Evan Williams is the creator of two highly successful blogging platforms Twitter & Blogger. He has faced the ups and downs of the dotcom boom and bust and has shown through sheer passion and persistence that no matter what, you can achieve greatness if you follow your dreams.

Evan Williams shares his 5 Keys to Entrepreneurial Success for any startup fiend looking at creating something memorable in this world.

Ev Williams Advice For Entrepreneurs

1. Work with Amazing People

Don’t compromise on who you choose to found your company with and hire. Do not put up with ego-centric personalities or downer attitudes.

2. Take on Big Challenges

It’s pretty simple: Hard things are valuable; easy things are not so valuable. Reaching the mountaintop is rewarding because it is hard. If it was easy, everybody would do it.

3. Focus

Say no to most things: Features. People. Partnerships. “Coffees.” Projects. Only a few of them really matter. (Yes, it’s hard to know which.) Don’t get distracted.

4. Take Care of Yourself

When you don’t sleep, eat crap, don’t exercise, and are living off adrenaline for too long, your performance suffers. Your decisions suffer. Your company suffers.

5. Love those Close to You

Failure of your company is not failure in life. Failure in your relationships is.

Article written by Evan Williams

One ancient practice that has shown tremendous transformations is the practice of meditation. So what is meditation? and why is it known to change people’s lives for the better? Even to the point of improving your chances of success and changing your whole life completely.

Meditation is a practice that is done by an individual that trains the mind and induces an altered state of consciousness. You are fully awake, but your mind travels elsewhere, into your unconscious. There are many techniques for meditation like practices that specifically target certain areas like promoting relaxation, develop self awareness, reduce stress, or to foster a sense of well-being.

Meditation exercises the mind. You exercise your body to keep it healthy and fit. Meditation does just that to your mind. By practicing self-awareness, you are improving and keeping your psychological well-being fit and healthy.

A Brief History of Meditation

Meditation is intimately associated with spiritual and religious contexts. Many ancient civilizations used chants and rhythmic prayers to their gods. The earliest known record of meditation is from Hindu texts 5000 years ago. The Buddha, who is one of the major proponents of meditation, sat for years trying to reach enlightenment through meditation.

The practice of meditation can be seen in all religions–from Judaism to Islam to Christianity–it is an essential act of getting in touch with your spiritual being.

Meditation Techniques

Since the 1960′s and ’70′s, the many benefits of meditation have been scientifically researched in the Western world. Various meditation techniques have been thoroughly studied, which has led millions of people practicing different meditation techniques all over the world. There are many different types of meditation and it is best to do a bit of research to find the type that is best for you to gain the benefits you are looking for.

One of the most popular meditation techniques is Transcendental Meditation. It’s a very simple and effortless practice wherein you sit on the floor or on a chair in a lotus position for about 20 minutes twice a day. It is known to reduce stress, improve your thinking, help you sleep better, and helps you deal with tense situations more calmly.

Another meditation technique is Mindfulness or the Vipassana, which is a Buddhist tradition. All you do is sit on a chair in a proper position, close your eyes, and accept any thoughts that come to mind. It allows you to be present in your thoughts, allowing them to freely enter your mind. Mindfulness is also used in psychotherapy wherein you let repressed thoughts and emotions come out of your unconscious. It can be your way of dealing with emotions that you keep bottled up inside of you.

Creative or Visualization Meditation involves concentration on an image or vision. If you want to achieve something, say for example, a job promotion, what you do is you sit on a chair and visualize yourself actually achieving the image in your head. When you imagine these images, the emotions that are associated with getting what you want will be felt–like happiness and satisfaction–as if you already have it. It can promote confidence and optimism.

10 Benefits of Meditation

1 - Meditation relieves overall stress. It can lighten the load of a busy day and relieve your physical and emotional stress through relaxation.

2 - It helps you look young by getting rid of all that stress that can add wrinkles to your face and make you ill. You feel energized and rejuvenated, lightening your load and reducing feelings of sadness and despair.

3 - Meditation gives you added energy. Your concentrated breathing and relaxation improves your blood circulation, giving you more energy to be productive and do enjoyable things in life.

4 - Lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease and improves your immune system. Through relaxation and breathing techniques, meditation can lower your heart rate and blood pressure, making you healthier.

5 - Meditation can improve your concentration level and clear your mind. When you’ve faced your demons and unnecessary thoughts, your mind is free to accommodate more important and pressing matters in your life.

6 - Awaken higher levels of your creativity and potential. By weeding out the negative toxins in your mind, you have more freedom to explore things that will bring you more development and improvement.

7 - Eliminate anger and fear. We often repress these emotions because they are sometimes too much to bear. When we openly accept them into our thoughts, we let them go and allow them to disappear.

8 - When you let go of fear and anger, when you are happy and improved, it immediately improves your relationships with others.

9 -  It provides you with peace of mind and general happiness

10 - You develop tolerance. When you are less tense, less stressed, and happier, you become more calm in dealing with tense situations.

Meditation For Success

Many famous celebrities have their own share of benefits from meditation. Paul McCartney and the Beatles made Transcendental Meditation very popular in the 1970′s when they went to India, learned and practiced the technique with its very founder. Paul McCartney has stated that meditation was very inspirational to him, that his mind was clearer when he wrote their songs.

Tina Turner also practices meditation and she credits her strong Buddhist beliefs and meditation practices to giving her the inner strength she needed to leave her abusive husband in the 1970′s.

Albert Einstein had daily meditation naps that brought him answers before he even asked the questions.

Undoubtedly, meditation is a practice that brings about massive benefits that can change and improve our lives. There are many meditation techniques that you can perform, but the very premise of meditation has always been for self-awareness and psychological well-being to help you transform and change your life.

Don’t know where to start with meditation? Make sure you read the book below “Meditation for Medicine”. The meditation techniques are easy to understand along with detailed pictures, a must have for anyone who is looking at benefiting from meditation.

What is the secret to happiness? 

This question would have to be one of the most frequently asked questions in the self development field to date. So why not ask the co-creator of NLP “Dr. Richard Bandler”, who has dedicated his life to studying human behaviour and change.

(Video) Richard Bandler (Co-Creator of NLP) – The Secret To Happiness

I completed my NLP practitioner course today with Richard Bandler and would highly recommend this course for anyone who is looking at learning the industries best and most effective strategies and techniques for creating life changing results for you and your clients.

I can quite confidently say that Richard Bandler has taught me more than money can buy during the last 6 days and his words of advice are definitely not to be slept on.

Find out more about NLP training with Dr Richard Bandler here.

Need a little motivation boost? Finding it hard to hit the gym or the streets for that early 6 in the morning run?

Well then, we have just the fix for you.

A motivational work of art to inspire you to push your fitness to the limit.

The Ultimate Motivational Clip – Rise & Shine

“Rise and shine.

6am and your hand can’t make it to the alarm clock before the voices in your head start telling you that it’s too early, too dark, and too cold to get out of a bed.

Aching muscles lie still in rebellion, pretending not to hear your brain commanding them to move

A legion of voices are shouting their unanimous permission for you to hit the snooze button and go back to dreamland, but you didn’t ask their opinion.

The voice you’ve chosen to listen to is one of defiance.

A voice that’s says there was a reason you set that alarm in the first place. So sit up, put your feet on the floor, and don’t look back because we’ve got work to do.

Welcome to The Grind!

For what is each day but a series of conflicts between the right way and the easy way, 10,000 streams fan out like a river delta before you, Each one promising the path of least resistance.

Thing is, you’re headed upstream. And when you make that choice, when you decide to turn your back on what’s comfortable and what’s safe and what some would call “common sense”, well that’s day 1. From there it only gets tougher.

So just make sure this is something you want. Because the easy way out will always be there, ready to wash you away, all you have to do is pick up your feet.

But you aren’t going to are you?

With each step comes the decision to take another

You’re on your way now

But this is no time to dwell on how far you’ve come. 
You’re in a fight against an opponent you can’t see

Oh but you can feel him on your heels can’t you?

Feel him breathing down your neck

You know what that is?
 That’s you…
Your fears, your doubts and insecurities all lined up like a firing squad ready to shoot you out of the sky

But don’t lose heart

While they aren’t easily defeated, they are far from invincible

Remember this is The Grind

The Battle Royale between you and your mind, your body and the devil on your shoulder who’s telling you that this is just a game, this is just a waste of time, your opponents are stronger than you.

Drown out the voice of uncertainty with the sound of your own heartbeat

Burn away your self doubt with the fire that’s beneath you

Remember what you’re fighting for

And never forget that momentum is a cruel mistress, 
She can turn on a dime with the smallest mistake.

She is ever searching for that weak place in your armor

That one tiny thing you forgot to prepare for

So as long as the devil is hiding the details, the question remains,”is that all you got?”, “are you sure?”

And when the answer is “yes”. That you’ve done all you can to prepare yourself for battle THEN it’s time to go forth and boldly face your enemy, the enemy within

Only now you must take that fight into the open, into hostile territory

You’re a lion in a field of lions


All hunting the same elusive prey with a desperate starvation that says VICTORY is the only thing that can keep you alive

So believe that voice that says ” you CAN run a little faster ” and that ” you CAN throw a little harder ” and that ” you CAN dive a little deeper” and that, for you, the laws of physics are merely a suggestion.

Luck is the last dying wish of those who wanna believe that winning can happen by accident, sweat on the other hand is for those who know it’s a choice, so decide now because destiny waits for no man. And when your time comes and a thousand different voices are trying to tell you you’re not ready for it, listen instead for that lone voice in decent the one that says you are ready, you are prepared, it’s all up to you now.

So rise and shine.

We can learn much about what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur by studying great figures from history.

Below are 5 that possessed attributes that made them great during their time. Attributes that will also help us find success today.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Acquiring Knowledge

Knowledge is power. No one demonstrated, or knew this better than Napoleon Bonaparte. At the time of his birth, a person’s future was practically laid out for them depending on what class they were born in to.

Napoleon wasn’t born into a family of wealth or prestige, actually the opposite. He was born on the conquered island of Corsica, to a family with no influence or power, yet he grew to become the most powerful man on the planet.

How did Napoleon do this?

While his classmates at college partied, Napoleon read. Books became his love, the object of his affection. His lust for knowledge eventually served him on the battlefield. Napoleon’s ability to size up a battle and determine the best way to defeat the enemy was uncanny because it was as if he’d seen every battle formation that ever existed in the books he’d read. Nothing could trick him, and no one could out maneuver him.

How does this help the entrepreneur?

We can’t simply do the work, we also need to learn and educate ourselves. We need to understand our message, our goal, and the best possible way to accomplish it.

A large portion of our hustle should be given to the acquiring of knowledge. The more we know, the better equipped we are to find success.

Thomas Edison

Perseverance 

Thomas Edison failed more than 10,000 times in his attempt to create the light bulb. He, however, didn’t see those failures as failures, but rather as positive steps towards his goal.

Every entrepreneur will face failure and tribulation, those who succeed will be those who persist.

Winston Churchill

Sticking To Your Guns

We need to know our core values; those things that we hold most important in life. We also have to follow our gut. When Churchill thought something to be true  – whether it was or not – he stuck to his guns.

The leader of a company needs to do the same, as does the leader of a country, and an entrepreneur. We have a vision, we need to stick to that vision.

Does that mean we don’t listen to others? Of course not. Counsel is always welcome, and needed to get out of a rut, or to see things in a different light. But it’s our vision and dream we’re trying to create, and we need to be in line with our values. As a company grows, it’s easy to move away from our values, but it’s those values that led to growth. And it’s those values that will keep us true to our original vision and purpose.

Theodore Roosevelt

Embracing the Struggle

Teddy Roosevelt accomplished more in his 60 years than many would accomplish in 160. He embraced the strenuous life, as he called it.

Hard work isn’t something Teddy feared, but actively pursued.

As an entrepreneur, hard work needs to be your best friend, and laziness your worst enemy. A life of ease isn’t what an entrepreneur will get, probably ever. They’re always creating, innovating and working. But what you will get is freedom.

William Wallace

Do What Others Think is Impossible

Before the light bulb existed, no one could even comprehend that we could flip a switch that would light up a room. It’s the people that at least try the impossible, while others prefer to remain in comfort, that history treats kindly.

William Wallace, in his defiance of tyranny, fought an impossible battle against an enemy too great to defeat. Well, guess what? Wallace’s bravery and courage in the face of an impossible enemy, eventually led to the freedom of his nation.

No matter how great the obstacle, whether it even seems possible, or not, an entrepreneur will do his best to conquer it, and defeat it.

Impossible isn’t in an entrepreneur’s vocabulary. Keep that in mind. Whatever you’re doing right now, no matter how rough the road may seem, nothing is impossible. An entrepreneur is simply here to show the rest of us this universal truth.

Phyllis Sues is walking proof that age is nothing but a number, because at 89 yrs old she is doing practically anything she wants.

Phyllis has proven to those around her that there are no limitations, just dreams to be fulfilled.

A Very Inspirational Woman

As a speaker and consultant I meet a lot of new people over the course of a year.  Every single one of them is different but the start of our conversations is always the same.

There are only two questions people ever ask me when we first meet.

Unless we are in France, or a French speaking country, the first question is normally “how do you pronounce your name?”  If you’re interested it’s like “go be yo”. I sometimes wish it was “go be you” to enable me to play on that theme as part of my leadership development practice, but my forbearers did not anticipate my chosen career so I missed out on the “u”.

The second question normally comes after they have found out what I do for a living. At that stage, what most people really want to know is “what do great leaders do?” I don’t blame them. I have devoted the last 15 years of my life trying to find out the answer.  However, in that search, I have also realised that it is the wrong question.

There is a question that comes before what do great leaders do and that is “what’s a leader?” The answer is simple; “someone who is followed”. This being the case, the most important person in the equation is the follower. A great leader is someone who manages to have a great many followers, prepared to give up some of their freedom to act, in search of something greater than they can achieve alone.

When looked at it in that way, forget “what do great leaders do?”; the key question becomes “what do great followers want?” With that question we can explain why seemingly different people become great leaders. We no longer have to hope we can be “like somebody” but rather can feel free to explore what we are like when we are at our best. Development stops being about aping someone else and starts becoming about being a better, more skilled version of ourselves in the service of our followers.

When we make the switch from the “great leaders” to the “great followers” question we no longer need a model of what we ought to be but rather a set of principles that will help us to find out who we truly can be.

Having worked to support others in that search for over a decade there are four things I know to be true.

1 – THERE’S A TICK IN “AUTHENTICK”

I have always been appalled by trite business sayings like ‘there’s no I in team’ (there should be) and ‘assume makes an ass of you and me’ (it doesn’t). Yet I admit to being fascinated by their staying power. So for the last decade I have been trying to come up with my own. So here goes “There’s a Tick, in authentick”. It may be bad but it makes the point!

That point is that leadership is entirely dependent on authenticity.  You will always sub-optimize your impact if you try to be someone other than yourself. And you cannot be authentic if you don’t understand what makes you tick. To be yourself you have to know yourself and what you stand for.

2 – SURROUND BUT DON’T SURRENDER

People are always keen on giving advice. Everyone has a view or opinion they like to share. Even if you are high up in an organization and the people below you find it hard to give you feedback, peers, analysts and shareholders are never shy at dispensing their wisdom.

While surrounding yourself with advisers enlarges your view, you should not surrender to their advice.  It is your leadership, your principles and your points of view that matter. Becoming a mouthpiece for the conflicting views of others or acting purely as a curator for those views is a sure way to fail in engaging others.

This is the hardest balancing act of leadership. We shouldn’t be stubborn when faced with a reality that questions the very essence of our views. Yet we must remember that it is only reconciliation, never compromise, that is necessary.

3 – THINK MADONNA AND CHILD

The key to success lies in our ability to achieve our goal of attracting others whilst remaining true to ourselves. I have developed a simple test for self-regulation which I call the madonna and child principle.

If your mother (the madonna) would be ashamed of whatever you are considering doing, or if you can’t explain it to a six-year-old (the child), or both, then don’t do it.

Effective leadership relies on a strong moral compass (the madonna test) and clarity of your intent (the child test).  The madonna and child test preserves your integrity and, in tandem with my next and last “truth”, should enable you to make the most critical of development decisions and choices.

4 – BUY AN EGG TIMER

To understand who you are you need to reflect. Whilst you can think quickly, reflection takes time. I am not advocating a retreat or a long reflective walk, although I would if I thought you might do it. What I am advocating instead is developing an ability to think things through in the moment.

So buy an egg timer and put it on your desk. Don’t try to get away with a watch or a guess – there is something powerful in the novelty and physicality of the egg timer. It also helps you signal in a playful way to others around you that you are thinking and value this thinking time. When faced with a decision to make, turn over the egg timer.

Thanks for reading this and I hope we meet someday. And when we do, don’t worry about the “go be yo”, Emmanuel will do just fine, and if you struggle with that one, blame my parents and just call me E.

This post is an excerpt from Mastery by Robert Greene (Viking). Mastery is the latest book from the bestselling author of The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, The 33 Strategies of War, and The 50th Law.

In the stories of the greatest Masters, past and present, we can inevitably detect a phase in their lives in which all of their future powers were in development, like the chrysalis of a butterfly. This part of their lives—a largely self-directed apprenticeship that lasts some five to ten years—receives little attention because it does not contain stories of great achievement or discovery. Often in their Apprenticeship Phase, these types are not yet much different from anyone else. Under the surface, however, their minds are transforming in ways we cannot see but contain all of the seeds of their future success.

Much of how such Masters navigate this phase comes from an intuitive grasp of what is most important and essential for their development, but in studying what they did right we can learn some invaluable lessons for ourselves. In fact, a close examination of their lives reveals a pattern that transcends their various fields, indicating a kind of Ideal Apprenticeship for mastery. And to grasp this pattern, to follow it in our own ways, we must understand something about the very idea and necessity for passing through an apprenticeship.

In childhood we are inculcated in culture through a long period of dependency—far longer than any other animal. During this period we learn language, writing, math, and reasoning skills, along with a few others. Much of this happens under the watchful and loving guidance of parents and teachers. As we get older, greater emphasis is placed on book learning—absorbing as much information as possible about various subjects. Such knowledge of history, science, or literature is abstract, and the process of learning largely involves passive absorption. At the end of this process (usually somewhere between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five) we are then thrust into the cold, harsh work world to fend for ourselves.

When we emerge from the youthful state of dependency, we are not really ready to handle the transition to an entirely independent phase. We carry with us the habit of learning from books or teachers, which is largely unsuited for the practical, self-directed phase of life that comes next. We tend to be somewhat socially naïve and unprepared for the political games people play. Still uncertain as to our identity, we think that what matters in the work world is gaining attention and making friends. And these misconceptions and naïveté are brutally exposed in the light of the real world.

If we adjust over time, we might eventually find our way; but if we make too many mistakes, we create endless problems for ourselves. We spend too much time entangled in emotional issues, and we never quite have enough detachment to reflect and learn from our experiences. The apprenticeship, by its very nature, must be conducted by each individual in his or her own way. To follow precisely the lead of others or advice from a book is self-defeating. This is the phase in life in which we finally declare our independence and establish who we are. But for this second education in our lives, so critical to our future success, there are some powerful and essential lessons that we all can benefit from, that can guide us away from common mistakes and save us valuable time.

These lessons transcend all fields and historical periods because they are connected to something essential about human psychology and how the brain itself functions. They can be distilled into one overarching principle for the Apprenticeship Phase, and a process that loosely follows three steps.

The principle is simple and must be engraved deeply in your mind: the goal of an apprenticeship is not money, a good position, a title, or a diploma, but rather the transformation of your mind and character—the first transformation on the way to mastery. You enter a career as an outsider. You are naïve and full of misconceptions about this new world. Your head is full of dreams and fantasies about the future. Your knowledge of the world is subjective, based on emotions, insecurities, and limited experience. Slowly, you will ground yourself in reality, in the objective world represented by the knowledge and skills that make people successful in it. You will learn how to work with others and handle criticism. In the process you will transform yourself from someone who is impatient and scattered into someone who is disciplined and focused, with a mind that can handle complexity. In the end, you will master yourself and all of your weaknesses.

This has a simple consequence: you must choose places of work and positions that offer the greatest possibilities for learning. Practical knowledge is the ultimate commodity, and is what will pay you dividends for decades to come—far more than the paltry increase in pay you might receive at some seemingly lucrative position that offers fewer learning opportunities. This means that you move toward challenges that will toughen and improve you, where you will get the most objective feedback on your performance and progress. You do not choose apprenticeships that seem easy and comfortable.

In this sense you must see yourself as following in the footsteps of Charles Darwin. You are finally on your own, on a voyage in which you will craft your own future. It is the time of youth and adventure—of exploring the world with an open mind and spirit. In fact, whenever you must learn a new skill or alter your career path later in life, you reconnect with that youthful, adventurous part of yourself. Darwin could have played it safe, collecting what was necessary, and spending more time on board studying instead of actively exploring. In that case, he would not have become an illustrious scientist, but just another collector. He constantly looked for challenges, pushing himself past his comfort zone. He used danger and difficulties as a way to measure his progress. You must adopt such a spirit and see your apprenticeship as a kind of journey in which you will transform yourself, rather than as a drab indoctrination into the work world.

The Apprenticeship Phase — The Three Steps or Modes

With the principle outlined above guiding you in your choices, you must think of three essential steps in your apprenticeship, each one overlapping the other. These steps are: Deep Observation (The Passive Mode), Skills Acquisition (The Practice Mode), and Experimentation (The Active Mode). Keep in mind that an apprenticeship can come in many different forms. It can happen at one place over several years, or it can consist of several different positions in different places, a kind of compound apprenticeship involving many different skills. It can include a mix of graduate school and practical experience. In all of these cases, it will help you to think in terms of these steps, although you may need to give added weight to a particular one depending on the nature of your field.

Step One: Deep Observation—The Passive Mode

When you enter a career or new environment, you move into a world with its own rules, procedures, and social dynamic. For decades or even centuries, people have compiled knowledge of how to get things done in a particular field, each generation improving on the past. In addition, every workplace has its own conventions, rules of behavior, and work standards. There are also all kinds of power relationships that exist between individuals. All of this represents a reality that transcends your individual needs and desires. And so your task upon entering this world is to observe and absorb its reality as deeply as possible.

The greatest mistake you can make in the initial months of your apprenticeship is to imagine that you have to get attention, impress people, and prove yourself. These thoughts will dominate your mind and close it off from the reality around you. Any positive attention you receive is deceptive; it is not based on your skills or anything real, and it will turn against you. Instead, you will want to acknowledge the reality and submit to it, muting your colors and keeping in the background as much as possible, remaining passive and giving yourself the space to observe. You will also want to drop any preconceptions you might have about this world you are entering. If you impress people in these first months, it should be because of the seriousness of your desire to learn, not because you are trying to rise to the top before you are ready.

You will be observing two essential realities in this new world. First, you will observe the rules and procedures that govern success in this environment—in other words, “this is how we do things here.” Some of these rules will be communicated to you directly—generally the ones that are superficial and largely a matter of common sense. You must pay attention to these and observe them, but what is of more interest are the rules that are unstated and are part of the underlying work culture. These concern style and values that are considered important. They are often a reflection of the character of the man or woman on top.

You can observe such rules by looking at those who are on their way up in the hierarchy, who have a golden touch. More tellingly, you can observe those who are more awkward, who have been chastised for particular mistakes or even been fired. Such examples serve as negative trip wires: do things this way and you will suffer.

The second reality you will observe is the power relationships that exist within the group: who has real control; through whom do all communications flow; who is on the rise and who is on the decline. These procedural and political rules may be dysfunctional or counterproductive, but your job is not to moralize about this or complain, but merely to understand them, to get a complete lay of the land. You are like an anthropologist studying an alien culture, attuned to all of its nuances and conventions. You are not there to change that culture; you will only end up being killed, or in the case of work, fired. Later, when you have attained power and mastery, you will be the one to rewrite or destroy these same rules.

Every task you are given, no matter how menial, offers opportunities to observe this world at work. No detail about the people within it is too trivial. Everything you see or hear is a sign for you to decode. Over time, you will begin to see and understand more of the reality that eluded you at first. For instance, a person whom you initially thought had great power ended up being someone with more bark than bite. Slowly, you begin to see behind the appearances. As you amass more information about the rules and power dynamics of your new environment, you can begin to analyze why they exist, and how they relate to larger trends in the field. You move from observation to analysis, honing your reasoning skills, but only after months of careful attention.

We can see how Charles Darwin followed this step quite clearly. By spending the first few months studying life on board the ship and perceiving the unwritten rules, he made his time for science much more productive. By enabling himself to fit in, he was able to avoid needless battles that would have later disrupted his scientific work, not to mention the emotional turmoil these would have presented to him. He later practiced the same technique with gauchos and other local communities he came in contact with. This allowed him to extend the regions he could explore and the specimens he could collect. On another level, he slowly transformed himself into perhaps the most astute observer of nature the world has ever known. Emptying himself of any preconceptions about life and its origins, Darwin trained himself to see things as they are. He did not theorize or generalize about what he was seeing until he had amassed enough information. Submitting to and absorbing the reality of all aspects of this voyage, he ended up piercing one of the most fundamental realities of all—the evolution of all living forms.

Understand: there are several critical reasons why you must follow this step. First, knowing your environment inside and out will help you in navigating it and avoiding costly mistakes. You are like a hunter: your knowledge of every detail of the forest and of the ecosystem as a whole will give you many more options for survival and success. Second, the ability to observe any unfamiliar environment will become a critical lifelong skill. You will develop the habit of stilling your ego and looking outward instead of inward. You will see in any encounter what most people miss because they are thinking of themselves. You will cultivate a keen eye for human psychology, and strengthen your ability to focus. Finally, you will become accustomed to observing first, basing your ideas and theories on what you have seen with your eyes, and then analyzing what you find. This will be a very important skill for the next, creative phase in life.

Step Two: Skills Acquisition—The Practice Mode

At some point, as you progress through the initial months of observation required in an apprenticeship, you will enter a critical stage: practice toward the acquisition of skills. Every human activity, endeavor, or career path involves the mastering of skills. In some fields, it is direct and obvious, like operating a tool or machine or creating something physical. In others, it is more of a mix of the physical and mental, such as the observing and collecting of specimens for Charles Darwin. In still others, the skills are more nebulous, such as handling people or researching and organizing information. As much as possible, you want to reduce these skills to something simple and essential—the core of what you need to get good at, skills that can be practiced.

In acquiring any kind of skill, there exists a natural learning process that coincides with the functioning of our brains. This learning process leads to what we shall call tacit knowledge—a feeling for what you are doing that is hard to put into words but easy to demonstrate in action. And to understand how this learning process operates, it is useful to look at the greatest system ever invented for the training of skills and the achievement of tacit knowledge—the apprenticeship system of the Middle Ages. This system arose as a solution to a problem: As business expanded in the Middle Ages, Masters of various crafts could no longer depend on family members to work in the shop. They needed more hands. But it was not worth it for them to bring in people who would come and go—they needed stability and time to build up skills in their workers. And so they developed the apprenticeship system, in which young people from approximately the ages of twelve to seventeen would enter work in a shop, signing a contract that would commit them for the term of seven years. At the end of this term, apprentices would have to pass a master test, or produce a master work, to prove their level of skill. Once passed, they were now elevated to the rank of journeymen and could travel wherever there was work, practicing the craft.

Because few books or drawings existed at the time, apprentices would learn the trade by watching Masters and imitating them as closely as possible. They learned through endless repetition and hands-on work, with very little verbal instruction (the word “apprentice” itself comes from the Latin prehendere, meaning to grasp with the hand). Because resources such as textiles, wood, and metals were expensive and could not be wasted on practice runs, apprentices would spend most of their time working directly on materials that would be used for the final product. They had to learn how to focus deeply on their work and not make mistakes.

If one added up the time that apprentices ended up working directly on materials in those years, it would amount to more than 10,000 hours, enough to establish exceptional skill level at a craft. The power of this form of tacit knowledge is embodied in the great Gothic cathedrals of Europe—masterpieces of beauty, craftsmanship, and stability, all erected without blueprints or books. These cathedrals represented the accumulated skills of numerous craftsmen and engineers.

What this means is simple: language, oral and written, is a relatively recent invention. Well before that time, our ancestors had to learn various skills—toolmaking, hunting, and so forth. The natural model for learning, largely based on the power of mirror neurons, came from watching and imitating others, then repeating the action over and over. Our brains are suited for this form of learning. In an activity such as riding a bicycle, we all know that it is easier to watch someone and follow their lead than to listen to or read instructions. The more we do it, the easier it becomes. Even with skills that are primarily mental, such as computer programming or speaking a foreign language, it remains the case that we learn best through practice and repetition—the natural learning process. We learn a foreign language by actually speaking it as much as possible, not by reading books and absorbing theories. The more we speak and practice, the more fluent we become.

Once you take this far enough, you enter a cycle of accelerated returns in which the practice becomes easier and more interesting, leading to the ability to practice for longer hours, which increases your skill level, which in turn makes practice even more interesting. Reaching this cycle is the goal you must set for yourself, and to get there you must understand some basic principles about skills themselves.

First, it is essential that you begin with one skill that you can master, and that serves as a foundation for acquiring others. You must avoid at all cost the idea that you can manage learning several skills at a time. You need to develop your powers of concentration, and understand that trying to multi task will be the death of the process.

Second, the initial stages of learning a skill invariably involve tedium. Yet rather than avoiding this inevitable tedium, you must accept and embrace it. The pain and boredom we experience in the initial stage of learning a skill toughens our minds, much like physical exercise. Too many people believe that everything must be pleasurable in life, which makes them constantly search for distractions and short-circuits the learning process. The pain is a kind of challenge your mind presents—will you learn how to focus and move past the boredom, or like a child will you succumb to the need for immediate pleasure and distraction? Much as with physical exercise, you can even get a kind of perverse pleasure out of this pain, knowing the benefits it will bring you. In any event, you must meet any boredom head-on and not try to avoid or repress it. Throughout your life you will encounter tedious situations, and you must cultivate the ability to handle them with discipline.

In practicing a skill in the initial stages, something happens neurologically to the brain that is important for you to understand. When you start something new, a large number of neurons in the frontal cortex (the higher, more conscious command area of the brain) are recruited and become active, helping you in the learning process. The brain has to deal with a large amount of new information, and this would be stressful and overwhelming if only a limited part of the brain were used to handle it. The frontal cortex even expands in size in this initial phase, as we focus hard on the task. But once something is repeated often enough, it becomes hardwired and automatic, and the neural pathways for this skill are delegated to other parts of the brain, farther down the cortex. Those neurons in the frontal cortex that we needed in the initial stages are now freed up to help in learning something else, and the area goes back to its normal size.

In the end, an entire network of neurons is developed to remember this single task, which accounts for the fact that we can still ride a bicycle years after we first learned how to do so. If we were to take a look at the frontal cortex of those who have mastered something through repetition, it would be remarkably still and inactive as they performed the skill. All of their brain activity is occurring in areas that are lower down and require much less conscious control.

This process of hardwiring cannot occur if you are constantly distracted, moving from one task to another. In such a case, the neural pathways dedicated to this skill never get established; what you learn is too tenuous to remain rooted in the brain. It is better to dedicate two or three hours of intense focus to a skill than to spend eight hours of diffused concentration on it. You want to be as immediately present to what you are doing as possible.

Once an action becomes automatic, you now have the mental space to observe yourself as you practice. You must use this distance to take note of your weaknesses or flaws that need correction—to analyze yourself. It helps also to gain as much feedback as possible from others, to have standards against which you can measure your progress so that you are aware of how far you have to go. People who do not practice and learn new skills never gain a proper sense of proportion or self-criticism. They think they can achieve anything without effort and have little contact with reality. Trying something over and over again grounds you in reality, making you deeply aware of your inadequacies and of what you can accomplish with more work and effort.

If you take this far enough, you will naturally enter the cycle of accelerated returns: As you learn and gain skills you can begin to vary what you do, finding nuances that you can develop in the work, so that it becomes more interesting. As elements become more automatic your mind is not exhausted by the effort and you can practice harder, which in turn brings greater skill and more pleasure. You can look for challenges, new areas to conquer, keeping your interest at a high level. As the cycle accelerates, you can reach a point where your mind is totally absorbed in the practice, entering a kind of flow in which everything else is blocked out. You become one with the tool or instrument or thing you are studying. Your skill is not something that can be put into words; it is embedded in your body and nervous system—it becomes tacit knowledge. Learning any kind of skill deeply prepares you for mastery. The sensation of flow and of being a part of the instrument is a precursor to the great pleasures that mastery can bring.

In essence, when you practice and develop any skill you transform yourself in the process. You reveal to yourself new capabilities that were previously latent, that are exposed as you progress. You develop emotionally. Your sense of pleasure becomes redefined. What offers immediate pleasure comes to seem like a distraction, an empty entertainment to help pass the time. Real pleasure comes from overcoming challenges, feeling confidence in your abilities, gaining fluency in skills, and experiencing the power this brings. You develop patience. Boredom no longer signals the need for distraction, but rather the need for new challenges to conquer.

Although it might seem that the time necessary to master the requisite skills and attain a level of expertise would depend on the field and your own talent level, those who have researched the subject repeatedly come up with the number of 10,000 hours. This seems to be the amount of quality practice time that is needed for someone to reach a high level of skill and it applies to composers, chess players, writers, and athletes, among others. This number has an almost magical or mystical resonance to it. It means that so much practice time—no matter the person or the field—leads to a qualitative change in the human brain. The mind has learned to organize and structure large amounts of information. With all of this tacit knowledge, it can now become creative and playful with it. Although the number of hours might seem high, it generally adds up to seven to ten years of sustained, solid practice—roughly the period of a traditional apprenticeship. In other words, concentrated practice over time cannot fail but produce results.

Step Three: Experimentation—The Active Mode

This is the shortest part of the process, but a critical component nonetheless. As you gain in skill and confidence, you must make the move to a more active mode of experimentation. This could mean taking on more responsibility, initiating a project of some sort, doing work that exposes you to the criticisms of peers or even the public. The point of this is to gauge your progress and whether there are still gaps in your knowledge. You are observing yourself in action and seeing how you respond to the judgments of others. Can you take criticism and use it constructively?

With Charles Darwin, as the voyage progressed and he began to entertain the notions that would lead to his theory of evolution, he decided to expose his ideas to others. First, on the Beagle, he discussed them with the captain and patiently absorbed his vehement criticisms of the idea. This, Darwin told himself, would be more or less the reaction of the public, and he would have to prepare himself for that. He also began to write letters to various scientists and scientific societies back in England. The responses he received indicated he was on to something, but that he would need some more research. For Leonardo da Vinci, as he progressed in his studio work for Verrocchio, he began to experiment and to assert his own style. He found to his surprise that the Master was impressed with his inventiveness. For Leonardo, this indicated that he was near the end of his apprenticeship.

Most people wait too long to take this step, generally out of fear. It is always easier to learn the rules and stay within your comfort zone. Often you must force yourself to initiate such actions or experiments before you think you are ready. You are testing your character, moving past your fears, and developing a sense of detachment to your work—looking at it through the eyes of others. You are getting a taste for the next phase in which what you produce will be under constant scrutiny.

You will know when your apprenticeship is over by the feeling that you have nothing left to learn in this environment. It is time to declare your independence or move to another place to continue your apprenticeship and expand your skill base. Later in life, when you are confronted with a career change or the need to learn new skills, having gone through this process before, it will become second nature. You have learned how to learn.

Canadian Astronaut “Chris Hadfield” has been popping up all over the internet lately, sharing many inspirational videos from his journey through space. Chris is a great role model and is full of amazing advice.

Watch this video as Chris Hadfield shares his knowledge on how you can become anything that you want to be.

Astronaut Chris Hadfield – Achieving Your Dreams & Becoming The Person You Want To Be

Here is a great cartoon sketch version of this video if you would like to print this inspirational message out for your bedroom wall or cubical: (Image) Astronaut Chris Hadfield’s Advice On Following Your Dreams

So you want to become a blogging superstar huh? Earn the passive income online, do what you love, inspire people and work only a few hours a day? I know how that feels. The temptation is certainly there, to create a successful blog and live the life you always wanted. The main problem that prevents most bloggers from creating a successful business online is the very draw of success in the first place.

Some bloggers think it’s gonna be easy, that you will have to simply just apply some tactics and automate everything.. Then the money will start rolling in.

It isn’t like that. I’ve been at this game for over a year now. I’ve tried so many different things out there and failed a ton of times along the way.

Here are 9 realistic points of advice that can help you gain blogging success

1 – Be good at one thing

In the world of blogging there are so many different aspects to it all.

You can write, do videos, podcasts, webinars or just scout for something cool online to share with others.

It’s tempting to think that you need to do all of them for online success, but that’s not true.

Align yourself with your passion and what you’re good at. Then stick to that ONLY. Keep at it and soon you’ll be known as a professional of that subject in your field. This is how you have real focus online and eliminate distractions. Besides, you don’t want to be the jack-of-all-trades and end up becoming a watered down version of other bloggers.

Stick to one thing only and keep honing that craft. Personally, I only write. I don’t do video or podcasts. I’ve tried them before and not only did I not feel good about it, the content came out mediocre and ultimately useless.

2 – Then grow later

Many bloggers have this mixed up. It’s kind of understandable as all the talk of having massive amount of traffic, eyeballs and subscribers can easily get to you.

Yes, gaining exposure is important, but it’s useless to attract people to your blog filled with mediocre content. You’ve  got to attract them, but then also make sure they STAY, and you do that only by being good at something and being recognized for it.

3 – Stop it with the tricks, tactics, hacks and whatever.

“Top 10 Twitter TRICKS…”

“This traffic LOOP-HOLE….”

“AUTOMATE your blog today…”

The list goes on.

Remember this now and forever: These are just tactics. They’re just the icing on the cake.

You need a strong foundation consisting of good content and then you need to create a strategy for yourself. This is why the tired, but true line, “Content is king” is still around. It matters the most. Be good at one thing and then you can grow with all these tactics, otherwise, it’s all going to crumble down as you don’t have a strong foundation with quality content.

4 – If it’s too good to be true, then it’s definitely not true

“Top 10 Twitter TACTICS to gain a million followers overnight”

“This traffic LOOP-HOLE accidentally made me $9,424!”

“AUTOMATE your blog today and earn $(insert another very specific number) while you sleep”

If it sounds too easy, it’s most likely not true at all.

Consider the fact that people, or the “gurus” who are trying to sell you on these ideas are complete scammers and liars.

Don’t fall for them.

Blogging is a business after all. It’s not going to be easy. If it’s as easy as simply buying some cheap “guru” product, then everybody would quit their job and start making tons of cash online today.

5 – It’s okay to spend money before you start making money online

When I started out blogging, like most others,  it was my way out of the corporate 9 to 5. I thought it was going to be easy and hence, I didn’t need help at all. I ended up learning everything the hard way on my own. You can do that of course, but why not give yourself a little boost? Put in the money to start investing in a good training programme or even a mentor. These will help you learn things the right way and definitely speed things up.

You don’t want to start out feeling lost and lonely. Or worse, learn all the wrong things that will only slow you down or steer you in the wrong direction.

6 – That being said, you don’t have to do everything on your own

You aren’t the heroic solo-preneur who absolutely has to overcome everything on your own.

Again, it’s tempting to think that way since the internet is supposed to make everything “easy”.

Nope. You’re bound to run into some challenges and discover things you aren’t very good at.

Outsource the things you aren’t passionate about.

Like for me, I write all my content, but I outsource my design and programming, I merely give the directions from there.

It’s also okay to seek help. Put in the effort to ask questions and email other bloggers if they want to work together.

No business is truly a one man-show. Everybody needs help and people work together for success.

7 – Don’t quit your job just yet

How often have you heard of the successful guy who left everything behind to pursue his dream?

Or, they’ve even been fired from work and then they later call it, “The best thing that happened” in their life.

Those are certainly very inspiring stories, but that doesn’t mean you need to follow suit just like that.

This is life. We need to be real. We may have our dreams, but we also have responsibilities in life.

I left my job to do this myself. I paid for it later on when my savings depleted (thanks to a lot of partying).

There’s really nothing wrong with holding on to a job while working on your dream at the side.

If you want to quit your job. Then do it when it’s realistic. Make sure you’ve a substantial amount of savings left aside and also a clear direction and purpose on what to do next.

8 – Ignore everyone and don’t underestimate yourself

Maybe this point is a bit contradictory to seeking help online, but hear me out.

In business, you definitely need to learn all the concepts, theories and also get some help from others.

But you will eventually hit a point where you need to call the shots on your own. This means believing in yourself and doing what you think is right.

And trust me, it’s not as easy as it sounds.

I used to lack a lot of confidence in myself, so much so that I had to get an “Okay” from some other blogger or get the virtual green light by reading up a lot about something online.

I ended up not taking action at all. I also got very confused as everybody else seems to swear by their methods and kept telling me what to do. (This will happen A LOT).

When I finally decided that I would do things my way, real, tangible results came. Don’t ever underestimate yourself. Ignore what others say especially when deep down, it doesn’t feel right to you.

Once you’ve studied and learnt enough, just take action.  You’d want to create a business you can truly call your own anyway.

9 – It gets easier

And finally, yes, it gets easier.

It’s going to be tough at first, but it gets easier.

So work hard, believe in yourself and keep pushing.

Online success will come and your dreams will come true.

I just finished watching the film, ‘The Bucket List’, one of my all time favourite, feel-good movies. Not only do I like the entertaining duo of Morgan Freeman the benevolent, wise soul and Jack Nicholson, who has the alacrity of a 5 year old, but I also like the significance of the film. ‘Our quest in life’. I think we all spend our lives on a quest. Osho referred to life as a quest and not a question, maybe a quest for meaning, for love, perhaps an esoteric piece of wisdom and for many … the quest for happiness.

There’s a scene in The Bucket List where Nicholson reads the letter Freeman wrote him, where he says, ‘find the joy in your life.’

FIND THE JOY. How do we define joy? Is a large portion of our lives spent on the attainment of happiness and is it sustainable? Happiness is an emotion, a mood, a feeling, and a dynamic state. It isn’t a destination we miraculously arrive at, it’s about cultivating moments’ of joy throughout the journey, and most importantly … happiness is a decision. It’s derived from intrinsic motivation. If we’re continually questioning when we’ll find happiness, and what exactly will create that happiness, then we’re depending on external factors and therefore not being accountable for our own lives.

The Greek philosopher Aristotle, devoted his research to the study of happiness. Aritstotle questioned the meaning of life and the purpose of human existence suggesting that happiness was the fundamental motivator. He related it to virtue and attainment for the greater good, as opposed to individualistic gain and defined virtue as maintaining the median. Artistotle’s theory is comparable to the Buddhist philosophy of the ‘middle path’ or the ‘middle way’, which is concerned with the balance between hedonism and abstinence.

Buddhists also advocate that contentment is a more achievable state than happiness. If we reflect on the catalysts in our lives that have generated happiness, buying a new car, passing an exam, falling in love to name a few examples, I’m sure we would discover these states are temporary, impermanent and therefore … unsustainable.

In her article ‘Being Happy’, Doctor Charmaine Saunders provides three main tips for attaining happiness which include, conquering your fears, what she refers to as ‘looking for the gem’ and seeing the magic. Dr Saunders posits that our fear stifles many aspects of our life and that instead looking for the positives is a surer way to happiness.

In 1972, Bhutan’s fourth King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, coined the phrase Gross National Happiness (GNH) to demonstrate his commitment in developing a nation established on Buddhist principles. This concept was later developed by Kara Ura The Director of the Centre for Bhutan Studies, to holistically measure the quality of national well-being. The research concluded that the factors contributing to individual and therefore collective happiness included, the work-life balance, good governance, sustainable socio-economic development, cultural preservation, and environmental conservation and has since been adopted by various other leading nations. It seems the quest for happiness is now a global phenomenon.

The path to a more content life

Healthy mind, healthy body

There is an old expression which refers to a healthy body in a healthy mind – Mens sana in corpore sano. I promote the regular exercise, balanced diet theory, however, I’m also an advocate for holistic health and feel that if we are in a continual state of stress and anxiety, we don’t possess the motivation to eat, eat nutritiously, cook or to engage in exercise. Our eating patterns become irregular, we crave for foods containing high quantities of sugar, salts and starch, sleep routines become disrupted and irregular and we don’t possess the impetus to exercise or even socialise. These factors can contribute to severe mental health issues including depression, anxiety disorders and a range of physical conditions. Constant worry, stress, fatigue and physical ailments, may be an indication that you need to reassess key relationships, career, and seeking the guidance and support of a health professional, to implement changes to your lifestyle, which leads me to my next point …

A balanced lifestyle

‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy …’ another cliché or perhaps another universal truth? With rapid globalisation and technological advancement, human beings are in a constant state of flux. Work demands, financial obligations and family commitments are common stressors which can affect our quality of life. Happiness is about maintaining the balance between the physical, emotional, and spiritual. Sufficient rest, exercise and a balanced, healthy diet are essential, as well as discovering a talent, hobby, enrolling in a course, learning to meditate or practicing yoga, however, make sure you engage in activities and, with people you feel enhance your life, and contribute to it positively. Whatever you choose to do and whomever you choose to do it with, just remember that everything in life is interconnected, and occurs in duality, there are always seeds of hope in despair and fear at it’s best is inspiration, it is up to us to create the balance.

A Bucket List

If you haven’t all ready, I would strongly recommend you rent the film ‘The Bucket List’. If anything at all, I’m sure you will at least take away with you, the courage to convert your fears and create your own bucket list. Find half an hour to sit down somewhere quiet and start creating your list. Perhaps there are things you have always wanted to do but have always deterred yourself because instead, you listen to that little voice inside your, or perhaps to that little nagging voice of others. Maybe you have always had the support of others but have never had the self-belief and confidence. Drown out the inner noise and that voice of others and … just write it. Once you have written your list, it might also require further planning, for example, if your list contains goals that involve finances, such as travel, or a specific allocation of time, like a course of study. Don’t forget to specify your short, mid and long term goals, a time frame and additional considerations to achieve the outcome.

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, it’s all an experience and it’s how you reframe that experience which determines the ‘real’ outcome.

To quote my Mum, who always adopts a positive approach to life ‘don’t be afraid of succeeding!’ I questioned her, thinking she made an error, and that what she meant to say was ‘don’t be afraid of failing’, but she assured me, that, ‘don’t be afraid of succeeding’ was precisely, what she meant to say.

Enjoy the journey …

A franchise can be a great opportunity for any entrepreneur who wants an assured fast-track to success without the risk, learning curve and general uncertainty that usually comes with starting a business from the ground up. This makes them very popular too, with a few extremely recognizable large brands having built up enormous market presence largely through successful application of the franchise model.

All too often, though, people choose to buy into a franchise on a whim, for reasons as simple as liking the franchise’s product. This isn’t the best foundation on which to start any type of business, but with franchises at least, you have a good chance of getting off to a running start if you ask the right questions first.

Here are 10 of the most important things to consider when buying a franchise.

1 – How much capital is required?

The purchase price of a franchise can vary widely, but also make sure you are clear on whether this figure also covers other capital expenses, such as real estate, vehicle purchase and shop fit-out. Sometimes the initial fee only covers buying the right to trade under the brand – with everything else an added cost.

2 – What are the financing options?

Many banks offer attractive franchise lending packages worth up to 70% or more of the franchise cost, easing pressure to finance against home equity and other personal assets. However, you should make sure you closely evaluate all options as the wrong decision could cost you dearly.

3 – Is there market demand?

Is there strong consumer demand for the franchise product or service, and is that demand set to continue? As part of this, you should also evaluate competitors, and measure the quality of their product against that of the franchise you are interested in.

4 – What’s the franchise’s track record?

A little digging online can tell you a lot about the franchise’s reputation and business record. It can also reveal whether there are any past or present legal judgments against them. Also, speak with an existing franchisee if possible.

5 – What legal agreements are required?

Before you sign on the dotted line, make sure you’ve run the agreement by a legal professional with franchise experience. And you shouldn’t feel pressured to sign – if that’s the case, you should probably walk the other way.

6 – Does the franchisor have a good marketing program?

See if you can take a close look at the methods the franchisor uses to research new and existing markets. As a franchisee, will you be privy to marketing information, and get training that is specific both to the industry and your business.

7 – What support do they offer beyond initial training?

A good franchisor won’t abandon you after the initial week of orientation. They should be genuinely interested in your ongoing success, and help you develop a business plan.

8 – What is their selection criteria?

Do they have a selection criteria, and how stringent are they really? What are the education and/or training requirements, and is there an “ideal” franchisee they have in mind?

9 – What’s the success rate?

In other words, how many of the franchisees are still in business – and importantly, still happy – after the first two years?

10 – How are conflicts resolved?

If a procedure or policy rubs you the wrong way, what guidelines and mediation processes do they have? Is there any room for original ideas or innovation?

Conclusion

With commitment, a franchise can be the road to a great lifestyle and a very comfortable living. Just make sure you ask the right questions first. You’ll be very glad you did!

Success isn’t a matter of who has the greatest ideas and plans; success lies in action. The person who can get the most done, and at the higher quality, will be more successful than the one who can’t.

The greatest people in history have been known to have a unique abundance of energy. When others slept, they worked. When their peers were on breaks, they hustled. Energy is a necessity, a commodity as important as time, and far more important than money.

Learn how to structure your day so you can have more energy, get more work done, and live a more successful life.

Energy Begins with the Breakfast 

The majority of the people on the planet consume some form of carbohydrates for breakfast; but they shouldn’t. Carbohydrates – especially high glycemic carbs like white breads, sugars, and most fruits – raise your insulin levels and blood sugar rapidly.

As your blood sugar rises you get a brief boost in energy; the key word here is brief. A crash follows that brief spike, and an hour or so after you’ve consumed your toast, or sugar-filled coffee, you’ll find yourself lethargic and often yawning.

Rather than spiking your blood sugar, you want to allow them to rise slowly. In doing this you’ll see your energy levels build throughout the day, rather than have them filled with the ebbs and flows that normally occur.

Have meat and healthy fats for breakfast. Meat slows the rise of blood sugar, giving your energy levels a steady increase. Healthy fats, like animal fats and omega-3 fatty acids, increase your insulin sensitivity; that is, your body’s ability to use carbohydrates as fuel rather than storing them as fat. They also improve brain function, and give you more energy.

Try this breakfast:

2-4 slices of Ham

2-4 whole eggs (the yolks are filled with healthy omega-3’s, and testosterone-boosting cholesterol).*

1/2 cup of assorted berries (keep them dark – blackberries, blueberries, raspberries – to avoid a spike in insulin).

Assorted vegetables.

Have a cup of coffee as well, but make sure to keep it sugar-free and black.

*Eggs have been given a bad name because of their fat and cholesterol content. However, eggs have been shown not to increase your bad cholesterol levels, and actually help your body produce less of it when they’re consumed.

Start Your Day off With Activity

Aside from the fact that getting in great shape, alone, will help you have more energy; exercising to start your day will result in the release of powerful endorphins that positively effect mood, energy, and productivity.

Try this workout to start your day:

Make Your Second Workout Break An Active One

As the day progresses and you begin to hit a wall, take an active break. Head to the gym, or go outside for a run. Too many head to the TV to take a break, but come out of their “time off” feeling more lethargic and less ambitious.

A short 30-minute workout will give you the boost you need to finish your work day off strong.

Fall Asleep By Having Carbs?

One of the greatest nutrition myths in existence, is that having carbohydrates late at night will stop you from sleeping. Actually, they have the opposite effect.

We already talked about how spiking your blood sugar results in an energy crash, not a prolonged boost. Well that crash, when it occurs late at night will actually help you fall asleep faster, getting the sleep you need to be as productive as you can be tomorrow.

How to Structure Your Day to Have Optimal Energy Levels 

1. Meat + good fats and no carbohydrates for breakfast.
2. Start your day with activity.
3. Keep your carbohydrates low on the glycemic index:
   a. Whole grains
   b. Dark berries
   c. Quinoa
   d. Sweet potato and yams

• Make your first real work break an active one.

Make sure you fall asleep by consuming carbohydrates with your dinner.

I hope this maximum energy plan gives you everything you need to reach your highest of goals.

A mentor is more than a teacher. Teachers show you something and leave you to your own devices. A mentor is concerned about your “whole being.” They pierce who you are to help guide you without interfering with your individuality. A mentor should never want you to be like them, but help to mould those characteristics that make you, well, you.

Who is your mentor? and why is it important to have a mentor? Read on as we explain why.

The Definition Of A Mentor

A mentor is someone you can look up to, normally deemed to be a trusted counselor or guide. Mentors play a crucial part in our lives by sharing their experience, words of positive thinking and how you can go about getting the best out of your life. Most people only think of mentors in the form of academic or job relations. Even though this is not uncommon, here, we speak of mentors in deeper terms. In fact, a mentor can emerge in various forms. Whether a person, a movie, lyrics of a song, or a book, a mentor gives the student a unique tool, training, or advice that puts them on the right road of life’s journey that suits the particular challenges they face. A mentor cannot free anyone from life’s challenges, but they can teach you how to cope with them, overcome them, learn from them, and move onto your next level of growth.

 “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” - Benjamin Franklin

Today, the term “mentor” is used loosely. You can practically find a mentor in your basement if you look hard enough. There are self-help gurus, life coaches, TV personalities, motivational speakers, and the whole lot. There are a number of channels in which these mentors can be contacted as well. The Internet, videos, Skype, books, Facebook, just about anywhere today, someone can be contacted instantly to assist you with your life journey. Life is certainly complicated enough. If you want to build a momentous life, you will need to meet individuals who can help guide you, and you must be ready to be guided.

Wisdom is the Mentor’s Hangout

In order to succeed in life your best teacher is wisdom. It should be pursued with enthusiasm. Hang out with wise people and model your life after them. Ask questions and continue to ask for as long as your mentor is willing to answer. To the surprise of many, wisdom is not just book learning, and certainly not instantly obtainable. It defies precise definition. To define wisdom too strictly is curtailing the depth of it potential to help us.

The spirit of wisdom is praised in every land. It is frequently viewed as a state-of-mind that leaves one calm and able to filter through situations put before them without acting rashly. Wisdom consists of the ability to reflect and view the bigger-picture while still appreciating the minute details that make things work well. The great philosopher Confucius said, “There are three ways one may learn wisdom. Firstly, through reflection, which is gracious, then by imitation, which is simplest, and last by experience, which is the most unpleasant.”

A “true” mentor must possess qualities of wisdom. There are mentors who are charismatic, but that does not equate wisdom. There are mentors who are attractive, but it has nothing to do with insight. There are mentors who are materially wealthy, but there are fools who are as well. You can find mentors in every walk of life whether they are for personal or professional assistance. Nevertheless, if they do not possess the characteristics of sincerity and the ability to deeply comprehend where it is you need to grow, a mentor will be of very little help.

Mentors in Your Professional Work Life

A few years ago a large technology company based in the United States released results of a study that delved into the value of mentoring. The study, conducted by a research and advisory firm and a software and services company, utilized statistical investigations to analyze the financial influence of mentoring and how funding could be used in that area. The study determined that “mentoring had a positive affect on mentors and their learners and produced staff that was more highly valued by the company.”

Researchers checked data from over 1,000 employees through a five-year period, classified by job description, such as engineers and administrators. The study analyzed nearly 70 variables such as previous employment code, base pay, job performance rating, salary grade, promotion, salary grade change, salary increase because of promotion, and merit increase in salary.

Researchers discovered that 25% of employees in the test cluster that participated in the company’s mentoring program had a salary-grade change, The program also had positive financial advantages for the mentors: over 27% of mentors in the test group were given a salary-grade change compared to 5% in the control group.

Researchers also discovered that the company’s mentoring program was not as effective for high achievers. This was astounding, since many mentoring programs concentrate on developing high-performers with the best potential. This led researchers to deduce that “funds are better spent on lower-performers to assist them in raising their performance level.” Overall, the study showed that mentoring can only be worthwhile if the learner is willing to be taught. The perfect mentor needs perfect students, if not, no one benefits whether in the corporate world or in private life.

Modelling the Masters

In Homer’s noble verse “The Odyssey,” Odysseus had difficulty finding his way back home to the palace after the Trojan War, there were too many dangers threatened to disrupt his crossing. However, Odysseus felt comforted knowing that he had a wise and loyal friend named Mentor to protect and teach his son, Telemachus, through his absence.

Despite the wave of change in our culture, in some cases because of it, mentoring is vital in every person’s life. Especially younger people looking to learn from more experienced individuals in their private and work lives. In fact, mentoring may be just as important for organizations since connecting with mature mentors with a promising protégé is a perfect means of keeping valued employees and preventing them from going elsewhere.

Mentors help to guide an individual, organization, or employee to become acclimated to the world around them while keeping the validity of each one’s purpose. As adults, we must take the proper approach to finding the right mentor for our lives. To find the right mentor, search deep. Don’t grab the closest expert from down the block. Look with your eyes open. Check their credentials and references. Find out if they live by their word. Test their wisdom. Make sure they are respected.

The secret to a good mentor is a developed commitment to communication and trust. Criticism is something many of us find hard to take lightly; however, it is a less difficult pill to swallow if it is coming from a person you trust, a person with insight and wisdom, someone who you know has your back. In particular, be sure that you mentor is available to you. You may have the utmost mentor in the universe; however, if they have no time for you, then they will not be the best option to guide you to the place you really want to be.

If you believe that you have what it takes to be a mentor yourself then checkout our post 10 Steps To Becoming A Motivational Speaker to learn the ropes on how you can inspire others to do great things and live a successful life.

Feature Image Courtesy of OWN.

The following is an excerpt from The Plateau Effect: Getting from Stuck to Success by Bob Sullivan and Herbert Thompson.

We all hit plateaus from time to time.

Bodybuilders and dieters know this well. They begin a new regimen of weightlifting or starvation. For 10 days or so, the results are fantastic, even inspiring. Down 4 pounds, or up another 10 on the military press. But somewhere near that two-week mark, they hit a wall. The scale seems frozen in place. The strength gains top out.  They have, cruelly, plateaued.

Plateaus rob you of success. They make hard work worthless. They turn beginner’s luck into sophomore slumps. They can even make you look lazy, dumb, careless, or unloving. You aren’t any of these things. You’ve just been fighting an invisible enemy.

We believe the Plateau Effect is a law of nature, as real and as impactful as gravity or friction. It’s built directly into the genetic code of our bodies, and into the planet we inhabit. The Plateau Effect explains why the world is full of one-hit-wonders, why all good things come to an end, why all trends eventually fall, why most people get less for more, and how you can break through, again and again.

If you’re stuck, one of these devils is probably to blame. Remember, what helps you break out of your plateau today will one day stop working – and you’ll have to try another method. Breaking through plateaus requires constant recalibration – it takes a little of this and a bit of that. In the list below, we show you what “this” and “that” really are for you, today, and into the future.

Element 1: Immunity

People, relationships, businesses and even physical processes become immune to the same techniques, the same approaches, the same solutions. Immunity is perhaps the most basic force of the Plateau Effect. Everybody has experienced what it’s like to become immune to something: maybe it’s the complements of your spouse, the smell of garlic at an Italian restaurant, or the effects of your second beer. Immunity can be frustrating – what worked so well yesterday just won’t work today.

Solution: Diversity

Immunity’s Kryptonite is diversity. You’ve got to shake things up and be radical. Trying different approaches, techniques or procedures can shake you out of an immunity plateau.

Element 2: Greedy Algorithm

The greedy algorithm is a concept borrowed from the field of mathematics. Here’s how it works: you always pick the best short-term solution and ignore the long-term outcome. As it is in mathematics – and in life – the best short-term solution hardly ever leads to the best long-term outcome.

Solution: Extend your gratification horizon

Short-term greed is bad but long-term greed is actually good. To get beyond the greedy algorithm, you need to think about solutions on a bigger timescale. Someone following the greedy algorithm (driven by short-term greed) would never go to medical school – the student is building debt with no income year after year. Someone who’s thinking about a 10-year horizon instead of a 1-2 year horizon sees the six-figure checks that will eventually start coming in.

Element 3: Bad Timing

If you’re working hard but you’re stuck in a plateau, maybe it’s as simple as taking a break. When you do something – and more precisely, when you don’t do something – is critical. The key is to take control of when you apply effort, not just how much effort you apply.

Solution: Wait

If bad timing has you stuck in a plateau, remember, the periods of rest and inactivity are just as important as the periods of great effort, just as silence between the notes is part of the music. If you use time as a tool, you can literally wait your way out of a plateau.

Element 4: Flow Issues

Whenever things seem to be sailing along, sometimes the engine just breaks down. Specifically, you can run into one of four dysfunctions:

Erosion: Sometimes we deplete the resources that we need to be successful. Maybe we run out of capital, or time, or skilled workers. When you hit an erosion plateau, progress tends to degrade slowly as some critical resource is gobbled up over time.

Solution: Find a counterbalance, something that replaces the resource you consume. If you can’t find a counterbalance, you might not be in a plateau at all. You may have reached a terminal point.

Step Function: Sometimes you want to add just a little more of something, but that thing is only available in bundles. The result is a jump in cost, effort, or benefit. We call these things “step functions.” If you aren’t aware that something you need follows a step function, you can hit a plateau because incremental investment won’t lead to incremental improvement.

Solution: Try to smooth out your step function. Sometimes this can be done by identifying some other person or business that has complementary peaks to your own. If you can pool your resources, you can share the cost of the step and make it look more like a comfortable ramp.

Choke points: A choke point is the part of the system that breaks first and slows everything else down. Failing to identify a chokepoint can bring a gushing flow to an unexpected trickle.

Solution: The trick is to find out where the choke point is and creatively route your way around it.

Element 5: Distorted Data

We often react based on distorted data. It’s like walking through a hall of mirrors, and basing a major decision on the crazy fat (or skinny) image you see. Sometimes we measure the wrong things or inappropriately assess risk. In other cases, we fall victim to common psychological errors with data, such as overreacting to the most recent piece of information we’ve received, we get hung up on sunk costs, or we conform to what we think the data is telling us.

Solution: Recognize the signal, ignore the noise

The Enlightenment brought us the scientific method because smart people realized that they couldn’t trust their own eyes. The key is to boil out the impurities of data and recognize that you are looking through a lens that might be deceptive. Each type of distortion has its own remedy, but the tie that binds them is to look for a ground truth of data amidst the chaos.

Element 6: Distraction

It’s easy to fall victim to the illusion of multitasking and become distracted. Distraction is the enemy of adaptation and can lead you straight towards a plateau. How do we know when and what we need to change to live in a world of unrelenting distraction?

Solution: Radical Listening

If you take a page from improv comedy – where you look for the truth in what others are saying and build on it through the “yes…and” strategy – you get to a skill we call radical listening. It’s a mode of active engagement, where you are attuned to your surroundings, listening, and adapting.

Element 7: Failing slow

Failing slow is natural because it’s difficult to tell that a situation is incrementally getting worse. Often the incremental worsening of a situation happens slower than what psychophysicists call the just noticeable difference. The just noticeable difference helps explain why we continue forging ahead when we’re in the throes of a plateau – we just don’t realize how much less we’re getting for our efforts.

Solution: Fail fast

Once you understand the just noticeable difference you can counteract its effects.  By setting clear markers, you can objectively see how you’re progressing, figure out what’s working and what’s failing, correct it and move on. It’s important to realize if your efforts will eventually fail by accelerating failure. This ability to fail fast is key, especially when the problems are changing quickly.

Element 8: Perfectionism

Perfect is the enemy of good. The desire for perfection kills beginnings – it’s never the right time to start, and even if you do, a task is never complete because it is held up to an impossible standard. A plateau of perfection is similar to a plateau of inaction.

Solution: First Steps, etc.

Accept that perfection isn’t achievable. Focus on taking the first step, and then the next step. There are some tricks that can help, such as structured procrastination and setting hard (but liberating) deadlines.

Understanding why we reach a plateau can help us stop wasting time on things that we’ve stopped getting value from and focus on other things that leverage our time and energy better. Instead of being stuck on a series of plateaus, you’ll find yourself scaling mountains that always seemed far out of reach. And when you reach the peak, as all mountaineers know, you’ll see there are always new mountains to climb. This time, however, you won’t feel like you’re going in circles. You’ll be going up, and up, and up.

Those who master The Effect, who can identify a plateau and break through, will leave one-hit wonders in the dust.

Bob Sullivan and Herbert Thompson are the authors of The Plateau Effect: Getting from Stuck to Success. With more than 40 years of experience between them researching, writing, and analyzing systems and human nature, their new book helps you bust through the plateaus in your own life.

Envision something you have always wanted to do. Go on, take your time. Let yourself go. Is it Snowboarding in the Swiss Alps? Finishing your education? Making a million dollars? Starting your own business? Whatever it is, you can accomplish it, and this can be achieved by first envisioning your dream to be real.

By creating a vision, you can reach far beyond your material existence, get out of your comfort zone, and imaginatively extend yourself beyond what previously seemed impossible. By going deeper, and understanding yourself better, you create a better balance. The heart and soul are enhanced and you then become more focused on the positive. Most people are focused on what they believe they “can’t” do, and not on what they “can” do. Fear is the paralysis and usually the culprit, and creating a vision can help you overcome this.

Great visionaries like Walt Disney emphasized “If you can dream it, you can do it.” Goethe stated, “whatever you are able to do or dream you can initiate it. Boldness has magic, genius, and strength. Start now!” Michelangelo said, “The biggest threat for many of us is not that our goals are too high and we might miss them, but they are too low and we may reach them.” The list of words of wisdom can go on infinitely. There has been great minds throughout the centuries that have learned the secret of seeing the invisible and creating a vision. In fact, it would be impossible for them to achieve their dreams without envisioning them first.

What is a vision for success?

- A vision is something like a mirage in the mind. A state you want manifested into your outer world.

- The idea becomes a conviction after your “will” joins in to support the idea.

- Fine tuning and expounding the concept with the will and intentions to achieve the perceived idea are what creates the vision.

The vision is the expression of a much wished for future, that is better than what exists now or of what is projected to subsist in the future.

Why Develop a Vision?

- Every decision and choice we make has consequences. Without a clear vision, we fall short of having the quality of life we desire.

- Our visions must be strong and steady in order to manifest what we truly desire. Weak visions lead to an imbalanced life.

- Visions not based on our “inner self” are not satisfying and empowering.

- Clear vision leads to fulfillment, purpose, and brings meaning into our lives.

- An unclear vision leads to vulnerability to “whatever” happens, staying true to your vision will make things happen better than you ever thought possible.

Expanding Your Vision

The initial step of a vision becoming a reality is well, by envisioning. In other words, the focus of your vision has no apparent reality on the material plane. Some people call this faith. Not creating a vision is like walking around with your eyes closed, except in the invisible realm your “inner eye” is shut. You cannot go anywhere if you have no place to go to. You must see yourself going somewhere in order to get there! In effect, seeing something in the invisible as “real” manifests the energy in your outer world to eradicate the obstacles that would prevent you from realizing your vision. However, be forewarned. Negative visions can manifest negative results as well. People who are always “envisioning or saving for a rainy day,” eventually have one. “When it rains it pours” is usually the battle cry when misfortune manifests.

If you expand your vision and connect deeply within your inner needs, with the Soul, you will eventually discover an ability to fuse and display visionary creativity. You will become more powerful and charismatic as well. Your relationships will become more sincere, authentic, and energized. Think about it, what do you believe you could accomplish if you perceive it in the invisible, thereby, manifesting the so-called impossible?

A number of highly successful people have claimed to have made a vision board and have recognised it is an important tool for their success. A vision board is usually designed with a big sheet of cardboard that has a collage of different pictures and notes of wants, needs and dreams you wish to fulfill and is usually hung up on your bedroom wall as a reminder of the possibilities that are out there and is also a great visual aid for envisioning your hopes and dreams. This is a great way to reinforce the vision and direction in your mind so that you can be more sure of reaching your dreams.

Cut out a picture of your favorite car, your dream holiday destination, your company logo, a picture of some money etc… and add that to your vision board. Make it appealing as possible so that you will be inspired when looking at it every morning and evening.

I have one myself and find that a vision board has been my saviour when I lose sight of my dreams and has been a great inspiration for me when I forget how good things can be in life if I just hang in there.

I have my moments of low motivation also, believe it or not, and nothing is wrong with that, sometimes our body is trying to tell us to slow down and balance out a little, but when it is time to perform you have to really have a strong reason behind WHY you must succeed in what you are doing, that will be the key to finding your motivation.

Write it down and create an eye pleasing visual of the reason why you must succeed, and make it a MUST, not a should or a maybe.

Create a Vision: Start by Dreaming

- Think about who will participate in the vision.

- Suggest, dream, and envisage.

- Concentrate on positive things. Things that create a sense-of-purpose and meaning to life.

- Do not limit your vision to appearances. Visions go beyond what is in front of you and reaches beyond the three-dimensional world.

- Visions are not limited by needs, but the needs are determined by the vision.

The Power of the Mind and The Placebo Effect

Without a doubt, many of you have heard of the placebo effect. A substance or some other treatment is given to a person that looks like standard medicine, but it is not. It is really a fake identical looking substance that is not a medicine. The person receiving the placebo is not aware whether the treatment is genuine or not.

Although placebos are not actually reacting to the ailment, one out of three individuals claims to have a reaction to the fake medicine. When a person’s symptoms change due to this “fake remedy,” it is called the “Placebo Effect.” However, sometimes the effect can go in the opposite direction and patients believe that the “fake medicine” is causing disagreeable or worse symptoms. This is known as the “Nacebo Effect“.

What it all boils down to is the power of the mind to heal or destroy through the power of imagination. The NCCAM, National-Center-for-Complementary-and-Alternative-Medicine, a branch of the National Institute of Health states yes, “there is significant proof,” that the mind can have a positive influence on mental functioning and quality of life.”

Carl T. Javert, a holistic doctor now deceased, believed that illnesses were frequently psychosomatically brought about by emotional stress. He assisted women during pregnancy to supervise their problems and difficulties in order to prevent miscarriages and other impediments. With the placebo effect, an individual experiences what they “expect to happen.” If the expectation is to feel better or worse, either could occur. The placebo in itself had nothing to do with the effects directly. However, the person’s “belief” helped to change the outcome.

Imagine harnessing that tremendous power of the mind and envisioning an outcome so strongly that it transcends your material surroundings. A very famous actor did just that. He did not have much, but plenty of talent and faith, before experiencing a very successful acting career. He wrote himself a check for $10,000,000 and post-dated it for 10 years later, hoping he would be able to eventually cash it. That actor is Jim Carrey, one of the most famous comedic actors in the world!

The Power of a Vision

The power of a vision permits us to see beyond our present condition. The power to visualize was given to us for a reason. We are able to manifest our miniature worlds within the colossal world we call earth. Through vision we can dream, create, and manifest what does not yet exist. However, the vision must hold steady to the true and the good. If we want positive results, we must hold true to a positive outcome. The vision must be powerful enough to create a conviction so strong within, that it cannot be shattered regardless of appearances.

Some would say vision is nothing but good ole’ faith under a pseudo name, and this might be true. If one wants to call it faith by all means, do so. Whatever works is fine. Think of your vision in the same way as a diet. In order for your diet to work, you must stick with it. You must think about how much better you will feel and look by staying with that diet, this is the exact same way the “power of vision works.” It works through determination, commitment, and faith.

“See the invisible, Believe the incredible, Achieve the impossible” – Joel Brown

Article by Joel Brown | Addicted2Success.com

The idea of buying and selling websites, otherwise known as website flipping, is becoming a very common trend on the Internet. Ideally, a less functional site is bought at a low price and later sold at a higher price after it has been tweaked and modified for better presentation and functionality.

This stems from the idea that most individuals who need a website to run their business or projects, lack the time and technical knowhow of designing one. You can take this opportunity to buy websites, fine-tune them a little and your efforts will be recovered when you sell the awesome new re-designed website. A powerful investment opportunity if you know how to flip a website properly.

The types of websites you can buy

You need to understand the types of websites available before deciding on the business of buying and selling websites. Essentially, the type of websites you may venture in will depend on a variety of factors; this may include the purpose of the website, the expected traffic, audience, structure and so on.

The most common types of websites for sale in the market include:

• Forums
• Dropship product sites
• Blogs
• Popular sales and Clickbank pages
• Clickbank ready affiliate sites
• Niche communities
• Paid membership sites
• Social networking websites

Clickbank affiliate ready websites are great and have high income potential, but this is true if you understand that specific niche. You may otherwise be required to throw in a little more effort. These sites also tend to produce high income at the start due to he launching effects, but then die off after a while.

Blogs are great, but they require extra effort to drive in traffic, unless you have a creative writer to supply constant high quality SEO content.

Community sites on the other hand are great because they don’t rely on Google or social media sites to drive in traffic. This can considerably make your venture of buying and selling websites a success story.

Niche specific or paid membership sites have proven to be lucrative as their monthly income can be maintained relatively high with some good marketing.

Considerations before website buying and selling

1. Technical know how:

If you are buying a website then you need to find out if you have the technical knowledge required to manage the website. Some sites are pretty easy to run; you may just need to update content through its content management system once in a while. Other sites may however be quite complex to handle and may require some advanced IT skills.

2. Traffic:

You need to find out how much traffic the website gets. It’s all about traffic, remember? Google analytics can come in handy for this. You can request an authentic screen shot from the person you are looking at purchasing the website from so that you can verify the websites traffic is legit.

If you are selling your website, then you can use a screen shot of your awesome flood of traffic to promote the sale of your website.

3. How much money does the website make?

Ask the owner for screenshots or video screen casts to verify the weekly or monthly income of the website. Some months may be better than others in certain niches, so you want to see a graph of their performance report as far back as possible. Just in case they are only showing you a visual of a miracle month of income, which a number of websites have from time to time.

4. Is the website established?

You need to verify that the website you are about to buy has solid roots, otherwise the income and the traffic may vanish after a few months. You can do this by checking the number of pages Google has indexed so far, age of the domain name, traffic and revenue income history and number of back links that point back to the website.

5. Does the Website have a good promotional system in place?

Once you create content for your website you want other people to share it also right? Well you need to make sure that the website you are considering purchasing has a Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram account etc… The Social Media accounts don’t have to have a strong following, (although that will give you a great knee up to drive traffic), but they at least have to have the websites full name included in the username so that you are accepted officially through these social network platforms by visitors and viewers.

Where to buy or sell websites

There are a number of websites on the Internet where listings of sites for sale are maintained. These websites can be used for website buyers and website sellers. Most sites require that you bid on the listings and the seller will choose on the best bid, kind of like eBay.

You need also to consider several factors on such websites such as security as well as the fees charged. You might also be required to develop a reputation on such sites to be more successful at bids.

The most common and reliable market places for buying and selling websites are Digitalpoint and Flippa. You may find some other smaller ones when you search on Google, but these two websites have so far gained the most trust and reputation.
Most of these sites are convenient when it comes to buying and selling websites. Some sites like Flippa may however charge up to 5% transaction fees, but this should not be an obstacle if you have found a potential site to buy.

You may also opt to go to website owners directly, if there is some way of contacting them. Some owners even announce the sale of the site or domain name on their platforms. This might be a viable option considering that sites that rank highly for certain keywords may be relatively expensive in the marketplaces.

If you have trouble tracking down the owner of the website you can always head over to whois.com and run a search on their websites domain address. Most sites will come up with the webmasters email address and this is usually a good way to reach out to the website owner.

How much should you offer when buying or selling a website?

You should first keep in mind that a website is generally valued by how much revenue the site is generating at the present. For transaction purposes, do not allow the website owner to value the website based on foreseen “potential”. This is because if such potential existed, they would not be selling it in the first place. The following three other means should assist you in finding the value of an existing website.

Website Valuator Sites

There are a number of websites out there that can determine the site’s value, but this is not always reliable and should only be a rough estimate of the true value. What a number of people do is, they will visit 5-6 websites that value your desired site and then you average the total value that the 5-6 sites equate to.

Value by Comparison

Another way to value a website is to compare it to a number of sites in that niche or field and see what other similar sites have sold for in the past or are currently priced at on the market.

Website’s intrinsic value

This is how much you get when you break down the components of the website. Look at the key traits of the site, applications, programs, design, social media following, mail subscriptions.

How to improve your site before selling

There are thousands of ways in which you can improve on your purchased website before selling it at a profit. Such value addition practices include:

Design: you can make the website to be a little more eye-catching by changing style, colour theme and even fonts. There are various templates that can do this for you to make the process a little less involving. If you are running a blog through wordpress then google “wordpress themes” and download some to play around with for a better layout or style. 

Add content: You can also add some rich SEO content to increase the visibility of the website and improve ranking on search engines. This is especially useful for niche specific websites. SEO, stands for Search Engine Optimization and is highly convenient and very rewarding to understand if you are interested in mastering the art of “increasing your organic website traffic”.

Rethink your hosting: you may want to move your newly acquired website to a more reliable hosting company that runs at least 99% of the time. A number of sites guarantee a 99% up time, and are more reliable with a lot better support in case you have any technical issues.

One thing I have learnt through running Addicted2Success.com is that it is highly important to have a fast enough Dedicated Server with enough CPU, Storage & RAM to manage the high amount of traffic during peak times. It may cost around $100 or more per month for a dedicated server but at least your site wont crash and your page loads are a lot quicker, resulting in better google rankings, which is something any serious website owner should strive for.

Add some personality: A personalized site draws in more of an audience and ensures a steady supply of traffic as people feel more like you’re their friend than some corporation or robot run business that they go to from time to time.

You may want to also brand you domain name, add a logo, open forums, throw in a bit of your personal experience, create a bio or any other way that connects you with the audience and builds more of a friendly rapport.

Others: Depending on the type and purpose of the site, you may add applications, plug-ins, change the structure/site map, link to social sites and more.

Selling your website

As mentioned earlier, there are websites that act as marketplaces for buying and selling websites. You can list your websites here after you have done all the necessary improvements and wait to select on potential bidders.

Similarly, you can set aside a space on the website for an announcement that shows the website is for sale. This might be a slower process but it puts you in control of the transaction and pricing. Better still, you can set aside a small website specifically for the purpose of your website buying or selling activities especially if you are an established figure in the website flipping business with several websites on the line.

One more thing, do not overprice your websites. Always make sure you sell at the true value and this will cultivate more happy returning clients in your venture of buying and selling websites.

We hope this gives you enough information to buy and sell websites successfully, best of luck!

Article By Joel Brown | Addicted2Success.com

We all want to be amazing. We all want to be successful, happy, and regarded as important figures in our fields. I am sure that you’ve heard all of the keys to success before: planning, hard work, perseverance, etc.

But today we are going to look at the one factor that will likely make or break your success: the people you surround yourself with.

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” – Jim Rohn

Want to be Amazing? Surround Yourself with Amazing People

The Make or Break List

A good friend of mine once told me of a man he knows who brought himself up from rags to riches.  Living paycheck to paycheck was a luxury for this man, and he decided that he was tired of being trapped by his own life. The poor man looked around at his friends, and noticed that one of them – who wasn’t particularly smart or more talented – had become quite wealthy. He asked this man how he accrued this wealth, how he was able to become a millionaire. The wealthy man’s response was simple: “keep the right company.”

The man took that advice to heart. He quickly noticed that all of the other friends he had hated hard work and had no desire to improve themselves. So he sought out new friends, he went around to conventions and seminars to connect with people who had made something of themselves. After he had completely replaced the people in his network, he decided to make a list. This list was simple. It had a column for people who would improve his life, and a column for people who would drag him down.

If someone could improve his life, he spent as much time around them as possible. If someone could drag him down, he never spent more than five minutes around them. After following his “make or break” list, the man was able to become a millionaire within three years.

No One does it Alone

The five-minute rule may be a little extreme, but there is an important lesson to learn from it: if you surround yourself with positive people who build you up, the sky is the limit.

There is an ideal in our society of the “self-made” man – a man who is able to find success through his own efforts. Now, don’t get me wrong, success does require an immense amount of determination and personal grit. However, success also depends on the ability to connect with people who have already made it.

There was once a man named Ernest Hemingway. If you aren’t familiar with Ernest Hemingway, he was one of the greatest American writers of all time. Even a great writer like Hemingway didn’t succeed on his own. He worked at a newspaper where his boss – a writer named Sherwood Anderson – helped him get his first novel published. Hemingway then connected with other no-name writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Virginia Woolf, and James Joyce.

This community of great writers helped to influence his style, success, and drove him to write every single day and become one of the greatest authors of his generation.

Hemingway is a testament to the fact that innate talent alone does not equal success. It’s hard to keep up a strict schedule to perfect your craft or improve yourself if you don’t have people around you with similar interests. Your network – your five key people – will determine the way you think, the way you act, and the way you approach your life goals.

Three Essential People

A mentor once told me that no matter how many close people you have in your network, if you want to be truly great, you must have three essential people in your life at all times: 

1. A person who is older and more successful than you to learn from
2. A person who is equal to you to exchange ideas with
3. A person below you to coach and keep you energized

A great figure of history who embodied this principle was Aristotle. Aristotle was one of the greatest minds to ever grace this beautiful Earth, but this was only so because he was constantly challenging himself and working to refine his talents. He exchanged ideas with other Greek philosophers in the “Academy,” learned from his mentor Plato, and taught a young boy named Alexander…who would later become “Alexander the Great.”

Every great person was, is, or will be successful because of the company he or she keeps. They will make an impact because of a successful network of driven peers who provide both inspiration and healthy competition.

If you want to be remarkable, you must constantly challenge yourself and surround yourself with remarkable people. So think about what your goals are, and take a look around you. Do you need to write a “make or break” list?

Do you have the kind of people who are going to lead you to live the life of your dreams?

“Don’t join an easy crowd. Go where the expectations and the demands to perform and achieve are high.” – Jim Rohn

Strive to be better. Strive to be more. Strive to be amazing.

Hugh Hefner and his magazine Playboy single-handedly transformed the adult entertainment industry as the world knew it, and has since become a multimillion dollar business endeavour that has expanded to incorporate television, web ventures, clubs, and more.

Read on to find out how Hugh Hefner built his half a billion dollar empire, Playboy.

Hugh Hefner & The Creation Of Playboy

Hugh Hefner first showed his interest in publication at an early age, founding his high school newspaper while attending Steinmetz High School. Although he had a high IQ of 152, Hefner was unenthusiastic about school in general. After graduation, he served two years in the United States Army, then went on to attend classes at the Chicago Art Institute. After two years at the Art Institute, Hefner attended the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in the year 1950.

Fresh out of college, Hugh Hefner began working for the Chicago office of Esquire magazine, which was considered to be a rather racy publication for the time. While at Esquire, Hefner work at entry level pay and served as a promotional copywriter. He later ended up leaving the company over a salary dispute.
After working at Esquire, Hefner decided that he would like to start his own publication for men, with similar features that Esquire offered, only “better”, in his opinion. To obtain start up costs for this business endeavor, Hugh Hefner borrowed funds amounting to $8,000 from forty five separate investors, one of them being his own mother. Thus began the launch of the famous Playboy magazine, with the first edition actually having been produced in Hefner’s own home. This first edition made it’s appearance on Chicago newsstands in December of 1953. This rare edition does not have a date on it, because of the uncertainty at the time as to whether the magazine would be successful enough to warrant the printing of additional editions.

As a bit of a clever marketing tactic, the magazine featured a full colored nude centerfold of a young Marilyn Monroe. The magazine did well, selling over 50,000 copies, and was considered to be a success. Since then, the popularity of Playboy has never faltered, and the trademark Playboy logo of the bunny wearing a bow tie, as well as the man himself, have become legend. By the 1960′s, the sophisticated image of Hugh Hefner smoking his pipe while wearing a silk smoking jacket, had become synonymous with Playboy.

As the magazine reached it’s golden age in the 1960′s, the Playboy enterprise came to include “private key” clubs, hotel resorts, modeling agencies, feature films, books, a record company, and of course, the iconic hostesses, the Playboy “bunnies”. By 1970, Hugh Hefner had gone from beginning an entrepreneurial endeavor in his own home, to being the founder of a major corporation. Circulation of the magazine went public and copies were selling at rates of seven million copies per month. The year 1972 earned Hefner a twelve million dollar profit.

Hugh Hefner is undoubtedly one of the most successful men of our time. He is definitely a man who knows how to go about obtaining success. Much of his philosophy revolves around the idea of not letting your life’s dreams and goals slip away. Some of his business advice includes his recommendation of not always conforming to the pressures that life presents, but rather to bring things to a conscious level and to not allow society to squash your dreams or steer you in another direction. Hefner suggests truly taking stock of your life and then deciding what you want to do with it. Hugh also suggests staying focused on your goals and taking advantage of the technology that is modernly available. For example, if you want to begin publishing, perhaps start your own website and take it from there.

Hugh Hefner also points out that he does not necessarily consider himself to be a good businessman even though he is a man who has been very successful in business. He attributes this to being a good entrepreneur with decent skills in the marketing and editorial areas, who also happens to be creative.

Hugh also admits to leaving the financial details associated with running his corporation in the capable hands of other people. To quote Hugh, “The business end of business has never interested me.”.

According to TMZ, this is how much money Hugh Hefner makes per month:

 Salary from Playboy: $116,667

Social Security: $1,896
Dividends and interest: $121,099
Rental property: $17,058
Income from HMH Productions: $15,808
Pensions and retirement: $413
Other miscellaneous income: $17,639

Total monthly income: $290,580

In addition, Hugh has the following assets:

$306,548 in cash
$36,802,558 in stocks and bonds (besides Playboy)
$6,122,990 in a joint account with an unnamed person

Total assets (excluding Playboy stock and property): $43,232,096

Here is how Hugh Hefner spends his millions of dollars per month:

Rent (including groceries, household supplies, utilities, cell phone and email): $53,593
Food (approximate): $18,000
Entertainment: $25,000
College expenses for kids: $10,130
Health care: $3,215

Hugh Hefner’s Quotes For Success

“The interesting thing is how one guy, through living out his own fantasies, is living out the fantasies of so many other people.” – Hugh Hefner

“If you let society and your peers define who you are, you’re the less for it.” – Hugh Hefner

“Life is too short to be living somebody else’s dream.” – Hugh Hefner

“I have no plans to retire. It’s the perfect combination of work and play that keeps you young. If I quit work it would be the beginning of the end for me.” – Hugh Hefner

“There are many roads to Mecca”. - Hugh Hefner

These quotes are all food for thought for anyone thinking about pursuing a dream or achieving a personal or business goal. Consider it good advice coming from a man who started out as a young college graduate, and who is now one of the most successful business men in the world.

Although becoming the founder and owner of a gigantic, multimillion dollar corporation or running a hugely successful and popular gentlemen’s magazine may not be your own personal business goal, the ideas and philosophies of Hugh Hefner as a business man make a lot of sense for anyone trying to find success in any type of business. He is a prime example of how following through and staying focused can help anyone obtain great success. He decided what he wanted to do with his life, how he wanted to go about doing it, and with the financial backing of some family and close friends who believed in his dream, brought it to fruition. Hugh Hefner focused on his strong points in order to bring his creative vision to life, which is something any of us can do if we set our minds to it. Will we all be as successful as the legendary Hugh Hefner? That is doubtful, but not impossible, as long as you never give up on your dreams.

Article By Christy McCarl | Addicted2Success.com

Cricket is one of the many universal sports that has kept the world united for quite some time. Just like any other famous sports players, cricketers are making a great deal of fame and money through contracts and sponsorships.

The list below shows the top ten richest cricketers in the world in 2013.

1 – Mahender Singh Dhoni

Plays Cricket For India

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Net worth: $26.5 million

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the richest cricket player in the world this year according to Forbes. Dhoni was born on 7th July 1981 in the state of Jharkhand at place called Ranchi. Mahender made his first entry in the Indian team during the game against Bangladesh in 2004. He was officially called to play in the Indian team a year later. M.S. Dohni made a name for himself when he broke Adam Gilchrist’s record of 172 for the highest score made by a wicket keeper.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni currently plays for Chennai Super Kings featuring in the Indian Premier League and this is where he earns most of his income as a cricketer.

Mahendra’s Major sponsors: GE Money, TVS Motors, Reebok and Pepsi

2 – Sachin Tendulkar

Plays Cricket For India

Sachin Tendulkar’s Net worth: $18.6 million

Sachin Ra-mesh Tendulkar is the second richest cricketer in 2013. He was born on 24th April 1973 in Mumbai City. He has been considered for many years as the greatest cricket player. He has also been the richest cricket player in the whole world for many years. Sachin is known for his amazing talent and endless generosity among his team mates.

Sachin’s Major sponsors: Canon, Adidas and Royal Bank of Scotland

3 – Yuvraj Singh

Plays Cricket For India

Yuvraj Singh’s Net worth: $5 million

Yuvraj Singh is undoubtedly one the most important players in the Indian Cricket squad. In addition to being the 3rd richest cricketer in the world, he has managed to raise his cricketing standards and skills over the recent years. He made his first entry in the Indian cricket team in the year 2000 and since then he has been welcomed as a regular member.

His high net worth is mainly attributed to payments from the IPL team, BCCI and commercials in which he features.

Yuvraj Singh was signed by Microsoft to be a brand ambassador for the Xbox 360 video game console when it was launched in India in 2006. He appeared in advertisements for the console alongside Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar.

Yuvraj’s Major sponsors: Reebok, Fiat and Microsoft

4 – Rahul Dravid

Plays Cricket For India

Rahul Dravid’s Net worth: $5 million

Rahul Dravid saw 453 wickets fall while batting at the other side of the crease in a Test Career- the most by a batsman in a Test Career. Rahul Dravid is considered one of the most gifted indian cricket players in the whole world. He recently announced retirement from cricket.

His earning has risen steadily over the years to make him the 4th richest cricketer in the whole world in 2013.

Rahul’s Major sponsors: Reebok and Castrol

5 – Andrew Flintoff

Plays Cricket For England

Andrew Flintoff’s Net worth: $4 million

Andrew Flintoff  is the 5th richest cricket player on our list. His major mark was when he bowled his team, England to win against Australia for the first time in 75 years at Lord’s cricket venue.

Since retiring from cricket, Flintoff has become a broadcaster and professional boxer, winning many rounds with his knockouts in the ring.

Andrew’s Major sponsors: Barclays, Volkswagen, and Puma

6 – Sourav Ganguly

Plays Cricket For India

Sourav Ganguly’s Net worth: $3.5 million

Sourav Ganguly, yet another Indian cricketer, takes the 6th position in this list of top 10 richest cricketers in the whole world in 2013. He was born on 8th of July 1972 and was one of the most experienced and talented batsman in Indian cricket history. He has lifted his game and ratings as well those of the team mates to whom he was a captain.

Sourav Ganguly retired a few years back and at one point hels the spot as one of the richest cricket players in history.

7 - Michael Clarke

Plays Cricket For Australia

Michael Clarke’s Net worth: $4.9 million

This 32 year old cricketer was born in New South Wales, Australia. Michael Clarke has been the captain of the Australian team since the retirement of Ricky Ponting. He is fondly referred to as Pup by his team mates. His first play was when Australia played against India in 2004. Clarke is the only Test batsman ever to reach four double centuries in a single calendar year

Michael Clarke’s Major sponsors: Slazenger and Gillette

8 – Brett Lee

Plays Cricket For Australia

Brett Lee’s Net worth: $4.8 million

Brett Lee was born on 8th November, 1976. Although Brett has retired in the international cricket team, Brett Lee still plays for the Big Bash 20 League and the Indian Premier League. He was one of the swiftest bowlers of his times when he used to play in the international cricket leagues and is noted as one of the fastest bowlers ever.

Brett Lee’s debut was during a game against the India in 1999.

Brett Lee’s Major sponsors: Timex, Weet-Bix, New Balance & Boost

9 – Ricky Ponting

Plays Cricket For Australia

Ricky Ponting’s Net worth: $4.1 million

He is probably the most successful cricket captains in the whole world and the greatest cricketer to have ever led Australia to victory in multiple accounts. Ricky Ponting was born on the 19th of December, 1974 in Tasmania, Australia. Ricky Ponting made his entry in the Australian team in 1995 during their game against Sri Lanka.

Ponting holds the world record for being part of a team in most ODI wins- he finished on the winning side in 262 ODIs.

Ricky Ponting’s Major sponsors: KFC, Valvoline, and Adidas

10 - Kevin Pietersen

Plays Cricket For England

Kevin Pietersen’s Net worth: $3.2 million

Kevin Pietersen broke records as he achieved 5,000 test runs in the fastest time, reaching this feat in 4 years and 243 days. The rights to Pietersen were purchased at an auction for $1.55 million annual salary. This tied with that of Flintoff and made it the highest Auction in the two year history in the IPL.

Kevin Pietersen’s Major sponsors: Adidas, Vodafone, and Red Bull

Article By Joel Brown | Addicted2Success.com

There has never yet been a man in our history who led a life of ease whose name is worth remembering. - Theodore Roosevelt

Never in history has the easy life led to a great life. Not in one case has something great come without tribulation, struggle, or failure. Instead of fearing struggle, strain, and tribulation, you should embrace it; nay, seek it at every opportunity, and incorporate it into your life daily. It’s in struggle that you experience growth. It’s in conquering obstacles that you experience life.

A Case Against the Easy Life

Ease isn’t living, it’s dying. It’s forgoing life and awaiting death. Ease brings a halt to your growth and evolution as a human being.

Every year I do an exercise where I write out my perfect day. The other day I looked back at what my ‘perfect day’ was 5 years ago. It was almost the exact opposite of what my vision of success is today.

Back then I wanted ease. I wanted no alarm clock, little work, and a life of luxury. What I’ve come to understand is that in creating the ability to have that life of luxury, I’ll have to go through my fair share of failures and struggles.

Those failures and struggles are where I’ll develop into a man, a success, and a better human being. Why, then, would I want to forgo that growth? Why, even if I’m able, would I reach my idea of success, and then simply stop my evolution by lulling in to a life of ease?

Today, I know I wouldn’t. Just because success is attained doesn’t mean our growth as people, entrepreneurs, or leaders, comes to a halt. Look at Teddy Roosevelt. He never stopped achieving, accomplishing, and growing as an individual until the day he died. The same with Steve Jobs, Napoleon Bonaparte, Andrew Carnegie, and any other person in history who accomplished anything of great value.

Ease is Not Only Useless, It’s Evil

There’s a commonly held world view that your life is your own and you have the right to do what you want with it. I disagree with one aspect of this argument, and that is with regards to laziness.

Just like ease has created nothing of great value in the way of great people on this planet, the fundamental understand that your time on this earth is limited and dwindling has led to great accomplishment, and names worth remembering.

It’s a universal truth that the day you’re born is the day you start dying. Those who accomplish greatness understand this, and they don’t let a day go to waste.

It’s also a universal truth – especially in this free, democratic, capitalistic society – that many have died so you and I can live the freedom you so casually take for granted. They’ve sacrificed their lives in battle. They’ve laid down their lives in protest. They’ve given their lives to innovation and helping others.

Those who came before you, and died before you, have done so in vain if you give your life to laziness, and that’s when laziness is no longer a right, but an evil.

Ease’s ugly cousin is laziness. To be a lazy person is a slap in the face of anyone who’s sacrificed anything to give you the life you currently enjoy – to give you the option of being lazy. Be it your mother, father, grandparents, or that soldier who died in the Second World War whom you’ll never meet, but owe so much.

How to Truly Live: Embrace the Struggle

The goal for all of us here at Addicted2Success, is to create a successful life. I’m sure we can all agree that a successful life, in part, is one truly lived. That is, a life filled with accomplishment, adventure, highs and lows, struggle, defeat, and victory. A life is filled with action, not ease.

Look back to the man who gave us that famous quote at the beginning of this article, Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt was a man who embraced the strenuous life. He saw the value in hardship, and the evil of a life of ease. As such, he accomplished more in his 60 years than dozens have in their 100.

To create a life of accomplishment, and one of success, YOU have to embrace hard work. Hard work creates grit. It gives us a sense of pride, purpose, and accomplishment; without which, we can never truly feel as though we’re giving our best to this dying flame we call life, or our true value to the rest of those we’re connected to on this planet.

Instead of looking forward to a future of ease, embrace your present hardships, and look to add more strain to your life. This is how you grow. This is how you evolve. This is how you live.

A lot of people nowadays are in hopes of becoming the next quick money making startup, like Instagram or GoodReads, cashing in on Millions or even Billions over night. Well it aint all sunshine and rainbows for everyone who decides to “set up shop”.

This very neat Infographic by staff.com presents the chances of startup failure or success, along with some highly researched results on projection of industries that may have a higher startup success rate in the coming future.

Interesting stuff, Check it out!

The Chances Of A Startup Becoming Successful Or Failing

Staff.com – Connecting Great Companies with Global Talent