Good Vs Evil - What Makes a Person Good or Bad?

The world is about people. How you connect to all the good people around is solely your responsibility. How then do you identify the good people? This article focuses on this aspect. Read on to find out.

Here are a few pointers to identify good people:

1. Good people are always ready to lend a helping hand to others. Although they may not lend money easily, they will help you to establish yourself for instance, introduction to influencers, news of job fairs, offers of good jobs in your area in your field of interest etc. On the other hand, evil people will always make you suffer, belittle you and reject you.
2. The benign individuals like to donate to charity or to a cause such as flood, cyclone or a massive earth quake. They will do their best to support the victims of these disasters. They are very human. Evil people, on the other hand, have no worries about helping victims of disaster events, rather they will take advantage to swindle money from the funds of these causes.
3. Good people are committed to their families. They will cater to their needs and spend quality time with them. They are honest about all matters and hold frequent family meetings to discuss problems and solve them. Evil people, in contrast, manipulate evil deeds. They are detached from their families and have no concerns about them whatsoever
4. Good personalities are not worried about changing the world or their families. They are more intent on growing and changing themselves and becoming the best versions of themselves. In order for that to happen, they follow some good habits such as quitting smoking, exercising and meditating in the morning and investing themselves in self-improvement books and programs. They become role models for their families and community and soon enough, they have people following them including their families, all intent on becoming like their role models.
5. The role models are good people who change themselves first in order to see the change they want to see in their world. Actually they are wise in doing so and they are also happy people. Evil people are always doing wrong things such as drug trafficking, money laundering, cheating people, fake man power business involvement and helpless women and children trafficking and the list goes on.They are never happy or contented. They want more and more deceitful money until they are caught red-handed by the police and they end up in prison cells.

So summing up, the above pointers show how I would differentiate good and bad people. It always feels good to be a good person, rising up to the challenges of life, helping people and families and improving ourselves to be much better versions. You too can follow this trail and gain BIG because this is the real way to happiness and glory, contributing positively to the world. Gotcha?


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Preparation - Be Prepared to Succeed

1.What does it mean to prepare?

Preparation is a principle where you get yourself ready to do something and do it well. It could be getting ready for a future event, a milestone or even the accomplishment of a project. If you are making something, for example a meal or baking a cake you are meticulous in your preparation so that the outcome is acceptable and enjoyable by others. Preparation is a life principle. It applies whether you want to produce a work of art, an enjoyable meal or a successful business. What you produce in life is a result of your level of readiness. What you do behind the scenes when no one is watching is more important than what you get to showcase. Preparation, though costly, is worth it because the results will show in one's life. A successful life means that you prosper financially, in your career, in your health, mentally as well as spiritually. If you look around that person's life there's nothing you can pinpoint as not working and it takes readiness and preparation. It follows then that in order for you to prepare you must have a vision, a goal or an object of attainment. What is your desired outcome? Decide what it will take to accomplish it and put a plan in place.

2.When do you prepare?

You do not prepare on the day of battle, performance or execution. Speak to any mother and they will tell you that you do not do "preparation" for the baby the day she is born. The wedded will tell you that for the day to be glorious there is a lot of effort and resources that are invested in the success of that event. If you should ace that interview, you cannot prepare on the day and expect to be successful. I have spent many years in sales and marketing. I have learned that going for a sales pitch or a product demonstration with a prospective client demands preparation. Ill- preparation simply leads to a diminished likelihood of your product being bought by the client. Professional athletes do not practice on match day. The movie stars we admire and love to watch have taken years honing their skill. The same can be said of musicians, medical professionals, engineers, teachers, in fact everyone who takes what they do seriously.

Preparation is done in advance. How far in advance depends on the undertaking. Some things take a year, a month, a week or a day. Yet others will take decades and a lifetime of doing it over and over again. Just a thought: we prepare our children for a lifetime of success by training them and teaching them good habits whilst we live with them. That way, they will know what to do even when you are not there to instruct them.

3.Why should you prepare?

Preparation ensures victory. Do you have plans? What preparations have you put in place for their accomplishment. If you go into a battle ill-prepared you will be outwitted, outplayed and outmanoeuvred by your opponent. Master farmers understand the need to prepare their fields for a great harvest. What have you done so far to ensure that this year is better than last year? Some new year's resolutions are laughable because they will simply not be achieved. The reason is because they are made out of tradition without putting in place mechanisms for attainment. In the event that you do not win you have the assurance that you did you best, you came prepared and it just wasn't your day. You minimize your chances of regret when you take the time to condition yourself mentally, spiritually, emotionally and physically for what you are about to face. The other reason is that you are nurturing a good habit for success that will pay off at a certain stage of your life. So you are not just preparing for the specific event but you are building yourself up as a person.

4. How do you prepare?

Are you looking at a "next level" move in your business,career or relationships? Get ready! Maybe it's time to launch that new product or improve on your current offering. For some people it might mean enrolling for school or an online course to gain a new skill if the objective is to find a new job or a promotion. For others it may mean putting together a physical fitness plan in order to participate in that gruelling marathon that you have been putting off for a long time. As I mentioned earlier, the nature of your preparation and the length of your preparation is determined by what you are getting ready for. If you sense that you can achieve great things if you had a bit of guidance get a mentor or a coach. The help you get will bring out the best in you.

In conclusion, you may be the kind of person that spontaneously jumps into things without much preparation or consideration of what it will take to win in that endeavour. It's not too late to develop a culture of preparation. For the things that you need to know that you do not know there are plenty of resources online, books, tutorial videos. You can tap into that wisdom and most of all there could be someone, somewhere in your network that has already walked the journey you are about to embark on. Have a chat with them and you'll be surprised what insights you will get. A wise man once said, "It is better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one, that to have an opportunity and not be prepared for it"

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How to Control Your Habits

Alarm clock rings in the morning, it's time to get fit. Allan gets up hurriedly, gets dressed up ready for his workouts. He's been doing this for three years now. Annie had a heated argument with her husband, she rushes to the kitchen and eats all the sweets available. This usually happens when she's upset.

Allan and Annie have habits. They are used to doing what they do at a certain time. Maybe you might want to harness good habits and leave the bad ones e.g. smoking, eating junk food etc.

It is obvious it is not easy to stop something you are used to. It will not happen overnight. Bad habits are like a warm bed in winter.

Let us see how we can achieve this.

See Things Practically

You might say to yourself, "This week I will stop smoking, stop using foul language and stop eating junk food." In reality it's not possible to do all those at ago. When presumptuousness comes, dishonor will follow but wisdom is with the modest ones. Take one step at a time. A wise man sees things practically and he knows his strengths and weaknesses.

Recommendations

• List down the good you want to harness and the bad you want to leave.

• Plan your list well and start with the most important ones.

• Choose one or two things and work on them.

For you to endeavor, make sure the good habits take place of the bad ones. Take this example, one of the bad habits on your list is watching too much television, on your good list there is communication or read a book. When you get home, instead of watching television, read a book or communicate with your loved ones. It can be your grannies, your siblings your parents etc.

Environment

You are determined not to eat junk food but the cravings are overwhelming. You have decided to quit smoking, but one of your friends is always there to offer you a cigarette.

The above examples show that your surroundings matter when you want to change. The shrewd one sees the danger and conceals himself, but the inexperienced one keeps right on going and suffer the consequences. Learn to flee from desires.

Recommendations

• Be determined to avoid bad habits, example of the junk food, neither buy nor store it.

• Choose your friends wisely, never let them choose you. Avoid people who will lure you back to your old you. The one walking with the wise ones will be wise.

• Make it easier to do the right thing. For the gym example, before you sleep, put your gym clothes right besides your bed. When you take the first step it will be easier to take the next.

Do Not Give Up

They say it takes one twenty one days for one to get used to a habit. Some may take shorter periods and others longer, we were not born the same. The wise one may stumble seven times but he will get up again. Aaliyah, the late singer, sang in one of her songs "dust yourself up and try again." It doesn't matter how many times we slip and fall, what matters is getting up and doing it again.

Recommendations

• Remember to slip is not to fall, and if you will fall, pick yourself up and move on. Always expect obstacles on your way up.

• Remember your achievements. It will give you morale.

It's better the end of a matter than its beginning, it's better to be patient than to be haughty in spirit. Your diligent plans will surely lead you to success. Your eyes should look straight ahead and fix them on the prize. Forget what is behind and stretch forward to the good stuff ahead.

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How to Destroy Bad Habits

Have you got any bad habits? Of course, you have, no use pretending otherwise. It's natural and all part of being human. You may want to change them but be honest, you don't find it easy. This article will help you replace them with good habits, one habit at a time.

Quick Exercise

Fold your arms. You didn't have to think about doing that did you? You just did it. However, if I asked you which arm was on top, without checking, you probably wouldn't know. You have been so accustomed to folding your arms a certain way that it's become a habit. The question is, was it a habit which was consciously made or unconsciously made? In this case, I suspect it's the latter. So what, you might be thinking, it doesn't really matter which way I fold my arms. That may be true in this case; however it's not always so.

This Doesn't Feel Right

Now try folding your arms the other way - unless you're a very rare breed, I expect you found it awkward to do and somehow it just didn't feel right, did it? Because you have folded your arms multiple times in the same way, it has become effortless. Such is the almighty power of repetition. Now think about all the tasks you do on a daily basis from showering, getting dressed, making a cup of tea to more complex matters such as driving and you will find that you also do these in a certain way, without consciously thinking.

This is all fine and dandy when it comes to habits which are either good for you or neutral. The fact that you can do all these things so easily is beneficial because it saves you a lot of time and energy. Let's be honest, though, some of your habits are destructive, whether they be a habitual mode of thinking, poor diet, too much alcohol, little exercise or even not charging what you're worth!

Can You Do Something About It?

Yes of course you can. Is it easy? It depends on your definition of easy. It entails the same level of persistence required to create the unwanted habits. I have heard and read many times that it only takes 21 days to change a habit. So I decided to do a simple experiment on myself.

True Story

I noticed I was in the bad habit of leaving the toothpaste cap off and the toothbrush (electric) on the basin instead of putting it back on its charger. I decided I wanted to change this habit and set to it. It took me a good 6 weeks to crack it for the most part and even now, very occasionally, I forget to do it. What I will say, though, is that at the beginning I had to work harder to do this and gradually it's become easier. I don't think I'm totally unconsciously competent yet, which means that I'm still having to think about it. My conclusion is that it takes quite a bit longer to correct a habit than I have been led to believe.

The Practical Part

Let's cut to the chase then and create a strategy for changing habits which puts you in the driving seat.

1. Decide what habit you want to change.

2. Ask yourself on a scale of 1-10 how important it is for you to change that habit (with 1 being low and 10 being high). Providing your answer is 8 or above, you can kill it dead. You also need to make sure that it's really your decision and not someone else's. i.e. what's the benefit to you of changing it?

3. Choose the replacement behaviour.

4. Take the new action consciously.

5. Reward yourself in some way (preferably not with food or drink).

6. If you lapse, merely correct yourself without beating yourself up.

7. Keep practising until the new behaviour becomes permanent.

You can, of course, apply this process to any number of habits you want to change, one at a time.

And, as always, if you know someone who might benefit from this article, please do share it with them - they won't be mad at you for providing them with value. Promise!

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The Power of Habit

Aristotle once said, "we are what we repeatedly do" and this shows the power of habit. If we are repeatedly doing things that lead to greater success, then we will be successful but if we are repeatedly doing things that hinder our success then we will not get what we want in life.

Create a Habits List

Before creating a to do list think about creating a 'habits list', this is a list of the habits you want to create and a tracker to help you track those habits. Let's say for example that it is your goal to lose weight. In order to lose weight you need to exercise regularly and so onto your habit tracker you would put exercise and then each day that you exercise you would tick off that item on your habit tracker and know that you have taken a step closer to your goal. If you just had to exercise once though it wouldn't be much help so you need to make a habit of exercising at least three times a week.

How Long Does It Take to Form a Habit?

Some people say 21 days, others say you should aim for three times that amount. Personally, I think it is better to aim for three times that amount because if you give yourself a break too early then you may find that the habit is easily broken and it is too easy to fall back into bad habits. By challenging yourself to practice this habit for longer you are ensuring that it becomes a part of your life and you are less likely to give it up as it becomes part of you.

Breaking Bad Habits

In addition to creating good habits, if you want to really achieve success then you also need to break bad habits that are hindering you from becoming all you can be. Let's go back to the weight loss example and say you have a habit of getting take-aways for dinner every night. If you want to lose weight then exercising in itself is not going to be enough, you need to learn to develop healthier eating habits and that means breaking the bad habit of getting take-aways all the time. Learn how to do meal preparation and plan healthy foods that will promote weight loss.

"We are what we repeatedly do" and so we need to create habits that are going to help us achieve success. It is not enough to simply do something once and hope it will bring you success, you need to do it repeatedly. Create habits that will help you become the person you want to be.

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No Questions, No Doubts, Just Certainty

The fact about controlling yourself is, even if it takes effort, even if it takes affirming a habit, you can certainly do it. In fact, the article title is just an "attention getter", but what the article is about is extraordinarily more relevant than the title. There is not a doubt that controlling yourself through good habits can be achieved, but most people are too lazy to create the good habits, and the bad habits seem more "fun" or tolerable. But, if things were looked at more rationally, the good habits would be genuinely more fun, tolerable and realistic.

Listening to motivational materials on my little electronic player and reading them in print consistently, I realize the fact that bad habits are just tolerated and good habits even if the bad habits are "embedded", the good habits are always genuinely more desirable. I know how that reads or sounds, but, realistically, I can say this: Everybody ultimately wants to do what is good for them or enjoyable, and it does not matter how long or "embedded" the bad habits seem to be.

For example, I was on the bus with a long time smoker the other day who offered me a cigarette and asked for a lighter, and I said (honestly) that I do not smoke. He seemed to admire me and even implied through his actions that he wanted to stop smoking. Smoking and not smoking are the best and most dramatic examples I can use for the phenomena I am writing about when it comes to habits, good and bad.

Look, all good habits are is an affirmation of the good that becomes a good habit. All bad habits are is an affirmation of the bad that gets "embedded" until it is changed. That is it. Reality is controllable. Reality is malleable. If you find yourself with a bad habit, it is your own fault. If you have a good habit, it is your own virtue.

I over simplify all of this for a very good reason. I want to show you without a doubt that you are ultimately in control of your own mind and all that works within it. But, I cannot totally show you that, you must take action to completely show yourself that fact. Showing yourself what really works is the only real certainty there is, I can only point like an example pointer. That is it.

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The Game of LIFE: Winner's Cheat Sheet

With so much division and animosity going on worldwide, humans have lost their sense of reality. We have humans who choose to promote hate and violence against others who do not look, act, or believe in the same manner as which they do. We have humans suffering from starvation, diseases, and other preventable/curable situations. We have humans who have everything, but will not give a lending hand to the next human being. Why?

Have we forgotten that we are all human beings? Have we forgotten that we were all created the same way? Has society altered our views to a point where we are not concerned about the next person? Have we forgotten the true meaning to our existence on Earth?

Well, if you are reading this and have lost your touch with reality, please continue reading because I have found the hidden cheat sheet so we can all win at this game called LIFE.

According to Ashleigh Brilliant, "Life is the only game in which the object of the game is to learn the rules." Unfortunately, there are many rules which may be applied to this game we all play; however, I have 4 rules that I feel will make your experience on Earth enjoyable and stress-free.

Rule #1: Love

"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Love is one of the most powerful forces in our universe because it can change the tide of any situation. On one hand, when humans are given love, they tend to live happier lives. On the other hand, when humans are not given love, they tend to live a life in which they do not want to remain, leading to violence in our society (such as suicides, mass shootings, etc.). If we gave love to everyone, most of our traumatizing situations would have not occurred. Also, it is not hard to love; however, a person cannot express love fully until that person learns to love themselves first. This is the first rule to become a winner of life.

Rule #2: Strengthen Your Mind, Body, and Spirit

"You are essentially who you create yourself to be and all that occurs in your life is the result of your own making." - Stephen Richards

Humans are objects of repeated motions. Good habits are much tougher to establish than bad habits. For example, a person can go to the gym for a month and lost 15 pounds. That same person can sit on the couch and do nothing and gain those same 15 pounds in a week. It is easy to go down the stairs, going up is the hard part. It is easy to sit back and let life pass you by. Making a real effort to make a difference in anything requires real energy. Keep your mind, body, and spirit strong to keep up with day-to-day task as you progress throughout this game.

Rule #3: Work Hard

"I think that my biggest attribute to any success that I have had is hard work. There really is no substitute for working hard." - Maria Bartiromo

We hear it all the time from those who are successful, but why are many humans still lazy? I believe it is because they do not want to win at this game called life. At the end of the day, hard work separates the haves from the have-nots. You cannot expect things to just be giving to you without no effort on your behalf. (Yes, it happens for some people because they are a product of someone else's hard work. However, we are all not fortunate, thus hard work is a must to win.)

Rule #4: Don't Lose Yourself

"When you show up authentic, you create the space for others to do the same. Walk in your truth." - Unknown

Humans have a hard time being themselves when they want to be included in a particular group or community. We play a character so people will "like" us. Sit back and think for a second. Why should you care who likes you or not? If a person does not accept you for who you are then they are not worthy of your presence. You are a gift to this Earth. Don't become something you are not to please others. In the end, you only have the ability to move your piece across the board.

With these rules in place, your chances of winning will increase by a tremendous amount. Don't sit back and let life pass you by. Do it right now. Start winning today!

I challenge everyone who is reading this to make the desire change you wish to see in the world, today!

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The Power of Good Habits: Leading A Life Of Productivity

Productivity is an important aspect of our daily lives. It is important to be productive in our work, in our personal and family lives. But how does a person become productive? The simple answer is by developing a chain of Good Habits.

What does it meant to be productive? A lot of people have mistakenly linked up productivity with busyness at work or at any social activities. The busier a person gets, the more productive a person feels or thinks. However, as we are caught in these busy schedules, and in this fast- changing environment, we forget to set goals, and plan our lives. Being productive means you are able to accomplish your goals without having to sacrifice your passion, happiness, and personal growth.

Being busy is not always bad, however if you put too much effort on doing tasks that are not really important, you are leading a life of wastefulness. Some people have been successful in living productive lives, but a lot of people have shrunk from problems, stress, criticism, and discouragements. And these negativities in life can also affect our attitude toward work, family, and personal growth.

First and foremost, it is essential to slow down. For some people, slowing down means weakness, defeat, and limitation. However, for productive people, slowing down allows a person to be open to newer and better perspectives. When you slow down, you are able to reevaluate your mental wellbeing, allowing you to reassess your feelings, insights, and senses.

Secondly, it is important to contemplate on mistakes and learn from them. Mistakes should not be taken as failure; instead, mistakes should be taken as a road to success. A mistake allows a person to develop new solutions. Productive people know the value of learning from mistakes.

Thirdly, productive people make a list. Making a list seems very simple and easy, but this habit is vital to accomplishing goals. It is easy to be overcame by tasks, schedules, and commitments, but creating a list would isolate distractions, and drives you to focus on progress. Simply write your things to be done early in the morning, and at the end of the day, you will know that you have been productive.

Fourth, time management should be implemented. We are now living in a world where there is so much distraction. Technological advancements contribute to ineffective time management. Social media, text messaging, and apps can definitely divide your time, and may cause you to be inefficient.

Lastly, believe in yourself and simplify your life. Believe that you can change, and you will, because you will have the motivation and the will to change. Simplifying your life keeps you from discontentment, envy, and stress. You can be more happy and satisfied.

The power of Good Habits can change your life in such a way that you will be successful in whatever you do.

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Tips for Improving Your Memory

Focus on the task at hand. While we often say we are multitasking, the reality is that doing one thing well is better than doing several things poorly. You do need to be in the moment and pay attention. Recently flying home from a cross country trip, we couldn't find the car upon returning which was frustrating. How many times have we parked the car in a crowded parking lot, only to come back out and have to think where we parked? Look at your surroundings instead of your cell phone to mentally take note of the location of the car notable landmarks. Be in the moment.

Take notes. If we had written down the parking lot section at the airport, we wouldn't have wasted a half hour after an exhausting day of travel. Someone once said, "A short pencil is better than a long memory." With the fast pace of the world, give yourself an edge and write it down. That also includes using a calendar for appointments.

Repeat it. Someone tells you their birthday is next week and you want to acknowledge it with a phone call on the actual birthday. Repeat it aloud and think about what you would say. Do that a few times and you will remember.

Have a place for everything. Many people complain about misplacing car keys. Get a basket or key rack and use it. Putting your car keys in the same place will save you time in the morning. If your son can't find his shoes all the time, then get a shoe rack for the closet.

Good habits save time. We are creatures of habit and this can work to our advantage. Have a mental checklist before leaving to make sure you have that dry cleaning you want to dropping off after work or your lunch you packed. Don't remember if you turned off the iron or not? Make it a point to disconnect any electrical appliance as soon as you are done with it and better yet, only buy appliances with automatic shut off.

Plan ahead. Check your pantry items for the upcoming week, make a menu and use a grocery list help save needless extra trips to the store because you forgot things. A little time getting organized will help you remember better as you can see how prepared you are already and will feel more confident.

Chunk the information. This is a strategy with which to remember something like a phone number or address. Take the smaller parts, repeat them a few times and memorize them separately. The idea of memorizing smaller sections and then putting it together is easier than remembering large amounts of information. This is a great study technique for students who need to memorize things.

Don't let electronics rule you. Many people get so wrapped up in their TV, computer or phone that they feel like they do not need to remember anything as modern technology will do it for them. As an exercise for your memory, take time to remember your important numbers in case you misplace your phone.

Memory joggers. Return to the location where you had the thought you can't remember. Sometimes there is a visual clue that hit you when you had that thought. Life is so fast paced that taking a moment to think about what you were going to do or say helps bring the thought back.

Visualize. Think through the idea of what you are trying to remember by picturing it. When you paid your bill, did you do it online or write a check? How much was the bill for? And what type of stamp did you use? Which collection box did you use? Making a mental movie of what you did can help sharpen your memory.

Play games. Use mnemonics to help you remember your errands. Make a rhyme of your list you want to remember or sing out the list. Exercise the brain with brain teasers, puzzles and cross word puzzles.

Your memory is a use it or lose it process. With television, the Internet and our cell phones, we have let our minds become lazy and complacent and don't always employ strenuous thinking. For example, driving down the street, we may know the route to take, but can we easily name the roads and route numbers, enough to give good directions to others? Make the connections and make a conscious effort to exercise your brain. If you try these tips and they are not helping, you may want to discuss this with your doctor.

If you want to improve your memory and sharpen your mind for greater productivity, here are 5 top most apps to help you Click Here to Download Your FREE Guide

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The 4 Things Being Unproductive Taught Me About Productivity

I’ve seen guys sit the whole day doing nothing, and I hate it when people are unproductive. I don’t like a guy who sits on the couch all day. – Olga Kurylenko

I’m the guy who used to be so unproductive my priorities abandoned me.

And I never retrieved them until I replaced my bad habits with good habits.

• Playing video games till stupid 0 clock at night.
• Waking up and doing the same thing over throughout the day.
• Reading the online news frequently.
• Overdosing on TV without any moderation.
• Lack of real focus, goals, or what was truly Important to me.

Yep, I’ve abandoned that way of life after I decided to wake up from my slumber.

And being unproductive taught me 4 things about productivity. You’ll find this short list useful.

1. Productivity starts with passion.

Productivity is being able to do things that you were never able to do before. – Franz Kafka

Think back to the time you were in high school.

When you studied courses you had zero interest in, were you ever productive?

What about a particular job you’ve worked at in the past that was too mundane. Did you ever feel productive?

And what about when you’ve felt guilty after spending hours on Facebook doing nothing of importance.

Did you ever feel productive whilst doing it?

Productivity starts with passion.

• When you’re interested in what you’re doing, it’s easier to be productive.
• When passion is the driver of what you’re doing, productivity is no longer a chore.
• When you’re passionate about what you do, the urge to get something done is greater.

Passion is defined as – an intense desire or enthusiasm for what you’re doing.

It’s easier to do something you get “lost” in than it is to do something you despise.

Passion is necessary for productivity.

2. Productivity starts with discipline.

We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment. – Jim Rohn

This will sound contradictory to what I said about passion, so hear me out.

While it’s true passion is a part of productivity, you can’t be passionate about everything you do.

Therefore self discipline is also a necessity when it comes to productivity.

Sometimes tasks and activities that are a top priority aren’t things we enjoy or love to do.

For example – I can’t say I love exercising. Sometimes I don’t feel like exercising either.

But I discipline myself and do it anyway. Then I end up feeling so much better afterwards because it’s a productive use of my time.

So whether you dislike:

• Exercising.
• Customer service.
• Recording Periscope streams.
• Editing blog posts.
• Dealing with technical stuff online.
• Managing your email Inbox.
• Prospecting.
• Creating/editing videos.
• Teaching on camera.

Discipline yourself to just do it and get it over with. You’ll thank yourself for doing it afterwards.

1 tip I’ll share is when doing something boring or uninteresting, listen to music while you’re doing it.

It works well for me and makes it more interesting.

3. Productivity starts with purpose.

He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how. ― Friedrich Nietzsche

This is the most Important step. Productivity without purpose is like a key to the ignition.

You can’t start your car without first putting in the key to start up the engine.

The same applies to productivity.

I’ve learned you’re less likely to be productive if there’s no purpose behind the task or activity.

This is the reason some kids mess around in school and seem “unfocused”.

This is the reason some millennials hang around on street corners doing nothing for themselves.

It’s a fact that whenever I lacked purpose in my life, my time was spent on things that don’t matter.

Like excessive video gaming, girl chasing and doing things for the “sake” of it.

Pump some purpose into your life, write it down and you’ll witness the magic that happens as a result.

4. Productivity starts with BIG goals.

Think little goals and expect little achievements. Think big goals and win big success. – David Joseph Schwartz

When you have no goals, there’s nothing to work for.

When you have no goals, there’s nothing to get excited about or look forward to. Which gives you the excuse to be unproductive.

But when you do set yourself some real, purposeful goals, your productivity starts to kick in. Because:

• You know what you’re aiming for.
• You know what you want, down to the finest detail.
• You’re clear on your targets.
• You’re aware of the difference it will make by achieving it.

That drives you to get important things done more often than not. And that gives you a reason to use your time more wisely.

Instead of setting small, unexciting goals like – write 1 article per week. Try an article a day.

The bigger the better.

So to summarize this post.

1. Develop a passion for what you do.
2. Discipline yourself to do important things you don’t want to, but may dis like.
3. Clarify your purpose.
4. Set purposeful goals and make them big,

Got something to say? Speak your mind in the comments! Then spread the word by sharing this post.

Thanks for reading.

http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/4-things-unproductive-taught-productivity/

This One Strategy Can Help You Stick With Your Good Habits Every Day

In 1993, a small bank in Abbotsford, Canada hired a 23-year-old stock broker named Trent Dyrsmid.

Dyrsmid was a rookie and nobody at the firm expected too much of his performance. Moreover, Abbotsford was still a relatively small suburb back then, tucked away in the shadow of nearby Vancouver where most of the big business deals were being made. The first popular email services like AOL and Hotmail wouldn’t arrive for another two or three years, so geography still played a large role in business success. And yet, despite his disadvantages, Dyrsmid made immediate progress thanks to a simple and relentless habit that he used each day.

On his desk, he placed two jars. One was filled with 120 paper clips. The other was empty. This is when the habit started.

“Every morning I would start with 120 paper clips in one jar and I would keep dialing the phone until I had moved them all to the second jar.”

—Trent Dyrsmid

And that was it. 120 calls per day. One paper clip at a time.

Within 18 months, Dyrsmid’s book of business grew to $5 million in assets. By age 24, he was making $75,000. Within a few years, outside firms began recruiting him because of his success and he landed a $200,000 job with another company.

Volume of Work

I asked Dyrsmid about the details of his habit and he said, “I would start calling at 8am every day. I never looked at stock quotes or analyst research. I also never read the newspaper for the entire time. If the news was really important, it would find me from other ways.” 

In other words, Dyrsmid had decided that success in his field came down to one core task: making more sales calls. There was no secret sauce. There was no magic bullet. Good habits were the magic bullet. And so, Dyrsmid put his energy toward the fundamentals that actually determined success rather than getting distracted by the details. In fact, he eliminated every detail that detracted from the task.

Consider how this strategy may have differed from his peers and colleagues. It’s not hard to imagine other stock brokers in the firm spending their mornings catching up on research, checking the latest analyst reports, or digging through stock quotes. These are actions that are easy to justify. After all, shouldn’t a well-informed broker perform better? By the time they began making calls, however, his fellow brokers would already be dozens of calls behind Trent. Add that gap up, day after day, and it isn’t hard to imagine why Trent performed so well relative to his peers.

Trent Dyrsmid’s story is evidence of a simple truth: Success is often a result of committing to the fundamentals over and over again. (See: “Everybody already knows that” is very different from “Everybody already does that.”)

Habits That Stick vs. Habits That Fail

Compare Trent’s results to where you and I often find ourselves. We want to be consistent with our workouts, but struggle to make it into the gym. We know we should write more Thank You notes, but can’t seem to find the motivation to get them done. We’d like to achieve our goals, but still procrastinate on them.

What makes the difference? Why do some habits stick while other fail? Why did Trent’s paper clip habit work so well? And what can we learn from it when it comes to improving our own behavior?

The Power of a Visual Cue

I believe that the paper clip strategy works particularly well because they provide a visual cue to perform the behavior.

Here are a few reasons visual cues work well for building new habits…

Visual cues remind you to start a behavior. Whenever you are excited and motivated about starting something new, it can be easy to convince yourself that you will simply remember to do your new habit. “I’m going to start eating healthier.” Or, “I’m going to focus and get to the gym more often.” A few days later, however, the motivation fades and the busyness of life begins to take over again. Hoping you will remember to do a new habit is usually a recipe for failure. This is why a visual stimulus, like a bin full of paper clips, can be so useful. There is no need to write a Post-It Note or set a reminder on your phone. The paper clips are sitting right there and staring you in the face. They are always reminding you to get started.

Visual cues display your progress on a behavior. Everyone knows consistency is an essential component of success, but few people actually track how consistent they are in real life. Without data, however, it is so easy to lie to ourselves about how reliable our habits are in real life. The Paper Clip Strategy avoids that pitfall. If the paper clips haven’t been moved, you haven’t done your habit today.

Visual cues can have an additive effect on motivation. As the visual evidence of your progress mounts, it is natural to become more motivated to continue the habit. The more paperclips you place in the bin, the more motivated you become to finish the task. (Visual cues can also be used to provide fear-based motivation. I have heard of weight loss clients moving glass marbles from one bin to another for each pound they lose. Once you move a marble over, you definitely don’t want to move it back.)

Visual cues can be used to drive short-term and long-term motivation. The paper clip strategy provides a visual cue that drives your behavior on any given day. Each morning, however, you start from scratch with no indication of how you have done over the previous weeks and months. This is where another type of visual cue can be useful. The “Don’t Break the Chain” Calendar that I described in my article on the Seinfeld Strategy can be used to showcase your consistency over longer periods of time. By stacking these two methods together, you have a set of visual cues that track your progress over the short-run and the long-run.

Creating Your Own Paper Clip Strategy

There are all sorts of ways to use the paper clip habit for your own goals.

• Hoping to do 100 pushups each day? Start with 10 paper clips and move one over each time you drop down and do a set of 10 throughout the day.
• Need to send 25 sales emails every day? Start with 25 paper clips and toss one to the other side each time you press Send.
• Want to drink 8 glasses of water each day? Start with 8 paper clips and slide one over each time you finish a glass.
• Not sure if you’re taking your medication three times per day? Set 3 paper clips out and flip one into the bin each time you swallow them down.

Best of all, the entire strategy will cost you less than $10. Grab a box of standard paper clips. Then get two standard paper clip holders. Decide your habit and start moving those bad boys from one side to the other.

Everyone likes to believe they are the exception and that the standard rules of human behavior don’t apply to them. “I’ll remember to do this habit because I really care about it.” Or, “Trust me, I work hard every day.”

In truth, we all have a tendency to revert to the mean. We all drift back toward our default behaviors. We tend to remember our good days and brush away the below average performances by seeing them as exceptions. That is why we need visual cues to track our progress truthfully and provide a trigger to get us moving each day. 

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/244904