4 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Work Less for More Success

By Elise Mitchell

"Work" may be the mantra of high-achieving entrepreneurs, but "rest" is what will really propel you to new efficiency heights.

The struggle to succeed in business is often likened to the training required for an IronMan triathlon. Athletes and entrepreneurs alike are high achievers -- exemplars of grit and determination. But, just as marathoners include rest days in their training programs so their muscles can recover and become stronger, so should entrepreneurs "work smarter" by working less.

In their new book Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success, Steve Magness, a professional running coach, and Brad Stulberg, an expert in the science of human performance, assert that rest is crucial to forward progress across various endeavors -- especially those of the business variety. You won't grow your business by running on fumes all the time. Instead, refilling your tank is the ticket, the authors argue. It's part of the work.

Of course that's easier said than done in a culture that rewards those who burn the midnight oil. Couple that with such inner drivers as ambition, guilt and a desire to prove our worth, and it makes sense why we sometimes feel the need to work excessively.

In fact, this tendency is one of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make. A study by John Pencavel of Stanford University linked work hours and productivity. He found that output for an individual drops after a 50-hour work week. “I really don’t need much sleep,” claims many a high achiever. But that's simply not true. And the Stanford study wasn't alone in saying this: The Wall Street Journal reported other research saying that 98 percent of people suffer diminishing performance on six hours of sleep or less a night.

The answer isn't to forego work for sleep or vice versa. It's to make sure you have the right amount of time for both. By learning to work smarter, you can become a better leader -- and a healthier one, too. Here are four ways to work less and achieve more.

1. Jump-start the multiplier effect through delegation.

If you're anything like me, you often have to resist the urge to bootstrap everything yourself. You've built your startup from scratch, invested your personal wealth and assumed ultimate accountability. Who could blame you for wanting to hold on to that?

You may be able to complete certain tasks more efficiently, but you cannot do everything better, faster and smarter. Passing on tasks empowers others, gives you new perspectives and brings new skills to the table because of the broader team that's been engaged. That’s when the "multiplier effect" kicks in.

The multiplier effect is "you" times the number of people whom you effectively coach and empower, to spur greater output. In short, there’s no need to work 24/7, because you have capable people around who have the tools and resources needed to power your company.

Still need convincing? A Gallup poll found that of 143 CEOs surveyed, those with high delegator ability showed an average three-year growth rate of 1,751 percent, which was 112 percentage points greater than that of CEOs with low levels of delegator talent. Additionally, in one particular year studied, 2013, CEOs who delegated enjoyed one-third more revenue than those who didn't and saw an average $8 million versus $6 million more in revenue.

2. Plan your work; work your plan.

Years ago, I proudly showed my boss a list of goals I was working on, and his response has stuck with me since. He looked at my long list and told me to pick three goals and do all I could do to accomplish them -- because they mattered more than the others. His message was clear: I needed to focus my work to deliver where it counted.

Rather than spread yourself thin, identify the greatest value that you can bring to your company. It could be implementing strategy, building relationships or securing resources -- but it shouldn't be all three at once. According to neuroscientist Earl Miller, "People can't multitask very well, and when people say they can, they're deluding themselves."

Next, determine the greatest value that you can bring to the company today. This will constantly change. For example, you may need to attract new clients, but several months from now, you may need to focus on recruiting new staff instead. The future of your business depends upon your ability to look through the turn, as I often say. Examine market trends, the competition and how technology is impacting your industry.

By looking ahead, you can pinpoint exactly what you should focus on next month, next quarter or next year.

3. Introduce "no" into your vocabulary.

As a leader, the opportunities come flooding in -- from volunteering on local boards to attending social events to writing a book. Saying “no” more often than “yes” is vital to preserving the time you need to devote to your business.

Steve Jobs was a skilled practitioner at the art of saying "no." He's quoted as having said: "I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying 'no' to 1,000 things."

Still, saying  no is hard. We hate to disappoint bosses, colleagues or friends. Research shows we're hardwired to please, but doing so can backfire because it leads to overcommitment.

To prevent becoming a yes man (or woman), compile a list of criteria to use to vet opportunities. Tie each opportunity back to the value that you bring to your company today. For instance, if you're focused on hiring right now, consider whether the opportunity before you helps raise visibility for your company.

You don't have to close the doors on opportunities forever. Rather than saying "no" outright, say "not now." Next time people approach you with an amazing opportunity you don't have capacity for, tell them you can't commit right now but you'd like to be reconsidered in the future.

4. Work to live -- don’t live to work.

Workfront's 2015 State of Enterprise Work report found that Americans spend only 45 percent of their working hours doing the primary duties of their job. The rest of the time is spent on checking emails, nonessential tasks and meetings. The most successful people I know, however, schedule “me time,” too. They understand that this provides a buffer that will never be captured unless it's planned.

Twice a week, block off 30 minutes to an hour on your calendar. Set aside email and your phone. Use the time to focus on a complex problem, develop a new strategy or reflect on a situation you could have handled better. Your personal life is also a priority. Appointments, family events and vacations should be on your calendar well in advance so you can plan around them.

According to Dov Frohman, former vice president of Intel, "Every leader should routinely keep a substantial portion of his or her time -- I would say as much as 50 percent -- unscheduled. Only when you have substantial 'slop' in your schedule . . . will you have the space to reflect on what you are doing, learn from experience and recover from your inevitable mistakes."

"Work" may be the mantra of high-achieving entrepreneurs, but "rest" is what will really propel you to new efficiency heights. You can do less and achieve more.

Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/297748

 

Turn Your Struggles Into Success With These 2 Mindset Shifts

by Rosemary Knight - 

Mindset is everything. The gurus tell us this and it is true.  Your mindset is the beliefs you carry in your head about you and your abilities will determine how far you go in life.  If you believe you are born to struggle, you will be suspicious of anything offering you an opportunity to stop struggling. You will feel completely justified in holding yourself back because your mind is okay thinking it is normal to struggle.

A few days ago, I was scrolling through my Instagram feed and came across an advert by one of the big names in the personal development field.  He was promoting a book that had the word “millionaire” in the title.  It seemed interesting so I wanted to see reviews of the book and I realized what a mistake it was to scroll through the comments.

It shocked me to see the bile that people posted on there in between the ‘I am so thankful for you’ comments. I felt pity for these negative nellies because in their mind, they were justified in speaking badly about someone else’s success.  Their mindset has them thinking it is impossible to succeed towards becoming a millionaire. Due to this, they chose to make sure that everyone else KNEW how they felt and did not get ‘taken in’ by the supposed scam.

The truth is, it was all in their mind.  If someone else has a form of success you desire, there is nothing stopping you from doing what they did and creating it for yourself unless you tell yourself that you cannot.

These negative nellies had told themselves they could not and now, decided to share their pain with everyone else by projecting it on the successful person. They keep themselves trapped in a continuous negative mindset so they try bringing others down instead of pulling themselves up.

Mindset is everything.

Take a moment to write down what you desire and as you write, check yourself for resistance to the idea.  Write down what the resistance is and what it feels like.

Whether you realize it or not, your internal resistance is probably determining what you allow yourself to create. For example, I went from working full time as a pharmacist to more than replacing my income in my own business.

“Happiness depends on your mindset and attitude.” – Roy T. Bennett

Here are two mindset shifts which will change your life if you do the internal work needed to believe:

1. Waiting for a Saviour

As a spiritual person, I had been brought up to pray and wait on the will of Spirit before taking any moves.  I would sing songs like ‘Pray until something happens’ and I was a hard worker so I kept waiting for my ship to come find me.

I kept thinking because I felt called to business, then the Spirit/Universe/Higher Power would send somebody to me whom I would discover and then all doors would open towards success. 

I prepared myself for the day when everything would go my way.  I made my struggle at the time a spiritual thing. As a singer, I would even create songs about how my time was coming one day.

You may read this and smile, thinking how silly does one need to be to believe that but think about your life. Are you hoping a day will come where someone discovers you and tells you that you are allowed to go after what you truly want?

At what moment exactly do you think you will be ready to prosper? Who needs to give you permission first? Have you also spiritualized your struggle like I did, or are you taking full responsibility for creating the life you desire?

“There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.” – Aristotle

2. I am ____________ and so therefore, I struggle

What is your particular belief of choice making you think you deserve to struggle?  Maybe, you think that your skin color, your past, or your lack of time means you will struggle more than most.

Perhaps, you say your lack of technical skills means you can never get your online business off the ground. Maybe you are broke at the moment and you think that means you cannot get anything started because “everyone knows you need money to make money”.

You will always experience what you believe to be true because you will simply not put all your effort into creating a new reality. 

Understand this: You will ALWAYS prove yourself right. ALWAYS! Decide no matter what seems to stand in your way, you will choose to prosper.

These are two beliefs that if you will do the work of shifting the way you think and replacing negativity with more empowering beliefs such as I am fully responsible for my success in life, I am a creator, and I can create my new reality, you will prove yourself right!

Read books to reinforce your chosen beliefs and stories of those who have overcome incredible odds to succeed and tell yourself that you are capable of doing the same.

Take massive action and do not be deterred from your goal.

Which one of the two beliefs do you need to shift? Comment below and let us know!

Source: https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/turn-your-struggles-into-success-with-2-mindset-shifts/

25 Habits of Successful and Extremely Happy People

Quality sleep, big dreams and meaningful conversations are all part of the mix for those lucky enough to call themselves "happy."

What's the secret to happiness? That can differ according to the person involved. But we do know that happy people have different habits and think differently than those who are miserable. So, the good news is, if you're trying to be one of those happy people, recognize that that desired emotion comes from within and that you have the power to literally turn that frown upside down by mastering some simple habits.

Here's what happy people do and don't do . . .

1. They savor the moment.

Do old cliches like "stopping to smell the roses" and "it's the little things in life" really lead to happiness? Yep.

Researchers call this "savoring," which is all about paying attention to the moment. Instead of multitasking and being focused on the past and future and on the present negativity all around, those of us who are most satisfied with our lives stop to enjoy the beauty and the small, amazing things in life.

2. They meditate daily.

Meditation is one of the most effective ways to embark on a path of stillness and mindfulness, which, in turn, gives your mind a much needed break from all those worries and anxieties occupying it. Best of all? It takes only a couple of minutes each day. To start out, you can download an app like Calm, Stop, Breathe & Think, or Insight Timer.

3. They don't hold on to grudges.

Forgiving and forgetting is absolutely necessary when it comes to happiness. The reason? Holding a grudge means that you're hanging on to anger, resentment, pain and other negative emotions that are roadblocks to happiness. By letting go of these emotions, you free yourself from negativity so there's more space for positive emotions to get in.

4. They spend money on others.

"We've shown in our research that giving money to others actually does make people happier," said Michael Norton, an associate professor of marketing at Harvard Business School and author of Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending. "One of the reasons is that it creates social connections. If you have a nice car and a big house on an island by yourself, you're not going to be happy, because we need people to be happy. But by giving to another person, you're . . . creating a connection and a conversation with that person, and those things are really good for happiness."

I've learned myself that true friendships require investment. This doesn't always mean money, but it does require a lot of your time. Truly happy people spend time (and money) on their relationships: Giftology book and gifting expert John Ruhlin has written about this topic.

5. They're busy, but not rushed.

Research shows that feeling "rushed" can lead to stress and unhappiness. At the same time, people struggle with finding that happy medium of being just busy enough. After all, other studies suggest that a healthy work-life balance is key, since boredom can be burdensome.

If you're over-committed or too scattered, follow this rule entrepreneur Derek Sivers included on his site: "When deciding whether to do something, if you feel anything less than 'Wow! That would be amazing! Absolutely! Hell yeah!' -- then say 'no.'"

6. They surround themselves with the right people.

Happiness is contagious. This means that when you surround yourself with other people who are happy and supportive, you'll be able to build self-confidence, boost your creativity and just have more fun in general. On the other end of the spectrum, hanging out with negative people means you're just another member of their pity party -- and that's exhausting and not much fun.

7. They don't sweat the small stuff.

People who are happy focus their energy and efforts only on things that are truly important and within their control. Remember, getting consumed by the things that you have absolutely no control over is a waste of time that will end up making you lean more toward the miserable side. In other words, master the art of letting it go.

8. They celebrate other people's success.

It's no secret that that having both a rich social life and healthy relationships is an important component to happiness. But, happy people nurture and improve their relationships through "active and constructive" responding, which includes celebrating the success of those around them.

As Martin Seligman explained in his book Flourish: "People we care about often tell us about a victory, a triumph, and less momentous good things that happen to them. How we respond can either build the relationship or undermine it. There are four basic ways of responding, only one of which builds relationships."

9. They treat everyone with respect and kindness.

Kindness, like happiness, is contagious. There's even a name for it: "moral elevation." A study conducted by researchers at the University of California-Los Angeles, and the universities of Cambridge and Plymouth in the United Kingdom found that witnessing acts of kindness makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside.

"When you feel this sense of moral 'elevation,' not only do you say you want to be a better person and help others," said Simone Schnall, of Cambridge, the lead researcher. "But you actually do, when the opportunity presents itself."

10. They're optimistic.

Let's be honest: Bad things happen to all of us -- even the happiest and most upbeat people on the planet. The thing is, they don't complain, whine or let pessimism become a self-fulling prophecy. They remain optimistic by focusing on solutions to the problem and reflecting on what they're grateful for.

11. They're proactive about relationships.

Evidence suggests that most relationships (especially marriages) decline over time. But, happy people actually work on maintaining these relationships by checking in on loved ones, being active and constructive listeners and not being conversational narcissists.

12. They get enough sleep.

You've probably heard this a zillion times. But getting quality sleep is absolutely necessary. If you need a refresher, sleep deprivation can negatively impact your health, productivity and ability to cope with stressful situations. If you have trouble getting a good night's rest, start by sticking to a sleep schedule, taking advantage of natural light, avoiding bright lights before bed, exercising and not eating or drinking alcohol close to bedtime.

13. They spend time in nature.

Nature has a calming effect and reminds us to slow down, take deep breaths and soak up the present. "People have been discussing their profound experiences in nature for the last several 100 years -- from Thoreau to John Muir to many other writers," said researcher David Strayer, of the University of Utah. "Now, we are seeing changes in the brain and changes in the body that suggest we are physically and mentally more healthy when we are interacting with nature."

Simply put, take the time stroll through a park, visit the beach or hike a trail.

14. They view problems as challenges.

Happy people have changed their internal dialogue so that when there's a problem, they view it as a challenge and new opportunity to enhance their lives. In fact, you should just go ahead and eliminate the word "problem" from your mind altogether

15. They reward themselves.

"'Treats' may sound like a self-indulgent, frivolous strategy, but it's not. Because, forming good habits can be draining, treats can play an important role," wrote Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project.

"When we give ourselves treats, we feel energized, cared for and contented, which boosts our self-command -- and self-command helps us maintain our healthy habits," Rubin wrote.

She continued: "Studies show that people who got a little treat, in the form of receiving a surprise gift or watching a funny video, gained in self-control. It's a Secret of Adulthood: If I give more to myself, I can ask more from myself. Self-regard isn't selfish."

16. They express gratitude.

Research conducted at the University of California-Davis shows that those studied who worked daily to cultivate an attitude of gratitude improved their mood and energy, and experienced substantially less anxiety. This is most likely due to lower cortisol levels. So express gratitude every morning, writing in a journal about what you're thankful for, and occasionally saying "thank you" to your loved ones and colleagues.

17. They dream big.

The happiest individuals dream big and work hard to turn those dreams into achievable goals. They're committed and disciplined, and they know their priorities : They allow themselves to say "no," take care of their health, break out of their comfort zones and accept the fact that they may have to start over.

18. They spend time alone.

While relationships are important to one's happiness, we all need some alone time in order to catch up with, well, ourselves. Spending time alone gives you the chance to unpack your worries and anxieties, reflect on what you're grateful for and get back on track with your dreams and desires. I try to schedule weekly solo dates, usually first thing in the morning before everyone else is awake, to check in with myself.

19. They don't make excuses.

It's incredibly easy to blame someone for your failures. The problem is that this doesn't allow you to let go and move past those failures. Happy people take responsibility for their mistakes and use that failure as an opportunity to change their lives for the better.

20. They have a growth mindset.

When it comes to personality, individuals fall into one of two camps: those with a fixed mindset or those with a growth mindset. People with a fixed mindset believe you are who you are, and there's nothing you can do about it. That's a problem because it prevents them from growing or changing.

People with a growth mindset, however, believe that with a little effort, they can improve, which in turn makes them happy because they're better suited to cope with and overcome challenges.

21. They spend money on experiences, not material things.

A variety of research sources show that people are happier when buying experiences instead of material items. This is because experiences tend to improve over time; people revisit those experiences more often; experiences can be unique; and they involve social interaction.

Furthermore, materialism can have negative effects. In her book The Myths of Happiness, Sonja Lyubomirsky explained: "A mountain of research has shown that materialism depletes happiness; threatens satisfaction with our relationships; harms the environment; renders us less friendly, likable and empathetic; and makes us less likely to help others and contribute to our communities."

22. They have a morning ritual.

Morning rituals are soothing and set the stage for how your day is going to play out. Whether you're meditating, going for a walk, reading an inspirational book, writing a gratitude journal, cooking a healthy breakfast or catching-up on emails, it's important that you create and stick to a morning ritual.

23. They take care of themselves.

Since the body and mind are connected, it makes sense that you if aren't taking care of yourself physically, you're going to suffer mentally and emotionally. Start by getting quality sleep every night, eating a well-balanced diet, exercising regularly and finding healthy ways to decompress and alleviate stress.

24. They use their character strengths.

Research has shown that using our "signature strengths" makes us feel happier and more fulfilled. As Shawn Achor explained in his book The Happiness Advantage: "When 577 volunteers were encouraged to pick one of their signature strengths and use it in a new way each day for a week, they became significantly happier and less depressed than control groups.

"And these benefits lasted: Even after the experiment was over, their levels of happiness remained heightened a full six months later. Studies have shown that the more you use your signature strengths in daily life, the happier you become."

25. They engage in deep, meaningful conversations.

Happy people skip the small talk and engage in deep conversations. In fact, this has been backed by research. In Pursuing The Good Life, Christopher Peterson wrote: "First, happier participants spent more time talking to others, an unsurprising finding given the social basis of happiness. Second, the extent of small talk was negatively associated with happiness.

"And third, the extent of substantive talk was positively associated with happiness. So, happy people are socially engaged with others, and this engagement entails matters of substance."

Conclusion

If you want to be happier -- and honestly, who doesn't? -- start by mirroring the habits listed above. To make this an enjoyable experience, start by mastering one habit at a time, then quickly move on to the next. You'll be surprised how amazing you'll feel!

Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/297327

10 ‘Harmless’ Habits to Drop If You Want to Be Successful

Quit doing things that hinder your success, stat.

1. Saying Yes When You Want to Say No

If a project, partnership or opportunity doesn’t resonate with you and does not feel aligned with your values and your goals, you need to be comfortable about setting boundaries. Learn how to say no with kindness right from the start because, as you become more successful, more people will compete for your time and attention. Not setting healthy boundaries will end up in overwhelm and burnout.

—Ajit Nawalkha, Mindvalley

2. Hanging Onto People Who Don’t Want to Grow

For business owners especially, the people who got your company to where you are today may not be the ones to get you to where you want to be tomorrow. If they can’t grow with you, it’s time to replace them with those who can.

—Brandon Dempsey, goBRANDgo!

3. Working Through Lunch

Working through lunch is a habit I find a lot of business owners take on. Most justify it with, “If I work through lunch, I’ll just leave a few minutes early” and that isn’t what ends up happening. It’s hard to disconnect midday, especially if you’re in a productive spurt, but it’s important to take a few minutes to recharge. Not doing so will lower your productivity and lead to burnout faster.

—Leila Lewis, Be Inspired PR

4. Failing to Exercise

If you fail to exercise, that lack of discipline will translate into other areas of your life, including your business. When you exercise, you are more alert and sharp, and you will operate at a higher level.

—Ryan Shank, PhoneWagon

5. Multitasking

It is technically impossible to multitask. When you try to do multiple things at once, you effectively take away full attention and concentration from anything, and you shortchange whatever it is you are doing.

—Adam Witty, Advantage Media Group

6. Pinging People

In a perfect world, everything you do would be working toward some goal (even if it is recharging on the couch). Sending emails that do not advance a relationship because you want to “ping” them or “touch base” is at best useless and could be harmful. There are definite exceptions where being on someone’s mind is valuable, but try to connect it with value creation or a mutual memory.

—Douglas Hutchings, Picasolar

7. Striving for Perfection

I often let the perfect become the enemy of the good. The result is that I have a lot of projects that are still in the “development” queue, while I continually refine them. The fact is, however, most defects that I see are not elements that others will see. I am working on letting go of the hesitation to perfect everything that I work on.

—Mark Daoust, Quiet Light Brokerage, Inc. 

8. Not Protecting Your Recharge Time

If you’re a workaholic, it can be easy to let your own time get taken over by work, over and over until you’re not taking any time for yourself. This may seem like it’s making you more efficient, but it will start quickly doing the opposite. There’s no faster way to burn out. Don’t fall into the habit of denying yourself the time you need to recharge.

—Matt Doyle, Excel Builders

9. Immediately Answering PMs and Emails

This is by far the largest problem with many people achieving success, especially on a day-to-day basis. If you answer an email or PM, you should be committed to it, or it’ll quickly take you away from whatever task you are completing at the moment, hindering success. Plan periods every hour or two to answer daily emails or PMs.

—Obinna Ekezie, Wakanow.com

10. Not Prioritizing Your Day

I recently started using The Productivity Planner and it’s changed everything for me. It forces you to actually sit down and only pick a few things you’re going to get done, especially the things that often end up getting punted from day to day. Before that, I was letting my calendar and to-do list run my day and never felt like I was getting the important stuff done.

—Mike Woitach, Confluence Coffee Co.

Source: http://www.success.com/article/10-harmless-habits-to-drop-if-you-want-to-be-successful?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Post

10 Common Mistakes That Successful People Never Make

• by Miranda Hill 

Do you ever feel exhausted by your efforts to be successful? Everyone’s idea of success differs, but one theme always remains constant – it’s hard freaking work. One day you’re riding the winds of inspiration and the next day, your stomach is in knots as you swallow the hard pill of defeat.

You’re doing everything right, but something’s wrong with the equation. Most days, you feel like you’re just spinning your wheels without getting any traction at all. You know the climb to the top is tough. So do you feel like every time you take three steps forward, it’s followed by a big slide backward?

Surely keeping the pedal to the metal will get you there in the end, right? Not always. Even if you’ve nailed all the big success-driving habits, it’s the little things you don’t get right that will eat away at your efforts, deplete your energy and trap you in a vicious cycle of defeat.

Let’s look at 10 common mistakes you could be making:

1. Treating every task as equal

The 80/20 rule is the all-powerful master of productivity. It means that 20% of your activities will account for 80% of your results. When applied to your goal-setting each day, you’ll find that two of your top ten tasks will have more worth than the remaining eight put together. By ignoring this rule and expending too much effort on the less fruitful tasks, you’re never going to maximise your potential.

2. Saying yes to everybody

You’re everybody’s go-to person. You know your game, and you get stuff done. But operating without boundaries distracts you from your goals. Be objective with every request, and compare it to your goals and priorities. If there’s no correlation, say no.

“The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success.” – Bruce Feirstein

3. Not letting go of the details

Micromanaging your employees or freelancers not only zaps time and energy that’s better directed toward more worthwhile tasks, but it annoys people. And annoyed people never perform their best. Trust in your initial decision to appoint them to do the job in the first place. Allow them some autonomy and free yourself from the burden of detail.

4. Burning out before reaching the finish line

Pounding the pavement every day, even when you’re tired, has got to be good for you, right? No. Physical burnout is a real threat to achieving your goals. Ignoring your body and pushing it physically will only set you on the road to burnout. Try adding rest days into your schedule and mix gentle, low-intensity exercise into your regime to protect yourself from burnout. Success takes time, and sustainable activity levels are essential to maintaining the energy needed to propel you to the finish line.

5. Being too busy for anything new

You plan to enroll in a course to upskill yourself…one day. For now though, your days are just too busy to sit for days in a seminar. But, do you ever think “I already know that” or “that doesn’t apply to me”? Truly successful people don’t. They have growth mindsets and live every day with open minds, looking for ways to do things differently, expand their horizons and grow.

6. Building barriers instead of alternatives

Do you catch yourself saying “I can’t” and “that’s impossible”? These self-limiting phrases build mental barriers to your success. Even worse, others perceive them as pessimistic and unconstructive. When you encounter a difficult situation, focus your energy on finding ways to get around it. Retrain your brain by thinking of alternatives and use phrases such as “what I can do is . . .” and “let’s try this instead . . .”

7. Chasing vague goals

Success-driven goals are laser-focused, specific and measurable. Vague goals are impossible to achieve, so they’ll do nothing but erode your self-confidence and motivation. Avoid procrastination by planning your goals. Break them into steps and put them in order of priority. Apply the 80/20 rule and start with your most valuable tasks.

“If you want to achieve excellence, you can get there today. As of this second, quit doing less-than-excellent work.” – Thomas J. Watson

8. Getting sucked into negative space

We all know one of them. That person who drains your energy every time you encounter them. The passive ones quietly sabotage your productivity. The aggressive ones that slash your motivation to pieces. But beware, because they’ll take you down with them. Avoid their negative force-field by limiting meetings, using email instead of the phone and politely declining the “catch-up” they need, but you don’t.

9. Playing the blame game

Nobody is perfect. Even the pros make mistakes. The difference is that they understand the richness that can be found in failure and focus on learning from their mistakes. Failure rewires the brain to avoid the same situation next time. Open your mind to the role you have played in anything that goes wrong and look for the silver lining; it’s always there.

10. Making tomorrow the busiest day of the week

It’s that day of the week with everything in it. All the tasks you couldn’t fit into today. The less attractive actions you need to take to overcome an obstacle. The big things that need more time to do. Realize that putting off action until tomorrow only pushes your success another day further away. The best day to start is today. Even if you only take a small step, it’s still one step closer to your goal. Fix these mistakes and clear your path to success.

Did you find yourself nodding in recognition of familiar behaviors? Or perhaps you started chewing your fingernails in unconscious panic. Don’t worry – it’s not all over.

Now that you’re aware of errors you’ve been making, you’re a huge step ahead of where you were moments ago. Now that you’re aware of the little things that have been holding you back, you’re in the power seat, holding the keys to positive change.

What mistakes are you currently making today and what are you going to do about them? Leave your thoughts below!

Source: https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/10-common-mistakes-that-successful-people-never-make/

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How To Influence People Through Not Giving A F#@&

by Tim Denning 

We all want to be cookie cutter good citizens that pay our tax’s, get married young, have two perfect kids, drive a perfect car, say the right thing at the right time, be able to make people laugh, and make lots of money so we can buy useless crap that we don’t need.

This dream is a joke and all of you reading this know it. My eyes have been opened recently as to how you can break out of the mold and be you. The gentlemen I have to thank for this is the well-known blogger Mark Manson.

Frankly I had never heard of Charles Manson’s brother until a few weeks ago, but despite his family’s bad name, I was willing to listen to what the guy had to say (he’s not Charles Manson’s brother by the way I’m only trying to liven things up a bit with some drama).

Now the guys’ got a potty mouth like you’ve never heard before and that’s partly why this article has the F-word in its title which is very unlike me. I guess I wanted to try out this not giving a F thing for myself, and I have to admit, the guy’s got me hooked just a little bit.

Usually, I would talk about why Mark Manson is the greatest thing since sliced bread but today I’m not going to bother doing that. What I am going to do is highlight how is attitude and the way he communicates is influencing millions of people to learn from him how they can succeed.

So today’s lesson is all about the 6 ways you can influence people through not giving a F#@& like Mark Manson:

1. Break out of your shell

What Mark does so well is speak his mind and be real. The internet has become flooded with written articles and video’s that all look the same. The language is polished, the grammar is impeccable, the photos are amazing, etc.

Mark sticks his middle finger up at all of that and posts imperfect photos, writes sentences that are so bloody long there is no way they can be grammatically correct, speaks his mind and raises controversial topics, talks about himself in the third person, and a host of obnoxious antics.

He doesn’t do all of this because he’s a horrible person; he does it because he is trying to influence people to change their life, and change requires a different approach. By breaking out of his shell and going against the grain, he is speaking a language that under 35’s understand and that’s important to note.

For you to duplicate his results, you need to do the same and break open the turtle shell that’s been stuck to your back since you were a kid and your mommy strapped it onto you. Show the world who you are and speak in a voice that’s comfortable. That’s how you will inspire people.

2. Be confident

As I read more and more of Mark’s work, I began to see his confidence shine through.

“I’ve realised that you are never going to inspire or motivate someone to change their life unless you truly believe that you’re the person to make them change”

If the next president of the United States Of America got up and said: “I think I can protect you all and make this country prosper, but I’m just not sure because you know, I haven’t done this before, and it’s kind of like my first time – you know?”

Would you vote for this person? Absolutely no way in the world and neither would I. What I’ve learned from Mark is that confidence, without ego, plus vulnerability, is a cake that is worth baking if you want to inspire people.

Confidence is where it all starts and that can only come from you believing that you have something worth sharing. Mark gives dating advice on his blog and to be honest; it could be easy to wonder how he has any skills in this area what so ever.

It doesn’t really matter at the end of the day. He believes that there is an audience for his advice (and there is), and so he delivers as much value as he can, in a confident writing tone, in the hope that he can genuinely help others. What’s wrong with that?

Nothing at all, as long as the intent comes from the art of giving and not out of some form of selfishness to win the popularity contest that is social media.

3. Take action when you have no idea

The whole point of not giving an F is to take action despite of the fear and uncertainty you might have. Mark has these same feelings, and so do I, and so do you; the difference between those that influence and those that do not, is that the influencers take action.

What I mean by this is that Mark has consistently written the best blog posts he can for the last five years. He’s the first to admit that quitting his job and going out on his own was probably a bold move. But, he used his own advice and didn’t give a F.

What we can all learn from this approach is that we don’t need to know what the road to success looks like. The path is uneven, filled with dog poo, it has giant trucks heading right for you that shouldn’t even be on the path, there are snakes hiding in the bush’s as you walk, and there is so much bloody fog that you can only see a few meters ahead of you.

That’s what the path to success looks like boys and girls. All we need to do, and what Mark demonstrates through his work, is that we just need to start walking on the path, and adjust our approach as the obstacles come out of nowhere and nearly blow our eyes out of our sockets.

Forget trying to wait until everything is right and stop giving a F. Start something, anything, and then pivot as you need to like any Uber-like startup would. This way of being is what inspires people to do the same.

“When people can see that you are just as blind, deaf, dumb, and imperfect as them, they start to rally around you and seek your advice so they can be inspired” – Tim Denning

4. Be okay with your individuality

I’m the first to admit that I’m a bit quirky. I mean, what’s not to love; I eat mostly veggies, watch 100% documentaries about success and motivational topics, sip caffeine free tea, wear clothes that stand out, attend events that may look like a cult, and I try to always have a big, stupid smile on my face.

Compared to the rest of the world I probably look like some self-help guru obsessed, vegan loving, Side Show Bob dressing, overly positive, psychopath dressed in a slim-fitting, overpriced suit.

Guess what? That’s probably who I mostly am, and that’s okay. Just like it’s okay that you are who you are. Mark teaches us through his blogging that the more individual we are, the more people will respond to our message.

By being you and revealing all of your faults, you become relatable and someone that people admire. You cannot inspire anyone unless you find out who you are and be okay with sharing the whole package – scratches, damage and all.

5. Don’t take life too seriously

Especially in the world of personal development, it’s easy to become obsessed with a life that is way too serious. A life where you have to be up early every single day, work until you pass out, and be constantly growing at 300% every day.

This is not true personal development, and Mark shows us why we need to not take life too seriously. Yes, you need to be focused and know what your goals are, but there is no way you can be awesome 24/7.

What I love about Mark’s work is that he makes me laugh and below all of his humor is a genuine message to try and get you to look at life differently. When you change the lens that you are using to view the world, you start to see things that you haven’t seen before.

All of the public speaking books I have read say that adding humor to what you do will help to solidify your message and get people to pay attention. This doesn’t mean that you need to become the Jim Carey of coming up with jokes; it just means that you should attempt to see the humor in things. Most of all, you should attempt to see the humor in yourself once in a while.

6. Lose the fixed mindset and learn to be wrong

Through all of the blog posts I have read of Mark’s, I’ve noticed that he changes his opinion or interpretation of events frequently. This is because rather than having a fixed mindset, he has a growth mindset.

With a growth mindset, we can learn to adapt and understand that no idea stays true forever. The Earth and our success are changing every single day. To inspire people you need to be constantly changing what you can teach and having new messages to spread.

Otherwise, you become washed up, out of date, and irrelevant. People that think they know everything really piss me off, and I’m sure they do the same to you. That’s why sometimes I have to take a chill pill, take my own advice, and not take everything so seriously.

A lot of what personal development teaches us is that we can’t inspire others unless we change ourselves first. The only way we can change ourselves is by becoming open to everything that we come into contact with.

There are so many old models of the world that people continue to live by for no good reason. Mark regularly pokes fun at these models in his work and encourages people to learn to be wrong. It’s okay if you always thought that diet soda was healthy and then you figured out it wasn’t.

Don’t forget, I’m the guy that drank too much, went to too many nightclubs, and ate the highest sugar foods known to humankind. It’s okay to be wrong ladies and gentlemen. We’re never going to be right 100% of the time, and if we were, then I’d give you a Nobel Prize, and tell you to retire (not going to happen by the way).

It’s time we get over our ego and ourselves and adopt a growth mindset. We can do anything we put our minds to and nothing is impossible.

Source: https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/how-to-influence-people-through-not-giving-a-f/