Success Advice
6 Warning Signs Your Life and Career Are On Autopilot
In our lives and careers, we tend to settle for good enough. We complain about how much we hate our jobs, but then we follow it up with “oh well, it could be worse, at least I have a job.
I was just like this, drifting along and letting life and my career transpire “according to plan.” But there was one problem; I didn’t know who’s plan I was following. From the outside, everyone thought I had it all. A secure job with a six-figure income, a beautiful wife and family, a new house and more.
But inside, it was a different story. I didn’t know who I was or what I wanted and expected out of life. Over time, I found myself burned out and stuck in a job I hated. But without any real plan and direction, I just stayed put. The misery bled over into my personal life, impacting my health and relationships. You may be in danger of this, too.
Check out these warning signs to see if you’re stuck in autopilot, and how to retake control:
1. You’re unsure how to answer the question – what’s most important to you?
You’re constantly busy and don’t stop to think about what things in your life matter the most. Your life is filled with one unconscious choice after another. To retake control, you have to become self-aware and determine what’s most important to you. Decide what you want your life to be like, start prioritizing the steps you need to take to get there.
“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” – Nelson Mandela
2. You never have enough time to do the things you know you should do
Maybe you already know what’s important, but life gets in the way, and you never can find the time to focus on those things. To change your life, you have to change your actions. Retake control by spending less time on Facebook. Limit the hours you spend watching TV. Replace these activities by making time for what’s most important to you and by adding those activities to your calendar.
3. You can’t remember the last book you read
Read or listen to a book? Maybe you’d rather veg out watching you favorite show or playing a game on your smartphone. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. According to a recent study, only 14 percent of adults read one or more books per month. Even then, the most read books are mystery, thriller, crime and other fiction books. Reading of any type is good, but to retake control, make sure you’re also reading books that can help you improve yourself and your job performance. And after you’ve read these books, apply what you’ve learned.
4. You lack the motivation and ambition to make changes
You don’t love your job, but it pays well, and your life is comfortable, so you lack the motivation to change. Or maybe you want something different, but you’ve suppressed your goals and desires because of what you think others expect from you. Living your life this way, settling for less that you want and deserve, will only lead to unfulfilled dreams and a life of regret. Retake control by figuring out what motivates you. Rediscover the dreams and desires that you’ve been suppressing and make them a priority in your daily activities.
5. You don’t have a plan for how your life will be different in 3-5 years
If you don’t know where you want to be in a few years, don’t be surprised when you wake up one day and realize you’re living a life you never wanted. While you’re drifting along and letting life happen to you, you’re missing out on all that life has to offer. Without a plan, you can expect a lot of shoulda, woulda, coulda moments when you look back on your life. The first step to retaking control is to create a detailed vision of the life you want. Then, set goals and create a plan of action that will help you achieve the vision.
6. You start your day by checking emails and your social media accounts
What you do each morning to start your day is all about habits – the good and bad ones. If one of the first things you do is grab your phone and start checking emails and your favorite social media account, you’re immediately handing over control of the rest of your day. Instead, start your day with a morning routine that develops and exercises your mind and body. That’s what will put you in control of your day instead of the day controlling you.
“Either you run the day or the day runs you.” – Jim Rohn
Each of these signs was once a direct reflection of my life and career. If you can relate and find yourself settling and wandering aimlessly through life, know that it doesn’t have to be that way.
Just as I did one year ago, make today be the day that you disengage autopilot and retake control of your life. Start by writing down your dreams and goals, and put together a plan that empowers you to start living the life you’ve imagined. You deserve it.
How will you retake control? Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below?
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We’re constantly told about how stores are closing down and how shoppers prefer online options, but is it worth questioning this theory?
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Success Advice
How to Alter Your Business Approach With Technological Advancements
Keeping up with technological trends has become a challenge for almost every business owner.
Technology’s evolution has impacted everything, and business is no exception. Keeping up with technological trends has become a challenge for almost every business owner. Entrepreneurs unable to do so are being wiped out of the market.
There is no doubt that AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) have taken over the business world. These technological advancements are impacting decision-making, success percentages, and other entrepreneurial aspects.
Adapting to these developments is integral to business success. Let’s explore how you can accomplish these milestones.
Embed the strength of AI and ML.
AI has modified business operations in major ways. For instance, companies have employed bots for customer support. These bots go through an effective learning process via Machine Learning before being able to answer like humans.
Bots can also perform detailed data analytics and make business moves with high success percentages.
ML is used more for the analysis of data chunks and generating successful predictions. This simply means that business owners do not have to worry about large-scale financial losses.
In terms of deployment and usage, a reputed company like Netflix employs machine learning for decision-making.
Blockchain is increasing the count of business opportunities
Tampering of financial transactions is quite common and causes severe monetary damage to customers. With the rise of digital payments, this risk has increased.
Blockchain is used to elevate your experience for monetary transfers. It combats penetrating events to extract confidential customer information.
Most business sectors are using block chain but finance and supply chain management sections have a higher count. These two corporate sections have several monetary deposits and withdrawals taking place.
In terms of percentage, approximately 72% and 5% of finance and supply chain firms have implemented block chain successfully.
Dedicate Yourself to Continuous Learning and Individual Development
You invest in learning some of the very important skills, including digital marketing, financial management, and how to gain customers as an entrepreneur.
You need to set up your knowledge base about doing business on Coursera and Udemy with the basics that are necessary for the business, building further by networking with experts through webinars.
Besides, Agile methodology will introduce elasticity to your company: this review and feedback system with further correction regularly will allow for enhancing efficiency and promptly reacting to the market.
Developing key skills to achieve goals
Running a business successfully is not only about having niche/domain knowledge. Business owners need to have communication / soft skills as well in addition to niche information.
Here are some key technical/domain-related areas that business owners should have a strong grip on.
Data Storage on Cloud: These days, companies do not store their data on physical servers. Therefore business owners should know how data is stored/edited/removed/updated via AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and other platforms.
Data Analysis/Interpretation Qualities: These days, data is as precious as gold. Business owners with data analysis abilities make correct predictions. As a result, their ventures grow in volume.
Development/Coding Knowledge
Programming knowledge gives business owners an edge whether the application is developed in-house or outsourced. It assists in getting updates deployed and handling application underperformance without getting professional support every time.
Hacking proof framework
There is no benefit of having an advanced automated system if can be penetrated. Successful business owners have above-average knowledge of cyber security and hacking attempts. They are able to choose top-notch anti-hacking software without much of an ambiguity.
Communication Abilities/Soft Skills
Here are some key communication qualities that business owners should have:
Communication/Conversation: Business owners should use to-the-point sentences in both written and oral communication.
Issue Resolution Abilities: Business owners should be able to drill down to problems and solve them. This is done successfully only if an entrepreneur has in-depth business domain knowledge.
Agile Implementations
It is mandatory for business owners to have knowledge of iterative/agile models. With such a competitive environment, it is impossible for business owners to succeed without adopting an agile framework.
Create a productive well-crafted Business Strategy
A productive business venture starts with a clear vision. The first factor making a business successful is the idea behind it. It helps with endless growth and combating competition successfully. Katherine Philips once mentioned that business goals are inevitable if goals are set concretely.
- Goals should be based on smart achievements instead of complexity. Focus on the value that each one of them adds.
- Business objectives should not be vague. Key indicators should be constructed to measure the success/failure of each milestone.
- Be realistic when setting goals. Do not aim at impossible milestones since they can be demotivating.
- Milestones/goals need to be time-bound. Set a completion deadline for each one of them.
- Business goals should not be alien. Owners can think out of the box but not be obsolete / unrelated.
Create a productive well-crafted Business Strategy
Business owners cannot succeed without having a network. Some tips help in this case. Attend conferences and professional gatherings to connect with other entrepreneurs.
Here are some other related points business owners should pay attention to.
- Attend meetings and conferences to stay updated with trends and meet business owners who already have well-set ventures. This helps in enhancing the learning curve of new / growing entrepreneurs.
- Being a part of business communities/groups is very productive. When one shares opinions and discusses decision-making tactics, it helps in preventing errors and enhancing success rate.
- Even the most experienced business owners have mentors as learning never stops. Take part in mentorship programs so there is an assurance that you are following the correct roadmap.
Conclusion
There is absolutely no doubt that business dimensions have evolved with technological advancements. Successful entrepreneurs have grabbed these changes in due course of time and continue to evolve. On the other hand, people following old paths and conventional steps fade out of competition. In a nutshell, keep an eye on the processes and practices you follow as these factors decide success rate.
Success Advice
Understanding the Power of Yes and No: How to Create Boundaries For Success
These words have a significant impact on how our success unfolds
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Motivation
From Couch Potato to Go-Getter: A Step-by-Step Motivation Plan for Everyone
By understanding what motivates you, you can turn your dreams into reality
Are you tired of feeling like a couch potato? Do you want to transform your life and become a go-getter? You’re not alone! Many people struggle with motivation, but the good news is that change is possible. (more…)
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