Global Marketing: ideas

Showing posts with label ideas. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

What I Do When I Feel Like Giving Up

I am struggling today. If you’ve ever struggled to be consistent with something you care about, maybe my struggle with resonate with you too.

It has been 939 days since November 12, 2012. That’s the date when I first published an article on JamesClear.com and it’s almost 2 years and 7 months ago. During these 939 mostly glorious, sometimes frustrating days, I have written a new post every Monday and Thursday. Week after week. Month after month. Year after year.

But today? Well, today I am struggling. Today, I don’t feel like writing. Today, I don’t feel like sticking to the routine. Today, I don’t feel like I have any great ideas and I don’t feel like I have enough time to make the good ideas great. Today, I feel like giving up.

Research from the University of Pennsylvania has shown that grit is the characteristic linked most closely to success. I could use some grit today.

Here’s what I try to remind myself of when I feel like giving up…

Your Mind is a Suggestion Engine

Consider every thought you have as a suggestion, not an order. Right now, my mind is suggesting that I feel tired. It is suggesting that I give up. It is suggesting that I take an easier path.

If I pause for a moment, however, I can discover new suggestions. My mind is also suggesting that I will feel very good about accomplishing this work once it is done. It is suggesting that I will respect the identity I am building when I stick to the schedule. It is suggesting that I have the ability to finish this task, even when I don’t feel like.

Remember, none of these suggestions are orders. They are merely options. I have the power to choose which option I follow.

Discomfort Is Temporary

Relative to the time in your normal day or week, nearly any habit you perform is over quickly. Your workout will be finished in an hour or two. Your report will be typed to completion by tomorrow morning. This article will be finished in just a moment.

Life is easier now than it has ever been. 300 years ago, if you didn’t kill your own food and build your own house, you would die. Today, we whine about forgetting our iPhone charger.

Maintain perspective. Your life is good and your discomfort is temporary. Step into this moment of discomfort and let it strengthen you.

You Will Never Regret Good Work Once It is Done

Theodore Roosevelt famously said, “Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” So often it seems that we want to work easily at work worth doing. We want our work to be helpful and respected, but we do not want to struggle through our work. We want our stomachs to be flat and our arms to be strong, but we do not want to grind through another workout. We want the final result, but not the failed attempts that precede it. We want the gold, but not the grind.

Anyone can want a gold medal. Few people want to train like an Olympian.

And yet, despite our resistance to it, I have never found myself feeling worse after the hard work was done. There have been days when it was damn hard to start, but it was always worth finishing. Sometimes, the simple act of showing up and having the courage to do the work, even in an average manner, is a victory worth celebrating.

This Is Life

Life is a constant balance between giving into the ease of distraction or overcoming the pain of discipline. It is not an exaggeration to say that our lives and our identities are defined in this delicate balance. What is life, if not the sum of a hundred thousand daily battles and tiny decisions to either gut it out or give it up?

This moment when you don’t feel like doing the work? This is not a moment to be thrown away. This is not a dress rehearsal. This moment is your life as much as any other moment. Spend it in a way that will make you proud.

Let the World Decide

So, what do I do when I feel like giving up? I show up.

Do I show up at my best? I doubt it. But my job isn’t to judge how good or how bad I am.

My job is to do the work and let the world decide.

For useful ideas on improving your mental and physical performance, join his free weekly newsletter.

James Clear

Thursday, June 4, 2015

10 Reasons To Start A Business After College Instead Of Finding A Job

It’s true: Anyone can get a nine-to-five job right out of college.

But most of the time, it doesn’t happen to be a job people are happy about or want to work at.

They spend hours at a desk, working on projects that have no meaning to their lives and sitting on paychecks they may have no idea what to do with.

They only get two weeks of vacation, and they can only take it when it is okay with the rest of the company.

Why people choose this life after four years of hard work is beyond me.

But, maybe I’m incorrect. I’ve never had a typical nine-to-five job, and it isn’t something I want to have. Months after graduating college, I started a business of my own, and I would never change my decision.

Starting my own business empowered me to live my life the way I want to.

Instead of working for someone who doesn’t have your best interests at heart, why not work for yourself? Here are 10 reasons to give it a shot:

1. You know your work habits.

No one understands how you work better than you do. Why work for someone who probably won’t respect that? You know how much work you can get done, and you know how smart you are.

Apply that to the business you’ve been dying to start instead of a business that doesn’t want to apply itself to you.

2. You’ll learn to work smarter.

At a regular job, you may learn how to work smarter rather than harder. But, since it isn’t your money you’re toying around with, you probably won’t be trying too hard to get things done very quickly.

When you start your own business, you have to learn how to do a lot of jobs in a short amount of time. You’ll become more efficient, leaving you with more time to get other things done.

3. You’ll understand the value of hard work.

Being an entrepreneur is the most challenging job on the planet. But, it is also the most rewarding. All of the hours and labor you put into your business will pay off.

You’ll appreciate when you make a profit and you will want to continue working harder to get higher numbers. You will never take another hour in the day for granted because you know that time could be generating profit.

4. You’ll gain better sales and networking skills.

When starting a business, you’ll have to find the right people to help you. You’ll have to learn how to talk to people and how to sell your business if you want to survive.

At a regular job, someone else may be doing the work for you, which won’t benefit you later on when you move up the chain. You’ll learn how to gain stronger relationships, and those will pay off when you need help with anything.

5. You’ll work on your own schedule.

No one will tell you what time to come into work. You will be your own boss, so you will determine when you need to start work and when you can be done for the day.

You no longer have to work incredibly late, unless you decide to. While this is a blessing, it can also be a curse. However, you will reap the benefits of this curse later on.

6. You only have so many years of energy.

If you wait until later in life to start a business, it may be too late. If you plan on having kids, think twice. Having kids and launching a startup don’t mix well.

If you get started sooner, having a family or having an early retirement will be a lot easier down the road.

7. You have nothing to lose.

Because you’re fresh out of college, you most likely don’t yet own many things or have many people riding on your paychecks.

So, why not start something while you have a bit of time to be selfish? You won’t have to take a mortgage on your house or sell a car to start the business quite yet.

8. You’re fresh with ideas.

I’m not saying the older you get, the fewer ideas you have. You’re just more likely to act on crazy ideas now rather than later. You may second guess your idea to start a business 20 years from now.

You’ve had years to generate tons of ideas, and you’ve learned tons of strategies.

So, why not start putting them to use rather than waiting years to be promoted at some company that may not acknowledge your opinions?

9. You’ll get smarter.

Because you’ll have to learn every aspect of the business, you’ll become smarter about starting a business rather than working a corporate job.

You’ll become an accountant, a marketer, a salesman and all sorts of other positions. No one else will be able to handle your amount of work quite as well as you.

10. You’ll be doing what you love.

So many people out of college succumb to a life of banality because they are told that’s what they have to do. Don’t be that person.

You’ve always known what you want to do, so why not do it? Don’t work a job that sucks. Create your own career.

Liz Rae

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

You'll Never Hear Successful People Say These 15 Phrases

If you want to become more successful as an entrepreneur or in your career, you can start by making a habit of talking and thinking more like the people you know or read about who are already successful.

Here are some phrases you’ll never hear a successful person say:

1. "We can't do that."

One thing that makes people and companies successful is the ability to make solving their customers’ problems and demands their main priority. If a need arises repeatedly, the most successful people learn how to solve it as quickly as they can.

2. "I don't know how."

Instead of automatically shutting down solution-finding, successful people learn what they can in order to succeed in a project or in their career. For example, you would never see a truly successful international business consultant who travels to Italy multiple times per year refusing to learn Italian.

3. "I don’t know what that is."

Pleading ignorance doesn’t make the problem go away. It just makes the asker find someone who is able to work with them to solve the problem. While’s it’s always good to be honest with those you interact with, finishing this phrase with “but I’ll find out” is a surefire way to become more successful.

4. "I did everything on my own."

The best people know to surround themselves with others who are smart, savvy and as dedicated as they are. What makes this work is always giving credit where it’s due, as due credit to you will always come back in hand. Recognize those that have helped you or made an impact and you’ll continue to earn success and recognition yourself.

5. "That's too early."

You would never hear Benjamin Franklin or someone such as Steve Jobs say, “that is too early for me to be there.” If there is a networking meeting, project launch or interview opportunity at the very beginning of the day, the most successful people do what it takes to be there. Part of being successful is being at the right place at the right time, no matter if you’re a morning bird or night owl.

6. "That’s too late."

Along the same lines, if you’re asked to a 9 p.m. dinner by a potential business partner, and you can make it, definitely go. You may be tired the next day, but the connections you will make during a small dinner or after-hours meeting can make all the difference when it comes to your career or next project.

7. "It's too bad we couldn't work together."

Truly hitting it off with someone can be a rare occurrence, but if you truly connect with someone and want to work with them, find a way to make it work. Finding people that you really enjoy communicating with don’t come along too often, so whether it’s a case study or a new business, successful people know that working with those who truly align with your personality and interests are the path to true success.

8. "Let's catch up sometime."

Many times, this phrase is said as filler, without any true follow up. Successful people know that if they really want to catch up with someone, they follow up to make it happen. This also builds on the idea that the most successful people have worked hard to build genuine connections and relationships within their network, without any hidden agenda. Nurturing your network means being thoughtful of others, while keeping your relationships with them on top of your mind.

9. "I'm sorry, I'm too busy."

If an opportunity comes their way, successful people do what it takes to make it happen. Sure, this might mean longer hours occasionally, but if you want something to work, that is what it takes. After all, according to Lao-Tzu: "Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time,’ is like saying, ‘I don’t want to.’”

10. "That was all my idea."

Again, as mentioned in number four, the most successful people spread the wealth when it comes to doling out praise from a successful project. No idea is truly one’s own -- it’s a sum of their experiences from interacting and building off of collaborative ideas with a team. Doling out praise and encouragement is a crucial part of building a successful company and culture.

11. "I never read books."

Tom Corley of Rich Habits found that rich people read (and listen to) books at a much higher rate than poor people: “63 percent of wealthy parents make their children read two or more non-fiction books a month vs. 3 percent of poor.” Also, “63 percent of wealthy listen to audio books during commute to work vs. 5 percent of poor people.” Reading non-fiction (as well as fiction) can help reduce stress, enhance creativity and boost your memory.

12. "I'm not good enough."

Part of being successful is having a high sense of self-worth. Being yourself is one trait that promises success in business and your personal life. Follow your true interests. What you would do in your life if you didn’t need money?

13. "It's OK." (over and over)

Successful people know when to walk away and stop taking excuses from others. If there is a bottleneck and something (or someone) is preventing you from completing a project on time, build up your business, or move you forward in your goals, then it’s time to set boundaries and decide to limit your involvement.

14. "If our competitors don't have it, then we don't need it."

Copying competitors is one of the many possible deaths for most companies. True innovation comes from the flip side: figuring out what competitors aren’t doing and fill that niche to answer a need in the industry.

15. "Time off is for suckers."

True success should be seen as a well-rounded approach, one with vacations, weekends with friends and family and hours of downtime on the weekdays. While workload varies for everyone at times, taking vacation can make you better at your job.

Sometimes to get to where you want to be, the best and easiest thing to do is to simply follow the examples that others set for you.

What phrases are you going to eliminate from your day-to-day conversations and thinking?

Sujan Patel

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Are You a Manager or a Leader?

Over the past 15 years of building my real estate business, I've come to learn there's a huge difference between managers and leaders. Too often these words are used interchangeably. I've seen managers who are, in fact, leaders and so-called business leaders who are really nothing more than managers.

The nuances in meaning are slight, but the business results produced by the two are drastically different. If you search online for the definition of a manager, Google defines it as "a person responsible for controlling or administering all or part of a company or similar organization."

A leader is simply someone who leads.

A manager controls. A leader leads.

It has been my experience that the companies that make a dent in the universe are the ones that are led not controlled by people.

Are you a manager or a leader? Here are four simple ways to find out:

1. Being open to new ideas.

I will admit that there have been times in my career when I have actually caught myself saying, "That's the way it's always been done" to someone. When I do, I know I am trying to control not lead.

When employees or customers challenge the status quo of the way your organization does things, this is an opportune time to let them lead.

Your employees and customers have great ideas, ones that can make your company better. Instead of always saying or thinking, "We do it this way because that's the way we've always done it," challenge yourself to stop controlling the situation and let someone else have a stab at making the company better.

2. Viewing the competiton to learn from it.

"Our competitors are awful," a manager might say. If you're thinking or saying that the competitors are awful, you're a manager. Managers like to control things and one thing they can't control in business is the competition.

A leader, on the other hand sees that competition can make a company stronger. Leaders pay attention to what the competition is doing right and what rivals are doing wrong, so that they can learn new and better ways to build their own business.

Leaders realize that the competition is not awful. It's just different. When explaining their company's value proposition, leaders can eloquently detail how the competition's value proposition differs from their own, without saying anything negative about the other company.

3. Embracing the input of staff.

Managers don't ask others for their opinion because by doing so, control is lost. Leaders love using technology like the online-polling tool Survey Monkey so they can poll team members for ideas and advice about everything.

I learned this the hard way. I used to control and manage everything in my business from the planning of events to the training and marketing. When you start to see low attendance at your events and training or find that few are embracing your new ideas, it's time to start asking for help.

I survey members of my team about everything, including what training to offer, how the marketing should look and when and where to host events. By doing this, I get a consensus about what's important to them.

When people are engaged in the decision-making process, they are more likely to embrace whatever organizational endeavors the leader is working on. Even if you have some staffers who don't agree with the final decision, they appreciate having been asked their opinion, which means they're more likely to embrace the initiative even if they don't agree with it.

4. Not needing the final word.

Managers like control and one of the ways they retain it is by analyzing most decision-making processes with an assumption that they are right most of the time.

Leaders approach things from a different viewpoint, one in which the assumption is that they don't have all the answers and the best way to find the best answers is through collaboration with others on the team.

Stacey Alcorn