Tuesday, October 21, 2014

12 Habits of Extraordinarily Motivated People

12 Habits of Extraordinarily Motivated People
Highly successful people are extremely motivated to succeed. Learn their secrets and put them to work for you

Extraordinarily motivated people are driven to go above and beyond; they are trusted by others, focused and have great confidence in their own abilities. They dream of endless possibilities, and tend to be extremely satisfied with their lives. They are more likely to receive a raise or a dream project, maintain longer relationships, and get promoted or recruited more than their unmotivated peers.

"The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... These are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence." --Confucius

Seeking and achieving your dreams means you are really living your life. Ready to get motivated and become all you can be? Try some or all of these habits of extraordinarily motivated people and perhaps you too will find the courage to live a life of fulfilled dreams.

1. They're internally motivated.

It is their intrinsic desire to be their best selves and succeed that drives their motivation. They are internally driven--not pushed--toward new adventures, the unfolding journey, and the possible outcomes--they relish challenging themselves, learning, and exploring.

2. They don't waste time judging.

They objectively observe the successes and mistakes of others and learn from them instead of judging or comparing themselves. They don't waste their time with judgmental, gossipy people either.
3. They are humble.

They are willing to admit they made a mistake and apologize. They encourage feedback from others and use it to take steps in the right direction.
4. They look at the upside.

Instead of focusing on what's not working and bad experiences--which so many of us tend to do--they instead focus on what is working and their successes. If they find themselves overthinking a miscalculation, they automatically flip a switch and think about those things they did do right.
5. They are authentic.

They are true to themselves despite what others think--they don't live their lives solely to please others.
6. They push beyond their comfort zone.

Extraordinarily motivated people face discomfort head on--they never choose the easy route--to get what they want. They push themselves out of their comfort zone and get rid of those annoying internal voices that say, "You are limited in what you can do." They trust their abilities and know they will come out on top.
7. They continue to learn.

They read a lot and are brilliant observers--they are always watching and searching for new, more efficient, and faster ways to achieve. They understand that in order to grow as a person, they must always continue to learn.
8. They know what they want.

They have a clear vision of what they want their lives to look like and who they want to be. Their clarity comes with the wisdom to know what things to harness and what things to avoid. Their mottos are, "Never say never" and "Anything is possible."
9. They don't give up.

When they stumble over that proverbial bump in the road, they problem solve, come up with a plan, take action, and get past it. They understand that a sure way to lose a battle is to quit--which is not a 
part of their vocabulary or an option.
10. They don't blame others.

They never blame others for their failures. They understand that ultimately they alone are in charge of their actions and choices and no other.
11. They take time for themselves.

They know that in order to stay motivated and on top of their game, they have to carve out time for themselves. Rewards of time away from it all and taking care of themselves are more important to them than material possessions.
12. They surround themselves with motivators.

Their friends are those who are trustworthy, positive, supportive, and bring out the best in them unconditionally. Their friends help them take on the world side by side and, when needed, help them get back on their feet again.

By Peter Economy
Source: Inc.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

5 Tricks to Maximize Your Time in the Office

5 Tricks to Maximize Your Time in the Office
Every entrepreneur knows what it’s like to have too much to do in too little time.

During the startup phase of my business, this was my story as well. However, after experimenting with various techniques to manage myself and my work, I implemented the concepts below and ever since, I’ve been able to accomplish my most important work with minimal stress -- both in and out of the office.

Related: 4 Ways to Max Out the 40-Hour Workweek

1. Understand your priorities.

The first step in maximizing your time is knowing what you need to do. One way to do this is to come up with a job description and project list, both in priority order. A job description clearly lists the major responsibilities you have on a recurring basis. A project list records the projects you’re currently working on. (Try never to have more than four projects going at once.) Together, the job description and project list should cover between 80 and 90 percent of what you should be doing on a daily basis, save for the random things and busy work that inevitably come up. With this in hand, you’ll be able to decide what’s most important for you to focus on in the limited time you have.
2. Plan ahead.

Set aside a time once a week to plan for the upcoming week. Based on your job description and your projects, as well as your long-term goals take time, preferably at the end of every week, to plan the upcoming week. Start by asking what are the most critical items you have to get done to move your projects along, and what are the most critical functions of your job. Prioritize this list so that the most important items are at the top. Tool recommendations are any.do (web and app) or Asana (web and app).

Related: With a Little Focus You Can Turn Workplace Distractions to Your Advantage
3. Schedule dates with yourself.

Once you know what you need to do for the next week, block off time for each major task you’ve planned. Keep in mind: Things almost always take longer than expected. Just face the fact the week before, go back to your job description and project list, and prioritize ruthlessly. When I’m doing this for myself or with my clients, I advise not to plan more than three or four critical items for any one day, or more than twenty critical tasks for a week. Tool recommendations: Google Calendar and Outlook.
4. Block time for recurring tasks.

The first time you plan like this, you’ll want to block out repeating times for recurring tasks -- including responding to email, paying bills and prospecting -- that you know you have to do. If you get a lot of email, schedule a block of time every day, preferably at the same time each day, to deal with your inbox. If you’re in sales and have to reach out to five new prospects a day, set up a recurring time in your calendar for it. It’s easy to forget to plan time for these types of recurring daily tasks, but it’s just as important to account for them as it is for project work.
5. Leave empty space.

Once you get adept at planning in this way, you’ll be tempted to take it too far by scheduling every minute of every day. Don’t do that. It’s a really bad idea, as things always come up. Maybe an important prospect comes by unannounced to chat. Maybe your kid gets sick and you have to stay home. Maybe you just have a slow day and are not able to get through everything you planned. Whatever the case, no week ever turns out exactly as planned, so leave some extra space so one unexpected event doesn’t throw off your entire week.

If you implement the above strategies, your to-dos will be aligned with your major business priorities. You’ll have ample time to get things done and enough time to allow for unexpected things to come up.

By Jay Bacrania
Source: Entrepreneur

Friday, October 3, 2014

The Mindy Kaling Guide to Entrepreneurial Domination

The Mindy Kaling Guide to Entrepreneurial Domination
By her own admission, Mindy Kaling is an unlikely celebrity.

She’s even more of an unlikely leader. The daughter of first-generation Indian immigrants with an Ivy-league education in (gasp) playwriting, Mindy is the antithesis of just about every Hollywood stereotype there is.

Still, the creator, producer, writer and star of FOX’s The Mindy Projectdoesn’t shy away from the responsibility her entrepreneurial fame entails.

Related: Success Lessons From 2 Innovators Who Came Out Swinging

What can the world-dominating success of an unlikely entrepreneur teach us?

1. Be passionate

As trite as it might sound, nothing trumps passion. Carmine Gallo, in his insightful book Talk Like TED, lays it out plain:

"In any language, on any continent, in every country, those speakers who genuinely express their passion and enthusiasm for the topic are the ones who stand apart as inspiring leaders."

Gallo’s point is that while mastery of a particular skill gives people a “platform,” it’s the passion that undergirds that mastery that makes them “connect.” Why? Because passion is contagious. People love it.

So, what inspires Mindy? The answer (as unlikely as it sounds) is tragedy.

Related: 9 Traits That Will Lead You to Success

Two years ago, on the very day The Mindy Project was green lit by FOX, Mindy’s mother -- an obstetrician -- passed away from pancreatic cancer.

However, far from undoing her, her mother’s death became fuel for the fire. As Mindy explained, “My dream is to be able to become so famous that I can actually make a difference in pancreatic cancer research.”

In other words, rarely will our skills be coterminous with our passion. Mindy is a master at comedy. And yet it’s what lies behind her mastery -- the dream to make a difference -- that really set her apart.

What’s yours?

2. Be everywhere

You’ve heard the old adage: “Jack of all trades. Master of none.”

Now, I’m not one to buck tradition, but in Mindy’s case, the proof’s in the pudding.

In a recent Elle Magazine cover story, Bela Bajaria, executive vice president of Universal Television, described the staggering extent of Mindy’s on and off-set omnipresence:

"She’s in the writer’s room, she’s on set, she’s in postproduction, she’s e-mailing studio and network executives at two in the morning. … She’s so creative, but she has an appreciation and understanding of the business part, too."

Getting your hands dirty lies at the core of all genuine success, especially entrepreneurial successful. Such ethos is risky because it means going “out there” into the real world -- into the lives, workplaces, and trenches of the people you work with and for.

The classic example of getting out there was Richard Anderson’s miraculous turnaround of Delta Airlines. Anderson, who took over as CEO in 2007 just two years after Delta filed for bankruptcy, credits a major portion of his success to his monthly cockpit rides with Delta’s pilots and a single two-day event in which he solicited suggestions from over 2,000 employees.

Related: How to Think, Train and Thrive Like a Champion

Sure being everywhere is scary. But don’t let that fear hold you back.

3. Be a gangster

This wonderful nugget comes from B. J. Novak, Mindy’s one-time squeeze and current co-collaborator. “She’s a gangster,” Novak explains, “This is not a girl who waits by the phone. This is a girl who picks up the phone and calls whoever she wants.”

Case in point, when Mindy wanted long-time friend James Franco to guest star but his schedule wouldn’t allow it, no wasn't an option.According to Franco, “She just made it happen.”

In other words, to be successful you gotta know what you want and gotta go after it.

It’s absolutely insane how few people can actually articulate what they want. And yet, having a clear, impassioned vision for where you want to go is the very first step in getting there. In fact, as author and consultant Warren Bennis famously wrote, “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” Without vision, the people perish.

But being a gangster means more than just knowing what you want. It also mean getting it.

4. Be voracious

Alongside her aforementioned omnipresence, Mindy is also a voracious learner.

Related: The 4 Habits You Need to Be Successful

As Novak tells Elle, “She has a big me-too-ism in her. She always wants to know what everyone else is doing and if that’s more fun.”

The discipline of lifelong learning is a constant refrain among the world’s most successful people. Steve Jobs’ famous two-part takeaway from his 2005 Stanford Commencement Address captured this principle perfectly: “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”

The problem with being successful is just that: “being.”

As soon as you get full or get smart -- as soon as you arrive -- you’ve lost it. The key is to cultivate your hunger … and your foolishness. Always be willing to learn, to grow, to make mistakes, to admit limitations, to embrace other people’s ideas, to do what’s new and uncomfortable and to pursue humility as an end in itself.

5. Be noble

A lot can be said about Mindy’s nobility. In fact, a lot is said.

There was her epic commencement speech at Harvard Law Schoolearlier this year: “Please, just try to be the kind of people that give advice to celebrities, not the other way around.”

There was the controversy surrounding the Elle magazine cover story: “What, Elle, you can't put her big, fat body on the magazine?”

But, perhaps the best example came a few days ago when she stopped by HuffPost Live and revealed that her character’s on-screen love interest Danny and her wouldn’t be splitting up for the sake of ratings. As Mindy explained:

"A lot of shows I think break characters up for no reason because the show has to last for seven or eight years. We thought, no. People can still be interesting when they are together."

While it might not seem like a big deal -- certainly not as big a deal as beauty and body image -- Mindy’s bravery to stick to her guns, to be an “artist” (even when her art is a weekly sitcom) speaks volumes about what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur.

As Mindy told Lena Dunham in a Rolling Stone interview:

"I love women who are bosses and who don't constantly worry about what their employees think of them. I love women who don't ask, “Is that OK?” after everything they say. I love when women are courageous in the face of unthinkable circumstances."

Call it credibility. Call it courage. Call it ethics. Call it a backbone. Heck call it whatever you want ...Success by any other name -- unlikely or not -- would certainly smell as sweet.

By Aaron Orendorff
Source: Entrepreneur