Action Archives - Page 98 of 121

Producing And Consuming

Posted on April 1, 2021

Do you consume more than you produce? It is an interesting question. Producing and consuming are both required in life. However, imbalances in your life will occur if you do one more than the other.

Producing here means providing something of value. The more you offer in value, the more productive you are being. The more the market perceives value in what you are offering the more you can charge for it.

If more people like what you offer, the larger your business will grow. This is how the world has companies valued at billions of dollars. Because of this, we also see billionaire founders and investors. This is what happens when you provide something that others find valuable, not just what you think is valuable.

What you think is valuable is what you will consume. The more value you place on a product or a service, the more you will be willing to pay for it. This payment you make will come from your own resources such as income or savings.

If the value of your consumption is more than the value of your production, you will have less money or wealth. If your production value is greater than your consumption value, you will attract and keep more money.

Producing and consuming are part of life. Which one you focus on helps determine how you spend it.

Action Observe Progress Time

Getting Distracted

Posted on March 29, 2021

What do you do when you can’t seem to focus? What is your remedy from wandering, scrolling, staring or getting distracted in some way?

This evening has seemed to be one of those times. Despite getting some things done, I did not get as many done as I could have. There were a few things on my mind, for starters. Then I got caught in an interesting scroll on Instagram for 10 minutes.

Writing out my to do list for tomorrow kept taking longer as I remembered many things that have slipped by me over the last week. While it is productive to do the list, sometimes the time taken to do it feels like wasted effort. It feels like I could have done one of the things rather than write a bunch down.

Then there was the wandering around the house to find the children and remind them it is bedtime. The third time round the house was starting to seem more like an exercise session with a stair-master. And since each round involved passing through the kitchen, there was the compulsory look in the fridge and cupboard for more food I wasn’t even hungry for.

Don’t get me started on replying to international and local text messages. I know better. Though I am also trying to reply more quickly rather than forget and take 2-3 days. Oh, the precarious balance.

Uh-oh, I’m getting distracted.

Action Reframe your thoughts

Replace Smart With Capable

Posted on March 27, 2021

Having a fixed or growth mindset can dramatically impact the success you find in life. Because of this, replace smart with capable when speaking with children, or anyone else for that matter.

When children, and people in general, hear praise that they are smart, it can lead them to believe they have the answers already. And that if they don’t have the answers, that perhaps they are stupid. This can lead to the desire to only do things where they know the answer for sure. This in turn can lead to reducing their circle of knowledge and reducing their participation in class or conversation.

This is indicative of a fixed mindset. This is the idea that what we know, we know. People can believe that if they don’t know, then they are not intelligent rather than they need to go find the answer. Someone with a growth mindset will note their lack of knowledge and learn to grow their knowledge base.

This is all reviewed in Carol S. Dweck’s book Mindset and in her research.

This idea is why I choose to use the word capable with my kids. They do not know everything. Nor can they do everything. However, they are capable of learning, training, practicing and improving. This is how I suggest they tackle all things in life.

Replace smart with capable for better long term results.

Action Financial Reframe your thoughts

Credit Cards Are Brilliant

Posted on March 25, 2021

I have always loved credit cards. They are so useful. They can be brilliant if you use them with the right intent. Credit cards are brilliant when you are sensible. However, like fire, if not used properly, you can get badly burned.

There are two features of credit cards that I think are great. The first is called a Balance Transfer. This is the option to shift one credit card balance on one card over to another card. On the surface, it may sound like a bad idea that has no benefit. However, if you get curious and look a little deeper, you’ll see some great benefits.

Let’s say you have a $5,000 balance left on one of your cards. And it’s attracting a 20% rate of interest. That would equate to $1,000 annually of interest. Now you could transfer that balance to a new or current card you hold. Find a good deal and you could pay 0% interest for up to 24 months right now.

In addition, you will usually have to pay a fee as well, but if you’re getting a new card, sometimes this is waived. Let’s say you pay an upfront fee of 4%. That would be $200. But no other cost for two years. That’s like a 2% per annum rate. Now you have some breathing room to pay the balance off over two years and it will only cost one tenth of your current card.

The other option is a Money Transfer. Similar idea, but the card company simply places the funds in your bank account. You don’t need to be paying off another account balance. Similar terms can apply.

Like I said, credit cards are brilliant. (Use sensibly and pay down the balance so you clear it when the 0% period ends.)

Action Gratitude Think About It

Books You Should Read

Posted on March 23, 2021

With almost 150 million books ever published, it is hard to know which ones are worth your time to explore. Books you should read are probably numerous. However, I am going to help you narrow down the selection so you can get on with reading rather than browsing.

In addition to my book, Achieve Anything, which is coming out soon, I have added a list of 62 books to consider. This selection of books has been drawn from a wide range of books which I have read over the years. I believe that each book on this list will contribute to your overall wealth of knowledge.

Soon I will be organising them into categories. In addition, I will add a phrase or two about each book to help you understand what you will gain from reading it. But don’t let that slow you down. Follow the link HERE to find the list of books I suggest you start reading.

Books are a wonderful resource that can greatly enhance your knowledge in a specific area. Incredibly, you can benefit from the wisdom of the person who has gone before you. You only need about £7 and a desire to improve your life. You will also need to commit to five or six hours to read it.

So go have a look at the books I have curated for you. They will help you understand the world on a different level. Please also add in the comments below, some of your favourite books, whether they are on my list or not.

Go see the books you should read.

Action Observe Reframe your thoughts

Make Up A Story

Posted on March 22, 2021

You do this anyway. Most people do. Something happens and then we decide why it happened. We make up a story that suits our belief system.

This always happens to me. Rich people are greedy. They are a real jerk.

Those are just some of the many common phrases people use to help fill in the blanks of the story. Some of the words, phrases and sentences we use are learned from others. However, sometimes they come from our inner critic.

Notice when you do this. Not only when you add more to your own stories about you or others, but also when other people do it. Get curious about word selection and order.

Become aware of how people around you speak. If you are not feeling empowered by their words, you might want to reduce your exposure to them. Distance yourself, or become just like them.

As for your inner commentator, give them a name and then tell them to go have a nap. You don’t need some random voice in your head berating you or creating drama by adding inaccurate comments to stories.

Create powerful stories in the place of the less helpful ones. Use ‘I am’ statements and let your spirit soar. Be delighted by the stories you hear and tell. If they are going to be fabricated anyway, make them empowering.

Go ahead, make up a story.

Action Progress Think About It

You Do What You Want

Posted on March 21, 2021

I notice that people will listen and then do it their way anyway. There is little interest in doing it another way. You do what you want because that is how you are programmed.

Sure we can listen. And sometimes what is said matches what we want to do. In those instances it looks like we are following the advice given. However, that is not always the case. Often enough, it just happens to be the next thing we were going to do.

What is more easily spotted is when you offer the advice and it is not taken or followed. This usually means that there is no interest in that direction or there is a speed bump.

Often enough this speed bump is some type of fear or shame. It can be overcome. And it will be overcome by those that are unstoppable. Those that are simply uncomfortable may not find the strength to get past the speed bump.

It is an ‘I think I do’ want it gap. I just don’t want it so bad that I am willing to get quite uncomfortable over it.

I like to travel in comfort but not if it is going to the wrong destination. Get clear on your vision, put the extra daily effort in and do what is best to get you there.

But you do what you want.

Action Gratitude Observe

It Takes Just One

Posted on March 20, 2021

A person, an idea or an experience can change your whole life. However, they don’t actually do the change. You will do this later. It takes just one encounter, word or situation to see something differently and shift your whole perspective.

The perception shift makes all the difference. You can begin your journey from hate, disappointment and depression to more positive vibrations and outcomes. Of course, this whole thing can go the other way too. You can be knocked off the top of your tree and spiral downwards out of control.

We want you to be spiralling upwards and continue on that trajectory. Additionally, I don’t want you to ever experience the opposite.

With that said, I am confident you have seen this idea play out in your own life and in that of others around you. It’s exciting that you can have that one conversation and the aha button is hit. In addition, a whole new world has been opened up to you. And you can decide to jump into it, all anxious and excited, or just let it slip away.

Finally, search out these life changing moments. They are not as rare as you think. And, every time you have one, you could end up on a completely different trajectory. And, with a bit of luck, I hope it is a better one each time.

It takes just one. Watch out for it and others!

Action Observe Think About It Time Video

Recorded History Obsession

Posted on March 18, 2021

There is something wonderful about keepsakes from our past. Equally it is nice to keep tapes and videos. Although a recorded history obsession seems to be getting a foothold in modern culture.

I suppose it started with chiselling into some clay tablets. Then things moved to the printing press and recorded music. That was a nice time. Not too many newspapers, books, or musicians traipsed about. So not much was recorded.

Then we moved to making films. And then tv shows. Some started live. Then some shows did pre-recordings.

After that came VHS, Mixed tapes, CD’s, DVD’s, digital photography, books, ebooks, audio books, box sets, etc. Things were further complicated by CCTV, social media and email. Everything we did was being recorded. Even our ring doorbell footage needed to be stored in the cloud.

I have so many photo and video clips, that I am not sure I would ever look at them all again. It would take days if not weeks. We are so awfully busy capturing moments of our life, that we lose our life reliving those moments.

Memories are wonderful. But do we need to remember everything via recordings? Will we ever have enough time to watch it all? Or only when we are very old and the information no longer useful.

This recorded history obsession may need to slow down to preserve mental health.

Action Gratitude Observe Reframe your thoughts

Perceived Value

Posted on March 17, 2021

Most people stay at a hotel so that they can get a night’s sleep in a bed. So other than the bed, does anything else matter? The perceived value is different for different people.

Some people would like more than the bed. They may wish to have a private shower, toilet and washbasin too. Lots of people require a specific level of cleanliness also. Others still, need a large room and blackout blinds.

But all of this may be irrelevant if the customer does not get a good night’s sleep. There are so many factors that affect perceived value. There are too many to list out in this short blog. However, it does seem to prove the point that beauty or value is in the eye of the beholder.

Think of all the factors that go into selecting your milk from a shop. It might be brand, taste, price, size or position on the shelf. That is from a product that is quite basic too. Imagine if there were lots of other factors like when considering a degree course.

A course is quite personal to you. You need to like the brand, the teacher or instructor, the topic, the location and the timings, to name a few key elements. Some people will pay $10,000 for a course with a specific outcome from a specific teacher.

Others will attribute little or no perceived value.