10 Useful Books On Time Management Recommended By Entrepreneurs

We all know that the most precious resource in life is time. Once lost, you can never rewind the clock. For entrepreneurs, this pressure is enhanced.

Having an idea and a vision for a business requires courage. Launching that business, in a world where many are satisfied with their comfort zones, requires guts. Once you’ve launched the business, the goal is to be consistent. Success is directly related to consistency.

Consistency is the direct result of how you manage your time.

Here are 10 awesome resources on time management that have been recommended by successful entrepreneurs.

1. The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

This is an awesome resource that jolts everything you’ve ever learned about the time needed to build a successful career. Personally, I was shell-shocked when I first heard of a “4-hour workweek.” At the time, I could hardly get through the typical 9-5.

I read the book and my life has never been the same. I’ve managed to escape the rate race, work less hours, and live life to the fullest.

Joel Bomgar, founder and CEO of Bomgar, had the following to say about the book:

“The productivity principles and philosophy of productivity and effectiveness encompassed in [The 4-Hour Work Week] are powerful. I read it a few years back and it was one of the most life-transforming books I’ve ever read.”

2. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki

This is another fantastic resource that shifts your paradigm and mindset. This book taught me that income-generating assets usually provide healthier bottom-line results than even the best of traditional jobs. This might not always mean millions of dollars in your bank account, but it may give you that priceless time freedom.

Dane Maxwell, founder of an incredible resource called The Foundation – a community of over 60,000 entrepreneurs – had this to say:

“It all started when I read the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad. I’m not a typically really super intelligent guy so I really appreciated the simplistic way that Rich Dad, Poor Dad explained financial wealth. He talked about passive income and not exchanging time for money.”

3. No B.S. Time Management For Entrepreneurs by Dan Kennedy

Being an entrepreneur is tough. You’ve got to set some serious targets upfront. You might not achieve them all, but you have to gun for them.

This book gives you three incredibly powerful tips and targets:

• Self-discipline is the magic power that makes you unstoppable
• Avoid the time vampires that want to suck you dry
• As an entrepreneur, your time is worth $340 per hour

It is impossible to start as $340-per-hour entrepreneur. But, it should certainly be your target as you grow.

Paul Gallipeau, Digital Marketing entrepreneur, has this as one of his highly recommended reads.

4. In Praise of Slowness by Carl Honore

We live in an unnecessarily fast-paced world. In Praise of Slowness advocates for the reversal of a fast-forward mentality and lifestyle. It entrenches a culture revolution against the notion that faster is always better.

For any entrepreneur, this is a must-read.

There are too many opportunities out there. There are opportunities within opportunities. In the midst of all these opportunities, you need to slow down and have a clearly defined vision that will help you avoid growing into a chaotic entrepreneur.

This is a resource highly recommended by Joe Griffin, co-founder of iAcquire.

5. Priorities: Resources for Changing Lives by James C. Petty

This book addresses time management from a spiritual perspective.

I’m a huge advocate for the idea that less is more. I truly believe you can get more done by doing less. The success of this theory all lies in your ability to prioritize. Not everything that screams for your attention is important. You need to proactively ignore things that are not your most urgent priorities.

With this resource, James C. Petty helps bring focus into frazzled lives. Using the “Assessing My Priorities” worksheet, he walks you through the process of organizing time under the categories of God, the people of God, and God’s work in the world. With sound biblical advice and practical applications, this booklet demonstrates ways in which you can reduce unnecessary stress, identify true priorities, and begin to get your overbooked schedule under control.

6. On The Shortness Of Life by Seneca

Recommended by Tim Ferriss, the incredible entrepreneur and author of The 4-Hour Work Week, this resource highlights that we have more than enough time to live our lives to the fullest.

Unfortunately, we waste much of it.

The book teaches how you can live a more fulfilled life by tweaking your perspective on time management.

7. Organize Yourself by Kate Kelly

Shifting your paradigm and mindset is important. That’s the reason why most of these books are geared at changing the way you think about the relationship between time and entrepreneurship. This book is about shifting your thinking about execution. Before execution, you need a plan. You need to be organized.

This book will help you get organized by providing you with essential rules for better time, money, space, and paper management. It reveals a professional organizer’s proven techniques for streamlining daily life. It provides fast, effective methods for dealing with common clutter, along with helping you to overcome procrastination and other organizational ailments.

8. Time Efficiency Makeover by Dorothy K. Breininger

We all are prone to procrastination at some point or other in our entrepreneurial journey. When things are not going quite according to how you planned, it is all too easy to get distracted.

This book will help you to decide whether procrastination is a real problem or if you are experiencing other life challenges. For true procrastinators, this book is filled with step-by-step guidelines on how to stop putting off those home and work projects, unpaid bills, and neglected relationships.You will understand what is holding you back and how to keep focused and motivated on present and future events. A must-read for anyone who wants to improve the efficiency and satisfaction of their lives.

Phil McGraw, an American television personality, author, psychologist, and the host of the television show Dr. Phil, highly recommends this resource and has the following to say:

“These guys really know how to get things set up to maximize your time. They absolutely can create time that seems to come from nowhere.”

9. How Did I Get So Busy? by Burton Valorie

I was once a busy bee and quickly realized that being busy was not necessarily the most effective way to reach my destiny. As the editor at Run For Wealth, a Nike Run Club Coach, and an online marketer, I have to constantly have to find the true balance between business versus productivity.

I highly recommend this resource because it’s a simple and effective way to rediscover your true priorities, shift out of overdrive, and reclaim your life and schedule.

10. Aligned Thinking: Make Every Moment Count by Jim Steffen

Ultimately, we all want to live a fulfilled life. Having a great paradigm shift and being organized means nothing if you can’t make every moment count.

This book, written in the style of a simple fable, helps you to develop practical ways to focus on what’s important now and make the moment count.

Conclusion

As an entrepreneur, you’ll come across many challenges. But, the biggest challenge will often be the issue of using your time effectively – especially early on in your entrepreneurial journey. This is the time when you’ll feel obliged to make everyone happy.

Time is a precious resource. For those who truly understand its value, it often seems like they are living in a cocoon.

You are not living in a cocoon. As an entrepreneur, you are in the minority, but it’s fine. I hope this list of resources will help you find comfort in the fact that being in the minority probably means you are well on your way to a fantastic and successful entrepreneurial journey.

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10 Secrets Of Life Steve Jobs Would Want You To Know

Whenever I see this picture of some guy paying tribute to Steve Jobs at a ceremony; instead of being sad, I feel nostalgic that Jobs’ legacy will live on as long as technology reigns.

“No great man lives in vain. The history of the world is but the biography of great men.” – Thomas Carlyle

Every great life gives you a myriad of lessons. If you are keen enough to learn from them, then you are destined towards greatness too. Here are 10 secrets of life Steve Jobs would want you to know.

1. “What would Steve Jobs do?”

During the absence of Steve, whenever they had a problem in Apple, insiders would tackle the problem by contemplating, “What would Steve do in this situation?” Jobs immediately chucked off that notion by declaring that, “we can never take present decisions basing on the past examples.” Instead, he encouraged them to do what they are actually supposed to do. So, Apple has become invincible even after Steve’s death.

A secret from Steve Jobs – “No one answer fits every scenario, you have to constantly explore.”

2. Simplicity is achieved through complexity

Somehow we feel that achieving simplicity is far easier than being complex. As Einstein famously puts it, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” True. You can only achieve simplicity after passing through confusing phases of complexity.

A secret from Steve Jobs – “Be simple, aim to be simple for greatness resides in simplicity.”

3. Sell people their dreams, not your products or services

Never ever sell your products or services. Just sell people their dreams. Make it so that they are crazy not to worship your brand. That’s what happened with Apple. Steve just showed the way to the dreams we had. To put it simply, we believed in him. He never asked us to purchase Apple products. They just empowered us with the technology to achieve.

A secret from Steve Jobs – “You just have to change the perspective. Make your brand personal.”

4. Going minimal is the key

Minimalism is the new habit now. Have you ever noticed that all the Apple products come without a manual  and with minimal packaging? That’s because, Jobs believed in being minimal and simply executed it.

A secret from Steve Jobs – “The secret of happiness is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.”

5. Provide them with social currency

Just as people use money to buy products or services, they also use social currency to achieve desired positive impressions among their families, friends, and colleagues. You need to leverage your dynamics to give people ways to achieve and provide visible symbols or status that they can show to others, just like Apple.

A secret from Steve Jobs – “Make people feel good, they will follow you.”

6. Discard the obvious

“There are thousand no’s for every yes. We simplify, we perfect and we start over until everything we touch enhances each life it touches. Only then do we sign our work.” – Apple

Discarding the obvious choice is the key to Apple’s success. Random choices are obvious, but the perfect choice takes time. You might arrive at your choice, only after discarding many other choices.

A secret from Steve Jobs – “Say ‘NO’ for every ‘YES’ until you reach the desired result. Rise above the mediocrity by discarding obvious choices.

Watch this video, “Working Strategy” of Apple for more secrets.

7. Provide value continuously

Money is what you get when you exchange something of value. Steve Jobs knew this secret pretty well. Take any Apple product, you will have continuous value propositions — be it in the form of iTunes, software updates, free trials, or many others. You will never regret purchasing an Apple product because you receive value propositions throughout its lifetime.

A secret from Steve Jobs – “Be indispensable and provide value. People will follow you but do it as a habit not as a strategy.”

8. Vision is crucial

Check out this video first before examining the vision of a product.

Way back in 1991, Jobs imagined the vision of applications and personal computers for everyone. He even discussed the strategy of providing applications pertaining to every subject of study to empower people in that arena (in the above video). To put it simply, he was 20 years ahead. Envisioning something out of nothing can only be done by a few great souls like Steve.

A secret from Steve Jobs – “Stick on to the vision and believe in it. You will achieve it.”

9. Make lives easy

Steve Jobs made everything easy for consumers. Do you know that all Apple products comes “pre-charged”, so that you can enjoy the product without facing the hassle of waiting for it to get charged before you can enjoy it. This is just one example. Every effort of Steve Jobs had only one goal: to make our lives easy.

“Serve people as much as you can. You have the evidence.” – APPLE

10. Aesthetics matter

Design matters. Often the quality of designed environment determines the quality of life. Jobs believed in it. He constantly hinted that, “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” Beauty is a promise of goodness, it encourages our better sides.

A secret from Steve Jobs – “Good design helps us to be the best version of ourselves. Strive for it.”

Featured photo credit: gNakata via amagico.com

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8 Daily Problems Only Left-Handed People Would Understand

Let’s face it: this world was meant for righties. Being left-handed can be exhausting, and sometimes downright excruciating. But what choice do people have? You can’t train yourself to be right-handed, no matter what the sisters at your old Catholic school believe. Though being left-handed is frustrating, and it makes every day tasks close to impossible, the only thing you can do is to power through it all, and be the best lefty you can be. If you’re a lefty, you’ve probably experienced at least one of these problems since you woke up this morning:

1. They smudge their writing

No matter the medium, left-handed people inevitably face some annoyance when attempting to jot something down. Forget about writing on a whiteboard; they leave a colorful trail in the wake up their beautiful handwriting, rendering it completely illegible. When opening to a new page in a binder, they have to crook their arm at almost a ninety degree angle to be able to start a journal entry; that can’t be comfortable. And even when they rip a sheet of paper out and lay it flat on the desk, they’ll still end up with more graphite on the side of their hand than on the paper. By the end of grade school, most left-handed people would probably prefer to use a computer to transcribe information for the rest of their lives.

2. They click backwards

But after they switch to computers, a whole new set of problems arises. While many mouses are supposedly made for both lefties and righties, many specialty mouses (like for gaming) are built specifically with right-handed people in mind. But that’s not even the real problem. When you’re left-handed, a left-click is a right-click and a right-click is a left-click. There’s no getting around that. It might not be a problem for younger people who have learned to accommodate, but I can’t imagine being left-handed and trying to teach my 60 year old father how to use a computer. It would drive us both out of our minds.

3. They cut backwards

No, you can’t just turn right-handed scissors around. Scissors are built so a natural (right-handed) grip will cause the blades to push slightly together, making for a crisp, straight-edged cut. However, a left-handed person using the same scissors, using the same grip in their left hand, will cause the blades to shift slightly apart. Of course, this will lead to many a torn paper, if it gets cut at all. Note to elementary teachers: invest in a few pairs of left-handed scissors; you’ll save on wasted construction paper in the long run.

4. They hate banks and the post office

Okay, I guess everyone has a certain disdain for these places. But left-handed people have just one more reason to dread the trip to their local bank: the pens on a chain. You probably never thought about it before, but the next time you go to deposit your check, notice where the chain is in relation to the desk. It’s most likely on the right. We’ve gone over the problems lefties face when writing, so just imagine having to deal with smudged ink on a paycheck while also having to either write with a taught string or scrunch their entire body up against the right side of the cubicle.

5. They hate eating in a booth

Even sitting down for dinner with friends is a hassle for a left-handed person. They’ll inevitably hit their friends with more elbows in the half hour it takes to eat than Dennis Rodman coming up for a rebound did throughout an entire basketball game. And, unlike the last few points made in this article, there’s no real way to solve this problem, except to socially isolate the lefties to their own table. But what have we been fighting for this whole time, then?

6. They can’t just pick up a guitar and play

Even Jimi Hendrix had this problem. If a left-handed person wants to jam with his friends, he better bring his own guitar. It might not seem like much of a difference to someone who doesn’t play, but asking a left-handed person to play a right-handed guitar would be like asking a saxophonist to play it upside down, with his left hand where his right hand should be and vice-versa. I guess the good side of this is left-handed people don’t have to worry about anyone else picking up their beloved left-handed guitar.

7. They can never find sports equipment

When I was younger, and before the Internet and Amazon were in full swing, it was absolutely impossible for me to find golf clubs, hockey sticks, or even baseball gloves without my dad driving me to every sporting goods store within a 50 mile radius. Most of the equipment I ended up getting were hand-me-downs from a friend of my dad’s who, as luck would have it (for me, at least), had faced the same problem throughout the years. But there were also times I spent hours looking through shelves at Dick’s Sporting Goods and Modell’s, only to walk away left-handed and empty-handed at the same time.

8. They hear “Oh, you’re a lefty?” every ten minutes

I’m a lefty, and I still do this to other left-handed people. To me, it’s camaraderie. I find solace when I see other left-handed golfers, knowing they’ve been through the same aggravation I have my entire life. But when a righty asks a lefty to state the obvious, it’s more of an acknowledgement that the left-handed person is some freak of nature that should be put on display next to the bearded lady and lizard man. To a right-handed person, their comment probably seems fairly innocuous, but that’s because they haven’t read this list and have no idea what hell left-handed people have lived through.

Featured photo credit: Flickr via farm1.staticflickr.com

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10 Incredibly Weird Things That All Couples Do

When relationships first start, many people go out of their way to try and seem extra normal. However, after some time all couples end up with some pretty weird habits. Don’t feel ashamed – embrace your weird, fun love.

Check out 10 incredibly weird things that all couples do together.

1. Take platonic showers together

Once upon a time, the whole point of you and your partner showering was to do the dirty. Now, you both realize that shower sex is pretty difficult, and now you mostly just shower together for the convenience and company. After all, it is pretty fun to wash someone else’s hair in the shower.

2. Annoy each other for fun

Flicking each other’s ears, putting your cold feet on each other – there are many, many fun ways to annoy your partner. Who knows why it is so much fun to annoy your partner, but it is proof that being in love makes you incredibly patient.

3. Speak in your own language

You and your partner have created your own personal shorthand, replacing words with your own funny abbreviations. When you’re with others, you have to remind yourself not to talk in your secret language, because there is no way anyone would understand what you were talking about.

4. Wear each other’s clothes

The first time you tried on your partner’s jogging bottoms, it was for convenience. Now, you realize how comfy and warm they are, so they moved over to your wardrobe. Your partner isn’t mad, though – they sleep in your old college t-shirt every night.

5. Groom each other

You thought your pimples were the only ones you would squeeze until you met your current partner. Luckily, it doesn’t bother your partner, because they do the exact same thing for you.

6. Have non-stop tickle wars

Nothing makes you laugh more than tickling your partner – other than when they do it to you. It is torture being tickled, but it brings you so much joy to do it to the love of your life. Your partner feels the same way, so the tickle war will probably never end.

7. Talk while brushing your teeth

You never used to try to talk to people while you were brushing your teeth, but now you can’t help it. You always think of important things you need to tell them about, so you use facial expressions, muffled sounds, and sign language to try and let them know what you mean. It’s difficult, but you still keep trying.

8. Do laundry checks

Smelling other people’s clothes is gross right? Not at all – you know your partner’s smell even better than they do, so you’re the perfect person to check if they smell clean. Most of the time, they smell fine and you’re happy to do it – but every so often you take a big whiff and feel like you might pass out. Seriously, how does anyone smell that bad?

9. Scare each other

Seeing your partner smile makes you smile, but seeing your partner scream in fear will crack you up. You both love to jump out at each other and make each other jump. After all, scaring is caring!

10. Finish each other’s sentences

It may seem a bit cheesy and clichéd, but sometimes you know exactly what your partner is thinking. You can predict what they are going to say, and they freak you out when they do the exact same thing. Sometimes, you have whole conversations with facial expressions.

Is this like your relationship or do you know anyone who is in a relationship like this? Comment below to share your thoughts!

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11 Ways Ultra-Productive People Do Things Differently

Do you feel that you aren’t nearly as productive as you would like to be? If so, don’t worry, because there are millions of us just like you. We all have our natural levels of productivity, and there are things that can greatly affect these levels. The trick is to figure out what is keeping us from being productive, and how to counter this problem. Your time is precious, so you need to find hacks that will make you more productive. Where to find such hacks? Of course from the already successful productivity geeks. So, check out these 10 ways to be highly productive:

1. Always Be Prepared

Before they leave the office for the day, productive people get things all set up for the next day, so they are ready to start work as soon as they arrive in the morning. Not only is this one less thing to do, it helps you to be more productive because you are ready to begin the day. Start your day off without distraction by being prepared.

2. Use Project Management Apps

Why spend a lot of time managing projects when there are apps that you can use to set reminders, schedule meetings, and more? If you want a project management app that is easy to use, check out everything you can do with Casual or Basecamp. The applications make it easy to track where you and every member of your team is in the process of completing a task.

3. Delegate Your Responsibilities

Productive people know that they can’t do everything themselves, so they assign certain tasks to other people. When you do this, you can spend more time on the important tasks, and let others do the rest.

4. Set Aside a Specific Time for Emails

If you keep going to your email all the time, you are never going to get anything else done. Set up a time each day that you will devote to checking emails, and unless you are waiting for an important message to come through, don’t look at them for the rest of the day.

5. Prepare to Bite the Bullet

This sounds horrible, doesn’t it? That’s the whole point. This phrase means to do something you really can’t stand doing. Get the worst thing on your to-do list over and done with right away, and you don’t have to think about it again. Putting something off means you may end up wasting more time worrying about it than it would take to get it done.

6. They Know When to Step Back

Not all little emergencies need your attention. The more attention you give to the little things, the less attention you will be giving to the important things. Know when to step back and stop worrying about those little things.

7. Don’t Be Afraid to Say “No”

You don’t have to say “yes” every time someone asks you for something, to do something for them, etc. Saying “no” once in a while will leave you with more time to get things done.

8. Start tp Do Things Now

Procrastination keeps you from being productive, so stop doing it and take care of things now. Respond to that email, return that phone call, or whatever else is demanding your attention.

9. Don’t Try Multitasking

The more you try to do, the less you get done. Multitasking is actually not something to be proud of, because it means that you are never devoting your full attention to any one task. Do one thing at a time, get it done, and then move onto the next.

10. Get Rid of Distractions

With the exception of emergencies, set aside your phone and other devices for several hours each day. You will be surprised to see just how much you can get done when you aren’t looking to your phone and other devices every few seconds.

11. Don’t Waste Time in Meetings

Meetings can drag on for hours, often unnecessarily, and this is time you could be using to be productive. Let everyone know at the beginning of a meeting that you have every intention of sticking to a schedule and finishing the meeting as soon as possible. Don’t let the meeting veer too far off track or you may find yourself spending way too much time on useless topics.

Featured photo credit: Kyle Van Horn via flickr.com

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8 Motivational Quotes To Remind You To Persist

We’ve all been there before, in the deep valley that is the darkest time of our lives. It seems that all hope is gone and we would like to just roll up into a ball on the floor. We label this as a time of adversity.

How do you deal with adversity? What is your mindset when you experience a major setback in your life? It may be an illness, a divorce, the death of a loved one, or the loss of a job. How do you deal with the hardship that is associated with these situations?

Sometimes, all we need are some words of encouragement, something to motivate us through the deep dark valley of despair. Here are eight motivational quotes that will remind you to persist, even when you feel like giving up.

1. Adversity is temporary

“Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.” — Marilyn vos Savant

When going through an adverse situation, we must remember that we are going through a dark tunnel. We are not stopping for a burger and fries along the way. We are moving through as quickly and efficiently as possible — it is not permanent. It does not form who we are, what we’ve done, or what we have to potential to become. It’s a time for rest, reflection and rejuvenation.

2. Stay focused on the positive

“It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” — Aristotle Onassis

We must stay focused on the light at the end of the tunnel. Not giving up and not giving in, but persistently moving our way through to the light. When we understand that this is a temporary setback, our minds will be focused on the positive results.

3. Change your attitude, change your life

“The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.” ~ William James

Maintaining a positive attitude while going through traumatic situations can be a very daunting task. However, it is also a tremendous opportunity to create change in our lives. Changing your attitude can change your thinking, which can change your life. This is an excellent time to surround yourself with positive thoughts, positive emotions, and positive people. During this  time, we may also want to purge ourselves of negative thoughts, negative emotions, and negative people that bring us down.

4. Understand that obstacles bring opportunity

“Opportunity often comes disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat.”  — Napoleon Hill

Adverse situations can be deceiving. Our first inclination is usually to blame others or ourselves for the misery that we are experiencing. The simple fact is that sometimes there is no one to blame. However, it’s important to remember that adverse situations offer an excellent opportunity for us to learn and grow. It is all about your perception. Positive mindset is a key to personal growth.

5. Never give up, you are in good company

“All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me.”  — Walt Disney

If you study the lives of highly successful people, you will normally find that they have gone through many adverse situations to get to the point where they are today. They did not quit in the middle of a setback or a tragedy. They pushed through the rough times knowing each step was bringing them closer to their ultimate goal. If we are to get to the next level, we cannot give up in the middle. We should understand that we are in good company — no one who has ever succeeded has done so without going through some great adversity.

6. We can choose how we deal with adversity

“Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.”  — Henry Ward Beecher

In the midst of adversity, we each have a choice. We can choose to have a pity party for ourselves over a misfortune, or we can take the handle of faith, knowing that these hard times will make us stronger.

7. Practice positive self-talk

“Relentless, repetitive self talk is what changes our self-image.” — Denis Waitley

Adversity provides us with an opportunity to seize the moment for growth. During this time, we must maintain a positive self-image and practice positive self-talk. It must be done relentlessly and repetitively. Don’t miss the opportunity to come out the other side with a stronger self-image.

8. Adversity can leave scars

“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” — Khalil Gibran

When going through hard times, you might find yourself thinking, that will leave a mark. That mark or scar could be considered a badge of courage. It will be a reminder of the adversity that you have faced and will actually make you stronger. This is because of the lessons learned on your way through that dark tunnel.

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10 Super Foods that Will Sharpen Your Focus and Memory

Have you ever tried to focus on something so hard that it hurt? You may have tried a series of different strategies such as deactivating your Facebook account, turning off the computer, or even ear-plugs, to no avail. The truth is that even though it may seem that many of the factors hindering our focus and memory are external, many of them are actually more internal than we may think… literally! The next time you’re feeling sluggish, hazy and lethargic, think about the last meal you had, because believe it or not, what you put into your body has a direct affect in what you’re mentally able to achieve! The foods we eat have a direct impact on the blood (and oxygen) to our brains, as well as our energy levels and how quickly that energy is depleted. Because of this, our diet choices affect not only our energy levels but also how long we’re able to stay focused, as well as how our memory works. It’s important to understand that even though it may seem like it, you’re not helpless in your battle with your mind to concentrate and focus. You control your body by what you put into it! Even though many of us don’t usually associate delicious meals with healthy foods, the following list of the top 10 brain-boosting foods will show you that this does not have to be the case. Each food is accompanied by mouthwatering recipes that are as healthy as they are delicious!

1. Blueberries

Blueberries are one of the healthiest berries. They are not only an absolute joy to eat but are also antioxidant-packed foods with high levels of vitamins C and K, as well as essential minerals such as potassium.  The high gallic acid levels in blueberries also means that they are particularly helpful at protecting our brain cells from the negative effects of stress and anxiety, aiding the communication between neurons and improving our cognitive functions. Suggested Dishes: Blueberries can be used in a variety of both sweet and savoury dishes, from blueberry tarts with walnut crusts to chicken blueberry pasta salad

2. Avocados

Don’t be put of by the high fat content in avocados – they contain monosaturated fats, which are actually good for you! High levels of vitamins C, K and B, as well as folate, mean that avocados can help you prevent blood clots in your brain by improving the flow of oxygen to it – thereby increasing your concentration span! Suggested Dishes: While most of us associate avocados with guacamole and various salads, avocados are actually incredibly diverse fruits! Broaden your taste bud horizons and give these healthy avocado fries a try. Or, if you’re feeling less experimental, this recipe for fried egg and avocado toast can be a great way to start the morning!

3. Fatty Fish

Trout, mackerel, tuna, and especially salmon, are the most popular fatty fish out there. Filled with DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acids) and omega-3 fatty acids, it is no wonder that these fish are recommended to anyone wishing to improve their memory, brain power, and concentration. Suggested Dishes: Try out this trout-in-a-pouch with fresh herbs and garlic recipe. If you’re more of a salmon kind of person, this salmon and arugula salad is absolutely fantastic!

4. Flax Seeds

These seeds are the best source of ALA (Alpha-Linolenic Acid), which is a healthy fat that works wonders for your cerebral cortex, keeping it healthy and fully functional. The function of the cerebral cortex is to process sensory information (sight, taste, touch, etc.), so it is an integral part of your being able to properly focus on, and understand, information. Flax seeds also contain zinc, which is a mineral that is great for sharpening your memory. Suggested Dishes: Flax seeds have a relatively subtle taste and can be added to almost any dish, such as these healthy breakfast bars, or these cranberry-nut mini loaves.

5. Nuts

Almonds and walnuts in particular are especially great for helping you sharpen your memory and focus. They are high in ALA, antioxidants, as well as vitamins B6 and E, which keep the nervous system fully functional and shield brain cells from potential damage that could lead to poor focus, memory and concentration. Suggested Dishes: Whether you’re more into desserts or savoury snacks, nuts are versatile enough to be used in a variety of dishes to suit different preferences. Try out this almond orange crusted chicken and this walnut and sultana bread.

6. Beets

Beets contain natural nitrates that open up the blood vessels in your body, and in doing so they improve the flow of blood (and oxygen) to your brain – needless to say, this will significantly improve your mental performance and memory. They are also full of antioxidants that help reduce the toxins in your blood! Suggested Dishes: While many of us may have childhood memories involving unpleasant meals with beetroot, when cooked the right way, they can add an incredibly unique taste to many different meals. Beetroot brownies and this amazing raw beetroot salad  can be great ways to introduce beetroot into your diet!

7. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is rich in MCTs (medium chain triglycerides) which have been associated with improved memory and concentration, and have been shown in clinical trials to improve memory in older, memory-impaired adults. This oil is also full of anti-inflammatory agents that also work to improve your cognitive functionality. Suggested Dishes: These seeded coconut oil crackers are incredibly quick and easy to make, and so is this delicious coconut-maple granola!

8. Turmeric

Curcumin is the special agent found in turmeric that makes this spice surprisingly healthy! Turmeric is full of anti-inflammatory agents that help to boost antioxidant activity in our bodies, and improve the oxygen flow to our brains, leaving us alert and focused, and our memory capacity significantly improved! Suggested Dishes: This healthy turmeric tea will help prepare you for productive hours of work, as will this scrumptious turmeric omelette.

9. Rosemary

Rosemary is full of carnosic acid; this helps to protect the brain from various negative factors that are linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Rosemary also helps to slow down the natural processes through which our brains age, helping us stay focused on even the most complicated of tasks! Suggested Dishes: These rosemary chicken sandwiches and rosemary roasted almonds are quick to make and are great packed-lunch options!

10. Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is full of nutrients and minerals such as iron, magnesium, zinc and potassium. As well as being a great source of antioxidants, it also improves the blood flow to your brain, boosting your concentration and keeping you alert! Remember, this applies to dark chocolate, and not to most of the highly processed milk chocolate bars we are oh-so-familiar with! Suggested Dishes: If you’re not a fan of eating plain dark chocolate, you can use it as the main ingredient to several mouthwatering, yet guilt-free dishes, such as these dark chocolate pistachio apricots and this chocolate-salted caramel tart! We often make calculated life decisions about many aspects of our lives, so why not about our diets that are so crucial to our everyday productivity and mental functions? Make your diet choices a part of the strategic path to achieving your goals in life and marvel at the instant results!

Featured photo credit: Ed Gregory via stokpic.com

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8 Things Energetic People Do Every Day

It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do — if you don’t have energy, you don’t have a life. Here are 8 things that energetic people do every day to keep themselves productive, effective, and successful in their lives and careers.

Enjoy.

1. They do meaningful work

Lately, we’ve been hearing more and more folks talk about this concept of “meaningful work.” News flash: this is nothing new. People have been asking questions about the meaning of life since Aristotle’s era.

The reason why there’s a higher percentage of energetic people who do meaningful work is because they don’t have to try as hard as the average employee in order to actually do their jobs — because they love what they do for a living. When you love what you do for a living, you simply have more energy. So, if you hate your job, now might be a good time to try and fix that.

2. They get enough sleep

Sleep impacts you in so many ways that I could write an entire article about it. You know how important sleep is, I don’t have to tell you. Still, it’s worth putting on this list as a reminder.

The most energetic people in the world sustain their levels of intensity by getting at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep every single night. Period. Not some nights. Not most nights. Every night. Perfect your sleeping habits and you’ll be that much closer to becoming an energetic person.

3. They take specific periods of rest and renewal

In their book, The Power of Full Engagement, authors Tony Schwartz and Jim Loehr describe a study they conducted on the difference between the best athletes in the world versus the rest. You know what they found? The best of the best take small periods of rest between sets, quarters, or breaks. Elite athletes take a psychological break by “going somewhere else mentally.” A tennis player, for example, might walk away after a set, playing with the strings on his tennis racquet, while his opponent uses those few crucial seconds to stress out about what to do next.

4. They do what it takes to stay fully charged

When I interviewed best-selling author, Tom Rath about his book, Are You Fully Charged?, he told me that there are three keys to energizing your work and life:

1. Energy (eat healthy, sleep enough)
2. Interactions (surround yourself with the right people)
3. Meaning (do meaningful work that gives you a sense of purpose by focusing on how it benefits other people rather than just yourself)

The key is the power that comes from combining these three things on a regular basis. When you can do that, you’ll experience the energetic charge you’ve always wanted.

5. They eat well

Most people think that eating a big breakfast is a healthy habit. I disagree with most people. A “big” breakfast may provide you with an initial spike of energy, but it often comes along with an energy-draining crash by lunch time, thereby making you think “I’m tired. That must mean I need to eat something.”

No. Eating well is not about eating big the moment you rise. Eating well is about maintaining proper portions of nutritious foods that correspond with your daily activity level. If you wake up and plow through a bagel and a glass of orange juice,  then drive to work and sit behind a desk for the next several hours, then you’re not eating well. This is because the bagel and juice convert to sugar and cause an insulin spike, followed by a major crash.

A better alternative might be something like a green drink and some scrambled eggs cooked with coconut oil. This gives you a proportional amount of fiber, protein, and essential fatty acids to keep you energized and focused to dominate your day.

6. They exercise regularly

The benefits of exercise are far and wide. Perhaps the most important thing you can do to become more energetic is to begin exercising regularly. One of the reasons exercise increases your energy is because it boosts your metabolism and gets your blood pumping and flowing through your body. It even helps with cognitive function.

If you want to join the ranks of the most energetic people in the world, then you’ve got to get into the habit of exercising regularly. Doing it first thing in the morning is best.

7. They practice mindfulness

There’s a substantial amount of evidence behind the power of mindfulness. When I had author Dr. Elisha Goldstein on my podcast to talk about his book, Uncovering Happiness, he told me about a simple solution to cultivating more calm into your day by using what he refers to as The STOP Practice:

• Stop
• Take a deep breathe
• Observe the situation
• Proceed appropriately

It seems simple enough, right? Try it out and this simple little routine will have a major impact on your ability to maintain a calm and steady sense of energy in your day-to-day activities.

8. They learn constantly

A good number of highly energetic people have a voracious appetite for learning. They read articles about topics they’re interested in. They read books about how to improve themselves. They listen to audiobooks. They take courses. Energetic people are curious people, and they’re constantly on the lookout for new and interesting learning opportunities.

Featured photo credit: by Danka and Peter via magdeleine.co

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10 Delicious Summer Drinks You Can Make At Home

Summer has finally sprung! If you’re over the age of 21, you know what that means: It’s time to put away your winter bottles of scotch and whiskey and break out the vodka, rum, and tequila. Thankfully, the people over at ForRent.com have set us up with a collection of summer drink recipes that will ensure your weekend barbecues are an absolute smash.

It’s worth mentioning that most of the drinks on this list contain a decent amount of sugar and calories. But honestly, one of the great pleasures in life is enjoying a tall Mojito on a hot July day, so you should definitely treat yourself while you can. And what’s the point of all the hard work you do year-round if you can’t let loose with a Long Island Iced Tea every once in a while?

Just remember: Though these summer drinks might  taste like punch, they also pack a mean one. Each recipe calls for at least one shot (1.5 oz) of liquor, so be sure to space them out with a glass of water in between drinks. There might not be much better than a cold mixed drink on a hot day, but there’s nothing worse than a pounding headache on a muggy morning after.

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6 Reasons You Should Consider Attending Law School

Law school, as exciting and thrilling as it may sound, is all about fit and compatibility. I mean this in terms of which law school you should choose to attend (more on this later), as well as whether you should even attend law school at all. The main purpose of this article is to help you answer the latter part. If many of the points in this piece apply to you, a career in the legal world may very well be for you. However, this article, as informative as it may be, should serve merely as a guide–but hopefully will provide you some very valuable insight!

1. You want to take advantage of the less competitive law school admissions

The dog-eat-dog days of the 2000s are over (at least for now). Because of the growing surplus of law school grads, many people have been forced to accept jobs that are not law related and, even more disturbingly, many have been left unemployed.

Because of this, many law schools over the past several years have seen a plummet in applications, which, in turn, has contributed to a drop in average LSAT scores and GPAs, making law school admission, as a whole, less competitive. While Harvard’s 15.4% acceptance rate is not a laughing matter, it is nearly four percentage points higher than it was in 2009.

Consequently, because of the drop in enrollment, the number of people applying for jobs in the legal market has also declined. However, if enrollment happens to increase again within the next few years, so too will applications to firm jobs.

While application numbers have hit their lowest in 30 years, this may very well be just a phase. This means that if law school is your calling, you better apply as soon as possible.

2. You want a high-earning potential

Not all legal jobs are high paying, but if you’re looking for a six-digit starting salary in a field that is not medicine or engineering, look no further. Entry-level level attorneys at big law firms are known to earn as much as $160,000 per year. Take into account bonuses, and you have got yourself a lucrative career.

There are a few important things to consider. The first thing is debt. With private law school debt reaching an all-time high average of $125,000, it is no wonder it often takes attorneys, even those in big law, several years to pay it off.

That being said, this alone should not deter anyone from going to law school. Even people with lower-paying jobs (e.g. government, public interest, academia) typically are able to pay off their debt in a timely manner.

Additionally, big law jobs tend to be concentrated in big cities, such as New York, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. Therefore, if you don’t think you would enjoy life in a fast-paced urban environment, then it’s probably not for you.

3. You want to make a positive difference

While they do not typically pay nearly as much as large corporate law firms, public interest firms are a popular route for people looking to facilitate positive social and political change–both global and domestic.

Whether you are looking to work for a nonprofit organization, a federal government office, or as a public defender, there are a variety of ways to make a positive difference in fields ranging from human rights and environmental policy to workers’ compensation and education policy.

The types of work available are just as varied as the areas of issue. For some, litigation is the way to go, while, for others, it is trial or transactional work.

With public interest salaries ranging from $40,000 to $70,000, money is not usually the motivating factor for pursuing this route. Rather, it is the desire to drive positive change and make a difference in the lives of others.

4. You want the intellectual challenge

Because of all the writing, reading, and critical thinking that a legal education requires, law school is challenging and, therefore, tends only to attract the brightest, most capable of college students. While most people choose to attend law school for its real-world legal training, many pursue it simply for its academics, oftentimes seeing law school as a career in and of itself.

One of the most intellectually challenging–and sometimes most exciting–law school activities is participating in Socratic debate, also known as the Socratic method. Typically, a professor will randomly call on a student, ask an open-ended question about an difficult legal topic, and expect the student to provide an answer, along with an explanation to his or her reasoning. In the process, the professor will challenge the student’s position with more open-ended questions and, by doing so, eliminate contradictions and force the student to question their own assumptions. In the end, the professor will summarize all the thoughts and ideas brought to the table during the Socratic debate.

Because the Socratic method is one of the most integral aspects of the law school experience, one should not attend law school unless they can handle grueling in-class questioning and be constantly prepared to contribute to classroom discussion.

5. You want to expand your career opportunities

While popular wisdom holds that you should not attend law school unless you plan to become an attorney, the truth is that a law degree can open doors to many fields outside the legal world. A law degree is versatile because law really is connected to virtually everything; after all, law provides the framework within which our society functions. Also, a legal education gives you the ability to think critically and logically, skills that anyone who wants to succeed should use.

Whether they started out as attorneys or headed straight to non-legal fields, plenty of people have benefited from their law degrees in various non-legal careers. Popular career paths that come to mind include journalism, politics, entrepreneurship, counseling/psychology, and academia.

While I normally would advise against attending law school without any intention of becoming a lawyer, if you absolutely know what you want from a legal education and how it would benefit you in your career, by all means. Even if you do not know, a law degree can very well open doors that you probably would have never imagined.

6. You did well on the LSAT

The two things that matter most on a law school application are your college GPA and Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score. The LSAT is a standardized test administered four times a year that allows law schools to accurately measure a student’s reading comprehension, and logical and analytical reasoning abilities, skills that are vitally important for any person’s law school success.

With the lowest possible score at 120 and the highest possible score at 180, the LSAT is a highly learnable test that, with plenty of preparation, many people can do well on. While a score of 150 is generally considered the median, a score of 164 would normally rank in the 90th percentile (top 10 percent). Oftentimes, people who score in the low 140s on a cold diagnostic practice test end up scoring above 165 on the real thing, but that takes time and practice.

Do you think you have what it takes to ace the LSAT? In that case, I have provided a link to an actual LSAC-sponsored LSAT practice exam, which you can take to gauge your ability to perform on the actual test. If you score low, do not be discouraged. Remember: the LSAT is a conquerable test–so long as you put in the time and effort.

Before I close, I would like to provide a few caveats. Since law school is extremely expensive (and increasingly so) you should probably decide against attending law school unless you have received a substantial amount of scholarship or are attending a top-ranking law school. That is not to say that getting a Juris Doctor (JD) from a top law school will guarantee success, but it is worth noting that certain schools have better employment statistics than others.

The US News & World Report (USNWR) law school rankings, while controversial, actually provide important and useful law school employment information. Since employment statistics carry significant weight in the rankings (20%), there is, unsurprisingly, a mostly positive correlation between a school’s ranking and its employment rates and starting salaries. Some of the top 20 schools, according to this source, include schools such as Yale, UC Berkeley, University of Virginia, Harvard, Northwestern, UT Austin, Vanderbilt, UCLA, and the University of Chicago.

That being said, I would strongly advise against making the USNWR rankings the main determinant in your law school decision-making. However, it should serve, at the very least, as a general guide, just as this article should.

If you think this article may have led you in that direction, start doing as much research as you possibly can–read newspaper and magazine articles about law school and the legal world, shadow a local attorney or judge, or get in touch with current law students or professors. Be absolutely sure that this is what you want to do.

Good luck in all your future endeavors!

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8 Important Questions You Should Ask In Every Job Interview

Job interviews aren’t just about selling yourself and proving you’re the right person for the job, they’re also an important opportunity to get to know the company deeply and think very carefully whether the role suits you or not.

Asking smart questions at your interview gives you the information you need to assess if you agree with the company’s core values, what opportunities you’ll get for personal development, and whether the culture will allow you to perform at your best.

Here’s a list of the most important questions you should ask in every job interview.

1. How do you see this position evolving in the next 3 years?

This interview question is a favourite of Jared Brown (co-founder of Hubstaff) because it politely and subtly shows the candidate is looking for a role where they can blossom long term. It’s an important question to ask since it can help you gauge whether or not the role will help you achieve your long term career objectives. For example, if you’re looking to move up to a more senior position, this question can help you identify whether the vacancy will see you take on new responsibilities, and broaden your appeal among other employers, or get promoted internally.

It can also help to identify whether the role may be unsuitable for your own goals. For example, if the interviewer cannot give you a clear answer, you might consider it as a dead-end job. Alternatively, the role may evolve in a different direction to your own career goals, such as leading you down a very specialized path that could actually make you less employable outside of that specific business or industry sector.

2. How will the work I’ll be doing contribute to the organization’s mission?

This is a great question recommended by Dave Kerpen, CEO of Likable Local. This is not a question meant to simply give you an ego boost, but it will help you understand whether you’ll be considered a vital part of the operation or not. The fact is if the role you’re applying for is not of significant importance to the oganization’s mission, the management may give you and your department less resources for completing projects, and smaller budgets for pay rises and bonuses. Worse still, it’s these non-essential departments that often are the first to see redundancies and cuts should there be a downturn in business. It could be simply because the business doesn’t see them as important to their survival.

As a result, this question helps give you some clues as to whether or not you’ll be provided everything you need to be successful and contribute to the company’s growth, or if you’ll end up struggling for internal resources and receive less job security in a less important part of the business.

3. How would you define success in this position?

This is one of the most important questions you can ask, as the answer can give you “insider information” about the role that isn’t readily available elsewhere. When answering this question, the hiring manager will give you some clues as to how your career goals align with the role. For example, you’ll discover more about the specific skills that you’ll require, the true priorities of the role, the workplace culture, and (most significantly) an insider’s perspective of what it takes to secure the role.

This will help you piece together a benchmark for the standards the company will expect you to work towards, as well as an understanding of whether you have the right skills.

4. What’s the company culture like?

Since you’ll be spending much of the day at work, it’s important to ensure you take a role at a business with a culture you’re comfortable with. A key reason to ask this question is to establish what the work-life balance is like in the role. For example, will you have the opportunity to work at home or get flexible hours, or will you need to stay in the office? Similarly, do workers typically work longer than their contracted hours, or do they often get asked to work weekends? This question is critical to ensure you’re comfortable with the demands of the role, ensuring you don’t get burnout or begin to resent going to work.

5. Do you offer continual training and professional development?

This is an important question to ask, as it will give you key information about how you’ll be able to progress your career. Good businesses invest in their staff, so you’ll want to be sure that you’ll receive training on new skills. This training will help you secure promotions, as well as open up new career prospects elsewhere. This is a great follow up to Question 1, as it helps dig a bit deeper about how the hiring managers see your role moving forwards, and whether you’ll be on a fast track to success or stuck in the same role for years.

6. Why has this position become available?

Finding out why the job is available is a subtle way of finding out about any challenges or opportunities the business may be facing. For example, the role may be brand new, suggesting the company is growing. It could be that the previous holder was promoted, indicating the role is a route towards promotion. Conversely, the vacancy may be as a result of someone leaving; or downsizing with two former roles turning into one. Therefore, this question can help show what development opportunities are available, as well as if the company isn’t doing too well.

7. How does the role relate to the overall structure of the organisation?

This is a great question to find out who you’ll be working with on a day-to-day basis. It also shows you have a preference to teamwork and contributing to the success of the firm. The answer will help reveal who you’ll be reporting to and who will be reporting to you, or conversely whether you’ll be reporting to several people through matrix management. This is a great way to discover whether or not the role will suit your style of working. Look for an answer that matches your preference, like whether you’re more comfortable working in a team, or prefer to take full control over projects.

8. What concerns do you have about me for this position?

While quite direct, this is a good question to wrap up the interview with because it reveals right there and then any reasons why you may not get the job, giving you an opportunity to counter these. For example, the interviewer may suggest you lack the experience of other candidates, which you can counter by discussing your experience in more detail. Similarly, they may have misunderstood a point you had made earlier, allowing you to resolve this before it’s too late.

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10 Important Work Skills You Need To Acquire Before 2020

Humanity has seen more technological progress in the last 100 years than in the previous several thousand. Because of this, the skills that today’s occupations demand are constantly evolving. People are working jobs today that did not exist 20 years ago; colleges currently prepare students for future jobs which don’t exist today.

We now need to be able to juggle dozens of tasks and prioritize them accordingly, while maintaining deadlines which extend beyond our work hours. Technology has made working from home not just a possibility but a necessity in many cases. In today’s world, you can work from anywhere while communicating daily with colleagues around the world.

As this trend continues, we must keep our skills current and relevant through continuous professional development and education. Luckily, the Internet offers a variety of resources to assist us in our quest for knowledge. Websites such as Coursera, Udemy, and Khan Academy offer both free and paid courses on almost any subject you could possibly imagine. This allows you to study and learn independently without interfering with life’s obligations.

By using every waking moment as a chance to excel, we do our part to ensure that the world around us continues to evolve on a daily basis.

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How Depression Can Actually Be A Good Thing

Depression is a mood disorder that causes persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest. This affects how you think, how you feel, and how you behave. It leads to a majority of physical and emotional changes in your body. However, it isn’t something you can just snap out of. Depression still requires treatment and this is no way undermines depression and its complications. It still brings into light its positives that may give those suffering from its hands some hope. Although depression may occur only one time during your life, many people have multiple episodes of depression. There are different types of depression, some vary from anxious distress, melancholic features, atypical features, and seasonal patterns. However, it is not all bleak and dark. Depression can also be a good thing — not that it is great or anything. Here is how. You might be able to surprisingly relate or even be surprised. I hope this article gives you relief from the pain and stigma that depression ends up giving its patients.

Remember, you are not alone. We are with you and your endeavors to come out of it and land back on your feet. Here are some surprisingly positive outlooks on depression.

1. IT UNLOCKS CREATIVITY

It is notable that depression unleashes your creative sides. Depression can actually get the creative juices flowing throughout the body, mind, and soul spectacularly well. Though you may feel you are getting nowhere, depression creates a lot of thinking patterns in you. You start thinking deeper. You might be able to focus more on life. You try to unfold the mysteries of life. It is beautiful if you think about it. You start living out of the norm. It is beneficial. You start living life on new terms. It makes you a much better person. You start understanding things better.

2. IT MAKES YOU A BETTER PERSON

When you have depression, you can tell when others are frustrated, depressed, and feeling unusual. You become a better judge of character. This quality is unlike anything else. I have gotten through depression and can completely understand this feeling. You can relate to people on a much deeper level. You become more grounded. An individual that is down to earth is beautiful to behold, if I say so myself. There are very few people that are like that, so take pleasure in knowing that you are one of those few chosen gems. You are rare, take it from me!

3. MAKES YOU REACH OUT

Trying to unlock the mysteries of depression is impossible. However, when I had depression I would read a lot. I would grab anything that came my way, in order to understand the happenings of the illness and possibly find some sort of cure. So, depression makes you reach out and makes you smarter in the long run. Reading is a great way to engage all the senses. It also gives you a good night’s rest. When you start reaching out to people, you uncover so many new things about yourself that you never may have known if you weren’t in depression. It helps you become a better person, more aware of your surroundings — which will help you in the long run. You’ll start socializing because you don’t take things for granted anymore.

4. YOU BECOME LESS PASSIVE AND MORE PASSIONATE

During this crisis, you start finding out what your true passions are. Because everything seems so dull and bleak, you start to search for things that touch your heart and soul, and make you feel alive. In many ways, you start doing, instead of thinking. So, this (in relativity) is depression, for those who don’t know much about it.

5. YOU UNLOCK THE MYSTERIES OF LIFE

When you are in depression, you begin to wonder a lot of things. Your mind goes from one topic to another in an instant. Hence, you start a path in curiosity that leads you to unlock several of life’s mysteries, like how the body works, etc. So, it can actually be a good thing. You can come to several conclusions about life, or just keep on wondering! The choice is your’s. Because you reach out to more people, you start discovering so many new things, ideas, innovations, as well as inventions. It is truly a beautiful sight to behold.

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6 Skills People Good At Writing Cover Letters Never Told You

Humans by nature prefer to do the task that is predictable and structured so as to avoid confusion and uncertainty. When I think about job applications, I personally feel that only one part of the application process is truly unstructured: the cover letter.

No, the cover letter is not just an extension of the resume and it definitely shouldn’t be. Although, it is defined as a document that “provides additional information on your skills and experience”, there is certainly no reason to simply re-write what you have already written in your resume. What’s the resume for then?

You have the qualifications necessary for the job. However, when you think about it, another applicant probably does too. You’ve always been successful at managing a team. Great! But, maybe other applicants have managed several teams and for the longer period. The resume won’t necessarily make you stand out of the crowd. Your cover letter; however, can tell the employer why you wanted to apply for the job and what you can offer that others cannot. Think of it as your Unique Selling Point (USP).

You have a few paragraphs to get their attention. It may be your only chance to add personality and spark interest before the interview. If you’re successful, be sure to stick around your phone when it rings.

Here are six tips on writing a compelling cover letter you probably haven’t heard of before.

1. Always Keep it Crisp

I don’t mean short and snappish crisp. By crisp, I mean it should be freshly written and up-to-date. You don’t want to pick up a cover letter you wrote six years ago while you were in college applying for a part-time at McDonald’s. Write it all over again. Any cover letter you write should be targeted towards the company, the specific job, and the position you are applying for. It should include your most recent accomplishments and highlight all of the skills you’ve developed over time. Plus, the “rules” your teacher taught you six years ago are probably as antiquated as your desktop computer at the time.

2. Do Your Homework

You’re probably tired of hearing this phrase because when it comes to the job application process, it’s everywhere. Research on the company, research on the employers, and research on what they could ask…yada yada. It’s frustrating, I know. But it’s necessary! Yes, even before you write up your cover letter, you need to dig deep into what rules to follow, different types of cover letters, contemporary examples in various writing styles, and other information that would help you write a knock-out cover letter.

3. Draft it Up

Once you’ve got all the points you need, get straight to drafting! Try not to go overboard with the research. Do not re-write something someone else wrote. As we mentioned before, this part of the application process is not entirely systematized. This means that you should give yourself the freedom to spill your own personality and interests in accordance with the position you are applying for. Some of the best two paragraphs can take hours to devise. Give yourself plenty of time to craft compelling reasons for them to hire you and what you are willing to offer. As Eddie Beverage from Live Career says, a cover letter should focus on your employer and the position, so DON’T make it about you and only your needs.

4. Go for Broke

Imagine being an employer for a second and reading the following objective at the top of a resume: “My name is Irene, and I want to work in a challenging position in a reputable organization having a professional environment, prospects of growth, and ample opportunities of learning to develop skill, proficiency, and experience.”

If you are perceptive enough, you probably already know that this person copy-pasted an overly-long sentence off of another resume and doesn’t mean a word of it. Employers complain that MOST applicants tend to be overly predictable and quite boring. Given the amount of time employers have to scan resumes and cover letters during the screening process, you have only a few seconds to get their attention. How do you stand out? Push yourself to take that risk and give your cover letter a spin by adding pizzazz to your intro. It might be risky, but it is the only way you ensure you will grab the employer’s attention.

As marketing expert and influential speaker Seth Godin says, “In a battle between two ideas, the best one doesn’t necessarily win. No, the idea that wins is the one with the most fearless heretic behind it.” ― from his book, Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us.

5. Lean on A Friend

Ask a friend with fabulous writing skills to do you a favor and edit your final document. Not only will a friend give you a different perspective (like what you should or shouldn’t be including), but also correct your over-looked mistakes.

6. Print it Out

Chances are that you’ve done your spell-checks, payed careful attention to those green or red flags, and already asked a friend to give it one final look. Now, you’re ready to attach it and hit send. Wait, don’t do it yet! Before you do that, print it out and read it aloud. When you’re trying to spot mistakes, this technique works like magic.

Even if a cover letter isn’t required, don’t skimp on what could be your only chance to make an impression. The cover letter isn’t meant to be an agonizing step to the application process, but rather an opportunity to “Sell Yourself” differently compared to others. So, CARPE DIEM…. Tell a story your resume could never narrate.

Featured photo credit: Tom Hanks/Maria Elena via flickr.com

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10 Lists to Keep If You Want to Be Successful

The human mind is truly incredible, and we should all strive towards creating a tenacious memory we can rely on. Many lucrative professions or hobbies require such a trait—actors, musicians, artists and entertainers in general do countless drills, just so the required information can be embedded in the memory with certainty. Clearly numerous doors that lead to a successful future are unlocked if one has a great memory. Although beneficial, it is not an essential ingredient within the success formula—what you lack in memory can always be compensated with diligence.

Keeping track of crucial elements in your life through list-making is still an unrivaled tactic for counterbalancing feeble recollection. By utilizing constant reminders, we can have significantly greater organization, we won’t be under the impression we have forgotten something, and we will have a clear insight into which task has a stamp of immediacy attached to it. Here are ten suggested lists that warrant implementation, in order to track achievements and nurture ambition.

1. List of Goals

“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.”

—Zig Ziglar

Goals and ambition is what drives us and motivates us, but we need to ask ourselves what is it that we want in order to feel truly accomplished. Your list of goals should consists of all the items that you deem are necessary to truly respect yourself. It can be financial stability, a place you can call your own, starting your family, being independent, etc. People have different criteria when it comes to goals, and this list in particular is ever-growing; it changes as you mature, but it always feels great when you cross something out of it. Without such a list, you lose direction of where your life is heading, and we all need some inner guidance to focus on—a good reason to get up in the morning.

2. List of Tasks

“Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best.”

—Theodore Isaac Rubin

Tasks are actually milestones on the road to goal completion, and these lists have a tendency to become quite copious. New tasks emerge on a daily basis, regardless of whether you are an employee, a student, or a freelancer. Despite the fact that they are arduous, we always have some sense of achievement once the task is complete, or when a certain problem is solved. By avoiding to make such lists and lists of our daily tasks, they’ll simply pile up and eventually become a hindrance.

In the event you have larger tasks that need more than a day, a week or a month before they can be completed, then break those tasks into smaller daily assignments, and put them on the list as well. As long as you monitor larger tasks while completing minor daily milestones, you will have a greater grip on progression and continuous source of motivation. List and sticky notes are actually quite potent tools for increase in productivity, especially while we are working from home.

Lastly, it is worth mentioning that you should also have a list of personal tasks, or tasks you do for the sake of self-fulfillment. These are related to your personal goals, and governing passions—writing a book, painting, crafting etc. These tasks will define you and offer a much greater sense of achievement, so give it your all to create something you can be proud of.

3. List of Contacts

“Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit.”

—Aristotle

It would be delusional to assume you can make it all on your own; however, at the same time, a flawed partnership can result in disastrous outcome as well. It is extremely difficult to find compatible allies and contacts, since friends and family—in other words, people close to you—may not be the best choice for a business partner. If you want to enter into a partnership with someone, make sure the person shares the same vision. Tread lightly and try to ascertain your potential partner’s level of reliability.

Throughout life, we come across skillful, capable and talented people, whose competence might be needed in the future, depending on your line of work of course. Do not be hesitant to offer a helping hand when they are in need, since you can gain a valuable contact. The point being: make a special list of all important contacts, like reliable programmers, handymen, lawyers, etc. Remember not to only reach out when you are in need. You need to maintain a healthy and natural relationship and be there for those people if they require your assistance. Truth be told, it can be arduous to forge strong friendship bonds, but having important acquaintances and becoming an important acquaintance is very much possible.

Without such a list, you are leaving yourself vulnerable to possible future complications; moreover, make sure this list is well-kept since once you lose a contact like this one, it can be somewhat troublesome to recover such data. Just be sure you have recovery data tools at your disposal to mitigate the damage if something were to happen to your phone.

4. List of Expenses

“A wise person should have money in their head, but not in their heart.”

—Jonathan Swift

This may be a quite mundane piece of advice, yet it is very often neglected. As we all know, there are two types of expenses: those that are necessary, (bills, taxes, food) and those expenditures used for indulging some personal cravings. There is a degree of restraint that the majority of us lack in order to approach the matter with a satisfying level of prudence. To say it bluntly, we treat our wants like our needs, and necessities and primary obligations are pushed in the background. Of course, this may sound a bit exaggerated, but the truth is the pressure of a consumer’s culture eventually becomes overwhelming, resulting in a purchase we shouldn’t be able to afford at the time. This kind of behavior can be avoided by utilizing lists, and turning them into an omnipresent reminder of what is truly important.

By making lists of all the monthly expenses we are obligated to pay, we’ll have a clear overview with how much resources are there at our disposal. On the other hand, without this list filled with meticulous calculations, we are prone to believing that we have more freedom to engage in a shopping spree, ultimately causing our bills to pile up; thus, we end up a step closer to a financial suicide. Handling finances properly, or the fact that we prioritize the costs of living, is a responsibility that signifies maturity. Success is commonly measured by the amount of wealth and without adequate spending tactics, you prevent its accumulation.

5. List of Useful Tools

“If you’re the type of person who has to fulfill your dreams, you’ve got to be resourceful to make sure you can do it.”

—Vin Diesel

Today’s society vastly depends on the use of technology—we exchange information, conduct calculations, measure time, etc. This level of reliability also suggests liability. If something were to happen to our cell phone or personal computer, it would be a sizable setback that could harm our capabilities severely. As mentioned, losing contacts can truly be troublesome. It is even worse however, to have your life’s work lost and compromised.

Useful tools are not only limited to recovering damage; they also encompass tools that make your job easier. With efficiency and a greater level of competence, you are a step closer toward success. Using the right apps and tools can make up for our lack of skills in a particular area, or simply help us manage our work in a more timely manner. Keeping a list of useful tools will come in handy whenever you are faced with more common problems, like finding a good restaurant for a business dinner, driving through unfamiliar terrain, task management, learning, and there are even tools capable of helping you recover stolen property.

Even though the list is not as crucial as the ones mentioned so far, it is undeniable that having it can save you a lot of time if the need for it ever arises. The Internet is a vast sea of both useful and useless tools, and by filtering out those that are irrelevant, you won’t have to conduct countless searches when you are in need of adequate tools for problem solving.

6. List of Self Improvements

“The minute that you’re not learning I believe you’re dead.”

—Jack Nicholson

Reasonable to assume this one is unavoidable, and it always deserves to be mentioned. It is safe to assume we are all aware of our shortcomings; if not all of them at least some of them. Think about yourself, make a list of all the things you would like to improve or change, then consider how to implement those changes. Despite the fact that those who are close to you do not pressure you into changing or improving, you should always make constant endeavours to do so, for your own sake.

The list of improvements should consist of physical changes, changes spiritual in nature, abandoning bad habits etc. No one expects you to change entirely in a short time period, but making a decision to change one thing on a yearly basis is a viable resolution, quite easy to execute. The list is there simply to remind you which improvement to prioritize, and build up your confidence after each completion. Refusing to change can either result in lack of confidence and depression, or becoming an overconfident and self-absorbed person that no one will tolerate for long; both of these traits are contradictory to your quest for a successful future.

7. List of Creative Ideas

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

—Waldo Emerson

Throughout history, people who made the most significant impact on the world were those with a revolutionary way of thinking, those who dared to challenge the established order and alter the status quo. For an idea to be classified as creative, it needs to be new, it needs to make sense, and it needs to have some sort of use. For example, creating something to help the disabled communicate online, or simply type—that way, people who have lost their limbs could blog or become creative writers, and show the world a piece of their mind. Thus a keyboard in a form of braces could enable them to type using their tongue; however I am not an engineer, so I do not know whether something like this is possible.

Whenever a new idea comes to your mind write it down, then browse the web to see if you indeed have stumbled upon something ground-breaking. Once your list has grown, then you need to start pondering on the subject to see whether it holds closer scrutiny. Ask for a second opinion and see what you would need to realize your idea. In a majority of cases, this is how successful people are created. Rest assured that it is very possible that people won’t be impressed with your creativity as much as you are, but do not allow yourself to be discouraged—after all, perseverance has a crucial role in a career as well. Monitoring your thoughts incites productive thinking and hones your focus; it keeps our mind occupied. Letting your good ideas slide is only a wasted potential that will put your progress in a halt.

8. List of Future Plans

“The future is uncertain but the end is always near.”

―Jim Morrison

We have all heard statements like “Tomorrow is a mystery,” “Live for today,” and “You can’t affect the future.” Personally, I heavily disagree with such a point of view. Although I do agree that, in particular circumstances, making plans for the future is doing Sisyphus work, not planning it at all seems utterly mortifying. I also believe that everyone makes some sort of plan; the problem is this fear of uncertainty that thwarts our will to act.

To make your resolve more adamant, compile a list of your future plans, see what you need in order to make them come true. This one is very similar to the first list—the one with goals; the difference is, it does not have to involve your personal future. Rather, it is list of upcoming important events, important changes in law, or upcoming trends, useful software, etc. It will keep you well-informed and prepared, since staying updated and relevant are essential virtues for lucrative businessmen.

9. List of Contingency Plans

“You pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud too. That’s a part of it.”

—Denzel Washington

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, meaning there is nothing you can do without consequences. Every attempt to be more successful usually has a set of barriers attached to it, or risks. Even though risks are inevitable, being prepared for the aftermath is always a good and necessary thing. When you plan your business incentives, or when you plan to invest in something, make sure you compose a thorough pros and cons list, as well as a list of possible negative scenarios. In the event that positive aspects outweigh the negative ones, you can be more encouraged to proceed further.

Make an effort to be constantly prepared for the backlash of major initiatives, and contain the possible damage. The lack of contingency implies recklessness, and it was adamantly made clear how this approach contradicts advancement. Make leaps of faith only when you have no other options to explore.

10. Bucket List

“The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and for deeds left undone.”

—Harriet Beecher Stowe

Finally, learn to live for the sake of experiencing what life has to offer. It is invigorating, to say the least, and it keeps your regrets at minimum. One of the reasons why we want to be successful is to actually fulfil our dreams or complete our bucket list, to look back on our life during old age with a warm smile rather than a frown. Feel free to put even the impossible things on your bucket list, and find the next best thing using your creativity. Whenever you reach a rough patch in your life, take a look at you bucket list and see what is the most plausible thing to do in order to restore your will power and keep going.

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