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.

The post 7 Things Rich, Successful People Do Before Bed that You Can Do appeared first on Lifehack.

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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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The strongest people are not those who show strength in front of us, but those who win battles we know nothing about.

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We all have that one person at work or school who is effortlessly organized. They never seem to miss any deadlines, always finish their work with time to spare, and always know where they can find what they are looking for.

And let’s face it: you are obviously jealous of them. But why? Why be jealous when you can actually learn from them and be the same as them? They do seem to be on the right track with life, don’t they?

Being organized isn’t just something you adapt to. Well, okay, initially it is. But slowly as you dwell in your organized lifestyle, you tend to start taking it more as a mindset rather than a way of living. For instance, you begin living your life in an organized manner, with each and every thing in your routine well thought out. And then comes a time where your systems and your rituals are actually morphed into your routine, and your mind adapts to them as habits. If you actually happen to get to this stage; congratulations, you’ve officially become an organized person.

Without further ado, let’s get you introduced to the 20 daily habits of highly organized people. Don’t worry, it’s nothing you can’t handle!

1. They read/address emails on a daily basis

Here’s the deal: it doesn’t matter at what time of the day you check your inbox. What matters is that you have a dedicated timeslot each day, let’s say, half an hour, for reading and answering all your emails. Your cluttered up inbox won’t go anywhere unless you handle it appropriately.

2. They also read/address mail on a daily basis

If you have a pile of mail, then dedicating some of your time to sort these bad boys out on a daily basis, just like your emails, won’t hurt.

3. They clear paper piles off their desk

There should absolutely be no space at all for clutter on your desk. If there are piles of paper that need to be sorted out, get straight to it!

4. They have specific routines and rituals set for the start and end of every day

Staying organized isn’t all about being uptight. You should always spare some time out for things that make you who you are. You don’t want to be a prisoner of your routine now, do you?

5. They put everything where it belongs

Each and every thing is supposed to go in its rightful place. Don’t leave your socks in the fridge!

6. They follow a to-do list

Following a to-do list is like your primary source of organization. Never miss out on it!

7. They prioritize

What’s more important? Get to it first! Don’t forget to prioritize. Postpone whatever that can be done sometime later and get to the dirty-bits first.

8. They leave room for last minute changes in the list

You’re doing just fine with your daily routine and are almost half-way through, when it out of nowhere, your best friend calls you up for an urgent meeting. Did you leave enough room for this sudden readjustment in your to-do list? You had better!

9. They have some “me-time” every day

Again, it’s not about being a prisoner of your routine when you can always cut some time out for yourself. Read a book, watch a movie, hit the gym; whatever that floats your boat!

10. They never leave anything undone

This is the holy grail of staying organized. Don’t leave any task half done. Leaving unfinished business is the hallmark of a disorganized person.

11. They stay well-nourished throughout the day

Your routine needs you in order to complete. You need food in order to complete your routine. What can you possibly do without enough energy? It’s a simple equation.

12. They always plan the coming day in advance.

Once you’re done with your day, then would be a good time to plan for the coming day. Every day needs its own unique to-do list!

13. They set alarms and reminders

You can’t leave room for error. Have everything on your side to help you avoid them. Set alarms, reminders, and whatever else you need to deal with your tasks on time.

14. They know how to filter relevant information

The best example in this regard is your notification list. The latest cat video on the Internet is irrelevant. The email you just received from your client is top priority. Make sure you know how to differentiate between these two.

15. They are not perfectionists

Not everything can be just the way you want it. Sometimes, “good enough” really is enough to get you by. So know where the most feasible option would suffice, and forget about making things perfect.

16. They leave no room for clutter

As mentioned earlier, clutter is your worst enemy. Leave no room for it on your territory!

17. They keep all the essentials within touching distance

Pen? Paper? Smartphone? Spare underwear? Yes, you can need any of those at any point. Keep them around you so you don’t face any problems during emergencies.

18. They are always prepared to face any mishaps

Staying organized is mainly all about preparing yourself to face turmoil, whenever it shows up. Don’t be afraid of tackling mishaps head on, deal with the elephant in the room first.

19. They opt for the simplest solutions

You don’t need only the best pen in the whole world to do your paperwork. A mere pencil will be enough. Follow the same ideology regarding everything else. Pick the simplest problem-solver!

20. They practice maintenance

This doesn’t mean you need to be a top quality handyman. You don’t even need to be tech-savvy for this one. So long as you know how to keep everything up-to-date and maintained, there is no one that can disturb you in your organized glory!

Featured photo credit: defeat/katiew via flic.kr

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Most people love to take a relaxing holiday break when life gets stressful. Hotels offer a relaxing environment where you can relax, eat and swim to your heart’s content. But do you know about the best and most expensive hotel perks out there?

From a hangover service to a pet psychic, we check out 15 of the coolest hotel perks available.

1. NASA Designed Space Pillows, The Benjamin Hotel, New York

If you take your sleep seriously, this hotel perk is perfect for you. The hotel provides guests with a pillow menu, including a pillow designed by NASA and a five foot body cushion.

Price: Available to all overnight guests, with room priced from $500 per night.

2. Arrive By Paraglide At The Six Senses Hideaway, Zighy Bay, Oman

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There are three different arrival options at The Six Senses Hideaway – you can take a drive there in a 4×4, or take a scenic boat route. However, nothing compares to the third choice; you can choose to paraglide your way to the hotel with a professional. The ultimate arrival experience!

Price: $183 per person.

3. Super Cars At The Four Seasons, Beverly Hills

The Four Seasons in Beverly Hills is a car lover’s dream; anyone who stays in the Hotel’s new suites gets free access to some amazing cars, including Roll Royces, Ferraris, Bentleys and Lamborghinis.

Price: Exclusively available to guests who book suites. Premier suites priced at over $19,000 per week.

4. The Sunshine Butler At The Club And Hotel Spa, Jersey

If you love to spend your holidays relaxing on a sun lounger, this holiday perk is perfect for you. The Sunshine Butler will tend to all of your needs, from polishing your sunglasses, misting your face and applying sun cream – luxurious!

Price: Exclusively available to guests who stay in the master suite, priced from $345 per night.

5. Goldfish For The Day At Kimpton Hotels And Restaurants, America

This hotel is more than just pet friendly – you can also rent goldfish by the day if you’re feeling particularly lonely.

Price: Available to all guests, rooms priced from $308 per night.

6. Complimentary Fender Guitars At The Hard Rock, Chicago

If you play the guitar, you will love the hotel perk offered at The Hard Rock. They offer 20 different types of Fender guitars that you can have brought to your room for you to use. On top of that, you can have all the extras for free, from amps to video lessons to headphones!

Price: Available to all guests, single room prices from $750 for 3 nights.

7. Owls Delivering Rings At The Ashford Castle Hotel, Ireland

If you’re looking to suprise your partner with the perfect proposal, look no further than the Ashford Castle Hotel. You can arrange to have the Hotel’s resident owl Dingle to deliver an engagement ring to whereever you are – the most romantic holiday perk we could find!

Price: 3 day Proposal Package, priced from $2,356.

8. Pet Psychic At Hotel Monaco, Portland

If you like to travel with your pets, Hotel Monaco has the best hotel perk for you. All pets can stay for free, regardless of size or weight. Even better – if you are worried about the emotional state of your pet, you can book them in for a session with pet psychic Bridget Pilloud.

Price: Available to guests as an add-on package. Rooms priced from $481 per night.

9. Wedding Design Studio At The Ritz Carlton, Tianjin

You can have the perfect wedding at the beautiful Ritz Carlton, which offers a beautiful venue and horse drawn carriage rides, as well as the option of a Rolls Royce!

Price: 30 minute horse-drawn carriage ride priced at $8,100.

10. Manta Ray Hot Phone At Four Seasons, The Maldives

Guests who stay at the Four Seasons in the Maldives have the option to sign up for the Manta call service, where the resort lets the guests know whenever Manta Rays have been spotted. They then get collected from wherever there are, and whisked away to snorkle with Manta Rays. A great holiday perk for anyone who is interested in the ocean!

Price: Available to all overnight guests, rooms priced from $2,900 per night.

11. Soap Concierge At Viceroy Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen

This hotel has high standards of cleaniless; guests can order bespoke soaps from a menu dedicated entirely to soap. You can request almost any kind of handcrafted soap, from scented to exfoliating, to make sure you feel squeaky clean.

Price: Available to all guests, rooms priced from $605 per night.

12. Hangover Concierge At The Ritz Carlton, New Orleans

This holiday perk is perfect for anyone who plans on getting drunk while they are vacationing. The Ritz Carlton offers a Recovery Concierge, which offers a selection of different hangover remedies to Club Level guests, including a hair of the dog cocktail!

Price: Available to guests who stay in the Ritz Carlton suite, available from $5,947 per night.

13.Vitamin C-Infused Shower At MGM Grand, Las Vegas

The MGM grand offers many interesting hotel perks, but one of the most unique is the vitamin C infused shower. It is believed the vitamin C neutralizes the chlorine in the water for a more natural experience.

Price: Available to guests as part of a $30 per night upgrade package.

14. Water Library At Trump Hotel, Chicago

If you can taste the difference when it comes to water, you may want to experience the Water Library at the Trump Hotel. Offering up different types of water, you can chose water from natural springs, or a sommelier-crafted Beverly Hills option.

Price: Bottles vary between $10-$25.

15. Aura Reading, Mii Amo, Sedona

Mii Amo offers various aura readings to guests at their hotel. They can chose from an Aura-Soma Color Reading or a relaxing Psychic Massage.

Price: 60 minutes for $250.

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Being organized is not something that people inherit: it is more to do with how well you organize your daily routine and tasks to make sure that everything falls into place. All the successful people that you see around you did not achieve success overnight. Nor was success simply handed to them. They worked for the success, and the first step towards success is good organization.

Anyone can be organized and successful. All that is required is the mindset to do things in a proper manner. Here are the 10 mindsets of organized people that lead them towards the epitome of success:

1. They find the tools they need to assist them

We all know how tedious life can be, and sometimes we feel like we are in a rut! However, organized people do something about that and make sure that the rut that they are faced with is cleared. And they do this with helpful tools that are all around us only if we stop for a second and pay attention. Your tablet, smartphone, and smartwatch are all useful technological tools that you can use to plan, organize, and therefore make your lives a whole lot easier and productive.

2. They know what their priorities are, and give them their due importance

Organized people know how to handle their priorities effectively, no matter how hectic their day is. Making a to-do list on a daily basis can be a highly productive effort in such cases. They know what tasks are urgent and thus need to be handled first and foremost.

3. They only worry about relevant things

We all know how our minds are occupied with so many things on a daily basis. However, most of the things that we think about are completely irrelevant, yet we seem to be so consumed by them. This is not the case with organized people. They will make sure to practice mindfulness and remove the clutter from their minds on a daily basis. After this, they will focus on everything that is relevant to them.

Things like TV shows, get-togethers, and gossip are not relevant to such people. For them, reaching their goals is their main priority, and they will make sure that things get done when they need to get done!

4. They prefer the simpler way to do things

Organized people are not perfectionists and neither will they make their lives and work complicated. They prefer doing things in the simplest way possible, as long as they get the job done. Therefore, do not assume organized people to be control freaks. In fact, they love going with the flow, and if they know that circumstances will not let them change certain things, then they simply let them be instead of having a panic attack.

5. They keep everything well maintained

Life will never be perfect and it will entail many ups and downs. However, the important thing to know is that despite those ups and downs, you can take steps to make sure that every aspect of your life is well maintained and in balance. This is exactly what organized people do. They will give attention to the things that require their utmost attention and fix problems as they come up.

6. They are always concerned about future rewards

Organized people do things in a way that will provide them the most amounts of benefits in the future. For instance, they will never leave dirty dishes in the kitchen since they know that they will only pile up and become a hassle later on.

7. They get rid of the clutter

Clutter can be anyone’s worst nightmare, be it in the mind or the house. While most of the unorganized individuals will live most of their lives in the middle of clutter, the organized ones will eliminate as much of it as possible. Clutter is simply a hindrance to progress, and nothing can get done properly if everything inside of you and around you is a complete mess.

8. They “let it go” when they can’t seem to win

This point is similar to point 4. You will rarely see an organized person crying about something that they cannot control nor do anything about. Instead, they will just go with the flow and let go of things that they are not able to change instead of worrying about them constantly.

9. They don’t become prisoners of their routine

Organized people understand that their routine life has no authority over them. In fact, they know that their life can be as interesting and calm as they want it to be. For this reason, they will always make the relevant changes in their life to make sure that they remain the top most priority. They also do not let things get to their head.

10. They think smart and plan things in advance

Organized people know how important it is to plan things for the future. They will keep in mind any upcoming priorities that need to be taken care of and all the things that they wish to accomplish. This helps them remain vigilant and make sure that everything is in order so that they can live a smooth life without having to do things last minute.

Featured photo credit: Monks and novices in Laos/Dietmar Temps via flic.kr

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You may have heard others say that everyone is creative. Little kids certainly seem to be. And yet, so many of us lose that creative confidence as we go through adolescence and into adulthood. We turn into a person who fears creative ideas.

Dr. Will Schutz, a prominent psychologist and pioneer of the human potential movement, believed that fear is the biggest block to creativity. Rather than creating something new, many of us are held back as we do our best to avoid the consequences of our fear.

Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love says that “Fear and creativity are conjoined twins. What holds people back from being creative is that in order to murder the fear, they end up killing off the creativity as well.”

Messages which encourage conformity and control pervade our schools and our workplaces. Yet we crave creativity. Innovation is admired and held up as a model for us to follow. If only we could stop fear from holding us back.

Here are the most common fears and how to tackle them:

1. Fear that you are not a creative person

People with this fear don’t believe they are creative in the first place. They have created a self-definition that excludes even the possibility that they might be creative. Sometimes they see themselves as too rational, or too dull, to be creative. They might say things like, “I don’t have a creative bone in my body.”

Often these people forget the ways that they demonstrate creativity every day, but dismiss it.

One woman told me of a time she had run out of lipstick and couldn’t afford to buy more. But her appearance was important to her so she used a brush to combine tiny amounts from the bottom of two old lipstick tubes, and created a new color with just enough to wear for the rest of the week.

All day she received compliments on her lipstick. Her creativity naturally responded to the circumstances she found herself in.

What you can do:

Universities and consultancies that support people who want to be more creative have learned that their job is not to teach them how. Instead they help them re-discover the inherent creative confidence they had as children.

Start by widening your definition of creativity. You don’t have to be Van Gogh. Look around at the ways you overcome difficulties and see how creative you already are.

Are you someone who can work around a computer glitch? When you don’t have an ingredient for a recipe do you know what to substitute instead? Can you build spreadsheets from scratch? All these are creative activities. You may not be a visual artist, but that doesn’t mean you are not as creative as one.

2. Fear of failure

We are told again and again that the best way to learn is by doing. Yet, throughout our lives we are criticised when we get things wrong.

No wonder we fear failure. No wonder that perfectionism (excellence distorted to the point of paralysis) is rife.

The consequences of failure seem huge. Fail our exams and we are told we will never get a job. Fail in our job and we lose our livelihood. Failure makes everything precarious.

And yet, the greatest entrepreneurs and innovators fail often. They cultivate the resilience to deal with failure, because the only way to do something new is to learn to cope with failure.

What you can do:

“Fail, fail again, fail better,” said Samuel Beckett.

Find ways to try out new things, without reaping consequences of failure that are too big to cope with.

Start by calling the things you do “experiments” rather than failures. You are testing something out, and learning from it. By redefining success as the process of exploring and learning rather than the result, you can cultivate your curiosity.

Try creating a new meal at a time when you are the only one who’ll have to eat it if it is disgusting. Play with paint or clay and keep the results to yourself.

And remember, mistakes can lead to the best results. Famously, Post It Notes were created when a new type of glue being developed by a scientist at 3M was not sticky enough. Who knows what innovation might your mistakes lead to?

3. Fear of the unknown

Creativity requires people to be unclear about the eventual shape of their creation.   Whether they are creating a picture, a computer programme or starting a new business, the new design frequently takes a form that was unanticipated by its designer.

Amazing creations are often those furthest from their starting point. Being willing to take the journey of creativity demands that you let go of your pre-conceived ideas and be willing to go to places you have not explored before.

This is hard when staying in control seems to be how we manage our busy lives and get things done.

What you can do:

Acclimatise yourself to doing things without a plan. Finger paint. Go for a walk in a new environment without a map. Visit shops, museums and galleries you’d wouldn’t normally do to.

Try to include people with different ways of seeing the world in your life. They will open your eyes to new possibilities.

Find the enjoyment in these new activities, then start letting go of control in some of the more tightly managed parts of your life. Remember the words of Margaret Attwood:

“If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.”

4. Fear of being unstructured and illogical

Rationality is highly valued in our culture. But while the left brain can make logical connections, it is the right brain that truly allows our creativity to flow.

Albert Einstein put it like this,

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”

What you can do:

“Don’t try to create and analyze at the same time. They’re different processes,” said composer John Cage.

Remember that both right and left brain processes have a place in your life. Use your unstructured side to generate a wealth of ideas, however silly they seem. Allow each to become a jumping off point for further creativity.

Only when you let your right brain have free rein do you let your left brain loose, to hone those ideas and decide which have merit.

5. Fear of being judged

It can hurt to feel judged. It can leave us embarrassed, or worse, cut to the core. We’ve all experienced times when the judgement of others has hurt us.

Sometimes even the judgements that are not intended to hurt, still do. Sometimes we feel unappreciated or ignored. Or, even when someone praises our work for what we think are the wrong reasons we can feel stereotyped or misunderstood.

It often seems like the way to avoid judgement is to never do anything that can be judged. But by doing this, we keep ourselves small. We waste the huge potential that resides in every person.

In fact, your biggest critic is likely to be your own mind. We all have an inner critic, nagging at us and feeding our fear.

Your inner critic is trying to keep you safe from the judgement of others. But in the process it can stop you from taking even reasonable risks or trying something new. It will always default to the patterns it knows, long after you have outgrown them

What you can do:

Defer judgement on your creative output. As you create, just let yourself try things out, letting your creativity flow. During the process your only job is to keep things moving.

Only after you are done do you get to edit. This way, you have something to work on and improve, rather than stifling the creative process.

When you are evaluating your efforts, be careful about the language you use. Treat yourself kindly, avoiding unhelpful criticisms like ‘this is crap.’ Instead, be specific about what needs to be improved.

6. Fear of revealing yourself

Creativity can feel very personal and that can leave you feeling vulnerable if you show it to others.

The harder you’ve worked at something, the further you’ve reached out of your comfort zone and the more it matters to you, the more risky it can feel to open it up to external critics.

What you can do:

The more a work matters, the more vulnerable it makes you feel. Turn this truth on its head, as Steven Pressfield recommends in the War of Art:

“The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.”

Rather than getting stuck in the fear, reconnect to why it matters, and what it makes possible. Use that as fuel to push through the fear.

7. Fear of rejection

Human beings are social animals. Loneliness has been shown to affect not only our mental health, but our physical health – and even our life expectancy. So, is it any wonder that we are so scared of rejection?

Our schools teach us to conform to social norms. Creative people are often written off as weird, quirky or freakish.

This is not new. Pioneers have been dismissed throughout history as they challenge convention and disrupt the establishment. Galileo was forced to recant his proof that the earth went round the sun, not the other way round. Van Gogh, one of the most admired artists in the world, only sold one single painting during his lifetime.

What you can do:

In the modern world, we have one big advantage that neither Galileo nor Van Gogh had. The internet and other modern communication technology has made the world smaller. Now it is possible for us all to find a group of like-minded people to share our passions with, however weird they are.

Remember, as Henri Matisse, himself a ground-breaking artist, said “Creativity takes courage.”

Take a step by step approach to the risk of coming out of your creativity closet. Start by creating in private. Then choose a safe group of supporters to share your work with. As you gain confidence that you have not been rejected, gradually extend the circle of people that see your creations until you are no longer hiding it at all.

8. Fear that you are not worthy

So many of us compare ourselves to others and find ourselves wanting. In fact, even very successful business leaders can find themselves feeling like they are only successful by accident, that they have tricked others and don’t really deserve to be in their roles.

They feel this despite evidence to the contrary, which might include praise, qualifications or positive results.

This feeling, of being a fake, is sufficiently common that it has been given a name: imposter syndrome. It is particularly prevalent in women and minority groups – people who has directly or indirectly had their ability questioned throughout their lives.

People with imposter syndrome can take any sign that their work isn’t as perfect as they hoped to ‘prove’ their belief that they are not good enough. And this can deter them from even trying.

What you can do:

Remember, a creative idea in our minds is never as good when it is realized. Inherent in any creative endeavor is imperfection. Rather than being a sign of your unworthiness, this is normal.

The poet, Robert Browning, mourned the inevitability of imperfection, but also pointed out “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp. Or what’s a heaven for?”

Even the most creative people can find it impossible to fully realise their visions. It is the nature of being human. Aspiring to more does not mean that your efforts are not worthwhile.

9. Fear of no reward

The conventional image of the starving artist living in a garret dominates our culture. It leaves us believing that indulging our creativity can only lead to poverty and obscurity.

To get ahead, or even just to feed our family, we believe it is necessary to follow ‘rational’ career paths such as business, law or medicine. Anything else is a recipe for financial hardship.

What you can do:

Remind yourself of the many successful and financially sustainable creative careers. Film-makers, advertising creatives, graphic designers and others do make a living from creative pursuits.

Some of these include a measure of luck. Not all actors, painters or sculptors hit the big time. But combining creative pursuits with a job that pays the bills is a strategy successfully used by many, and keeps their creative options open.

These alternative jobs don’t have to involve waiting tables. An actor can do voice-overs, teach kids or work with business people on their presentation skills. Film-makers who don’t make it in Hollywood can create campaigns for charities or advertisements for businesses.

And don’t forget, creativity is an inherent part of almost every job. If you can find a better way to do something, even if you are working in a factory, you are being creative.

Shutting off the inherent creativity of human beings makes us more easily replaceable by robots. Make yourself invaluable in any role by using your creative potential.

10. Fear of the first step

Starting is usually the hardest part of anything worthwhile. Before you start, the sense of anticipation gets your fear going, without engaging with the real issues yet.

This is the time your monkey mind goes wild, filling you with anxiety rather than action. Or worse, your mind goes completely blank and you are frozen.

Writers block is well known, but the same effect applies to all creative pursuits. It leaves people procrastinating and ruins reputations.

Creative block affects even well known and genuinely creative people. Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, had his book editors confine him to a hotel suite for three weeks to get him to finally write So Long and Thanks for all the Fish, the fourth book in the Hitchhiker series, because he had put it off for so long.

What you can do:

Many authors say they don’t believe in writers block. What you need, they say, is discipline to just start.

Write anything that comes into your head, even if it is nonsense. Describe the scene outside your window. Imagine yourself starting in the middle of the story rather than the beginning. Don’t worry about quality. Just start.

The same applies to other creative endeavours. Pick up a paintbrush and splodge something on the canvas. Play a note on your instrument. Try a solution to a problem, even if you think it won’t work.

Rather than anticipating problems, grapple with them. Fix a time when you make a commitment to do something, even if you know it will be no good. After all, you can edit later. Writers often cross out their entire first paragraph, or even a whole first chapter.

Franklin D. Roosevelt reminds us:

“Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”

How will you convert retreat into advancement? Let go of the fear holding you back and embrace the creativity you already possess within.

Featured photo credit: Where is the Creative Spark? Photo: Morgan Sessions via unsplash.com

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We all know that life can be quite hectic and out of control. Drama and complications come from the lack of control over our lives. I assure you, some of them can be easily controlled and eliminated if you try out these easy tips. So, let’s get to it! (Yes, minimizing complications already.)

1. Know your priorities

People get distracted and procrastinate; it’s part of being human, but when is it too much and too late? At work or school, remember to keep your attention on the assignments at hand. Any urgent tasks should be dealt with immediately and not be put off.

Focus on what needs to be done right now and choose to do the things that would make the most difference. After you have accomplished that, ask yourself what other areas need the most of your time.

What haven’t you been doing that you know you should do? Knowing what you need to do first will give you a sense of control over your life, and thus, less drama. If you have time, here is some further reading if you need more help getting to know your priorities.

2. Keep a well-organized schedule

If you don’t already keep a schedule, then go right now and make one! Having a well-organized schedule will make your life so much easier. Whether you like old-fashion calendars or mobile apps, the act of keeping track of future events will dramatically decrease the likelihood of complications.

Once you start a schedule, you can conveniently see what is planned for the future and not be overwhelmed by upcoming events because you have had time to prepare yourself for them.

The perks of an organized schedule do not stop here. You can also look back at how you spent your time and improve your time management skills.

Perhaps some meetings could have been completed in an hour. Perhaps you are spending too little time with the people you care about and spending too much time at work. Annie Dillard once said, “How we spend our days, of course, is how we spend our lives.” What do you want your life schedule to look like?

3. Keep a list, any list

As mentioned before, knowing your priorities will be helpful in decluttering your life. Like any grocery list, you put down things you want to do in the future so you won’t forget. A nicely arranged list will provide you with a visual cue to prioritize your day.

Check out this list of good list-keeping apps! Choose one that has sharing capabilities so you can share your lists with friends, family and significant other: it certainly makes things easier when you go shopping!

If you already keep lists, decide on three most important tasks to do in the morning every day. This way, you know exactly what needs to be done that day, and completing them will give you a sense of accomplishment! I personally love the moment I tick-off something on my to-do list!

4. Make shortcuts for everything

Another way to make your life simpler is by setting up shortcuts for everything you do. These shortcuts encompass areas like work, school and everyday life. Depending on the kind of software you use most frequently, you can look up faster ways to do the same thing.

For Windows 8 users, here is a great list of shortcuts you probably aren’t already familiar with. We use computers for the majority of our day, and by knowing how to do the same thing with the least amount of time, we can definitely accomplish more.

Does your job include answering emails and doing repetitive tasks? It might make your life so much easier if you establish canned responses.

A shortcut I personally love to follow is especially handy when I have piles of work to read through. This is what I would like to call “The NV” reading method: when I need to read something really quickly, I only pick up the nouns and the verbs of the paragraph.

Once you get used to reading like this, your brain will be able to read papers much faster as it is now trained to piece words together.

5. Have good routines

In order to feel like you have control over your life, routines are one of the best ways to go about decluttering it. The ideology behind routines is that patterns make people feel safe and comfortable – everything is going exactly as planned.

When you follow a set of patterns, it feels like nothing will go out of hand. My friend suggested a nice routine for lunches during weekdays, so that you can save time on decisions with “guaranteed results.”

For instance, you can have Fancy Mondays to blow away the Monday blues, Taco Tuesdays, and/or Espresso Fridays to power through the last day of the week. And once routines get too boring, just throw in something you don’t usually do to bring in some unusual and surprising new flavours.

6. Limit your social media usage

A lot of our everyday drama comes from social media. People often compare their own lives to their friends’ Facebook updates, but what they often do not see is the ugly side of everyone’s lives. Who would post that on Facebook, right?

Social media is also the prime evil of procrastination – you know you’ve spent more time up there then you should have. Now, there is a new browser application that enables you to limit your usage. Key in the websites your rational side knows you shouldn’t be spending so much time on, and go cold turkey!

7. Separate different circles of friends

The more your co-workers know about your daily life, the more awkward things get! Try your best not to let your actual life intersect with your work life; the further apart they are, the less drama and gossip there will be.

The workplace is a very competitive environment – you would not want any untrue rumors to go around about you that may have a drastic effect on your reputation.

Depending on what kind of a job you have, letting your clients know about your private life may also affect your professionalism. They might no longer see you as someone with the authority and power you had before. Sometimes it’s crucial to be a little distant!

8. Spend time with the right people

We all have limited amount of free time each day, so who do you choose to spend it with? Here’s a simple list of questions that will make the decision easier:

1. Do you feel yourself and comfortable around them? If you have a full-time job, you might not get enough rest and relaxation every day, so it’s important that you can be yourself during your off-hours.

2. Can you tell the truth when something upsets you? Who we tell the truth to is, of course, who we should spend the most time with. If you have to put on a mask when you hang out with someone, he or she probably isn’t the best person you should spend your time with.

3. Are you genuinely happy and satisfied when you are with them? Some people spend time with the kind of friends they believe will make them happy. It can be tiring and impractical to rely on someone for your mood – be the person you want to spend time with. Know exactly what makes you smile from the bottom of your heart, and then you know who to spend your time with.

4. Do they tell you the truth? The truth isn’t always the sweetest thing to hear, but we need to hear it anyways. Who else would tell it to your face, if not someone who truly cares about you?

We’re all unique, bar-code unique. So, some tips are not meant to be followed rigorously as everyone’s situation is different. These are simply suggestions that you may find helpful to dedramatize and declutter your life! Say YES to a simpler life!

Featured photo credit: Hipster Wallpaper HDW via heavyeditorial.files.wordpress.com

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Are you able to get through all the reading you planned this year? Do you ever want to read more but don’t seem to have the time?

Here are 15 ways that help you read more this year.

1. Define Your Purpose for Reading

Before you start reading, ask yourself why are you reading this book. Most people read for two main reasons – pleasure or knowledge.

Being specific and clear about your reading purpose not only helps you to eliminate books that you don’t need to read. It also reminds you why reading the book is important to you as you are reading it. This motivates you to keep reading and complete the book faster.

2. Read Only What You Are Attracted to

Whether you are reading fiction or nonfiction, it’s important to enjoy what you read. Your friends may recommend books that they love, but those books might not necessarily be the ones you enjoy.

Don’t read for the sake of reading. Reading shouldn’t be another task in your to-do-list to be checked off. Reading books that you think you “should” read or which you think are good for you will slow down your reading process if you have no interest in it.

Instead, find books that spark your interest and curiosity. You’ll find yourself reading these books faster.

3. Feel Free to Skip Pages

When it comes to reading for personal pleasure and knowledge, you set your own rules. Don’t feel guilty about skipping pages. You don’t need to read all the pages in a book. It’s not cheating!

In fact, skipping pages is more productive. It helps you move through boring or irrelevant parts quicker. You don’t waste time reading something that doesn’t serve you.

4. Give up Books That You Don’t Enjoy

You may have selected books that are aligned with your purpose. You may have selected books that you are attracted to. But as you are reading them, there may still be some books that you won’t enjoy reading.

Whenever you realize that you aren’t enjoying the book you are reading, give it up. Remember reading shouldn’t be a chore.

Giving up doesn’t mean that you are a quitter. Giving up books that you don’t enjoy reading actually frees up your time for books that you would enjoy.

5. Set a Reading Goal

Having a reading goal helps you figure out how much reading you need to do in a week or even a day.

For example, this year, my reading goal is to read 100 books. Since there are 52 weeks a year, each week I need to read at least 2 books. Having a reading goal allows me to strategize how much time I need to allocate each day for reading and it helps me to decide what information I need from each book.

Instead of dabbling in reading and hoping to find something useful to you, come prepared with a set of reading objectives. This helps you focus on specific parts of the book and find information that is useful to you when reading.

6. Give Yourself a Deadline to Complete Each Book

Before you read each book, ask yourself when you need to complete this book by.

What I find interesting is that I tend to read books that I borrow from libraries faster than the books I bought. The reason is the books I bought don’t have a due date! I don’t need to return those books. So I can take as long as I want to read those books.

When you don’t set a deadline to complete your book. There isn’t a sense of urgency. And when something isn’t urgent, you tend to procrastinate and your books get left on the shelves untouched and unread. So setting a deadline is important.

7. Make Reading a Part of Your Daily Routine

If reading is important to you, no matter how busy you are, you will find and schedule time to read.

Making reading a part of your daily routine removes the hassle of finding time each day to read. Allocating a fixed time to read each day reduces procrastination. It’s also easier for others to know your reading schedule and not to disturb you when you are reading.

8. Prepare Your Reading List in Advance

To keep your reading momentum, always have the next book ready. Don’t wait untill you have completed all your books, then find the next book to read. You’ll waste unnecessary time trying to find the next book.

Instead, prepare a reading list in advance. List all the books you want to read. Add books that are recommended by your friends and family. Go to your local bookstores and see what intrigues you. You can also find a list of recommended books suggested by bloggers on their websites.

9. Use Your Free Time

Reading in the morning before you start your work or reading at night when you are winding down are the best times to read. At these time, you won’t get caught up in the daily distractions that interrupt your reading.

However, if you want to maximize your reading time, try carrying a book with you wherever you go. There will be times during the day when you are free or waiting in queue. Use this time to catch up on your reading.

10. Find a Quiet Place

Reading requires focus and concentration. If possible, find a quiet place to read.

Reading in a quiet environment increases your comprehension. You don’t get disrupted by external noises. You don’t have to reread previous pages and paragraphs to recall what you have just read.

So choose a good environment in which to read. Switch off your phone or put it away. Close your door if necessary. You read more in one hour of focused reading than in three hours of interrupted reading.

11. Get Some Context First, If Possible

Sometimes, if you watch the trailer, read the synopsis or follow some of the online content that the author has been providing, you are able to get into the author’s world much faster.

You won’t have to spend as much time establishing the context or understanding the characters in the beginning.

12. Read for Meaning, Not Words

Have you experienced times when you are just reading words, but not comprehending anything that the book says?

Reading a book word by word isn’t an effective way to read. Some words such as “a”, “an” and “the” don’t add any meaning to what you read. Your brain is smarter than you think it is. With just a few important words, your brain can devise meanings and comprehend what the author is saying by tapping on your prior knowledge and experience.

Furthermore, reading word by word is boring unless you are reading to appreciate the author’s use of language. Instead, allow your eyes to scan the page and pick up words that help you form meanings.

13. Read in Layers

Reading in layers is especially useful for nonfiction readers. Instead of reading your book once through in detail, read your book with multiple passes. 

So for example, your first pass could be just browsing the book, reading the content page and some of the headers to get the overall big picture first. Then your second pass could be selecting specific sections of the book you need more detail in and zooming in on them.

Before you start each pass, decide if you need more detail. Sometimes, you are able to comprehend the information without needing to read the examples. Other times, some information might not apply to you now. So you don’t need to read everything in detail.

14. Keep an Open Mind While Reading

Don’t critique the author while you are reading the book. Arguing with the author as you read lowers your comprehension. You can always disagree with the author after you have completed the book.

Also, spotting grammar and spelling mistakes while you read slows down your reading process. Although constant bad grammar could affect your reading, small grammar and spelling mistakes hardly affect your comprehension at all.

Again, ask yourself what the purpose of reading this book is. Are you reading for pleasure and knowledge or are you reading to proofread or critique the book?

15. Read Several Books At a Time

This sounds counterproductive. But it works well if you are doing research or want to accumulate knowledge on a topic fast.

When I was writing my book, Fearless Passion, I read several books about passion at the same time. Some books have similar information. I just picked one book that clearly explained the information I needed and skipped the rest. Reading several books at once also allows me to receive different points of view on the same topic quicker.

Even if you are reading fiction books, you can also read books in the same series at the same time. That will help you retain information about the plot and characters.

Featured photo credit: Waiting and Reading at Bryant Park / Jens Schott Knudsen via flickr.com

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