 Do you think like a Millionaire?
Well welcome back to “Your Life as a Business”. Where we introduce the First Part of a 5 Part Series on how to make your money work for you and to your first Million. Today we will change your viewpoint of money. Showing you the different ways to make it work for you. By simply summarizing the positives and negatives of each. First off, let’s go over the two worldviews of money and how they differ from each other. The first one is the one most people know because they enact it every day, the Consumer. The consumer views money as a dispensable item that comes and goes, but ultimately is made to be spent. The consumer sees the value of a dollar as a means to get things they want, but not for its other values such as tool to protect yourself and your family or a means to build wealth. Instead, they use it to consume things. The pros of being a consumer is to get what you want when you want it and experience the things you always wanted. However, many times the consumer buys things they can’t afford, are constantly broke, and spend money faster than they can make it. When seeing money as dispensable, it’s easy to fall into the mindset of easy comes and easy go. The other worldview is the Investor. The investor views money as a tool. They don’t see it as a dispensable item to buy things they don’t need, but as a way to make things happen. Such as make more money or as a weapon and shield against the world to protect yourself, your family, and your interests. With this way of thinking, people use money not as a way to consume the “next best thing” but instead think strategically how they can better their lives with money rather than have it control them. Therefore it’s time to get started in “Your Life as a Business’ and start thinking about money like an investor. When thinking of money as tool, you have to imagine the different things you can do with money. Its many facets and uses. Of the many things you can do, here are the most common that most people never know about even though they are available to them every day. Bank Offerings Checking accounts Everyone knows what a checking account is. It’s a transactional account where most of the money that graces its presence it’s swiftly spent to bills, consumables, or any other immediate expenses. Pros: 1. Liquid - They are extremely liquid as you can have available to you immediately through ATMs, checks, and debits cards. 2. Services - Usually are a staple of big banks and come with branches so you can avoid pesky transaction fees from ATMs 3. FDIC Insured - They are also insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp so if the bank fails, the government is supposed to step in and pay you out your funds Cons: 1. No Interest Paid - Because of the liquidity of your funds in a checking account and the benefits you receive such as access to branches, they use you’re your interest to provide those services 2. High Required Minimum Balances – Many banks require minimum balances or they will charge you fees 3. Nickel and Dime Fees – Many banks make their money by finding ways to make your money theirs. This is why they will nickel and dime you in any way possible with transaction fees, penalties, and services. (Remember – Banks need your Money to Function and they Must Be Reminded of that Fact) Savings accounts Savings accounts are a more illiquid form of checking accounts and that was why they gave higher interest rates as there were less services and benefits associated with it. That is why most have only a certain amount of transactions you can have per month or they will charge you a fee. However with the advent of online banking. They can be just as liquid as a checking account. As you can easily move your funds from your savings to your to you checking with just a few swipes. Pros: 1. Higher Interest than a Checking Account –less services and benefits equals more interest paid out 2. Low Required Minimum Balances – don’t need as big of a required balance, but negates the purpose of a savings account, which is to make interest on Big Money 3. FDIC Insured - They are also insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp so if the bank fails, the government is supposed to step in and pay you out your funds Cons: 1. Next to No Interest Paid – With the destruction of the financial system came the lowest interest rates the world has ever seen. This has created a new benchmark for savings accounts, which is next to nothing. 2. Restricted Transactions – Can only use it for a few transactions a month before they start charging fees to keep you from using it like a checking account 3. Illiquid/No Services – no debit cards, checks, or other ways to spend money out of the account Online-Only Bank Offerings High-yield bank accounts High-yield bank accounts are the same as checking and savings accounts but give much better interest rates by eliminating all the frills of a normal bank such as ATMs, branches, and staff. This keeps overhead low so they can pay more out to their customers. Pros
Cons 1. No Frills Banking – can be hard to get to your cash fast with no ATMs, debit/checking services, or branches 2. Money Coordination – can be troublesome when you need to transfer money back and forth from the online bank account to a normal account 3. Teaser Rates – Beware of limited-time teaser rates that they get you to sign up for that reduce in half after only 6 months. Money market deposit accounts One of the most restricted accounts is the Money Market Deposit Account. They are usually offered by banks, but require a minimum balance and only permit a few transactions per month before they start charging fees. Pros
Cons
Both Branch/Online Banks Certificates of Deposit (CDs) Certificate of Deposits are illiquid deposits in a bank or brokerage. They work by you promising to deposit your money and promise not to touch it for the time until it matures. Where you get it back in full with interest. If you take it out early, you have to pay a penalty that usually offsets any gains you have made so you don’t touch it. Pros 1. FDIC Insured - They are also insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp so if the bank fails, the government is supposed to step in and pay you out your funds
There you have it for this first part in the series of thinking like a millionaire. Please check back each week as we unravel the investor's mind.  A Thought Experiment A thought experiment is when you have an idea and take that idea to its logical end through rules and parameters that already exist or develop as the thought experiment matures. Mostly through conversation and the use of verbal experimentation and arguments. The purpose of having thought experiments is to expand your abilities to think, innovate, find patterns, plan, and imagine. Having this ability will allow you to break free from the influences of others, understand things quicker, learn faster, and develop better plans. For Example: Fallacies (Common Sense) are a great example of Thought Experiments that are brought to their conclusion. Although these arguments themselves represent bad logic and unsound reasoning. How people came to the conclusions that these are fallacies is the essence of what a Thought Experiment is. A deeper look at one of the fallacies and the thought experiment that created it: Needling: simply attempting to make the other person angry, without trying to address the argument at hand. Sometimes this is a delaying tactic. You are watching a political talk show. You realize that the talk show host isn’t actually presenting any counter arguments or evidence and is simply goading the politician to see if he can get a rise out of him. You begin to discuss with your friend about the tactic and he says that it is a viable argument technique where as you believe it’s not an argument at all, but just a tactic to disclaim someone whose beliefs you don’t believe in. You continue to talk it over until your friend agrees that it is a tactic and not an argument. Making it a fallacy because the logic and reasoning to think of it as such is bad. You then call the fallacy needling because you are trying to poke the other with verbal needles to frustrate and annoy. For a look at more fallacies, check out this list. (A very good list to know for your next debate or negotiation as finding false logic is a lot easier than you’d think.) Another Example: Your friend has a great idea for a Television Show. You create the premise and the characters. You continue to develop it until the show takes on a mind of its own and the characters take such shape that you can no longer just make them do anything. Because the characters develop their own rules/personalities (as if out of nowhere) that if they were written to do an action out of character, people won’t believe it. Thus a thought experiment has been created with rules that guide where the show can go. Until it reaches its logical end of happy, sad, eventful, or uneventful ending. Now that you understand the concept of a Thought Experiment… here is the nitty-gritty on how to create one. Step #1: Throw out all your beliefs and biases to ensure the purity of your thought experiment. This rule is important as any outside influence of your thought experiment can lead to fallacies and bad logic. This rule is less important for creative thought experiments as where the logical end goes is less based on reality and more based on one’s imagination. Step #2: Decide to create rules for the Thought Experiment at the beginning or let them develop over time. You can develop the rules for a thought experiment to be as outrageous to as realistic as possible. All depends on the end goal of the Thought Experiment. Realistic Rules (Black) 1. Follows realities rules and order of operation 2. Follows Logic and Reason (No Fallacies) 3. No Biases or Assumptions Creative Rules (White) 1. Follows a set of rules not dictated by material facts 2. Rules can develop laissez faire and become permanent as they develop 3. Assumptions can be used to build the Thought Experiment to places reality won’t allow without proven facts. Combination Rules (Gray) 1. Follows a set of rules that are based in reality, but can change with current events. 2. Rules follow logic and reason, but includes the actions with a probability of low success so nothing is ruled out. 3. Assumptions are allowed, but must be proven throughout the thought experiment. #3: Talk through your Thought Experiment With the others in the Thought Experiment, talk through the thoughts you have or had. Ensuring to maintain the rules. Where the experimentation comes into play is having the idea be bounced, fleshed out, and redone to by many diverse people with different views, angles and experiences to meet the rules and logic of the thought experiment. The experimentation comes from the fact you don’t know where the thought process will go, what other rules will develop during the experiment, and the scenarios, scenes, or actors that develop. #4: Take your Thought Experiments to their Logical End An example on the creative side would be a storyline for a character. The more you flesh out the character and create a world around him, the easier it becomes to bring them to their logical end. Therefore a Tragic Character dies to redeem himself. A Happy Character wins the day. Or any combination of paths that the story may take. (Uses made-up rules and parameters to dictate the path of fictitious characters) An example on the realistic side, is having a thought experiment on real life events and people. Such as finding the truth of the matter behind the actions of what others do, such as rivals, friends, and enemies. Finding the motives behind their actions or to build an idea of the interworking’s of what’s really going on. (Uses real world facts to develop theories about the real world) A great example of a Combination is making a plan off the real world. Because plans make a lot of assumptions about how the real world will work according to the plan, but more than likely has to change before the end. This combination of the realistic to the creative side of thought experiments allows you to build your thoughts and bring them to fruition even if they don’t come to reality in any shape or form. Think well. Be well.  Might as well have no head without them. The 7 Skills You Need to Pick-Up to be Successful.
There are many skills in the world that you can learn to be successful, and without them, you won't. They can be anything from speaking and writing to leadership and strategy. But when you boil them down. There are 7 that are more important than all others. They are fundamental because they entail both maintaining and maximizing the mind and body. And creating abilities you can leverage to be successful. Now let’s be off. #1 : Habit Formation and Alteration – One skill that you need to develop is to form new habits and alter your old habits. This is fundamental to all others on the list because you need to be able to master the art of habit formation and alteration. Because without it, it will be very difficult to understand the process of building the others on the list. With habit formation, you are building new habits that allow you to develop yourself, your skills, and abilities. With habit alteration, your taking old habits, finding their root cause, and changing the end result by maintaining the things that trigger it and replacing it with a new result. For a bit more information on what you can do to master your habits… check this out… #2 : Pet Projects (Skill Development) – Pet Projects are Goal-Oriented Projects you do out of school and work that help hone a skill you want, build a business you want, or do anything you want really as long as it fits your long-term goals. You need to pick up Pet Projects because they keep you competitive in the job market by boosting your capabilities out of work. (Getting certified at a skill) Can allow you to quit your day-job and do what always interested you, full-time, if they become successful enough. (Your Pet Project Business takes off.) Keep you happy because you have something that is completely yours. Making it your baby. To learn more and find out the steps to create a Pet Project, it’s time to check it out here… #3 : Basic understanding of Systems: To be successful, you have to be able to process information quickly and apply it over many different situations. This doesn’t mean you don’t change your view of things, but have to keep your eye out for the general systems of things. As any world with rules or physical laws, a system develops within those constraints. And the system that develops follows the same fundamentals between them all. That means that any organization, from governments to business, ultimately develop similar fundamental systems, and if you understand those fundamental systems, you can quickly understand how to work within them or even exploit them. The fundamental system always looks like this: · What gets put into the system - o Inputs: Money, Resources, Time · What happens to Inputs in the System o Activity Area: Processes, Methods, Formulas on Inputs · What is produced by the System to include bad and good o Good Outputs: Products, Experience, Education o Bad Outputs: Pollution, Animosity, less-than-stellar results A quick example: Your BANK ACCOUNT is a system. It’s a system that holds your money and dictates what you can and cannot afford. o Income is your Inputs into the system from working, owning, and others. o The Bank Account is the Activity Area where you can move and hold your money while it gains interest. (Formula) o And Outputs is Spending from your bank account. This is a fairly simple system, but can create dire consequences if you don’t understand it. Because if your Income (Inputs) is less than your Spending (Outputs) than you will find yourself in trouble when the bills come. This general systems theory can be applied to everything, as everything follows these fundamentals of systems. Because our world follows physical laws and rules that ensure fundamental systems exist. Another quick example: The Human Body is even a System. The Human Body has Inputs (Food and Water). The Human Body has many, many processes, methods, and formulas. (Digestive system, Respiratory System, Nerve System, etc., etc., etc…) The Human Body even has Outputs (Excrement and Waste). And it follows the same rules of the BANK ACCOUNT. The difference here is that if your Inputs outweigh your outputs, than you will find yourself in trouble. o Input of Too Much Smoking and Drinking – Your Internal Organs will deteriorate o Input of Too Much Food – your body will overreact to excess food, leading to weight gain, and deteriorate over time o Input of Bad Food – like using bad oil in an engine, it will run, but it will run inefficiently and eventually break down. Just like your body. o Effecting your: § Brain Cognizance (Brain Function) § Motor Functions § And More Lack of Outputs can be as bad as too many inputs as the system overloads with too many inputs and not enough outputs For Example: o Output of No Exercise – leads to being unhealthy as the body cannot effectively regulate itself (Weight Gain, Body and Brain Deterioration, and more) o Output of Not Using your Brain o Not challenging or doing repetitive activities with your brain can lower your IQ o Only putting your brain in Cognitive dissonance can you “age-proof” your brain and slow the onset of symptoms of brain aging, and can also help to keep your brain functioning at peak capacity. Segueing perfectly into out next Fundamental… #4 : Healthy Lifestyle – Health directly translates in how well you can accomplish the other 6 on the list. Because without good health, your mind doesn’t work as well, your body is sluggish. And both deteriorate at the rate at which you let them. So if you let yourself go, your mind and body will follow. Therefore, the way to success is… a. Giving up Processed Foods – The Saying, “You are what you eat,” is true. If you eat junk, you are junk. It’s proven that if was touched by man. The more likely it is to break your body down, slow your functions, and ultimately end you. b. Supplementing – The normal person’s diet lacks much of what the human body needs. This is why it is important to ensure your body gets what it needs through supplementation i. The key here is once again to stay away from processed items such as extracts, synthesized (Man-Made) supplements, and other unhealthy supplements that aren’t can be laced with trace metals and other bad ingredients. c. Picking up Exercising – Exercise is one of the best things you can do to improve your mind and body. Giving balance to your overall well- being. i. Such as YOGA. ii. And figuring out how to work out anywhere! d. Create Cognizance Dissonance - Find ways to constantly engage your brain to build your brain powers #5 : Life Audits – Life Audits are important because they let you refocus on your life and reevaluate how it is going. Letting you see if the actions you’re taking and the activities you’re involved in our accomplishing your future. A quick sample is: I want to be successful in my company. And I need to get a few certifications to do that. Am I taking the Certification Classes in my spare time or am I watching television? If you’re watching TV, you’re off the trail to your success. As Excessive Television or any activity that is not benefiting you socially, economically, or financially is not helping you accomplish what you want. And you need to get back by taking a few evening courses. Because… Is it worth it to you to watch 34 hours of television a week? (Average for an American.) To learn more on how exactly to run your own Life Audit and find if you’re off track, check it out here… #6 : Time Management – We live in a world of limited time, but infinite possibilities. Albeit we are slaves of time. It is very possible to master it and bend it to our will. The key is to train yourself to use schedules, lists, and timers. · The schedules tell you when to do things. · The lists tell you what you’re doing and how to do them. · And the timer ensures your meeting your time requirements so you get done what you need when you need to. In time, you will come to find you don’t need the any of them and you can see your schedule, list, and timer inside your mind. For more information, check out how you master time by using The Power of the List Series… · THE POWER OF THE LIST 1 · THE POWER OF THE LIST 2 · THE POWER OF THE LIST 3 · THE POWER OF THE LIST 4 #7 : Socializing Skills – Most of the time, it’s not enough to just be good at what you do. Most of the time it is only 50% of the battle. Instead, most of the time it’s all about how well you can get others to like you. This is just the way it is. So don’t whine about it. Revel in it. Become what you’re not as it’s the fastest and easiest way to success. Which brings up the question… How does one learn to socialize? Well considering I was born very shy and awkward. I was always afraid to talk to people. And now I can talk to anyone, anywhere, and at any time. And the only way I found to get good at it was… · Become very thick-skinned o Be able to take criticism, rejection, and outright aggression from others · Become rubber skinned o When need be, be able to turn the tables of the conversation upon those who are criticizing, rejecting, and being aggressive and reflect it to overcome their objections · And ultimately practice. o Learn how the art of conversation works. Because just like anything, all of them have the same essential pattern that can be followed. And what you say becomes less important to HOW you say it. So find out more how you can be the champion and learn to socialize… So You Want to be a Millionaire? You must have noticed and realized that all of these Fundamentals are Internal. Never mentioned was knowing the right people, having the right idea, or being in the right place. Because they are all External Factors. External Factors that you have no control of, which means they are based on luck and the twist of fate. Both of which I never put much faith or money behind. Because to be successful, to be a millionaire, you have to understand the game you’re playing, how to maximize your abilities and potential, and ensure to take care of what you do have, YOURSELF. Everything else is luck of the draw. This has been a long, long building Blog Post that I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. Let us know what you think in the comments and don’t forget to share to others on, “Why they’re not Millionaires.”  Perception is not Reality. Common Sense doesn't Exist. Common Sense is a lie.
A lie that has frustrated me for a long long time as it is the cause of most misunderstandings and hatreds in the world. Why is Common Sense a lie? Well let’s define it first: Common Sense as defined from thee Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
The initial problem with this definition is the assumption of “Simple Perception”. And where the disconnect lies is in the assumption “that perception is reality.” Where in the real world, perception doesn’t exist. As perception is just the way you process the world, but it is not the way it is. This makes perception subjective. For example, the old saying, “Hindsight is 20/20” is a perfect example of why Common Sense and Perception do not exist. Because Common Sense is the application of techniques and actions based on a Subjective Perception which can be proven wrong by Reality or Hindsight. The problem lies that “Common Sense” dictates that there is a right answer. A right answer for whom? Because my right answers are probably different than your right answer.
Therefore my common sense answer is different than your common sense answer. Which is paradoxical as how can common sense have different answers. The Myth: Common Sense is Natural. The next issue with common sense beyond not existing is that it is assumed to be natural… But it is not natural. You are not born with it and it doesn’t come to people naturally. “Sense” which is common is instead created by experiences. Experiences that you had yourself or learned from someone else. This is where "Sense" comes from. So because “Sense” is learned and experienced, it cannot be assumed to be natural. As many people never have the same experiences. Let alone “perceive” them “the right way” so it becomes “Common Sense”. SO what is means is: Common Sense:
Showing that Common Sense is fundamentally fallible because it assumes:
So the Real Question is how-do you untangle yourself from the ingrained false logic of “Common Sense” and “Perception is Reality”? How to Untangle Yourself from your Perception and “Common Sense”. 1. First, you have to identify what your perception or belief is that you think is Common Sense. a. For Example: i. People believe that it’s “Common Sense” to drink caffeine to stay awake. ii. But studies show that it is better to take a 30 minute power-nap than to power through with caffeine. 1. Web MD: Power of Power Napping 2. Next, find why you have this belief, how it could be wrong, and what is perpetuating it. a. For Example: i. People believe caffeine is the right answer because their peers or role models do it. ii. People believe it works because it “Worked” for them. 1. Meaning you tried it yourself and you got the results you wanted 2. But what “Works” is subjective to the person 3. Meaning it may have not been the best way to do it 3. Then go out and get a second opinion from someone else that explains why your belief or Common Sense could be wrong. a. Even though you may have this belief, you may not be easily able to see it and recognize its causes i. Why do I want caffeine? 1. Am I addicted to it? ii. Is it because it tastes good? iii. Do I drink it out of habit? b. So you need to go out and find someone who is looking at you from “Outside the Box.” who has an objective view of the situation i. Because if you ask someone with the same belief, they will most likely tell you are crazy and that you are wrong about trying to change your belief. ii. For Example: 1. You want to try Power Naps and want to kick caffeine 2. You ask someone who believes that caffeine works and says why change what works? (Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix it Fallacy.) 4. Now evaluate your responses and your objective observer’s responses in #2 & 3 of this list with the assumption that everything you wrote down is true. a. Argue for each point by creating supporting evidence that justify why your belief could be wrong and how your belief could be bases off something irrational such as: i. Denials ii. Opinions (Of Yourself and Others) iii. Biases b. For Example: i. I am addicted. 1. It’s the ONLY THING that works. 2. My friends are doing it. 5. Once you feel like you've got it, redefine your Belief and Common Sense and brainstorm how to change your mind about how it just can’t be completely true or actually exist. a. Here is the hardest part of the process, the moment where you accept that your belief or perception isn't true to reality and that Common Sense can’t exist. b. For Example: i. I accept that the Common Sense of drinking caffeine to stay awake is not the only answer to this problem. ii. I accept that is most likely a cause of my past experiences that caused me to believe that it is the only way to stay awake. iii. I accept that my experiences alone create a “Sense” that is not all that Common. Why you should do this? Our perception of reality does not exist, but is the belief that it does. As all beliefs are ultimately opinions. Which is why they vary hugely from individual to individual. So allowing our perception to be more adaptable. Becoming gradually more and more in line with ultimate reality is helpful and useful to making a better world. Because in the end, perception fizzles out, and we always dwell in reality, in knowledge, in certainty.
Best, L. Thomas  Image management used to be much simpler. Before. You could have a private life and it would not affect your career and people’s opinions of you. Nowadays… Private Life is Disappearing. You can’t go anywhere without someone somewhere collecting information on you. Physically or Digitally. In fact, you can’t post on Twitter without the chance of getting backlash for an opinion tweet. Actually, you may not even be on social media, but may have had a picture taken of you with someone else, and the next thing you know. Facebook knows you. Even if the picture is really embarrassing! The worst part? It’s there forever. Which is why maintaining a professional online image is very important to your career. Important to impress recruiters when they search for you online. Important to impress clients when looking for your services. Important to your success. Therefore, avoid damaging your image and maintain your image management with these fine tips. #1: Everything you say can and will be used against you. So do NOT post comments that are detrimental to your reputation and are unprofessional. This may sound familiar and holds true in court as well as your online image. Because people will judge you solely on what you post about yourself and especially what others say about you. In fact, anything you have written in life such as college papers can in fact be dug up and used against you. Meaning: Do NOT post subjects and opinions that can anger others and be considered insensitive and juvenile. Avoid politics, religion, and others. This does not mean you cannot have your opinion. The idea is to avoid permanently being judged for an opinion you had years ago because it is associated to your social media and easily searchable. Because opinions change, but changing first impressions can be painful. #2: Do NOT post objectionable material such as pictures, videos, and other media. Avoid many topics and pictures that can give the wrong impression. Because everything and anything can be taken out of context, twisted, and advertised as fact. This includes videos, pictures, and other media that can misconstrued. Meaning: Every time you post pictures of being trashed and posting to all your friends that you blacked out. To include the pictures that they post which you have no control of. Will be on the internet and be seen by all current and future potential employers and clients. And no one wants to entrust their business to someone who can’t control their “intake”. Tip No. 3: Try to avoid joining groups, fan pages and applications that are detrimental to your image. Setting your profile to “private” does not mean it is private. Many times it’s shared through channels that are less than reputable. Also you can accidently accept friends who you do not know well and could be a potential employer or current employer collecting dirt from your profile. Meaning: Do not join controversial fan pages, groups, and applications that others can fuss over. Many times, people will look for any reason to complain and having liking risqué content gives them fuel for their fire. Tip No. 4: Provide useful information to the communities that your online image tailors to. If you’re a Financial Expert, and you want to impress clients or other financial experts than post consistently articles that are useful to them. If you are a psychologist, then post shareable content that pertains to what potential clients would enjoy. Having a long line of posts that are useful creates credibility and makes you a Thought Leader. Meaning: Post content that is useful for others. But this doesn’t mean you can’t have artistic flare. It is important to differentiate and get your content shared. So make sure all your content is entertaining and allows others to want to share it. Because one Viral Video can change everything. Tip No. 5: Request recommendations, join groups and answer the questions of other users after creating your social media. Participating online can be extremely helpful in building a professional online image. Writing articles displays leadership and knowledge in your given field can build a following that loves what you do. You also should contribute to the community by commenting on others articles and answer questions. Meaning: Be a part of the community you work in and create new content to help spur creativity in others. This lets you grow as not only a professional in your field, but an expert. Tip No. 6: Strategically write and publish in industry-related publications. The more credibility you have, the more business you have. This is true in all aspects of life. Therefore you have to publish your work in trade journals, magazines, and other publications that get you in front of the people who will value you most. Meaning: Make samples and get in with the publications best. If you’re a photographer, get featured on reputable photography site or magazine. If you’re a business person, do a conference or seminar. If you’re in education, get published in an academic journal. Once it’s published, use it in all your marketing to boost your appeal and professionalism. Tip. No. 7: Build a website that showcases you as a major player in your field. It is not the person who is the best at what they do that wins in the real world. It is the one who is most publicized to be the best in their field. Meaning: Do everything in your power to showcase your ability to the right people and you will have a higher chance to make it to the top. Market yourself as a professional. Build yourself as a Professional. Network yourself as a Professional. Final thoughts… Be diligent in your career and your image. No one will manage your career for you. But they will manage your image into oblivion.  Don't Let People Fade You and Your Image Into Oblivion.  How does one become king? How does one go from being a nothing to slowly tipping the scale in their favor, until it falls into their lap? Making them the King? There is only one answer. Leverage. Leverage is the only way to go from being the bottom of the barrel to the king of the hill. But how does one gain leverage? Gradually. One gains leverage gradually. By pining their resources and time. And through time, the strategies themselves have not changed, simply the ways to implement them. Coming to the point of the conversation. The 5 Questions you have to ask yourself to figure out how to leverage yourself. 1. What are my marketable skills/talents? You have to ask yourself what marketable skills I have that others need. This can be anything from numbers (Accounting, Finance, etc.), relationships (Business, Management, Sales, etc.), hard skills (Programming, Engineering, Medicine, etc.), soft skills (Customer Service, Public Relations, etc.), creative skills (Artists, Musicians, etc.), and more. 2. What are the skills/talents of the best and how can I realistically compete? This is where you set the stage for a realistic look at your talents and how you can realistically compete against the best in your industry. And even if your main talents are dwarfed by the best in your industry does not mean you are out. It simply means you have to position and leverage your other talents in such a way to take advantage of the opportunities to overcome the best’s strengths. As no one is invincible and they always let their guard down. Always. 3. What am I not good at, but have to be good at to gain leverage to become the best? This is the hardest question people have to ask themselves because the answers are usually the most painful. Mostly because many people don’t want to do what they have to do to become successful. This includes public speaking, taking risks, sacrificing, and many more. But truly ask yourself, what the skills I need to be successful are. But always keep in mind… Do you need to learn them or can you buy them? 4. How can I effectively leverage my talents to become the best and triumph over those who are? Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. And with the first three questions, you found what yours and the best in your industries are. Now that you know both. You can plan strategies to leverage yourself with the best of your industry. This can include finding a way to partner up with the best in your industry, emulating what they do and doing it better, maximizing your own talents to become the best, or a myriad of other ways to leverage your position. Leaving us with the last question: 5. What are the Top 9 ways to leverage yourself? Which will be answered next week so subscribe today so you don’t miss it.  Are you on the Treadmill of Torpid Stagnation Pet Project You work. You play. Both are fine and dandy. Until you feel it... Stagnation. The feeling you get when you walk the same path… day in… day out… Slowly feeling the ground beneath you sag from how many times you have traversed it… Like running on a treadmill… getting nowhere fast. This feeling is the reason you need a Pet Project. Something exciting to work on in your off-time that can… · Take your mind off your day-to-day mundane tasks · Make you extra money on the side · Give you something with accomplishable milestones that gives you victories in your life · Or even become your next career Now what exactly is a Pet Project? A pet project is anything outside of work or school that you do for fun. But… It is not something that is destructive or willy-nilly, that you focus on a few times before you quit. It is a constructive goal-oriented adventure. Where you lay out many milestones, which win you many small victories that you can celebrate. For example: A man went to college, and during his off time, he wrote. He wrote a lot. And after a while he noticed that people would pay for his ability to write. SO he started looking into it and realized people would pay a lot for someone who can write well… SO he started a Pet Project he worked on between school and work. Which included making a website and advertising his services… And pretty soon… he had a laundry list of clients and was making more money than he ever had before. SO he quit his job. And became a Professional Copywriter and Technical Writer. And Another Example… A women at work likes to work with mobile applications in her spare time. She just tinkers and works on things she think would be helpful to her. One day, a friend sees her on her app that she created and asks what it is. So she tells her, and her friend wants the app too! So she gives it to her friend and is convinced to put it on the app store for $0.99. In a month, she has over a 100,000 downloads and has made thousands of dollars. She then turns around and starts developing more! Realizing that a pet project she just likes to do for fun can be so much more for her. These stories epitomize the Pet Project. As they emphasize projects outside your normal day that you work on to benefit yourself or others financially or emotionally. As a Pet Project can even include Non-Profit Activities like charities. The point is not the project, but the adventure of working on something that is completely yours. It’s your baby. How can you start one today? Well listen in and you will know exactly, step-by-step, what you need to do. 1. First pick a Pet Project that interests you. Examples:
And the list goes on… 2. Next, do some research. Look into what you want to do for your pet project. Research what you need to be good it, the different niches inside the sector, and the forums or groups of people you should associate with to learn even more. 3. Then, find someone who knows more than you do. Once you have done the research to ensure it’s something you would like to pursue. It’s time to become the best at it. So find those people who are considered the best in your Pet Project Arena, and learn everything you can about what they do to be the best. Even better, become friends so they can teach you themselves. 4. And learn and practice all you can in your spare time. Do it until you’re really good at it. Practice for others. Practice for yourself. Make your Pet Project work for you. Because it should be fun and exciting for you. 5. Finally… take it to the big times. The final step in your Pet Project is to show it off to the unsuspecting public. This could be a show, event, competition, or anything that involves showing your pet project off. As this is everything you have been working for. 6. Do it again. What’s the best part about Pet Projects? You can actually expand your Pet Project more! Or have more than one at the same time! (I have 4 running as of right now.) Expand into a career, side job, or just keep it a hobby. The main point is to get it rolling enough to show it off to the world. Hope you enjoyed this week’s article. Please let us know what your Pet Project is in the comments!  Power of the List: Habit List
Do you remember your New Year’s Resolution? I sure don’t, I can’t even remember my New Year’s Night. Let alone that. Have you ever wondered why you just can’t seem to stick with it? Besides the fact that I have better things to do? Well the answer is simple. Lay it on me. You just don’t have a Habit list that keeps track of what behaviors you’re trying to build into your life. Just that simple, huh? Just what is a Habit list…? It is a list of behaviors you would like to instill in your daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly life. You’re very creative with the name… And unlike New Year’s Resolutions, which are one-time half-hearted promises to yourself. The Habit List is effective in helping you transform your actions into what you want. Hey! How’d you know I didn't mean it…? And with the help of a Habit List and a little dedication. Your New Year’s Resolution will BECOME your Daily Resolution. Fine… if I have to… But just why do New Year Resolutions fail…? They fail because most people don’t have the reinforcers that trigger the behavior you want… like your New Year’s Resolution. Duh. To know more about how to build or replace your habits then check out my article on Habit Formation. Is that all? Just how do I inculcate the Habit List into my daily life…? Well for the habit list to be most effective in your daily life. You have to already have a planner or schedule that you can place your new habits. Having a planner and set way to ensure you do things regularly is the easiest way to incorporate new habits into your life. Well I do like to write stuff down… Simply add the habit you want to your regular schedule. Like yoga. If you want to do yoga every day, then do it immediately after you wake up. This will make it that much easier as waking up is your trigger activity and yoga will feel good after a long night of rest. This reward will motivate you to keep it up until your yoga-ing all day ere day. No… not yoga… maybe walking my dog. He likes walks. The beauty of the habit list as it keeps track of each one of the behaviors you want to pick up and implant into your muscle memory. And the events on this list revolve and do not get eliminated until you know for sure that the habit you want is instituted in your routine which can take a few days to many months. Nobody has time for that! Below is an example: Habit list: 1. Use phone schedule to eliminate written schedule 2. Read 1 book a month 3. Type an hour a day 4. Study Chinese an hour a day 5. Workout 4 times a week Closing… Therefore, I work out 5 times a week. Do yoga 3 times a week. Practice Typing 2 times a week. Practice my Chinese 2 times a week. Read 1 book a month. Write my blog once a week. Maybe, I do have time for that. What the heck! I'll give it a shot. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. What New Year Resolutions are you going to add to your habits list?  The Epic End
In recompense for discovering the six ways to be successful. Our Everyman, Joe, became successful. He trumped each obstacle in his path in an intimidating environment from bosses, coworkers, meetings, and presentations. He overcame his internal fear, opening his mind to teamwork, accepting others points of view. Building on each lesson to grow and become better than he was. Starting out small by not letting the world intimidate him anymore, he changed the way he did things to get great work done easily and effectively, adapting himself to each new scenario as it came. Adapting himself by opening his mind to others, helping him build his teamwork and eventually his leadership skills. And leveraging his growing confidence, he snuffed out his fear of public speaking. With the downfall of his fear of public speaking, nothing stood in his way. He made great presentations, closed accounts, and quickly was given more and more responsibility. This continued and continued for a year until he became the flagship employee for the company and was first in line for promotion. With the foundation he set a year ago, he was quickly able to achieve his goals. No longer stuck in the 3 year rut. No longer the pass-over for promotion. No longer the docile Joe who let people and things walk over him. He was Joe. The Champion. Our Everyman. Did you enjoy our story of Joe? Then let me know and I will do another segment on another Everyday hero. |
AuthorLucas Thomas, professional writer, entrepreneur, and business owner. Archives
October 2016
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