Just like the seasons, life is ever-changing, so it’s not abnormal or unhealthy for your wants and desires to shift also. Regardless of what anyone else has to say, you are always allowed to change your mind, and that also goes for your goals. If you have drifted from your original goals for 2016, or aren’t really sure if you have or haven’t, use the 3 steps below to achieve them before you bid a farewell to 2016…
1.) Ask yourself if your desires have shifted. Stop and think about that for a long hard second. Do you still want the same things you did in January? Perhaps your true desires have in fact changed, but you might still hold yourself to an old blueprint that leaves you feeling heavy and uncertain of your future. Perhaps you wanted a promotion, but at your core you actually wanted a career change. Maybe you wanted to move to a new city, but now you’ve met a new special someone who lives in your current town. The point is that life is short and we all have to expect the unexpected. We can plan all we want, but we don’t know exactly what will happen today, tomorrow, or the next. So it’s totally okay if your desires change, because life changes! 2.) Write down three specific things you really, really want. If you want to move towards what you want, you first need to figure out what you want. Perhaps you realize that you do want the same things as you did in January; awesome! Maybe you realize that your wants have totally changed. Either way, figuring out what you want is necessary to get what you want. So now ask yourself what three things you need to change between now and December to get what you want? Be as specific as you possibly can, and remember, no one knows what you truly want but you. 3. Set goals (and a timeline) for each desire. You have two months left in 2016 to change your life. Maybe that doesn’t seem like a long time, but you can get a lot more accomplished than you may think. You know what you want (review step 2), now map out a timeline and a plan to crush those goals. Below are 3 different scenarios, followed by what action steps you could start taking immediately. Scenario 1: You want to travel abroad. What action steps can you start taking immediately? – Research flights and hotels online. – Start setting aside money for the trip and creating a budget. – Buy the ticket. Scenario 2: Earn money by selling your DIY jewellery online. – Promote your side-gig and jewellery to your Facebook friends. – Offer free jewellery pieces to 5 Instagram influencers or friends in exchange for social media exposure. – Promote your one-of-a-kind jewellery everywhere you can. Scenario 3: Get a raise at work. – Create a project at work to show that you’re going the extra mile to your manager. – Continue working harder and smarter. – When the timing feels right, ask your boss for a brief meeting where you share your salary increase request and why you feel that you deserve it. The beautiful thing is that if you’re truly inspired and motivated, you could probably do all of this in one month (or less). If you’re not feeling incredibly motivated at the moment, remember that our frustrations and lows are not meant to crush us, but to guide us and shape our future. The negatives are what convinces us to get out of the passenger seat and take action in our lives. If you do these 3 steps, you’ll see the power of reconnecting and becoming aligned with your desires; it’s truly magical. Only when we get clear on what we really want and remind ourselves of just how capable we are, we radiate motivation and can’t help but take action. Those are the moments when you truly become unstoppable. So if you are starting this fall filled with confusion and discontent, remember the purpose of any negatives you’re currently going through are not to make you suffer; those negatives exist to push you to action. Now, get ready, get set, go and get down to business.
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The most important part of each and every day is when you wake from your sleep to greet the morning. It’s certainly no secret that how we start our day serves as a precursor to the hours that follow. Knowing this, and knowing some situations and life-happenings were beyond my control, I wanted to know how to control what I could; my attitude, my thoughts, and myself. I wanted to know how successful people start their day; successful people who were not only rich in money, but in happiness.
After peeking into the lives of people I look up to, I started connecting the dots when I saw similar tricks they all shared to start their days with a heavy dose of positive. The more I put my new findings into practice, the brighter my days (even the trickier ones) got. So what’s the secret to a happy morning and even happier days? Here are 4 ways to kick off your day on a happy note: 1. Have a routine. To no surprise, productive days don’t just happen by accident. The most successful people I know have a consistent morning routine, and that’s what helps them thrive. Why is this so important? Because we may or may not control our destiny, but we can control the first hour or two of our day. I have learned through personal experience that by taking control of my first waking moments, I am more than likely going to see a day that will follow suit in being more in control. 2. Start a little earlier. Waking up a little earlier has done wonderful things for my life, so I wasn’t surprised when I discovered that the successful people I look up to do this also. The key to a good morning routine is getting going at a time before other people need your time. Now, I never used to be an early rise, and I truly never believed that I would be a morning person, but if there is a will there is way! The truth is that no one is naturally a morning person. But when you see the positive rewards of setting your alarm earlier than usual, a shift happens and you see that it’s worth it. So just try waking up at 5 AM a few days in a row, and I’m almost certain you’ll learn how to be a morning person. 3. Read something positive first thing. Going straight to your inbox first thing in the morning is absolutely the wrong way to start the day. Not that everything in your email is a negative, but what you read first thing will set your tone for the day. Instead, start your days off by reading something positive, and will radiate good vibes throughout the rest of the day. This simple step will set the tone for your mind and your life. 4. Centre on gratitude. As we all know, words carry great power. The words we choose heavily impact every aspect of our lives. If you don’t think so, try this: Next time you have had a bad day, take time to analyse why and I can almost guarantee you’ll be able to draw a straight line back to either reading, thinking, or saying something negative at the start of your day. Our first words of each and every day should be ones of gratitude. Most successful people will agree that it is difficult to have a bad day if you are in a state of gratitude. So say out loud the things you are grateful for right when you wake up, and see the impact it’ll make. Even if you’re a person like me who loves variety and detests routine, having a morning routine has set a positive tone for my life. These are practices that haven’t just worked for me, but have also worked in successful people’s lives, and I’m almost positive they can help anyone get to where they want to be in life. You can tell that the presidential race is heating up because the attack ads are heating up too. In the past, much of political advertising happened on the television. If you didn't like it, you could change the channel. This election involves social media more than any other I can remember. Last week, Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee for president, sent this out on her Twitter account: Usually, the candidates choose to release their tax returns if they are running for president. Donald Trump has elected, so far, not to do this.
Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, or you’re already on your way, we all need a little motivation, something to take us to inspiration station when we are in need of it the most. Perhaps Hollywood does glorify entrepreneurship a bit, but we all know that every now and then a reminder of why we started in the first place is needed. Here are 8 movies every entrepreneur should watch to get a heavy dose of inspiration:
1. Office Space This American comedy will always be a goodie. Office Space highlights corporate culture of a software company in the 90’s, touching upon work relationships and office politics. At the very least, this film will give you a chuckle, but I’m also fairly confident that it’ll get you thinking about leadership and team-building techniques. The entrepreneur-ish topics covered in the film include corporate culture, mentorship, career development, work-life balance, personnel retention, team-building techniques and management of information technology. 2. Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room This flick is a 2005 documentary based on the best-selling book of the same name by reporters Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind, which touches upon one of the largest business scandals in American history — the collapse of the Enron Corporation. This is a must watch for the history buffs out there, or anyone looking for a thought-provoking and shocking example of modern corporate corruption. The entrepreneur-ish topics covered in the film include: putting reports together, off-shore diversification, accounting, business ethics and agency problems. 3. The Devil Wears Prada The Devil Wears Prada will motivate you to take the plunge, and pursue your dream job. Seriously, this movie lights a fire under my bum every time. It’s a movie that shows how to handle uncomfortable situations, how to navigate worlds that seem unfamiliar, and how hard work pays off eventually. It’s also an interesting window into the fashion industry and will teach you a thing or two on how to work your way up the corporate ladder. The entrepreneur-ish topics covered in the film include: sales and branding techniques, as well as the importance of media, and career development. 4. Thank You For Smoking Thank You For Smoking is the perfect film for a marketing savvy entrepreneur or someone who wants to learn a few tricks on how to sell just about any product. The film tells the story of tobacco industry lobbyist Nick Naylor who creatively spins arguments to defend the cigarette industry in the most challenging of situations. This is a great watch for those wanting to learn a few things about crisis management, corporate communications, PR and negotiation tactics. Topics covered include public relations, marketing and advertising campaigns, crisis management, corporate communications and effective negotiations skills. 5. Erin Brockovich This legal drama is based on the true story of a woman who, against all odds, helps win the largest settlement ever paid in a direct-action lawsuit. The film embodies female empowerment and underscores the importance of sticking to one’s scruples even in the face of obstacles. It touches upon themes like social responsibility, sustainable business models and gender biases in business. The entrepreneur-ish topics covered in the film include: both corporate social responsibility and sustainable business models. 6. Wall Street Wall Street is about Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), an ambitious stockbroker who navigates the economic roller coaster of Wall Street, adopting the “greed is good” mantra. This movie is a window into corporate finance, portfolio management, investment law principles and capital markets. More telling is the story of a young, susceptible mind, showing how easy it is to get carried away with the glamorous lifestyle that accompanies wealth. The entrepreneur-ish topics covered in the film include: company valuations, finance, portfolio management, investment law principles, mergers and acquisitions, business ethics, and capital markets. 7. Catch Me If You Can Based on a true story, Catch me if You Canis a classic film that exemplifies the entrepreneurial journey. It touches upon important themes like creative problem solving, turning something good out of a bad situation, and the good ol’ hustle to reach success. The entrepreneur-ish topics covered in the film include: funding, innovation, creativity, perseverance, vision, and sales techniques. 8. Startup.com Startup.com is a 2001 documentary that examines the rise and fall of the real-life startup GovWorks that raised $60 million from Hearst Interactive Media, KKR, the New York Investment Fund, and Sapient. It’s good viewing to better understand the boom and bust of the dotcom period and serves as a cautionary tale on how friendships can easily be threatened by business partnerships. The entrepreneur-ish topics covered in the film include: finance for entrepreneurs, growth management, capital raising, management skills, and team building. Leverage is simply doing more with less. When I mention leverage in this context, money is what people think of most often. Loans, mortgages, other people’s money – all are forms of leverage based on money. While this type of leverage is important, it is equally important to use other forms of leverage in your wealth strategy. Here are 4 ways to add leverage to your wealth strategy:
I always hear people say they want to get rich, but those same people often don’t want to put in the required work to make it happen. Investing in things like an online business can and will create passive income, if you get in the habit of doing what you need to do. Just like with any sport; you don’t go into a game or boxing match without a lot of training and conditioning under your belt. Here are 6 habits that helped condition me to become financially free, and can help you get there too:
Are you having a bad day, or feeling miserable? We’ve all been there. There are times when things don’t seem to go our way no matter how we try or what we do. Most people don’t know how to shake the negativity and stay stuck there all day. But what if I told you that you alone have the power to turn your day and your bad mood around? Here’s how to turn a bad day around, or just keep positive energy flowing:
Competition might seem like a sore subject to some, but it doesn’t have to be mortal combat with anyone who gets in your way. If you view competition as people you can learn from, rather than people that are holding you back, there are truthful lessons each and every one of us can learn from even our greatest adversary.
I’m sure you’ve heard the words "high risk, high reward". When working with my old boss/mentor, I made a huge distinction about pushing and risk taking. You have to take risks. Why is that? Because by not taking risks, you actually risk not finding that extra gear, that next level of who you can be. The result of not taking risks is accepting your current level of performance and choosing to maintain it. But the world we live in is not static, and by trying to maintain, you’re actually falling backwards. There is no neutral gear in life.
I think one of the biggest issues people have today is winding up working at jobs they hate, and why do they end up in that predicament? Because they start careers without finding out what they’re passionate about first, or they ignore what they do like and are talented at. If you were to ask a large group of successful people why they’re successful, I can confidently guarantee that most of them will say because what they do doesn’t feel like a job, and they’re passionate about it.
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