–       Give everyone more in use value than you take from him in cash value. Then you are adding to the life of the world by every business transaction.

–       If you are in a business which does beat people, get out of it at once

–       You can only get what is yours by giving the other person what is rightfully his.

–       Do not wait for a change of environment, before you act. Create a change of environment by your action

–       Be the best in things you do, then you will accomplish the best. In turn you will be the best.

Note: The Points mentioned here are just the bits of insights I gained from the above books and I’m sure you would find much more insights. Go ahead and grab them, you will never regret.

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Do people call you eccentric or different?

Maybe they get angry with some of the things that you do. Maybe they don’t agree with them. You begin to question yourself and wonder if there’s something wrong with you.

But many great people in history have had so called “flaws” that have actually sky-rocketed them to success. Perhaps you might identify with some of these.

1. You get obsessed with things easily

Obsession can be dangerous if left unchecked. It’s great to love something, but when you begin to lose sleep, relationships, and your health to it, that’s an issue.

But obsession with something can also be a powerful force. Nobody ever achieved something by “kind of liking” it. They believed in it with all their heart. They knew that if anybody was going to make it happen, it had to be them.

And so you to are obsessed with something. Perhaps it’s music, writing, a hobby, a passion, but that obsession will drive you to success.

2. You rely on other people for support in your goals

There is a large movement in society today to be an individual. Yes, it’s great to “be yourself” and chart your own path. But that doesn’t mean you don’t need the help of others to get there.

Getting to the top is great, but what if nobody is there to celebrate with you when you finally get there?

It’d be a very lonely place.

Every single great person, from Martin Luther King Jr. to Richard Branson, needed and accepted help. And you doing the same is a great thing. You propel yourself to success but you understand others will help you get there.

You don’t default to them and assume that they will do everything for you, but you let them give you some speed – whether that’s as a business contact, an intimate relationship, or otherwise, you understand people can and are necessary to help you.

3. You are stubborn and refuse to quit. You are OK with failing . . . a lot.

Unsuccessful people hit a road bump or fail and give up. Successful people keep failing and keep going, because they know it leads to the reward at the end. About inventing the lighbulb, Thomas Edison is famous for saying, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

So go ahead – be stubborn. Keep trying until you get what you want.

“But you failed, doesn’t that hurt?” people ask.

“Nope,” you respond. “It just means I need to try something else.”

4. You may have introverted tendencies

In Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, Susan Cain talks about how society is extravert focused – big open offices for working, bars for meeting people. These are all great for extroverts to shine, but not introverts.

And so when an introverted person needs time alone to work, or is quiet and listens in a conversation compared to being a chatterbox, or prefers reading a book at home to going out, they are thought of as weird, depressed, or anti-social.

Or, maybe after they go to a party and then need time to re-charge (as socializing, talking, and the outside world is a HUGE drain on introverts), they decline social invites and their friends get mad at them.

There is nothing wrong with being an introvert, and some amazing people belong to that category. Abraham Lincoln, Bill Gates, and Albert Einstein are just a few (see more here).

So go ahead – read that book. Just make sure to get some outside air once in a while. Introverts thrive in extroverted environments sometimes BETTER than extroverts at times, if they’ve had time to recharge in their own world.

5. You follow a different path, and care less about what people think

Society pushes you to follow a specific path – elementary/high school, university, 9-5 job, marriage, 2.5 kids, work 40+ years, retire around 65, live until somewhere in the 70+ range and then pass on.

You see people posting to Facebook, Twitter, etc. for validation. You think, “What’s the point? Why do I need to constantly tell people what I’m doing?”

And you don’t agree. You want to go become a monk for 3 months. You want to just scrape by in terms of salary and travel the world. You don’t want to ever get married.

Good. Carve your own path, and don’t listen to anyone else. There’s only one person you can make 100% happy 100% of the time:

You.

Nobody great ever became great by doing exactly what others did.

6. You put yourself and your time first in a manner some might call selfish or weird

Continuing on from the above, the actions you take may make people think you are a bit strange – not going out all the time, not getting a specific job, not taking the swankiest apartment, saying no to helping a billion people so you have time to yourself.

The most valuable asset you have is not your money, but your time. Time is gone once it passes, so go ahead, be selfish. If someone is not deserving of your time and energy, leave. If something is not deserving of the time either, don’t do it.

Be ruthless.

7. You are OK with making others angry, sad, or unhappy with you

And so as you follow a different path and put yourself first, people become upset with you. Maybe you make your Mom sad by not being at home as much as you travel the world. Maybe you leave a relationship behind to continue a business. Maybe you hold your boundaries on a deal you agreed upon with a business partner and demand terms be met.

Well keep going.

You don’t intentionally want to make people unhappy, you just hold your personal boundaries and know there’s nothing you can do to force people to feel great about your choices. And you are OK and accepting of this.

8. You see the positive in everything and shirk most of the negative (or aren’t as affected by it)

Assuming everything is OK when things need to be taken care of is unhealthy.

For example, not having a place to live and running out of money living in hotels and saying, “Oh I believe it will come to me if I just think of good things” is ludicrous. It’s the same as not having a job and needing an income. Or, being single but wanting to date.

However, what is healthy is to focus on all the opportunities and positivity that is out there:

“I don’t have a place to live, but I can put time into finding one, and I have money to support myself for now.”

“There are tons of places to look for jobs. I’m qualified and highly educated, so if I send out some CVs and ask some of my contacts I’m sure I can find something.”

“There are hundreds of people around me every day, I should try talking to them. Or, I can sign up for online dating services. There’s lots of people out there looking for someone just like I am!”

If all you think are negative thoughts, all you get are negative emotions. Successful people process challenging or negative situations and may get sad or angry, but are quick to turn the situation into a positive and take affirmative action.

Some say you should be chained down by misery and problems. You say you should take decisive action but continue to enjoy life. You understand that it’s worth learning how to be happier.

9. You over-prepare a tiny bit

On a trip, you bring medicine just in case. For a business proposal, you have an alternative idea or budget in case your boss shoots it down. If the restaurant is closed, you know of another one nearby.

You might be a bit anxious, and you’re OK with thinking on your feet. But you prefer planning in advance to deal with possible situations.

People say you over-complicate a bit, and sometimes this is true. But most of the time you have the last laugh when things go over smoothly because you had the foresight to plan. And foresight, is the name of the game when it come to success.

10. You move slower than everyone else

People rush to get a billion things done in a day: see 50 travel sites, talk to as many people as they can, go to 10 parties.

You don’t understand this.

Not only does moving slower allow you to do things better, but you enjoy life more and aren’t running around with high blood pressure all the time.

You accept you can only do a finite number of things during the day, talk to a certain amount of people, and do a certain amount of stuff and work to the best of your ability to accomplish these goals.

You believe in quality over quantity, and it shows in the rich fabric you weave in the story that is your life.

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Managing our productivity and energy effectively depends on the seasons. By looking at demands on our time from the perspective of the whole year, it will be much easier to manage our year. For purposes of this example, I have structured the months and seasons as they occur in the Northern Hemisphere. With a bit of imagination, you can apply these ideas elsewhere.

Winter (December, January, February)

Winter is a season full of special challenges. With the holidays of December and the cold weather, many people struggle to make progress. Make the most of this time by implementing the following principles:

• Review The Past Year’s Accomplishments. Completing an Annual Review in December is a practice that many of the most productive people in the world practice. This practice will help you capture insights on goals achieved and ideas to help you become more productive in the coming year.

• Plan The Year. January are the perfect time of year to make plans and set goals for the year. Writing your goals down is an excellent technique to motivate yourself in January will keep you going even when the weather discourages you.

• Prepare Taxes. Preparing for your tax return is hardly fun (unless you are excited about receiving a large refund!). By starting the preparation process in the winter, you will avoid the last minute panic that many people face. If you have good files from last year, you can use that as a starting point.

• Read A Big Book: Reading is one of the most important habits we can practice to become more productive. By exposing yourself to good writing, your own writing and understanding of the world improves. In February 2015, I started reading Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow, a biography that is over 800 pages long. It is an outstanding book and perfect to read during the long, dark nights of winter.

Getting through the long dark months of the year requires some inspiration and fresh ideas. Use these resources to stay renew your motivation and increase your productivity.

• How to Stay Productive During the Winter Holidays.
• Why Motivating Yourself Matters and How To Do It.

Spring (March, April, May)

Spring signals the return of nature after the dark and cold of winter. Spring is also a great opportunity to improve your productivity.

• Spring Break: In Canada, most schools have a 1-2 week March break vacation. Elsewhere, you may have Spring Break. Taking a short vacation as winter comes to a close is a great way to give yourself fresh ideas. If you have been struggling with a business problem, diving deep into some good business books over spring break may be the most productive decision you make all year.

• Boost Productivity By Getting Outside. Our physical health and wellbeing is a major contributor to our productivity. When the spring season arrives, longer days mean you have the chance to get more sun light. Taking in a walk through a nearby park will help to reduce your stress levels and improve your mood.

• Increase Your Productivity With Networking. In April and May, it is time to get outside and meet other people. Strong relationships – at home and professionally – do wonders to increase your productivity. You can use this season to attend local Meetup.com events related to your work – this is a great option for people interested in technology and marketing (interests that are well represented on Meetup.com).

• Outer order contributes to inner calm. According to author Gretchen Rubin, the order of our homes and lives increases our sense of calm, a key contributor to productivity. Spring is the perfect time to get started on that long neglected spring cleaning project at home. At the office, you can also take this opportunity to dispose of obselete materials and archive old emails.

Summer (June, July, August)

For many people, the summer signals relaxation, leisure and fun. It’s a habit we developed as we went through school – the prospect of summer holidays was always exciting. In the working world, summer is a great time to get ahead. As more and more people go on vacation, you have the opportunity to get more done.

• Get Ahead While Everyone Goes Into Vacation Mode. Many companies slow down in Juy and August as a large percentage of the workforce goes on vacation. This is the perfect time to create professional assets, resources that you can use over and over again at work. The slow months of the summer are also a perfect time to assess your performance: are you reaching your work goals? What can you change to do better?

• Get Training To Improve Your Productivity. As the pace of work often slows in the summer, it is a perfect time to get training. You can take an online course, attend a conference, or start a self study program. If you are looking for a general program to improve your productivity and organization, I recommend reading Getting Things Done by David Allen.

• Plan A Bucket List Experience. In my view, productivity means achieving your goals which can certainly go beyond career and business goals. The summer is a great time to work through your bucket list, especially if you like adventure sports.

Fall (September, October, November)

The closing months of the year bring new perspectives. Students return to their studies, charities launch donation campaigns and companies push to achieve their business goals.

• Review Progress on Goals Set Earlier in The Year. If you have set goals earlier in the year (preferably using a proven system such as Michael Hyatt’s 5 Days to Your Best Year Ever!), the fall is a great time to review your progress. You may be pleasantly surprised with your progrress on some goals and disappointed in other cases. The fall is your opportunity to improve your productivity by getting focused on your goals.

• Expand your network by attending events and reaching out. In the fall, many professional associations offer new programs and events. You can advance your career by actively participating in associations – attend seminars, ask questions and look for volunteer opportunities.

• Choose one major activity to complete in the year. The final few months of the year are a great opportunity to get ahead. While everyone else is thinking about the fall holidays, this is your time to get ahead by doing the work others will not do. For the best results, choose a single goal or activity to complete in the remaining months of the year.

Featured photo credit: Autumn Leaves/jbom411 via pixabay.com

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I have always been a proponent for music education, and thus am happy to see that more and more people are learning an instrument these days.

I myself became a drummer at around the age of 11, and have played ever since. I am no savant, but I can play just about anything (except perhaps the closing solo in the movie Whiplash).

As a result, I have always maintained that learning how to play an instrument is beneficial. I did not have any proof, I just had first hand experiences that proved that to be the case. Nowadays however, there is a mountain of evidence suggesting that music education is not only good for you, but nearly essential if you want to be successful in life.

What is it about musicians that gives them an edge over others? Read on.

1. They Are More Creative

Recent research has shown that many successful politicians, businessmen, and more were trained at a young age to be a musician of some kind. Whether it be of a piano, clarinet, or saxophone, it didn’t really matter.

What does matter is that these people credit their music education with making them more creative. Indeed, as Paul Allen (co-founder of Microsoft) once stated, music allows you to “look beyond what currently exists and express yourself in a new way” (NYT).

As a drummer, I can attest to that. So much of music is about creating something different, and breaking mental barriers. All of which necessarily bleeds into other aspects of your life.

2. Their Brains Develop Differently

As many studies have shown, playing an instrument tends to have a multitude of beneficial effects on the brain, many of which are especially visible in children.

Indeed, those who start from an early age (around 9 to 11) have “significantly more grey matter volume” within their heads (Parenting Science). While this doesn’t necessarily mean that musicians are smarter, it does demonstrate that their brains are making unique and interesting connections and associations that those who do not play instruments might lack.

3. They Connect With Others Better

Music is often thought of as a way to connect different cultures, ideas, and perspectives. Even when you are unfamiliar with a location, you can always use your ability to play music to get to know those around you, and establish connections that may have been impossible to create otherwise.

This can be a crucial skill to have in any number of professions, especially those that require you to immerse yourself in a location that you are unfamiliar with.

4. They Are Better At Math

I am not sure this one applies to me, but it has long been known that there is some kind of connection between math and music.

This likely has to do with the fact that both deal with analyzing puzzles and finding patterns in order to find solutions. If you can get a sense of the ebb and flow of music and musical language, mathematical concepts should begin to make more sense. Being better at math is beneficial for a number of reasons, if only because so many new jobs in this day and age rely on that skill.

5. They Have A Better Sense Of Rhythm

As a drummer, I know how to keep time in a song and play to the beat. In life, I use those same skills to maintain some order in my schedule.

Additionally, when you are a musician, it is easier to get into the groove of things and accomplish repetitive tasks at a consistent rate. (It also helps with stuff like dancing!)

Thus, learning how to maintain a steady pace not only makes for a good musician, but a more productive and effective worker as well.

6. They Are Obsessive

Any musician, whether they be a novice or an expert, has to be just a little obsessive to cultivate their craft. Roger McNamee, an early investor in Facebook, stated that “musicians and top professionals share ‘the almost desperate need to dive deep’” (NYT).

To become proficient at playing music requires a lot of time and dedication. If you are willing to put effort into that, you will likely tackle other things with that same gusto.

7. They Are More Likely To Have A Higher IQ

This is especially true if they started playing music at a young age, like say around 6 years old. Indeed, one study found that kids who took up an instrument around this age showed a greater increase in their IQ compared to those who did not (Science Net Links).

Suffice it to say, having more intelligence to work with than your peers is often crucial in gaining the upper hand.

8. They Process Speech More Efficiently

Becoming successful requires that you be a good listener, and musicians are groomed to acquire that skill early on in their development.

Indeed, research has shown that learning how to play music has a beneficial effect on the areas of your brain that process sounds — an effect that lasts even into old age (Washington Post).

Listening is an important skill to have, as the ability to make sense of speech and complicated strings of words and sentences is crucial to success.

9. They Are Conditioned To Work Hard For Results

While it isn’t always true that those who work hardest in life are the most successful, such is usually the case in regard to musicians.

Indeed, one expert stated that an amazing thing about learning music is that “if you work hard enough, it does get better” (NYT).

Music thus conditions you to believe that working harder gets results, and while that may not always be true in everything, it does lead to you pushing yourself harder in order to see measurable improvements in all aspects of your life.

10. They Have More Self-Control

While you might think of musicians as loose cannons (certain rock stars come to mind), those cases aren’t typical.

Indeed, learning how to play an instrument and read music is an immensely difficult task when you first start out, and requires a lot of mental focus. And, once you are skilled at playing music, it takes both talent and self-control to keep rhythm, to maintain a beat, and to otherwise stay on the musical rails, so to speak.

Translate that ability to remain dedicated and focused on the task at hand to the real world, and it is easy to see why so many musicians end up being successful in other fields.

Do you play an instrument? Has it effected your life in a beneficial way? Comment below!

Featured photo credit: Snare Drum/Vladimir Morozov via flickr.com

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Much has been said about the benefits of being an early riser. Benjamin Franklin—the original guru of productivity, said, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”

However, not much is said about the last thing you do before bed. Yet, the very last thing you do before bed is vital because it determines how well and how much you sleep, which in turn determines your energy level the following day when you wake up.

Rich people understand the importance of a good night’s sleep. They have well established sleep rituals that signal to their brains that it’s time to switch everything off and get some much needed night’s rest. Here’s what the most successful and rich people do before bed you should probably emulate.

1.   They stretch and exercise lightly.

Joel Gascoigne, the CEO of Buffer, squeezes in a 20-minute walk every evening before he retires to bed. He says the light walk helps him totally disengage from his work and slowly work himself into a “state of tiredness.” He explains in a blog post, “This is a wind down period, and it allows me to evaluate the day’s work, think about the greater challenges, gradually stop thinking about work…”

If you are a busy person who’s always on the go, tiredness, fatigue and even leg cramps can be painful enough to make it hard for you to sleep. Joel’s late night walk routine could be a good way to get rid of those cramps, blowing off some steam and unwind after a stressful day.

Science has actually shown that fresh air and light exercise like brisk walking, stretching and gentle yoga postures for several minutes just before getting into bed helps induce sleep. However, avoid vigorous exercise at night as it can have the opposite effect and cause insomnia.

2.   They take a warm bath

Many of us take a warm shower before bed (probably a couple of hours leeway at least). But, some of the most successful people take a warm bath instead. Joyce Walsleben, PhD, associate professor at New York University School of Medicine is one such person. She says you should soak in a tub for 20 or 30 minutes two hours before bed.

“If you raise your temperature a degree or two with a bath, the steeper drop at bedtime is more likely to put you in a deep sleep,” Walsleben says. A shower is less effective and tends to wake you up, but it can work, as well.

This nighttime ritual of taking a warm bath before bed has also worked well for internationally acclaimed fashion designer and film director Tom Ford. Tom shared his day’s schedule with Harper Bazaar and said:

“I walk the dogs around Grosvenor Square and then head up to bed. Believe it or not, I usually take another hot bath and wash my face. Then we watch a bit of television (usually things we have recorded) or read and go to sleep.”

3.   They read a book

Tom Ford is not the only one who reads before bed. Bill Gates is an avid reader. He says he reads for about an hour each night before bed and has seen the benefits of doing so.

“I really had a lot of dreams when I was a kid, and I think a great deal of that grew out of the fact that I had a chance to read a lot,” Gates is quoted saying. Interestingly, the Microsoft billionaire reads everything from current events to business and politics.

Apart from the obvious benefits of gaining new knowledge, reading each night helps to reduce stress and improve memory. In fact, a study from the University of Essex found that reading for as little as six minutes a day can reduce stress levels by up to 68%!

4.   They meditate

Ray Dalio, the billionaire founder of the investment firm Bridgewater Associates, famously said, “Meditation more than anything in my life was the biggest ingredient of whatever success I’ve had.”

Oprah Winfrey, an outspoken advocate of Transcendental Meditation, agrees that meditation helps and says she unwinds at the end of a stressful day with a focused meditation session.

Padmasree Warrior, the chief technology and strategy officer of Cisco Systems, also meditates every night.” She told the New York Times in 2012 that taking time to meditate and unplug keeps her calm and helps her to manage the pressure of her work.

Those who take a few minutes every night to reflect on the good things that happened to them that day sleep better. That flow of positivity and grateful attitude induces feelings of calm that allow for a restful sleep.

5.   They plan the next day

Many highly successful and rich people have a penchant for picturing tomorrow’s success today—and planning for it. They write down the most important things they need to tackle first as a way to get those ideas out of their head. Often this planning for tomorrow happens right before bed.

Kenneth Chenault, CEO of American Express, for example, ends his day by writing down three things he wants to accomplish the next day right before retiring for the night. He says that in doing so he is able to wake up the next day and get straight to work on his most important tasks.

You might want to borrow a leaf from this high achiever and plan the next day before bed. This is especially true if you often find yourself running through the next day’s to-do list while you are trying to fall asleep.

6.   They create a cozy sleep environment.

Stephen King, one of the richest and most successful authors alive, says his nightly routines include washing his hands and making sure all the pillows face a certain way. The horror writer says it’s not any different than a bedtime routine. He explains:

“I brush my teeth, I wash my hands. Why would anybody wash their hands before they go to bed? I don’t know. And the pillows are supposed to be pointed a certain way. The open side of the pillowcase is supposed to be pointed in toward the other side of the bed. I don’t know why.”

Making your bedroom as comfortable as possible for you is a great way to ensure you sleep soundly and wake up the next morning well rested and ready to face the day. The rich and famous go to great lengths to ensure the sleep area is as cozy as possible so as to induce and maintain sleep.

7.   They unplug

Arianna Huffington, founder of the Huffington Post, is a staunch evangelist for sleep and “unplugging.” She says every night before bed she puts her phone in another room so she is not distracted by it. Like Tom Ford and Bill Gates, Arianna says she reads before bed the old-fashioned way, “real book.” Facebook’s chief operating officer (COO), Sheryl Sandberg, also says she turns her phone off at night so that she “won’t get woken up.”

Dr Charles Czeisler, professor of sleep medicine at Harvard University, agrees that “unplugging” is a very good habit before bed. He explains that the bright lights produced by cell phone screens “trick” the body into thinking it’s still daytime, prevent certain body chemicals from being released and disrupt the bodies’ natural sleep rhythms. This disruption causes people to have a much harder time going to sleep.

It’s a good idea to ban iPads, Tablets, laptops and any other electronics from the bedroom before bed so that you set yourself up to have a good night’s sleep, and an even more productive day tomorrow.

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You might be expecting me to write something basic about patience, integrity, humility, honesty, discipline, and other qualities that might make up a successful person. If you’re looking for an article like that, you’ll find them everywhere. This article is different. It’s not meant to talk about one word or one quality of successful people in a generic sense and re-define what those things mean for you. This articles purpose is to help you re-define what your personal success is and how you define yourself.

There are elements of success people seldom mention, and sometimes those things have nothing to do with the present or the individual. Below, feel free to read about those five elements.

1. Your job isn’t your success.

You are your success, and what you’re successful in will vary. It doesn’t have to be your job. It could be your family, it could be your volunteer work, or your community service.  Success is multi-faceted.  In addition, your job may not be a direct reflection of you, your greatest strengths, or the best use of your time. Your job might not enable you to contribute to the world in a way you would like, yet so many people define themselves by their jobs, or their next big promotion. Success is a lifestyle and an attitude.

2. Failure is going to happen to you. Just because you fail at something, doesn’t mean you are a failure.

I’ve only failed one class in my life: geometry. I did my best, and I tried hard, enrolling in tutoring and after school classes to help boost my grade. Failing, I thought, would be unacceptable and earth-shattering. I thought I’d be too embarrassed to ever be able to discuss it, l and yet here I am. Do you know what I learned? I learned it wasn’t the end of the world. I learned what I wasn’t good at. I learned where I was weak and I used those insights to make myself stronger and better educated about myself.

Failure is nothing more than useful feedback. You don’t have to be the best at everything to be the best at something. Sometimes we learn from the things we do poorly or the things we fail to do moreso than the things we excel in.

3. People will always see your successes. They may never know about your sacrifices.

There will always be people who think you had it easy. There were always be people who identify with you and think you had it rough. They are both wrong, and the answer is usually somewhere in the middle and defined by the individual. The truth of the matter is, no one else is going to really know how much you had to give up or overcome to get to where you are. It’s easy to think being successful is easy when the version of you people are seeing is the person who made it through the storm.

When push comes to shove, their opinions don’t matter. What matters is what you think and feel about yourself. When you feel good about yourself and your own unique purpose in life, everything falls into place.

4. There are people who aren’t going to think you’re successful, no matter what you think of yourself or how you feel.

Ignore people like this. They are usually miserable themselves. There will always be people who like to gossip or speak poorly of someone else trying to get by and follow their dreams. People will tell you your goals are stupid, your dreams are unrealistic, and the money won’t follow. Sometimes they are right, and sometimes they are wrong. The only thing that matters is that you don’t base your final choices off of them.

5. Sometimes it’s about who you know.

In some respects, certain types of success have to do more with who you know as opposed to how hard you work, hustle, or study. Many people will tell you so long as you work hard, anything is possible, and while anything being possible is true, it isn’t always probable. Sometimes people have a better time, or easier time because they have good mentors or they knew the right people or joined the right clubs or had the right connections. Sometimes success is a collaborative effort, not just something we become on our own.

Featured photo credit: The Auditorium at the Educational Center of Hallmark Institute of Photography, located at 27 Industrial Blvd, Turners Falls, Massachusetts/Tfman13 via commons.wikimedia.org

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Business success depends on a number of factors. Some entrepreneurs make progress based on technical innovations. Many others build companies by offering a service or product that is clearly superior to everything else on the market. No matter what industry you are in, your business beliefs make a tremendous impact. Our beliefs shape our decisions about our business, especially when we are under pressure. If you have the following 10 beliefs, your business is guaranteed to improve.

1. You choose your own goals.

The determination to choose your own business goals makes a significant impact. Many in the corporate world wait passively for their goals to be assigned by senior management. If your investors and bankers require you to meet certain goals, there’s no need to limit yourself to those goals. Set at least one business goal based on your interests and desires.

What goals should you consider? Many people choose to focus on career goals (e.g. gain a promotion, land a new job). However, Michael Hyatt—creator of the 5 Days to Your Best Year Ever goal setting program—recommends a blend of goals to cover business (e.g. increase revenue), health (e.g. run a marathon), personal development (e.g. read 30 books) and relationships (e.g. take a “bucket list” trip to Europe with your spouse).

2. You build positive relationships and partners.

Running a business requires supportive relationships. When you’re first starting out, take the time to build good relationships with your customers. Before long, you will find out that customers who like you are much more likely to bring new business to you. At this point, you may be wondering how exactly to create a positive business relationship. While every relationship is different, most positive relationships share the following qualities:

• You learn how to detect negative cues: Noticing the lack of an activity can be an early warning sign that the relationship is in trouble (e.g. your business partner takes three days to return your calls instead of two).
• You practice the art of active listening: Listening effectively is a complex skill but you can become better by using active listening techniques.
• You look for ways to help others reach their business goals: introduce your business associates to new people, share books, share articles: there are many ways you can help people reach their business goals.

3. You have a humble attitude to learn about business.

Many writers stress the importance of confidence in business. Yet, over confidence has caused many companies to fail in recent years. When you have a humble approach to business, you stay open to new ideas and different solutions. When you are humble, you tend to ask more questions about business. You ask for business book recommendations, you realize that your plans will have to change with new information and you understand that staying curious is a key to success.

4. You take thoughtful risks.

How do you feel about risk in the business world? Some entrepreneurs feel the urge to vet everything on the success or failure of a single transaction. If that level of risk unsettles you, then you are in good company. Some of the most successful people in business put serious thought into managing risk.

When Richard Branson, the noted British entrepreneur and billionaire, launched his airline in the 1980s, he thought through risk and created the following creative deal:

Once I had negotiated the price for a second hand 747 from Boeing, I said to them that if Virgin Atlantic wasn’t successful, then I wanted to be able to hand the plane back at the end of the first year—therefore protecting the downside. (Best Advice: Protect the Downside by Richard Branson)

Here are two other ways you can increase your ability to take risks:

• Apply the art of rejection therapy: the risk of rejection keeps many people from reaching business success. Jia Jiang went through 100 days of rejection—his experience shows how you can grow by overcoming the risk of rejection.
• Practice risk management in your life to keep your health, finances and career in good condition. It is easier to take risks in business if you are keeping managing your health!

5. You are grateful to customers, suppliers, and others who support your business.

From time to time, it pays to sit back and be grateful for suppliers and customers. In fact, a gratitude habit is one of the best ways to maintain your mental health. We all know that the business world is stressful so this belief keeps you going through difficult times.

6. You strive for growth in every experience.

Business brings disappointment and frustration. A key employee resigns just when you need them. Several customers abandon you. Your belief in these times of difficulty will keep you going. Researcher Carol Dweck, author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, has demonstrated that a growth mindset leads to success.

7. You believe in yourself and your business.

Critics are everywhere. As Theodore Roosevelt pointed out in his famous “Man In The Arena” speech, it is not the critic who counts. When you put in the time and effort to build your company’s products and services, take pride in what you have achieved! When you move forward with confidence in your business, you will make more sales than the person who is consumed with doubt and worry.

8. You are proactive in managing your calendar.

What do you believe about your time? It’s an easy to question to answer. Think about how you used the first two hours of the day yesterday. Did you open email and start reacting to messages? That’s an easy way to become reactive and lose control of your day. Even worse, constant email checking trains your mind to be reactive to other people, rather than act on your own goals.

When you adopt a proactive attitude to your calendar, your business will start to take off. That’s why many of the most successful people in business have morning routines—they get up early for exercise, reading and meditation. Schedule at least one hour a day to work on your most important projects—creating a new product or reviewing your progress on your annual goals.

9. You have a healthy attitude about conflict.

In a business class I took, the instructor once said “never forget that buyers and vendors have different objectives.” That’s true! Competing objectives is one of the sources of conflict. You may also encounter sharply different approaches to work. When you have realistic beliefs about conflict, you can move forward to develop solutions. For the best results, look for ways to collaborate to solve a problem.

• Do you have employees or contractors to manage? Experts estimate that managers spend 30% of their time working on conflict. If you spend anything like that amount of time on conflict, then it pays to become more effective.
• To reduce legal expenses, consider using alternate dispute resolution (ADR) in contracts with suppliers and partners.

10. You understand the importance of ownership.

Ownership is one of the most important beliefs in business. In a financial context, maintaining ownership of your company keeps you in charge. Broadly speaking, working with an owner’s mind means that you own your choices. When you take responsibility, you can fully celebrate your victories!

Featured photo credit: The Colour of Money/ruben alexander via flickr.com

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