“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
–George Eliot

I love to read, but more than that, I love to share wisdom and inspiration that I find.

When I find something especially good, I can barely contain my excitement. I text entire passages to friends, I call them up and read pages to them over the phone. 

And today, I am excited to share such a passage with you:

You Never Have To Be Limited By Who You’ve Been

“One of the most common misconceptions in life is that what we did yesterday has to somehow dictate what we can do or be today.

It doesn’t. We never have to be limited by who we’ve been. 

At any time, we can decide to be or do something different.[...]

We are the only one keeping score, and we truly can wipe the slate clean not only on any morning but also at any time.

The “day” when we decide to live out loud can start at any moment.[...]

Just show up.

Instead of dwelling on what you didn’t do yesterday,
do something about it now.

Instead of analyzing the choices you could have made,
make better choices now.

Instead of giving yourself a hard time for what you should have done,
realize you did the best you could and decide to do the best you can now.”
- Page 241 in  Tiny Buddha by Lori Deschene 

So that’s what I wanted to share with you today. If you’re interested, let me share a little more about the book with you.

About Tiny Buddha

This past month, I’ve been reading Tiny Buddha in short breaks, 5-20 pages at a time over tea and hot chocolate.  It’s an easy, casual read and often feels like I’m reading someone’s journal (or, dare I say, blog).

It’s not a “how to” manual, but it’s not all one-liners or all inspiration either.  

It is, as Lori says, “Simple wisdom for life’s hard questions.”  

It’s actually very neat the way she has organized it: it was created as part of a collaborative effort with people online answering these tough questions about life, happiness, pain, and more.  Along with their quotes and advice, Lori weaves in stories from her life about how she has dealt with difficult things that have happened to her.

Perhaps what I liked about it best was just finding someone else who enjoyed asking (and thinking about) big, difficult questions.  

It also is a very cool looking little book, much cooler looking than the non-fiction I typically read – people kept coming up to me to ask what I was reading! Click here to check it out on Amazon.

A Quick Personal Update

I know many people have been asking where I’ve been, as I disappeared off of Facebook and Twitter recently. The truth is, I have been totally swamped with mentoring clients and creating customized personal effectiveness training materials.  It’s a wonderful experience for me, and people are seeing tremendous results from the advanced training program.  I’ll write you more about it later.

P.S. If you are thinking about wiping your slate clean, and about making next year the year you stop being limited by what you’ve had in the past - then make sure I’ve got your email address (just sign up below) and you’re getting emails from me, because I’ll be announcing something in just a week or so =)

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5. Value Your Time

“I have spent my days
stringing and unstringing my instrument
while the song I came to sing
remains unsung.”
– Rabindranath Tagore

Imagine if you will, two people. They live in similar homes, have similar backgrounds, and similar education levels.  

They both have big dreams, and inside them they hold the potential to accomplish them.

Now imagine that the first one has the support of friends and family, and by a combination of luck, circumstance, training and taking risks has found themself living the life they always dreamed of.  

• In the morning they wake up satisfied, refreshed and eager to start the day.  
• Their mornings are filled with a leisurely pace, reflection and anticipation for what lies ahead.  
• They do what they love during the day, and enjoy time with friends, family and their hobbies in the evening. 

Imagine however, the second person. They too have all the same advantages – except that a combination of luck, circumstance, lack of training and perhaps hesitating instead of taking risks, they have put off their dreams.

• They considered that they will get around to what really matters to them “someday”, that there is “always tomorrow” – and they never realize that their life is slowly passing them by. 
• They fill their days with tasks that perhaps matter to others, tasks they feel obligated to do, or work they never really liked but that helps them “get by.” 
• Rather than enjoying their mornings or their productive hours, they feel the need to just “get through them.”

Fast forward 10, 20, 30 years – and ask yourself…

Eventually, who do you think will live a more full life – and who do you think turns out happier?

How Are You Spending Your Days

Are you spending your days…

• Doing the things you love…
• Making progress on projects that matter to you…
• Enjoying your life…
• Spending time with friends, family and others that are important to you?
• “Singing your song” – the song you came to sing, living the life you were born to lead?

Or are you spending your days…

• Waiting for your “real life” to begin…
• Stressed out over things that may or may not be what you really care about…
• Constantly preparing for a “someday” when you’ll FINALLY get a chance to do what you really want
• Metaworking, planning, busywork – and “stringing and unstringing your instrument” in frustration and overwhelm?

How Are You Spending Today

And I want to challenge you, to look at today. Look at last week. Last month, last year.

And be really honest – are you 100% satisfied with the way you’re spending today? With how you spent yesterday, last week, last month, last year? The things you did in your life, and the things you didn’t do?

Everytime I have a day where I tell myself it’s ok to waste, that it’s ok to spend time doing things I don’t enjoy, or that don’t matter to me – and I’ll make it up in the future –  I remind myself of this quote:

“How we spend our days is, of course,
how we spend our lives.”
– Annie Dillard

You Must “Sing”, NOW

You can’t live your life always preparing for the future and never living it.

You’ve got to take action, take control of your life and spend your time now doing the things that matter to you. 

There is nothing so valuable as the life you have been given.

Your Life and Time Is Opportunity

Your life and the time you have is a tremendous gift, a tremendous opportunity – but there is a real risk of having it go to waste by either not doing the things you love, or trying to “keep busy” by doing things that don’t matter to you out of fear, frustration, procrastination or lack of motivation.

“Stringing and unstringing your instrument, while the song you came to sing remains unsung” leads to one single destination: regret for what might have been.

On the other hand, taking action, taking control and doing what actually matters in your life leads not just to enjoyment in the present moment – but also long term happiness, and a deep, profound sense of satisfaction with your life.

You can look back on your accomplishments with pride – but you can also look back on the journey, at your personal growth, and feel satisfied as a person for how you’ve changed and what you’ve done.

It’s Not Just Wasted Time…

“We say we waste time, but that is impossible.
We waste ourselves.”
- Alice Bloch

Get out there.

Live your life.

You matter – do not waste yourself.

Stop stringing and unstringing your instrument, always preparing – and instead live a life of taking action.

Sing the song you were born to sing.

Personal Mentorship Update
Would you like to take control of your life?  Do you want to start taking action, and living a life doing the things that matter to you?  If you’re interested in that, and would like personal mentorship from me, please click here for more details to learn about how to take control of your life.

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5. The Habit That Guarantees Failure

After ninety minutes of play the score is tied, and the yelling from the stands is deafening.

With just seconds remaining in the game he takes possession of the ball and finds himself in shooting distance, with only the goalkeeper to beat.

The crowd is on their feet and all the pressure is on him, on this one last chance to score.

In the cacophony of cheering, Andy Gray’s voice rings out:

“Is this the moment!!!”

Note: I’ve just opened up a few slots in my mentorship program. I don’t know how long they will be available, but last time they filled up right away.  You can see more about that at the bottom of this post. 

Is This The Moment – In Your Life?

I’ve been thinking about that phrase a lot lately.  Is this the moment. When I am faced with a difficult choice, opportunity or feel like giving up I wonder:  Is this the moment that defines the direction my life will take? Is this the moment that will determine success – or the moment where I taste failure?  Will this moment be a moment of weakness – or will it be my finest hour?

When I was younger I remember setting various goals and milestones that I would later achieve such as being valedictorian for my class or performing in front of a crowd with my band.

In many of my goals, there was always one moment that I looked forward to – a single moment where I could absolutely say yes, this is the end and  I can check this off my todo list as “accomplished.”

As I look back on it however, I realize I was mistaken to put so much emphasis on those single isolated moments.  I don’t think those moments actually define who I am or what I did, because my life is not made up of isolated moments that take place months or years apart.

Those moments were important, but only to symbolize the culmination of all my hard work and prior success.  

They are special because they are the end result, but many of the real defining moments came much before that – and passed by without me or anyone else noticing – and it’s important that we also pay attention to those moments and those decisions.

When Faced With Obstacles And Opportunities Ask Yourself: Is This The Moment?

“If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.”
– Colin Powell

Is this the moment. I’ve also been using that phrase a lot lately to push through laziness and procrastination to work towards my goals.

• When I am working on a software project and want to quit, I ask myself: is this the moment? Is this the turning point where I go on to build something great – or  is this the day I let my opportunity to change the world pass me by?
• When I know it is time to head to the gym, but am not really motivated to work out, I ask myself: Is this the moment? Is this where I push forth in spite of how I feel, or is this the moment I falter, blame the situation and nothing comes of all my effort?

Many of the biggest successes and moments in my life did not come out of nowhere – they were the result of tiny moments, moments that at the time seemed insignificant – but that in retrospect have made all the difference.  

• A day that I decided to give away my frying pans on craig’s list.  
• Books I picked up on a whim at the bookstore due to a friend’s recommendation. 
• Times where I didn’t feel like taking a chance but did anyway.

The Power of a Single Action

The next time you’re faced with a tough obstacle or an opportunity, and you feel fear, apprehension or just general apathy, here’s another mental trick I use: I start off by imagining my life ten years ago.

I imagine all the little decisions I’ve made and how those seemingly insignificant choices have turned me into the person you are today. 

The chances I took, and the different paths I  could have taken if I had done things just a little differently – the things I may have had an opportunity to do, or the things I may have missed out on.  I give myself some perspective, and realize that this single action I take will today will affect all of my tomorrows.

I don’t know what awaits any of us in the future, but I do know this:  when I  feel like taking the easy way out or pretending I don’t have to make a choice, I hear Andy Gray’s voice in the back of my mind, passionately yelling at me -

“Is this the moment!!!”

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If you like this article, you might also enjoy one of the new start pages I put up – Be Present In This Moment.

Is This Your Moment? Mentorship Update

A few days ago I mentioned I was going to open up some slots in my mentorship program.

The good news is, that day has come. I’m making the slots available today.

The bad news is: 5 slots are already filled. This is due to people who pre-registered in August for the October course. Depending on how quickly they fill up I may allow more pre-registrations for next year, but I’m not sure.  I have also considered raising the price, but right now I’m just going to let it fill up the old fashioned way – first come, first serve.

Click here now to get the full mentorship program details

Please note:  I had to rush to get it out in time since I promised I would get the information out to you today, please forgive me if I’ve made any spelling or grammar errors =)

If you are interested in making a difference in your life, making progress on those projects that always seem to be put off until “tomorrow”, if you are interested in joining a small, exclusive group that receives mentoring from me, check out the full details here, just published: mentorship program details.  I will close it once it fills up or the deadline comes so I can start it on time, so check it out today if you think it’s possible you might be a good fit.  

Click here now to get the full mentorship program details

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“Habit is either the best of servants or the worst of masters.”
- Nathaniel Emmons

Anywhere from 80 to 95% of our actions every day are controlled or partially based on our habits.   Are your habits helping you…or hurting you?

You may already know this – you brush your teeth (or don’t!) out of habit, you likely react in similar ways to various situations based on your habits – and according to a cell phone tracking study I read, people consistently even go to the same locations at the same times week after week.

But which habits are helping you, and which are hurting you?

We all have a mixture of positive and negative habits – but there’s one habit that absolutely guarantees you will fail.

It has a 100% failure rate – if you fall victim this habit today, I guarantee you that you will fail today.

If this habit takes root today, then today you will fail to meet your goals, you will fail to make progress, and you will wake up tomorrow with absolutely nothing to show for today.  

The Habit That Guarantees Failure 

The habit is this:

Telling yourself “I will do it tomorrow.”

Every day you say that, you guarantee you will fail today.

You might succeed tomorrow (and I certainly hope you do) – but for today, procrastination 100% guarantees you will NOT succeed.

You won’t succeed, because by procrastinating, you’ve already decided not to even try. Not only will you not make progress – but you won’t even give yourself a chance to make progress.

Procrastination is not just work that is put off until tomorrow. It is the temporary acceptance of failure.

It is the opportunity of today cast aside, with the hope that the circumstances for our success will still be there in the near – but uncertain – future.  A future where the availability of your time, your motivation, your desire and the possibilities are completely unknown.  

And it is opportunity put off into a day that we are not even guaranteed to have.

Tomorrow Is Promised To No One

“When we know and understand completely that our time on this earth is limited, and that we have no way of knowing when it will be over, then we must live each day as if it were the only one we had.”
- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

As sad as it is to think about,  a number of people will pass away today and never have the tomorrow that we are putting so many things into.

In fact, a number of people passed away yesterday – and you and me, we are among the lucky ones that are here today. Today is not a day that we were promised – today is a day of possibility, and opportunity – and it is our privilege to live it.

Today Matters

So do not take this day for granted, and do not tell yourself it doesn’t matter.

Today does matter, and the time you waste today is the time you will regret and wish you could relive.

“Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.”
– Sydney J. Harris

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Final Thoughts: Habits

Remember too where we started this discussion: we are creatures of habit. The more more you procrastinate, the more likely you will be to procrastinate in the future.  Procrastinating occasionally is not a problem – but chronically procrastinating is, because it’s a slippery slope.

If you struggle with procrastination, unless you change something it won’t get better.  

Rather, without a change, if you procrastinate constantly it will only lead to one thing: cementing procrastination as a habit of yours. And the longer you wait to deal with it, the more serious the problem will become.

Procrastination is Manageable

The last key thought I want to share with you is that procrastination is manageable – and is actually easier to solve than you think.

I believe my time is valuable and that your time, your life is valuable – but I believe very often, due to misinformation and lack of access to proper technique, many people are not able to achieve their full potential or what they desire in their lives.

Some of the reasons for this include procrastination, uncertainty – or simply fear that they may not be good enough, or may not succeed.

And this frustrates me, because I know that there are simple, easy to apply techniques that I know can help you get the most out of your life – because I use them in my own life, and I’ve taught them to students and clients.

What’s Coming Soon

For that reason, I am going to share something very special with you in a few days.

I’m going to tell you about how you can get the most out of your life – not just every minute and every hour (though I will certainly share with you productivity techniques to do that).

No – I want to help you get the most out of your life – your entire life.

I want you to wake up every day excited, full of energy, full of joy and with a clear sense of what you want to do.  

I want you to have the skills, ability and focus to achieve what you desire, while also having the time and freedom to enjoy simple pleasures everyday.

This something I’ve been working very hard on behind the scenes for the past few months – and I am going to give you the full details in just a couple days.

So watch your email for a note from me in the next few days. I’ll tell you more soon.

If you don’t already receive emails from me, please enter your address in the box below and I’ll be in touch. 

You May Also Enjoy…

• Value Your Time
• Today Is Your Golden Ticket
• The Path, The Opportunity, Is Only Here For Today
• Stop Waiting For Your Life To Begin
• You Are The Something You’ve Been Waiting For

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“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.

Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.

Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
- Steve Jobs

After hearing about Steve Jobs passing, I dug through my journals looking for the entry I wrote when I watched Steve Jobs 2005 commencement speech for the first time.

Here is part of what I wrote.

“One Day” Is All You Have

Don’t you dare compromise on chasing your dreams because of your fear of consequences or upsetting others

Nobody has to live with the regrets of not knowing but you.

Do not ever accept that it is just “one day” or that you can start tomorrow.

“One day”, today, this moment, this life – this is all you have. 

Your life is but a series of “one day” followed by another – own, cherish, and take responsibility for each one. 

For they are too few, they are unique,

And they are passing faster than you think.

Taken from Sid’s Journal Entries.

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You May Also Enjoy…

• I also reference Steve Jobs in my start page, Value Your Time
• Today Is Your Golden Ticket
• The Path, The Opportunity, Is Only Here For Today
• Stop Waiting For Your Life To Begin
• You Are The Something You’ve Been Waiting For
• Be Present In The Moment

Steve Jobs Commencement Address 

“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” 

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5. Destroy Procrastination with Action

Procrastination kills.

Procrastination kills your productivity.

Procrastination kills your ambition.

Procrastination kills opportunities.

Procrastination suffocates and kills motivation.

Procrastination kills progress.

Procrastination kills the projects you worked to hard to think up.

Procrastination kills your dreams.

Procrastination kills your opportunities, projects and dreams slowly, without you noticing, because…

Procrastination kills one minute, one hour and one day at a time.

And every week or month, when you wonder where the time went, if you procrastinated -

Then procrastination is slowly killing you.

This is from Sid’s Journal Entries.

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Overcoming Procrasination

One of the most popular pages on this website, and one that I get emails and comments about all the time is my start page encouraging you to Destroy Procrastination with Action.  

Do you struggle with procrastination?

I know how frustrating it can be when you have big dreams, and know that you are capable of so much more – and yet aren’t able to even get started.

If you want to really kick start your productivity, and overcome the anxiety that comes with always procrastinating , then you’ll want to learn the strategies and tips I use every day in my own life.

The techniques I’ve learned and taught others are not just simple to use – but what’s even better is that I discovered them through psychological research, and over time tested and refined them by using them in my life, and with my clients. 

I’ll be writing and sharing more in the next few days. If you want to know more, make sure I have your email address. Enter your email below if I don’t have it already – and I’ll share more information about overcoming procrastination with you.

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The universe is apathetic.

It does not care if your life is easy, or difficult. It does not care whether you choose to persist, or choose to give up on your dreams.

It will not fight you or keep you down.

It will not help you and pick you up.

Whether you fail or succeed, the sun will set, the sun will rise, and the universe will remain unconcerned.  

However, The Fact Is….

You were born with gifts unavailable to anyone else.

You have the power to do things that nobody else can do, because nobody else possesses your rare combination of abilities – and nobody else will come across the same opportunities you will.

Through the years by a combination of luck, training, and living your life you have gained knowledge, perspective, talents and strengths that you take for granted every day.

Knowledge, talents and strength that you may choose to use or squander on the amazing opportunities in front of you.

And whether you grasp them or not would the universe care?

No – the universe is apathetic.

But you can choose.

Do you want to be disinterested in your own life – or will you  choose to care?

I Am Not Apathetic

I am not apathetic. I care.

I care if I fail, if I succeed. I care about whether I live up to my potential.

And while the universe may act unnafected, and because of its infinite size appear intimidating –  I am actually more powerful than the universe. 

Because I know that by exercising my talents, not only will I be personally fulfilled – but I will also enrich, impact and improve the lives of others.

I will improve the world.

I will leave a positive impact on the people whose lives I affect.

And in turn, I will change the universe. I will improve the universe.  I will leave the universe better off than when I found it – whether the universe cares or not.

Announcement: Speaking at Blogworld

 I also have an awesome announcement: I have been selected as a featured speaker at Blogworld Expo Los Angeles.  It’s November 3-5th, and I got selected to speak on opening day, November 3rd. 

I’m very excited, and I’m also thankful for your support in helping my website grow as much as it has.

If you enjoy connecting with people, sharing your experiences, and would like to learn how to get more exposure for yourself and your expertise (along with meeting me and hanging out in Los Angeles!), check Blogworld Expo out.  

My other website, BlogcastFM, is a Blogworld Expo media partner and we have a 20% off discount code, BLOGCAST20 to help you save on registration.

What Am I Speaking About?

See information on my session about the science of influence, and info on some of the other speakers here.

P.S. – Early bird registration ends September 30th, so check out the conference info here -> Blogworld Expo to see if you’re interested, and don’t forget we have a 20% off discount code, BLOGCAST20.

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Adapted from Sid’s Journal Entries. This is the song I was listening to a lot when I wrote this.

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“How much of human life is lost in waiting.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Question: Do you know how much time the average adult spends waiting every day?  

Answer: A quick Google search (what I would say in contemporary times now qualifies as “research”) reveals the answer as 45 to 62 minutes waiting everyday.

But you know what? The “average” doesn’t matter. What does matter is how much time you spend waiting – and the only way to get that answer is to employ the powerful tool of a time log.

That’s small potatoes though compared to what we’re going to talk about today. So grab your swimming cap and hold your nose – because we’re going in deep.

Going Deep

Before we dive in (hah! Ok, ok, I’ll stop…), I want to really lay out the seriousness of what we’re talking about today

This lesson is something that is so easy to say, but has taken me years to truly understand, and it takes some people their whole lives.  Many people literally lie on their deathbeds, wishing they had woken up to this lesson sooner.

So I implore you – do not read this as mere words on a page, that you read and forget about when the next shiny cat picture shows up.

What I am going to share with you today is the biggest regret people have – and how you can at least try to avoid it.

Pay attention like your life depended on it, because in many ways it does.

A 30 Second, Life Changing Exercise

I want you to do an exercise with me. This is very important.  DO NOT merely read on. 

It is an exercise that will take you 30 seconds – and I promise you, these will be the most valuable 30 seconds of your day, if I’ve never taught you this before.

This exercise is life changing.

This exercise is something you are going to use forever once I show it to you.  After you do it the first time, it may take you only 5 seconds the next time you do it. The first time I used this, it rocked my world.

I sat silently for about 10 minutes as the power of it sunk in. I really felt the weight of the situation and of my life wash over me.

If you use this, this exercise is going to give you an amazing advantage. I should also warn you that it is so powerful, that it can be extremely emotional. So please be careful, and allow yourself at least 10-15 minutes to recover just in case.

The Life Changing Exercise

Are you ready for this?

Promise me you will do it.

Actually don’t.

Don’t promise me anything.

Don’t do it for me, don’t do it for your boss or job or clients or anyone else. Do it for you.

Promise yourself you will try this. No matter how ridiculous it sounds, ok?

Do it because your life is worth 30 seconds to do this exercise, ok? 

Ready?

The Three Steps

Here it is. It is 3 steps. You must do all 3 steps.

• Step 1: Prepare the environment. Go somewhere where you can see something timeless – like the sky, or a field, or perhaps the ocean.  Preferably somewhere quiet.
• Note: If you can’t leave right now, a decent alternative is to look at the picture on this page Conducting Your Year End Review. Keep that picture up. Zoom in if you can. Really look at the picture and imagine you are there.
• Look around. Really let it sink in how big the world is, and how long it has been around before you – and how so much will be around after you are gone. Realize that every day things are changing, some quickly, and some ever so slowly. Get some perspective on how small some of the problems you have are.
• Step 2: Look at your hands. Turn your hands over, Notice the wrinkles on your knuckles, the lines on your palms, the brittleness of your nails. When was the last time you looked at your hands? Notice the veins, notice how it feels when you flex and unflex each individual finger. Notice how it feels when you make a fist.  Look at your hands, and remember how small they once were, how you once had fat little fingers as a baby, and now are a grown adult. Recognize your mortality.  
• Step 3: Look at your hands again, and think about the things you have done, and the great things that you want to do.  Feel your personal strength as you look at your hands, and realize that this is what you have.  Your hands are a symbol of you, of your life: of what you have done, and what you  can do. You are capable of such great things.  With your hands you can build houses, you can create art, you can destroy things and you can love things. Recognize the power you have

Looking at my hands is a powerful reminder for me that I am aging, that I am mortal, that one day my time here will be over – and at the same time, that I am capable of shaping the world in whatever way I choose. And so are you.

It’s Time To Stop Waiting For Life

“You could be waiting for your life to begin,
And you could be so much more than you’ve been.”
- Nine Days, 257 Weeks

This is real.

This is your life we are talking about. This is the one thing you have, the one shot, the one opportunity that you must make the most out of, because when it’s gone - it’s gone. And you’ll either look back on it with contentment or with regret.

I know, because in my research of life regrets of the dying, I came across Bonnie Ware who cared for the dying and said their most common regret was “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”

She says about the courage to live a life true to yourself:

“This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled.

Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.”

Your Life Is Waiting For YOU

If you are waiting for your life to begin, I have a message for you:  your life is waiting for you to begin to take control of it.

Look at your hands again and remember this:

• The average person spends 45-62 minutes a day waiting, usually for relatively inconsequential things such as transportation, retail or restaurant service or their email to load – and generally complains about it.
• The average person most regrets spending their entire life waiting for what is is most important: the day they will finally live a life true to themselves, take action and fulfill their dreams – and generally, during their active lifetime, silently accepts this without complaint or comment.

We complain every day about how we’re waiting for things that don’t matter, that truly are inconsequential in the big scheme of things – and yet we allow ourselves to passively wait on that which is most important to us, and never say anything until it is too late – and all we can do is regret.

Don’t accept that. Don’t keep waiting for your life to begin.

I hope you already are living your life and shaping at least trying to move forward on your dreams. If you’re not though, then consider this a stroke of good luck, a fortunate turn of events, a blessing, because you’re getting this wake up call years early:

You have the power to do whatever you desire, so take control and begin your life.

Start working on your dreams today. Do not silently accept waiting for a day that your life begins – make today that day.

And make it a habit to look at your hands and use this exercise regularly. I try to do it every day.

Inspired? Spread this

Enjoy this article? You should Tweet This and share it with your friends, or feel free to share it however you like using this shortened link: http://sids.me/stop-waiting

The Time To Take Action Is Now

Announcement – Big Things Coming December 16

How would it feel to finally have time to do the things you love, by being more effective and productively getting your work done fast?  If that sounds like something you’d enjoy, then you’re going to be thrilled with the killer guide I’m releasing  on Thursday.

I’ve pulled together all my best techniques and strategies into one cohesive, organized workshop that will allow you to quickly, strategically pinpoint exactly where you are currently getting the best results – and where you can make small changes to get massive improvements. These improvement will help you quickly be more effective, and free up more time to do the things you love.

I’ll tell you all about it on Thursday, but the main thing you should know is to celebrate the release, I’m going to massive reduce the price until December 23rd.  So if you want to get a copy, you should come back here on December 16th at 9 a.m. EST, because that’s not all …

Christmas Gifts For The First Week

As a thank you to you for all your support over the years, anyone who picks up a copy before December 23rd will not only get a massive discount, but you’ll also receive three copies: a copy for yourself – and two copies of the workshop you can give away as a gift. All I ask is you give it to someone who could really use it.

As a bonus, the first 50 people who take action will get something a little extra:  I’ll record two customized video messages  (one for each of your gift recipients) and you can tell me what you’d like me to say!

Now I have no clue how quickly the first 50 are going to move – thousands of people visit this website every day, but I doubt we’ll see 50 copies picked up for at least an hour or two.

I may actually end up doing more if I can handle it, but I’ll only commit to the first 50 for now!

So mark it on your calendar – big things coming December 16th at 9 a.m. EST.

Don’t miss out – if you want to start the New Year in control of your life, and in control of your time, you’ll want to take action and pick up a copy right away.

Further Reading

• Life Regrets Of The Dying – How To Live Life With No Regrets
• Famous Failures
• It’s Not About What You Get Out of Life
• Being The Change You Wish To See In The World – 3 Inspirational Examples
• What Dreams Will Die With You?
• 10 Essential Rules For Living Your Best Life
• Today Is Your Golden Ticket
• You Can’t Start a Fire…
• Choosing Your Own Life’s Adventure

Did you know ... this list of articles is custom generated for you? If you enjoyed this article, you may enjoy these similar articles:

1. The Only Consistent Secret For Personal Growth
2. 7 Simple Steps by Jonathan Wells Book Review – Life, Values, Success, Goals
3. The Secret To Making Life Decisions
4. Personal Development 101 – Module 2 A Bestselling Author’s Productivity Secret
5. The Secret To Massive Productivity In Only 15 Minutes A Day

Ever wonder why sometimes your email gets a response right away – and other times you don’t hear back for a week…or ever?

Do you know how frequently people delete emails without reading them? Do you know the percentage of emails that simply sit unread in their owners overflowing inboxes forever?

I don’t either – but I have seen people with literally thousands of unread messages in their inbox, so I know it’s real!

Let’s talk about how we can prevent that from happening to emails you send with these Simple Techniques To Get Your Emails Opened, Read and Responded To.

1.  Keep It Short

THE most important tip of all – that’s why it’s first. If you do nothing else, keep your emails short and to the point!

Let me give you a simple formula:

For a constant value “g”

g x (Length Of Email)^2 = Time For Sid To Response

Yes, that reads the length of the email squared. The longer an email gets, the less likely your reader is to respond to it in a timely manner – or perhaps at all.

As a personal example, if I have to read a long email, think about multiple points and write responses to each point - it’s hard to justify that, when I know I could respond to a dozen shorter emails from other people in the same time frame.

Rule of Thumb: To get a fast response, keep it to a couple sentences of of introduction, couple sentences of background and a question, and one sentence saying thanks.

That’s it, 4-10 sentences, and I’ll reply quickly almost every time – unless the questions are difficult to answer!

2. Use a Descriptive Subject

Anytime I get an email with a blank subject, unless I know the sender very well, guess what I do? I toss it in a folder to review “later.”

I get upwards of 300 email per day – and unfortunately, if someone won’t spend the time to put a subject line, I won’t take the time to open it and prioritize it.

Frequently if the subject is descriptive (e.g. “Where did you get that shirt on Friday?”) I’ll open it right away and – gasp! – out of order, because I know I can respond quickly.

Rule of Thumb:  If you can’t boil down the point of the email into a subject line, you may be trying to do too much in one email.

3.  Write With Clarity and Conviction

Keep it short, get to the point – and be clear about what you’re saying, without wavering.

If you’re going to email someone and ask for help, don’t email and say

“If you could help in any way I would appreciate it, but if you can’t that is ok, I understand, but I would really appreciate it if you could help me out though.”

That’s no good.

Rule of Thumb #1:  If I can’t answer yes, no, or pick an answer multiple choice style from options you’ve given me, the request lacks clarity. Make the decision easy on the recipient.

Rather than going with a vague request, a better approach is to go in with a specific outcome in mind. You can still be polite without imposing, but write with some clarity and conviction!

Good example:

“I’d like to meet you for lunch and chat for 45 minutes, does either Wednesday or Thursday at noon work for you?  Otherwise we can chat on the phone anytime tomorrow afternoon if you you prefer.”

Rule of Thumb #2: If I can’t figure out which option you would prefer (regardless of what I choose), it could probably use a dash more conviction. Notable exception to this rule is if you’re providing multiple options for good times to meet.

4. Get The Recipient Invested

Imagine a typical person at the office: they’ve got a number of tasks they’re working on, they’re possibly behind, they’re stressed out…and now, they see an email pop up from you – someone they’ve never met before.

Without even reading the subject line, the first thought they might have is “Oh no, something else I have to do!”

To overcome that, get them invested in your cause. Two specific ways you can do this is:

• When possible, get introduced.  I am 378% more likely (note: made up statistic) to reply if someone has introduced me. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever ignored an email where someone has introduced someone else to me – never underestimate the value of a referral.
• Show the recipient what’s in it for them. Too often we write emails talking about “me, me, me.” Try to instead look at it from the recipient’s point of view. Imagine that they get 2,000 emails a day, and you want yours to be the one that gets read and responded to.  Tune in to what Brian Tracy calls “each person’s favorite radio station”, WIIFM, “What’s in it for me?”

Rule of Thumb: Make them want to keep reading – either out of respect for their contact, or the opportunity you present (and preferably both!).

Take Responsibility For The Response

The final thought I’d like to leave you with is you have the power to influence whether your email gets a response or not. By making it easy on the recipient, you can greatly increase the chances they’ll get back to you quickly and with the information you need.

Don’t just contact people with a vague hope of them getting back to you – get a referral if possible, be clear, to the point and show how the recipient can gain by engaging with you.

Follow these guidelines and not only will you increase your likelihood of success when contacting busy people – when you email me, you may just skip to the front of the inbox!

Now if you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask you to do me a favor – leave a comment, share it on Twitter or Facebook, or forward it to a friend. Thanks so much for reading, and I sincerely appreciate your support!

Click here now to  Tweet This and share it with your friends, or feel free to share it however you like using this shortened link: http://j.mp/getread

Further Reading

• Strategies for Dealing With Email Overload – How To Get To And Maintain Inbox Zero
• Seven Reasons You Check Email So Frequently – And How To Stop
• How To Network Effortlessly at Conferences With A Banana
• Speaking in Public: A Step-By-Step Guide to Overcome Public Speaking Anxiety
• How To Network Fast
• Strategies for Nurturing Your Professional Network and Professional Relationships
• Opportunity Is Everywhere – Just Create Value

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3. Simple Time Saving Tip #62 – Stop Self Inflicted Junk Email
4. How to Effectively Read 12,853 Articles, Forum Topics & Blog Posts a Week
5. What is Really Simple Syndication (RSS)?

zealot. noun. (from Greek zelotes, “emulator, zealous admirer or follower”): A fanatically committed person.

dilemma noun. (from Greek  ”double proposition”):  A problem offering at least two possibilities, neither of which is practically acceptable

What do you do when you just know someone is doing something wrong, something that will hurt them in the long run – but you can’t change their mind?

How about if you’ve been down the same path they’re currently going down, made the mistake they’re about to make – and yet they won’t listen to you?

And finally – how can you be so sure you’re right anyway? What if your belief, no matter how deeply held, is wrong?

Today’s article is a bit of a break from what we’ve been talking about recently, about a concept that I’ve personally been struggling a bit with: what I call the zealot’s dilemna.

The Zealot’s Dilemna

The crux of the zealot’s dilemna is this:

If you believe that your opinion is correct, and another person’s opinion is wrong,
And you believe the other person would benefit from changing their opinion:
Should you attempt to persuade them to your way of thinking – or do they have a right to their own opinion?

Or, more succinctly:

Are other people entitled to their own opinion even when you know you’re right?

This is something that I personally have struggled with quite a bit, and I am sure you may be able relate based on how deeply held your beliefs are (and especially how much they have benefited you directly) in areas such as:

• Pessimistic/Optimistic/Realistic Outlook On Life
• Religion/Spirituality/Inner Peace
• Political Affiliation/Public Policy
• Computers: Mac/PC/Linux
• Personal Habits: Nutrition, Sleep, Positive/Negative Influences, etc

I’m sure there are others, but these are disagreements that come up over and over again.

To take political affiliation as an example, we’ve all met people who live and breath perhaps one political issue.  And they want to change your mind about who to vote for, donate money to, or even volunteer on their campaign for a candidate (or a cause).

Let’s dig in to a couple of perspectives on the issue.

One View – Let People Think For Themselves

One perspective (and one that I generally share) is that people are intelligent and deserve to make up their own minds based on their own principles.  That doesn’t mean I never disagree – I am willing to share my opinion, and give reasons why I believe what I believe.  If someone doesn’t agree with me though, then regardless of how strongly I believe something, I will often let people believe what they want.

There are a few reasons I have this opinion:

• Freedom of Thought and Speech. Broadly speaking, I think people have a right to decide and make up their own minds – even if I disagree with them.
• People Will Learn From Their Mistakes.  I think it’s worth sharing my opinion with people, but if they don’t take my advice, I think it’s healthy to let them learn from their mistakes.
• The Golden Rule.  I don’t like people pushing their beliefs on me – and so I don’t push mine on other people either.

Is this easy for me to do? No.

In fact, the reason I called it the zealot’s dilemna is because it is a dilemna for me.  I often find myself torn between keeping my mouth shut, and wanting to speak up because sometimes I feel I owe it to people to tell them.

The Flip Side – Do You Owe It To Them To Tell Them?

Imagine if you will someone who believes that if they jump off a skyscraper they’ll bounce, and will be able to walk away unharmed. Ridiculous right?

Surely in such a situation you owe it to the person to stop them from taking such action – this isn’t a mistake they’re likely going to recover from, and it is literally a matter of life and death.

In real life though, the decisions people make are rarely so obviously wrong and harmful.   Still, there are times when I wonder if I owe it to people to share what I’ve learned. Consider for example:

• Irrational, Psychological Traps.  Gambling, addition, smoking and other self destructive behaviors that make it difficult for them to rationally evaluate and break out of their behavior.  If someone is caught up in these, I find it difficult to hold back – because based on my research, they aren’t able to clearly think for themselves/
• Irrecoverable Mistakes. While people are resilient and able to bounce back from just about anything, when I think someone is going to make a massive mistake that will cost them years or decades of happiness – say a choice I disagree with in business or relationships for example – it’s again difficult to bite my tongue.
• The Role of A Mentor.  Many people come to me because they know they can count on my support based on our relationship through the years. There are times when I believe a mentor needs show show support – but there are also times when I believe it’s a disservice to not speak up and let someone know they’re about to make a critical mistake.

Is It A Moral Imperative?

This reminds me of Kant’s concept of a moral imperative.

Moral imperative: A thing that must be done because it is right, regardless of opposition or difficulty (from Encarta).

I think it’s a fine line to walk, saying that you have to speak up in someone else’s best interest. This is definitely not something to be abused, though I believe it frequently is.

Very often, I think people pretend they’re acting out of moral imperative, saying it’s in “your best interest” – when it’s really their personal opinion that they feel strongly about.

Finally there is something else that I often wonder about …

How Do You Know You’re Right?

I am not sure how often people consider this, but how do you know you’re right? Whether it’s politics, religion, health or general life perspective, how can you know that your way is the best way?

Isn’t it possible that sometimes when people their best, well intentioned advice – that it can also be bad advice?

I think about this a lot myself – when people tell me what I can or cannot do, or when I am tempted to try to stop someone from making what I believe is a foolish decision.

Before I speak, I ask myself – how often have I been wrong before? How often have I been absolutely certain in my convictions, and still made incorrect, regrettable decisions?

Coming Soon – Productivity Workshop

A quick announcement, I’ve been working on a productivity workshop for the past couple years. It’s almost ready – I anticipate it’ll be released December 16th to the public.

I’ll be offering it early and for a discount to those on the personal development 101 newsletter, so if you want in – make sure you’re on the list. And that’s all I’ll say about that for now.

=)

Further Reading

• How To Take Criticism – Reframe It As Support
• Being The Change You Wish To See In The World – 3 Inspirational Examples
• What Dreams Will Die With You?
• 10 Essential Rules For Living Your Best Life
• How to Create Your Personal Development Plan
• Today Is Your Golden Ticket
• You Can’t Start a Fire…

Enjoy this article? You should Tweet This and share it with your friends, or feel free to share it however you like using this shortened link: http://j.mp/dilemna

Please note: I research articles and double check my facts but I can make mistakes.  If you find an error, please feel free to email me sid@sidsavara.com.  I am available on Twitter @sidsavara.  Purchasing products through links on SidSavara.com can result in affiliate commissions to me.  I use A Small Orange for web hosting, and MailChimp as my newsletter provider.

“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”
-Winston Churchill

Have you ever asked yourselves these questions?

• Where Do I Want To Be In 5 Years?
• What Goals Do I Want To Accomplish This Year?
• What Are The Major Milestones I Want To Achieve?

These are all questions about the future – and they’re all basically asking “what can I get out of the time I spend?“

To answer that question, I want to tell you a story that I heard yesterday about inspiration and changing people’s lives that blew my mind.

It’s an insight that is already changing the way I’m thinking about my goals and how I’m approaching my life – and I encourage you to stop whatever you’re doing for a couple minutes and really let the lesson from this story sink in.

The Real Reason Chris Guillebeau Wrote A Book

I was talking to Chris Guillebeau on his book tour for The Art of Nonconformity yesterday, and he shared an insight that shows just how much he “gets it.”  For those of you that don’t know him, Chris is an extremely successful online entrepreneur, blogger, world traveler- and now book author. And an incredibly nice guy.

Spoiler Alert: if you’re going to check Chris out on his unconventional book tour, you should hear him tell this firsthand!  Bookmark this post and read it later!

So, since he doesn’t need the money, and really doesn’t have anything more to prove, why write a book?

Here it is, as I remember him saying it:

“One of the questions I get at these Unconventional Book Tour Meetups is why write a book for The Art of Nonconformity?   After all, it’s a lot of work – and it’s not the only way I can spread my writing.

If I write a blog post about what happens here tonight, I can publish it and people can read it tomorrow. But with a book, there’s publishers, and agents, and retailers – there’s so many gatekeepers. You do give up a little bit of control, and since I can already speak to my audience through my blog, why go through all that hassle to publish a book?

I’ve always had a thing for books though.

The thing is, I can think back on my life, and remember maybe 5 books that I read that really changed my life.

How many blogs have you read that have changed your life?

How many blog posts?

How many tweets – in 140 characters?

Does that mean my book is going to change people’s lives? I don’t know. But, it’s always good to have that goal.”

I never thought about it that way. I’ve always written here and worked with people in person, and for me personally there are blogs and blog posts I’ve read that have changed my life – but it’s true, that it’s certainly not to the degree that some of my favorite personal development books have.

His insight though really led me to realize something.

Chris Isn’t Looking To *Get* Something

What really sticks out in that story – and in all my discussions with Chris, as well as his writing online is he’s not trying to “get” something out of it.  His book really is his gift to the world – he’s packed as much of his life experience, advice and philosophy into one dense super low priced package for his readers’ benefit.

He’s not in it for the money.

He’s not in it for the fame.

He’s creating something to change peoples lives – and in his own way, to change the world.

It reminds me of something I read in Linchpin, another book that is completely rocking my world right now:

“Artists don’t give gifts for money. They do it for respect and connection and to cause change.”
-Linchpin by Seth Godin

Putting Something *In* To Life

I want to take a step back and think about our own goals for a moment, because so often we talk in terms of the end goals we want to reach for our efforts.

• We want to get more money, buy a bigger house, buy a nicer car.
• We want to get good grades, get accepted into a prestigious college, get a good job, get that next promotion.
• We want to get from here to there, because there’s something over there we really want.

Our goals so frequently focus on what we’re trying to “get” out of life.

But how about flipping it – and asking, what are we putting in to the world?

What seeds can we plant today, what art can we create, what gifts can we give that cause change?

Of course I support having goals and long term dreams – but in the end, what’s the point if all we’re doing is trying to get something out of life?

Money, fame, even our largest accomplishments – I don’t believe any of them compare to actually putting something out there, a piece of ourselves, that changes the world.

None of them can compare to what we can do to …

Push The Human Race Forward

The last thought I’d like to leave you with is an old Apple commercial that my friend Nestor pointed me to.  I think you’ll really enjoy it:

Spread the word. Would you do me a favor? If this has woken up something inside you, inspired you – or just made you think, why not share it on Facebook, Twitter, or via good old-fashioned email with someone who needs to hear this message?

Enjoy this article? You should Tweet This and share it with your friends, or feel free to share it however you like using this shortened link: http://j.mp/notaboutgetting

Further Reading

• Life Regrets Of The Dying – How To Live Life With No Regrets
• 52 Weeks To Awesome
• Being The Change You Wish To See In The World – 3 Inspirational Examples
• What Dreams Will Die With You?
• Courage To Follow Your Dreams
• 10 Essential Rules For Living Your Best Life
• Today Is Your Golden Ticket
• You Can’t Start a Fire…
• Choosing Your Own Life’s Adventure

Please note: I research articles and double check my facts but I can make mistakes.  If you find an error, please feel free to email me sid@sidsavara.com.  I am available on Twitter @sidsavara.  Purchasing products through links on SidSavara.com can result in affiliate commissions to me.  I use A Small Orange for web hosting, and MailChimp as my newsletter provider.

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