Before we commence with the festivities, I wanted to thank everyone for helping my first book become a Wall Street Journal bestseller. To check it out, click here.
Living a good life means managing your time. Problem is, we don’t understand time at all. Go ahead, explain time to me; I’ll wait.
(Eric hums to himself and drums fingers on the tabletop.)
Don’t blame yourself. To be fair, the nature of time has been a matter of some debate for, oh, a few thousand years now. Aristotle said time wasn’t real. (I know some people who live like this but they tend to get fired a lot.) Aristotle thought time was just a measurement of change. If nothing changes, there is no time. That simple.
Then Newton showed up on the scene and said the exact opposite: time is not only real, but it’s also objective, independent and universal. Be at work by 9AM — and your 9AM better be the same as work’s 9AM.
It took Einstein to break up the fight. He said they were both kinda right. Newton was correct that time is real. But Aristotle was on to something when he said it’s not universal. Einstein realized time is warped by gravity and speed. A universal “now” doesn’t exist. Theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli says that asking what “now” is for someone light years away is like asking which football team won the basketball championship. The question doesn’t even make sense.
And when we get down to the level of quantum mechanics, hoo-boy, time is weirder than the love child of Salvador Dali and David Lynch. At the quantum level there is no difference between past, present and future. No cause and effect, only probabilities. Only one thing matters in the quantum realm: how things relate to one another.
I know, I know, with the exception of that Newtonian clock time, this sounds like it has nothing to do with real life. But it does. I swear. Because there’s another kind of time, one that doesn’t fall under physics, and one that is even more important than clock time: internal time. Time in your head.
And that can be weirder than anything physics has come up with. But, in the end, it’s the only time that matters.
Follow me down this rabbit hole, won’t you, Alice?
Before we commence with the festivities, I wanted to thank everyone for helping my first book become a Wall Street Journal bestseller. To check it out, click here.
Some days the to-do list seems bottomless. Just looking at it is exhausting.
We all want to know how to stop being lazy and get more done. I certainly want the answer.
So I decided to call a friend who manages to do this — and more.
Cal Newport impresses the heck out of me. Why? Well, I’m glad you asked. He’s insanely productive:
He has a full-time job as a professor at Georgetown University, teaching classes and meeting with students.
He writes 6 (or more) peer-reviewed academic journal papers per year.
He’s married with a young child and handles all the responsibilities that come with being a husband and dad.
He blogs regularly about productivity and expert performance.
And yet he finishes work at 5:30PM every day and rarely works weekends.
No, he does not have superpowers or a staff of 15. Okay, let’s you and I both stop being jealous of his productivity for a second and learn something.
Below you’ll get Cal’s secrets on how you can better manage your time, stop being lazy, get more done — and be finished by 5:30. Let’s get to work.
1) To-Do Lists Are Evil. Schedule Everything.
To-do lists by themselves are useless. They’re just the first step. You have to assign them time on your schedule. Why?
It makes you be realistic about what you can get done. It allows you to do tasks when it’s efficient, not just because it’s #4.
Until it’s on your calendar and assigned an hour, it’s just a list of wishful thinking.
Here’s Cal:
Scheduling forces you to confront the reality of how much time you actually have and how long things will take. Now that you look at the whole picture you’re able to get something productive out of every free hour you have in your workday. You not only squeeze more work in but you’re able to put work into places where you can do it best.
Assigning work to times reduces the urge to procrastinate. You are no longer deciding whether or not to work during a given period; the decision is already made.
Does this sound too mechanical? Overly structured and not much fun? Wrong.
This study was designed to identify the relationship between free time management and quality of life, exploring whether the amount of free time or the way people using their free time relates to their quality of life… The result has found a positive relationship between free time management and quality of life.
(To learn more about the science of a successful life, check out my bestselling book here.)
Okay, the to-do list is in the trash and things are going on the calendar. How do you prioritize so you’re not at work forever?
2) Assume You’re Going Home at 5:30, Then Plan Your Day Backwards
Work will fill the space it’s given. Give it 24/7 and guess what happens?
You need boundaries if you want work/life balance. But this also helps you work better because it forces you to be efficient.
By setting a deadline of 5:30 and then scheduling tasks you can get control over that hurricane of duties.
Cal calls it “fixed schedule productivity”:
Fix your ideal schedule, then work backwards to make everything fit — ruthlessly culling obligations, turning people down, becoming hard to reach, and shedding marginally useful tasks along the way. My experience in trying to make that fixed schedule a reality forces any number of really smart and useful in-the-moment productivity decisions.
Anything that increases your perception of control over a situation — whether it actually increases your control or not — can decrease your stress level.
Over and over, scientists see that the perception of control over a stressor alters the stressor’s impact.
(For more on how to achieve work/life balance, click here.)
You’ve drawn a line in the sand and worked backward, giving all your tasks hours in your day. But how do you handle longer term projects?
3) Make A Plan For The Entire Week
I think you’ll agree that the last thing this world needs is more short term thinking.
You’ll never get ahead of the game by only looking at today and never thinking about tomorrow.
How do you write books, teach classes, meet with students, do research papers and be a good parent consistently? Plan the week.
Here’s Cal:
People don’t look at the larger picture with their time and schedule. I know each day what I’m doing with each hour of the day. I know each week what I’m doing with each day of the week and I know each month what I’m doing with each week of the month.
Are you rolling your eyes? Does this sound overbearing? It’s simpler than you think. What’s really necessary?
Just one hour every Monday morning. Here’s Cal:
Every Monday I lay out a plan for the week. I go through my inbox, I go through my task list, I go through my calendar and try to come away with the best thing to do with each day this week. I write it in an email and I send it to myself and leave it in my inbox because that’s a place I know I will see it every day and I’ll be reminded of it multiple times throughout the day.
Preliminary analysis from CEOs in India found that a firm’s sales increased as the CEO worked more hours. But more intriguingly, the correlation between CEO time use and output was driven entirely by hours spent in planned activities. Planning doesn’t have to mean that the hours are spent in meetings, though meetings with employees were correlated with higher sales; it’s just that CEO time is a limited and valuable resource, and planning how it should be allocated increases the chances that it’s spent in productive ways.
Maybe you think it’s enough to run down the week’s duties in your head. Nope.
You’re judged on what you do best so if you want to have as much success as possible you’re always better off doing fewer things but doing those things better. People say yes to too much. I say no to most things. I’m ruthless about avoiding or purging tasks if I realize they’re just not providing much value.
You feel like you have no time but John Robinson, the leading researcher on time use, disagrees. We may have more free time than ever.
He insists that although most Americans feel they’re working harder than ever, they aren’t. The time diaries he studies show that average hours on the job, not only in the United States but also around the globe, have actually been holding steady or going down in the last forty years. Everybody, he says, has more time for leisure.
So what gives? It feels like you have no time because it’s so fragmented with little annoying tasks that drain the life out of you.
(For more on what the most successful people do, click here.)
Your plans are in order and by doing less, it all fits on the schedule. But one question remains: what exactly should you be doing with your time?
5) Less Shallow Work, Focus On The Deep Stuff
All work is not created equal. Cal says knowledge workers deal with two fundamentally different types of work, Shallow and Deep:
Shallow work is little stuff like email, meetings, moving information around. Things that are not really using your talents. Deep work pushes your current abilities to their limits. It produces high value results and improves your skills.
And what’s the problem? Most of us are “drowning in the shallows”:
People who are the most busy often are getting a lot less done of significance than the people who are able to stop by 5PM every day. That’s because the whole reason they need to work at night and on the weekends is because their work life has become full of just shallows. They’re responding to messages, moving information around and being a human network router. These things are very time consuming and very low value.
Nobody in the history of the universe ever became CEO because they responded to more email or went to more meetings. No way, Bubba.
Cal has it right: Shallow work stops you from getting fired — but deep work is what gets you promoted.
Give yourself big blocks of uninterrupted time to make things of value. What’s the best first step?
Stop checking email first thing in the morning. Tim Ferriss, author of the international bestseller, The 4-Hour Workweek, explains:
…whenever possible, do not check email for the first hour or two of the day. It’s difficult for some people to imagine. “How can I do that? I need to check email to get the information I need to work on my most important one or two to-dos?”
You would be surprised how often that is not the case. You might need to get into your email to finish 100% of your most important to-dos. But can you get 80 or 90% done before you go into Gmail and have your rat brain explode with freak-out, dopamine excitement and cortisol panic? Yes.
(For more on how to motivate yourself, click here.)
So how do we tie all this together?
Sum Up
Cal’s five big tips:
To-Do Lists Are Evil. Schedule Everything.
Assume You’re Going Home at 5:30, Then Plan Your Day Backwards
Make A Plan For The Entire Week
Do Very Few Things, But Be Awesome At Them
Less Shallow Work, Focus On The Deep Stuff
Schedules and plans sound cold and clinical but the end result couldn’t be farther from that.
You’ll be less stressed, create more time for friends and family, and make things you can be proud of.
Gardening is enjoyed the world over by many people for a variety of benefits. More and more of us are discovering the benefits of gardening as a hobby. Simply put, I’ve always found it rewarding in numerous ways, helping to both explore myself as a person and highlight the many great things I can achieve. There’s something about gardening that’s easy to understand and appreciate, as you’re making a great difference. Here are just a few of the things you can discover when you embrace a love for growing!
Everyone can do it, even without a garden!
Despite the name, you don’t need a garden to get involved. Even in a flat, you can find plant pots and other beds to practise your craft. The best part about this is that it brings greenery and the outdoors into your home, too
There are many creative ways to embrace gardening, even without a garden. Depending on where you live, you can:
Add plant pots to balconies or windows to brighten up your living space
Rent an allotment to get some outdoor air and exercise
Find a shared space with friends to help grow plants together
It’s physically rewarding
Few things are as rewarding as gaining physical results from your work. This is where gardening often comes into its own, as anything you grow shows visible signs of success. It’s hard not to marvel as your first seeds or saplings shoot their way out of the top soil.
It’s very easy to feel good about yourself after you’ve grown seeds into a flowerbed, or turned a small vegetable into part of dinner. It doesn’t just showcase your fledgling gardening talents, it shows what you personally can do with a little time and effort.
Aesthetically and aromatically pleasing
Who doesn’t appreciate the beauty of a gentle flower? This beauty is all the more loved when you grow the flowers yourself. I often find myself planning what to grow around this very choice, picking the right colours or tones for the home.
Similarly, there’s something about plants that can help put your mind at ease. Many people grow Lavender for its soft fragrance, while other flowers all have their unique scents, too. Why not experiment and find the right flora to compliment your home?
It builds confidence
There’s no deep end when it comes to gardening, as everyone can start off small and move on to larger projects as they feel confident. It’s already been mentioned that growing living plants is a reward in its own right, but this new belief in yourself often pushes you to the next goal.
Whether you’re growing a plant in your home or have a large flower bed outside, this extensive curve lets everyone find their comfort zone. This is ideal for finding a sense of peace, as you’re not forced to panic or take on anything you’re not yet comfortable with.
I also find a sense of confidence comes from knowing everything is my choice. Growing what I want gives me a more invested interest and a greater sense of accomplishment at the end.
Embracing nature
Many people simply don’t have time for nature, or appreciate the simple pleasure in watching some grow to fruition. Gardening brings nature to your home and gives you a chance to understand its importance. In addition, it makes a welcome distraction from modern troubles, allowing you to simply get your hands dirty and discover the sheer joy of the natural world.
It can even earn you money
Additionally, if you really find a sense of happiness in gardening, you may able to turn a small profit. Selling your produce is a great way to reward your long efforts and is an easy way to mark your successes.
This can also help drive your choice of plants, too. Understanding what people want gives you a goal to achieve and completing this provides a sense of fulfillment through helping others.
There’s a whole community out there
Similarly, you’re never alone when you’re a gardener. As a hobby shared by many, you will always find others who share your passion. This improves can fulfill any gaps in your social life and make new connections!
Here are just a few of the places you can visit for ideas, new friends or helpful advice:
Garden centers and nurseries
Botanical gardens
Horticultural events and societies
As you can see, there are a multitude of joys gardening can bring to your life. For such a simple pursuit, the differences it can make seem to go on forever. It is very much a hobby that rewards you for how much you put in, so where do you start? If you’re a beginner, it’s best to head down to your nearest garden center and speak to the local experts about the right choices for you. This will be as informative as it is inspiring!
Just over 10 weeks ago I wrote an article challenging you to work towards a goal for 10 weeks. It was titled the “10 Week Health and Fitness Challenge” because my personal 10 week challenge was to run under 58 minutes for the world’s largest fun run – the City to Surf.
Now, that 10 weeks is up!
Firstly, I want to ask you how did YOU go? Did you participate in the challenge? If so, how did you go? What successes did you have? What challenges did you face? How has it improved your life?
If you didn’t take part in the challenge, I want you to answer honestly to yourself “why not?”
What held you back from taking part in the 10 week challenge? Was it that you lacked clarity on what you wanted to achieve? Is it that you had a goal but you thought it was too big of a challenge to complete in 10 weeks? Did you have some self-limiting beliefs? Was it that there would be no-one to hold you accountable other than yourself so you didn’t take part?
Really think deeply about this. I want you to raise your standards. When you are offered to take part in a challenge like this, I highly encourage you to take part. There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain.
I’d love to hear your comments below this article.
But let me share with you how I went against my own challenge and what I’ve learned.
My Successes and FAILURES in my 10 Week Health and Fitness Challenge
I challenged myself to run under 58 minutes for the world’s largest fun run – the City to Surf. This is a 14km run that takes you from the heart of the city in Sydney to one of the most iconic beaches in the world – Bondi Beach.
Firstly, I found that with different schedules it was hard to organize times to train with my brother, Mike and my mate, Andy. This meant my training was mostly by myself.
Secondly, my plan for eating purely healthy foods with the exception of occasional dark chocolate completely did not happen On the whole I’ve been pretty good, but there have definitely been times when I’ve spoiled myself over the past couple of months. Every piece of nutrition adds up and can dramatically affect your overall energy levels and performance in life and this is why this is an area of continuous improvement for me (and should be for you too)… it does take tremendous discipline to say no to certain foods
Thirdly, about 5 weeks into my 10 week challenge I knew that there was a possibility I would not be able to actually take part in the City to Surf. There was a good chance that I was going to be flying to Washington DC for business the day prior to the race. This halted my training (as well as my motivation) for a couple of weeks.
Immediately, I recognized in me how important it is to have goals… once I had the likelihood of my original goal not being achieved it dramatically lowered my motivation. It was a very interesting experience. I’m sure this has happened thousands of times throughout my life but because I went public with this challenge I was focused on it more I was a lot more aware of my own feelings.
With 3 weeks to go it was confirmed that I wouldn’t be able to race in the City to Surf. This completely gutted me! I LOVE this run! It’s such an amazing feeling having 80,000 people around you all working towards the same goal… and it was going to be the first time that my wife, Sylvia would join me.
Needless to say, without the goal of the City to Surf to work towards my training tanked. I also became more focused on other priorities in life such as my career and business.
But then I decided to do something crazy…
Setting a Bigger, Meaner and Harder Goal
When it comes to running festivals in Sydney there are two major events. Firstly, there is the City to Surf which I unfortunately was not able to attend. Secondly, there’s an event that has been known to break people down, injure thousands and actually cause death… it’s 42km of pain, endurance and determination. Yes, it’s the marathon.
I was having lunch with Mike (my brother) and he suggested that because I can no longer run the City to Surf that instead I run the marathon!
Immediately, I thought to myself “he’s gone mad!”
The furthest I’ve ever run is the City to Surf and that’s 14km. This alone breaks me down and causes me to walk away with extremely sore legs. I considered doing a half-marathon (21km) but thought to myself that it’s just way too far for me to run and that the training and preparation alone would kill me.
Days later, I’m having lunch with Mike again and he tries to convince me once more to do a marathon. I actually thought about what I do here with The Start of Happiness and thought that this would be a great case-study to share with you guys.
What if I could run a marathon with little training? How much of it is mindset? What barriers, challenges and beliefs am I going to have to break through to run this distance and successfully complete the marathon?
So, putting myself on the line and in the name of experimentation, I decided to say “You’re on!” and paid the $140 registration fee.
Over in the USA I unfortunately didn’t manage to do any training… and my diet was pretty poor. So I was off to a very poor start for training and considering the race was only 5 weeks away I was starting to get a little nervous. I realize I need to develop my own self-discipline.
Now, I have just under 3 weeks to prepare for my first (and probably only) marathon. In saying that, I have been back in Sydney for a week and I did train 4 times last week and they were all fantastic sessions.
Since signing up and returning home to be focused on the marathon, I’ve felt a new determination, focus and energy as I have a new goal to work towards.
In terms of my own mindset, I find it quite amazing. Previously, I was focused on running 14km as fast as I could. Now that my goal is to run 42km which is MUCH more challenging, I immediately feel that 14km is an easy distance to run. It’s weird… it’s just a mindset shift. But again, it proves to me that the goals you focus on are SO important in your life. If you set small goals, you will achieve small things. If you set BIG goals, you will achieve big things (and I hope to prove this by completing my first marathon with just 4 weeks of training).
My New Strategy
Now that I’ve created a goal that is significantly more challenging, I need a strategy that will significantly increase my probability of completing the marathon.
Firstly, let’s get specific. I could just say I want to complete the marathon… but this just doesn’t really motivate me. It doesn’t motivate me to run at all or to really push myself as hard as I could.
Instead, I’ve decided that the time I want to run the marathon in is under 4 hours and 30 minutes. I’ve based this off the fact that at my best it takes me 1 hour to run 14km (the City to Surf). If I maintain this pace I could complete the marathon in 3 hours. This is incredibly fast! I’d love to be able to maintain this pace for 14km, but the fact that I’m normally a walking jellyfish after the City to Surf lets me know that it’s highly unlikely I’ll be able to maintain that pace I figured a more conservative pace, allowing for toilet breaks and some walking, 4 hours and 30 minutes is a reasonable target.
Nutrition and Hydration
I’m following my Ultimate Guide to Healthy Eating and continue to do so. The main thing that changes is that I need to eat enough food to replenish and repair my body after each workout or training run. My key nutrition after training will be coconut water, bananas, sandwiches and cereal.
The tricky thing for me is that because my goal is now 42km and the fact that this is going to take me about 4.5 hours to complete, I’m going to need to rehydrate and give myself nutrition DURING the run. I’ve never done this before! So I need to learn how to do this and what’s the right food/drink to take.
Cross-training
Cross-training is as important as ever for me. Previously, I’ve had knee injuries from running too much on concrete. I’m going to cross-train with swims and cycles as much as possible to reduce the risk of knee (or other) injuries. Already since establishing my new 42km goal, I’ve smashed my best ever distance in the pool (by 50%) and distance on the bicycle (by 100%!). Again, this has immediately proved to me the power of goals.
Focus on time (not distance)
Previously, training for the City to Surf I would focus on running for 6km, 8km or 10km at a time and try beat my previous times. Now, my strategy is to build my endurance. Instead of going for the time, my plan is to run, cycle and swim for longer durations (albeit at a slower pace). For example, I’ll focus on running for an hour, instead of trying to run 10km in under 45 minutes.
Learning!
As this is all completely new to me, I plan to read as much as I can about training for marathons and learn about strategies for beginners in running a marathon.
3 Weeks to Go!
So, there’s just 20 more days to prepare and train for this marathon. I’m super-keen to do it and if I complete it in under 4 hours and 30 minutes I’d be extremely happy. Firstly, I need to just ensure I finish!
If you have run a marathon before and have any tips or suggestions for me, I’d love to hear from you! Please let me know in the comments below.
Also, if you took part in the 10-Week Challenge, I’d love to hear about your successes or challenges and what you have learned.
There is something special about waking up early each day.
It is a secret sauce for getting a heck of a lot more done in life.
Almost 3 weeks ago I decided to change my daily schedule by waking up at 4am each day.
4am you say?!
You bet!
Let me tell you how to do it shortly.
But first, let me quickly tell you why I have chosen to do this.
Why wake up so early?
There are literally zero distractions. Your willpower is at its highest. You can focus 100 percent on whatever your biggest goal in life is.
Think about this:
If you were to wake up at 4am each day and get in 3 hours of deep, focused, work before most people wake up at around 7am, that totals 21 hours of work a week, 82 hours of work a month, and over 1,000 hours of work for the year.
1,000 hours of focused, deep work a year is equal to 125x 8hour working days… but these are not your typical 8hr working days with interruptions, meetings, and breaks. These are 8 hours of FOCUSED, DEEP WORK on your most important goals.
Taking it a step further, 125x 8 hr working days is equal to working full-time, in a deep and focused state on your most important goals for 25 weeks of the year! That is just shy of 6 months.
It is crazy how these numbers stack up.
And all it takes it simply waking up earlier and getting focused on what matters most and being consistent with it.
Does it really work?
Most definitely!
In the last three weeks I have:
Completely updated my Change Your Life program.
Ran a Flash Sale for you guys.
Overhauled my website – new theme, new homepage, mostly a lot of backend and design elements that will make things simpler moving forward (check it out if interested and tell me what you think).
Created a side hustle which I have been hustling on for the last couple of weeks (unfortunately it is not going as well as I had planned… I rapidly launched this to test the idea and so far, it is a slow start).
Created two other multi-page websites (fully designed and complete) as part of the new side hustle.
Got more exercise in… being able to go for a walk or a bicycle ride at 5am while the sun is rising is incredibly special… there is something about it that is magical.
Read 3 books… although this one is because I have changed my night-time routine (to help me start effectively with my morning).
Just writing the above makes me feel in awe of this process. It is simply amazing the output that can be created when this time stacks up each day.
But it is not as simple as it sounds… mostly because I have three young children between the ages of 1 and 5. So, as any parent would understand, trying to stick to a schedule is incredibly hard!
The mornings are the easy part because everyone is sleeping. The hardest part is getting to sleep on time.
I need at LEAST 8 hours of sleep each night to perform at my best. So, to wake up at 4am means getting to bed no later than 8pm. But even then, it is impossible to get a full 8 hours of sleep in because my kids are always waking up each night. I have not had a full-night’s sleep for 5 years now, except for the odd occasion when I am away for business travel. Any parents with young children reading this know exactly what I am talking about!
Here is the reality.
I have only actually woken up at 4am twice during this time (well, one time I got up at 3:57am which was ever better).
To get an 8 hour sleep I really need “bed time” of 8.5 hours, and preferably 9 hours.
Getting to bed at 8pm is tricky. My kids are often still mucking around until 8pm, or sometimes even 8:30pm!
And then there is that time I used to spend with my wife – after the kids are sleep and before our own sleep. This was our quality time together. Going to bed at 8pm took this way.
As a result, I have been tweaking my strategy over the past few weeks and my typical day now looks like:
Bed-time between 8:30pm and 9pm
Awake at 5:30am.
So, my goal of 4am has only been achieved twice. But that’s ok, because every other day over the past 3 weeks I have been up by 6am at the very latest.
This has given me at least one hour every day, and probably about 1 hour and 45minutes on average over the past 3 weeks to really focus deeply on these goals.
Even just 1 hour of deep, focused, work a day, will tally up to 45 rock solid 8 hr days with no breaks, which tallies 2 and a half months of full-time work a year. And again, this is time purely on deep, focused, work. Incredible!
How do you do it?
I found it quite simple.
You simply set a strict rule for yourself in terms of your bedtime and wake up time.
Make sure you push all your bed-time rituals forward to meet your deadline. ie, stop drinking caffeine earlier in the day, stop all your screen time earlier than usual, eat earlier if need be, and so forth.
The main thing is to really internalise the benefits of doing this. The primary benefit being that you will get undistracted, highly focused work done on your most important goals in life. Whether that is working on a big project at work, perhaps it is doing your side hustle, or perhaps it is writing your book, or perhaps it is getting your daily exercise in.
Whatever it is, you need to internalise the benefit of doing this and achieving it.
The other thing is to plan the night before what you will do in the morning.
You do not want to wake up, hit your desk, and then use your willpower and waste time trying to figure out what you are going to do.
Instead, have it planned… know exactly what you are going to do.
Perhaps its that you will write 1,000 words of your book, or that you are going to go for a bicycle ride through the park, or that you are going to research a certain topic.
Having it planned means that within five minutes of waking up, you are focused and doing productive work.
My first 3 weeks have been amazing.
The challenge for me now is to keep this up. I have no intention of stopping this.
I challenge you to experience the magic of the mornings.
This is the time you can really change your life, by working at it every single day.
The older I get, the more that I experience life and the more I learn what truly makes me happy. Throughout my life, I have always been a pretty happy guy, but I have definitely had my ups and downs like every other person.
Happiness has always been an intriguing point of interest for me. I have always seen happiness as the epitome of all success that life can bring. To me, I believe income and status is important, however if it’s at the cost of happiness it’s not something I would want to continue to pursue.
Happiness comes in many forms and I’ve come to learn that it can be extremely different for all people. However, there are 10 lessons in life that I have learned and that I believe can help anyone become a more satisfied and happier person. I would like to share with you the 10 lessons in life that have made me a much happier person.
Image: Some friends and I frolicing in the vineyards. Gotta love that jump, right?
Learning to say I love you
For some reason, this was always a hard one for me, particularly with my immediate family. As I have grown older I have come to realize what my family have done for me throughout my life and that I am extremely thankful to them. I’m still learning to say “I love you” more and I still find it difficult (I think it’s part of our male genes to find this hard!) but when I do it gives me a great sense of happiness and I feel more authentic and honest with myself. Plus, I know that those I love really appreciate it.
Learning to forgive
There have been times in my life where I have felt betrayed or let down, and there have been times when I know I have let others down. Although sometimes hard, I have found that forgiving others and being able to forgive myself is essential for being able to move forward and regain a truly positive outlook in life.
Learning to say no
I used to struggle (and often still do) with saying no to people, events or situations which would then take up a lot of my time and have a negative impact on certain areas of my life. I have learned that saying no is essential for being able to focus on what I truly believe in, what I value and what is important to me in my life.
Learning to live my passion every day
Now that I’m working for myself, I have the pleasure of being able to spend my time how I want to spend my time. I get to incorporate my passion into everyday life and into the work that I do. I have come to learn that spending even the smallest amount of time living my passion each day can have a huge impact on the way I feel and on the success I achieve.
Learning to eat healthy & exercise regularly
The old saying goes ‘you are what you eat’ and I am a true believer of this. The amount of information on health and well being these days is absolutely enormous. Scientifically proven, eating healthy and exercising regularly can have huge physical and emotional benefits. I now exercise first thing in the morning for about 30-40mins, 5 days a week and this has helped me to feel more energetic and happier on a daily basis.
Learning to connect deeply
I used to be somewhat afraid of connecting deeply with others as I always thought that I was making myself too vulnerable in doing so. It’s kind of like learning to say “I love you”. I’m a lot more conscious of the benefits of connecting more deeply with others now and I actively try to do this. I have learned that making myself vulnerable and connecting deeply with others can help me become more relaxed, open and honest and helps me to be more of who I truly am. I have also learned that connecting deeply, being vulnerable and asking for help is essential for both growth and success. It also helps build a trustworthy and honest relationship.
Learning to see life differently
This is something that I continue to focus on and gain an understanding of to help me create my own lifestyle. I have learned that life is not meant to be taken so seriously and that life is simply about enjoying the time that we have and making a contribution in some way. I’m not a fan of the traditional corporate career and spending time working on another persons priorities. In saying that, I’m sure I’ll re-enter the corporate world at some stage but it will be with more of a focus on gaining the skills and experience necessary to move towards where I want to go with my life.
Learning to set my own goals
I never used to set my own goals. The world around me used to do it for me, such as my parents telling me what grades I should aim for or what job I should get, and my teachers telling me how to go about my schooling. Even into adulthood, my bosses and society (through social norms, peer pressure and media etc) would dictate what I would focus on. I have learned that by setting my own goals and focusing on what I truly believe in is the only way to live authentically, realise my full potential and sustain happiness.
Learning to count my blessings
When I was growing up as a child I took everything for granted. As I have become more aware of the world around me, I have come to realize that I am extremely blessed with good health, a great social circle and community and the freedom to live a life that I choose. I remind myself of this every day which helps me take to the world with a positive outlook and a mindset to make a difference.
Learning to give
Following on from the above, I have learned that giving is an essential ingredient for happiness. I have come to realize that the more I give the more that I get in return. This is in both giving to others and also giving of my time and energy into what I believe in. I have learned that by giving to others, it can enhance my relationships, build up trust and make a difference in the life of another. I have also learned that the more I give in terms of my time, energy and focus on my goals, the greater my return in terms of success and happiness.
Wrapping Up
Life continues to unfold and I continue to learn every single day. There are so many experiences and so many relationships that I have yet to have in life and I’m truly excited for what life has to bring.
I look forward to reading back over this post in a number of years and seeing what has changed in my life and what else I have learned about life, success and happiness.
What lessons have you learned about life, success and happiness?
Discovering new ways to attract customers is an essential skill that every successful business needs to learn and master. However, there is a big difference between customer acquisition and customer retention.
While many businesses want to ensure they’re putting in the effort to grow their market presence, simply generating new sales doesn’t necessarily equate to long-term success. To be successful, you must be able to leverage your existing customer relationships to create stable, recurring revenue streams.
However, keeping customers engaged with a single brand is rarely an easy task. Without the right strategic approach, the effort your business makes to establish new relationships can quickly go to waste as attrition rates climb.
Fortunately, there are various effective strategies you can follow to help your business establish strong, loyal relationships with customers.
Provide Reliable Services
Most people have their own stories related to poor brand experiences that left them with a bad taste in their mouths. There is nothing worse than investing in a product or service with the promise of exceptional support, only to find that the brand isn’t reliable.
As a business, this is where you have the ability to step outside of this mold. By taking the time necessary to demonstrate to your customers the dependability of your business, you help create a sharp contrast between your brand and others. This can be incredibly important when you’re competing for placement in highly saturated markets.
It’s essential to always be in tune with what your customers need. Getting to know your customers, including how their business operates or the challenges they’re facing, is crucial for establishing a solid foundation to build your relationships.
When you take the time to get to know your customers, including their objectives or long-term goals it not only helps you to align your initiatives to support them, but it also shows your customers that you’re genuinely interested in helping them to be successful. This creates a much closer connection, transforming a strictly transactional relationship into one that benefits both partners.
Avoid Always Talking About Business
Great relationships involve more than just offering great customer support. When it comes to keeping customers happy, you may be surprised just how impactful it can be to simply show more interest in others, especially when there is no expectation of any returned favors.
There is a common term in business settings that “people do business with people.” This essentially means that while a transaction in itself represents an exchange of goods and services, the value represented by this transaction isn’t the only thing that buyers focus on. The reality is, companies today have no shortage of options to choose from when sourcing products and services. Relationships, however, can keep customers from exploring what those companies have to offer.
But getting your relationships to this point requires time and effort. Still, when building stronger relationships, it’s often the little things that add up. For example, writing a quick email to check in, scheduling a brief call to catch up with key contacts, or sending a gift card as a thank-you at the end of the year can make a significant positive impact.
Don’t Push Products Your Customers Don’t Actually Need
No one likes to feel like they’re being “sold” on something, especially when it’s something they don’t really need. It’s essential to look for opportunities to upsell your customers, but this should never come at the expense of pushing products solely for the revenue they generate.
This type of sales tactic can cause more harm than good to key customer relationships. Instead of always looking for an angle to push new products or services, spend more time understanding how your customers use their current products and where and how they can be improved.
If you identify a genuine fit for one of your product or service add-ons, mention it to your customers without coming across as pushy. Explain the benefits and let them decide for themselves if it’s something they really need or want.
Create a Customer Loyalty Program
Looking for ways to really show your customers how much they mean to your business is a way to keep your relationships moving forward. One way to do this is creating a customer loyalty program.
Everyone loves free things, especially when they’re given as a token of appreciation for being a loyal customer. The great news is that there are numerous ways to incorporate rewards into your existing business processes.
For example, you could offer customers special discounts on their purchases based on how often they order. Depending on the type of business you have, you may also consider offering your customers financial rewards, such as gift cards or cash back on purchases.
Regardless of the type of reward you decide to use, ensure consistency in your approach and have the necessary resources in place to manage any formal programs you establish.
Be Open to Feedback
When you’re looking for better ways to serve your customers, one of the best things you can do is ask them yourself. Although not every customer may provide you with overly detailed insights, conducting one-on-one discussions and sending out customer surveys can help you extract valuable information on how to continue improving your relationship.
It isn’t always easy to get busy customers excited about stopping what they’re doing to provide you with feedback. To help with this, any surveys you create should be short and sweet. Come up with a few helpful questions they can answer. You could also encourage them to leave a business or product review on social media or other platforms at their convenience.
Simply asking for feedback can demonstrate to your customers that you’re actively working to improve your business operations and can be a great way to build a stronger relationship. By showing customers their opinions matter and that you’re taking their comments to heart, it will help them to feel more confident in the partnership moving forward.
Train Your Employees to Stay Responsive
Most of the time, your customers will have regular engagements with your employees. This is why it’s essential to train all your employees on the importance of responding promptly to your customers’ needs.
However, remaining responsive doesn’t just mean responding quickly to questions or concerns. You should also provide employees with the necessary tools and resources to empower them to solve issues promptly, bringing workable solutions to customers when they need them most.
Build Stronger Customer Relationships
Establishing long-term relationships with your customers is a critical element for helping your business scale. By following the strategies discussed, you will be able to reduce customer attrition while improving customer loyalty and increasing recurring revenue streams.
Do you think leaders should be tall and handsome? Do you opine leaders must know everything? Do you think leaders must have a magic wand? Do you think women cannot make good leaders? Do you think leaders should be intelligent with a strong academic background?
Then you need to reconsider your views on leaders and leadership. There are several myths associated with leaders and leadership. And there are several definitions of leader and leadership. If you hit Google you get a huge number of hits on leaders and leadership, and many definitions of leadership. Hence, before we define leader and leadership, it is essential to debunk several myths about leaders and leadership.
Myth # 1: Leaders are born, not made.
Truth: Several theories are highlighting various aspects of leadership such as skills theory, behavioral theory, great man theory, trait theory, etc., Previously people believed that either people had leadership qualities, or not.
Truth: People often think that leaders must be tall with great height so that they will be able to influence others. No doubt, having a great height is an asset but some great leaders were short in height but achieved greatness. For instance, Alexander was short in height but became great through his conquests more than 2,300 years ago.
Although Adolf Hitler failed during the Second World War, he was a leader who was short in height. Similarly, Mahatma Gandhi was also short in height but he achieved India’s independence through truth and non-violence. Hence, height is not the criterion to become a leader.
Myth # 3: Leaders must be handsome.
Truth: Leaders must walk their talk and set an example for others to follow. They must have a vision, be able to influence others, build successful teams, motivate, and finally accomplish their goals and objectives. Hence, there is no connection between their roles and physical appearance. For instance, Abraham Lincoln was not good-looking, but he proved to be one of the best presidents of America.
Myth # 4:Leaders must be highly intelligent.
Truth: Numerous examples prove beyond doubt that leaders hail from an average academic background. When we look at the leaders of Fortune 500 companies, it reveals that more than 50 percent of CEOs hail from an average academic background.
However, having an academic qualification is an asset for a leader. But every leader must not be academically intelligent. When we look at Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg, they are all college dropouts. Hence, we can emphatically conclude that most leaders have average intelligence.
Myth # 5: Leaders must be extroverts.
Truth: Some leaders are introverts yet proved their leadership qualities. Steve Jobs of Apple Computers was an introvert who proved as an innovation legend during his lifetime. It is the nature of people either to be introverts or extroverts, and it has nothing to do with leadership.
Myth # 6: Leaders must be veterans.
Truth: Having experience and being older is an asset to leaders as they make fewer mistakes, and benefit from their vast experience and age. At times, it proves to be costly for these veterans as they have preconceived ideas with a regimented mindset.
The young have fire in their bellies and are ready to experiment and explore their ideas, and mostly they achieve and succeed in their lives. Several leaders proved their leadership potential at a relatively young age. For instance, Alexander, the Great achieved greatness by the age of 34 itself and led people of all age groups despite being young.
Various business leaders such as Michael Dell, Mark Zuckerberg, and Bill Gates proved as business leaders at a young age itself. And Barack Obama has become the president of America at the relatively young age of 47 and also, John F. Kennedy became President at a young age. These young leaders broke the age-old myth by leading the veterans.
“The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born ― that there is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.” ―Warren G. Bennis
Myth # 7: Leaders must be charismatic.
Truth: Charisma is an exclusive charm and magnetism some people possess. It is the ability to dress well, speak well, present with positive body language, and radiate constant energy and enthusiasm. If leaders possess charisma it is an asset, but not possessing it, is not a liability. Some leaders proved their best without any charisma. Succinctly, character counts, not charisma.
Myth # 8: Leaders must be orators.
Truth: It is a fact that good leaders are great orators, but it is not necessary that leaders must be orators. For instance, Alex Ferguson is a great leader if you consider his results with Manchester United, but he was not a great orator. Some leaders are not great orators, but they still succeeded as leaders. Leadership is a blend of various traits, skills, and abilities.
While some possess some qualities, others possess some other qualities. You must consider leadership holistically with a blend and balance of various aspects.
Myth # 9: Leaders must have titles and positions.
Truth: The positions and titles are temporary. What is important is the individual capacity to lead from the front, not the titles or positions. If leadership is based on positions, why do we see a few leaders falling apart from their positions? Leadership is performance-driven, not position, or role-driven.
According to social psychologists, John French and Bertram Raven, power is divided into five forms—legitimate, coercive, reward, expert, and referent power. One who holds his/her power just because of his/her legal standing vested in him/her by an organization is known as legitimate power. Such people hold power as long as they hold their legitimate positions.
Coercive power is a negative power such as threats, or punishments that usually prevail in autocratic societies, and such people are hardly respected. Reward power is the ability to reward others and people enjoy their positions as long as they reward others.
Expert power is the position where people have expertise in some areas. Precisely, they are domain experts. Finally, referent power is the power where people enjoy status not bestowed by law, or position but because people admire such leaders.
Leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, and Nelson Mandela enjoyed referent power as people revered and supported them. Most of the leaders survive on their expert power and fade away in history.
However, those leaders who passionately deliver goods through their expertise enjoy referent power. Hence, titles and positions don’t make real leaders, but their referent power makes them true leaders.
Myth # 10: Leaders are self-appointed.
Truth: You cannot claim yourself to be a leader. It is the people who must accept and consider you a leader. It gives you strength as a leader and demonstrates your humility. If you appoint yourself as a leader and blow your own trumpet, you will be treated as a chatterbox and a person who craves hype.
Myth # 11: Leaders have all solutions for problems.
Truth: Leaders are the people who are not ready with solutions but the people who take responsibility and search for solutions.
If followers emphasize people and problems, the leaders emphasize prospects. If followers brood on individuals and issues, the leaders invent ideas for resolving various challenges. Most of the time leaders take initiative and discuss with others, create multiple solutions, and then shortlist the best one for implementation.
Myth # 12: Leadership is observed only in the workplace.
Truth: As a leader, you are always under the scanner. Don’t assume that your leadership is observed only during working hours, and in the workplace. People keep an eye on you outside the workplace to observe and learn from you. Hence, leaders must be careful about, the way they dress, and the way they walk and talk.
Myth # 13:Leaders must have a long tenure.
Truth: Your length and duration of survival as a leader are not the criteria. In contrast, how well you lead and leave a mark for others to follow is the criterion for leadership. For instance, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated before the completion of the presidential term.
However, the impact he made before his presidential tenure is amazing in the history of America. He has been rated as one of the most influential Presidents of America who survived the challenges of the division of America between the north and the south. He successfully demonstrated his leadership skills and worked for the unity of America apart from ensuring the abolition of slavery in America.
When you look at Alexander the Great, he too had a short tenure and died young much before 34 years. Hence, the quality of presence is more important than the quantity of presence.
Myth # 14:Leaders should not have any weaknesses.
Truth: Every leader is a human being first. Every human being has both strengths and weaknesses. The only greatness with leaders is that they realize their weaknesses and convert them into strengths, and threats into opportunities. Whenever they make mistakes due to their weaknesses they realize, correct, and move forward aggressively without being overly worried about them.
Myth # 15:Leaders are masters, not servants.
Truth: Robert Greenleaf propounded servant leadership where leadership is serving others with a great heart. Leaders demonstrate and show to others while leading. Leadership is not in sitting in cushion chairs and making decisions. Leadership is walking the talk and setting an example for others to emulate and excel. Above all, leadership is to serve others by remaining as a servant with humility.
Myth # 16:Leaders grow on trees.
Truth: Leaders grow from the grass-root level, not the other way round. It is a bottom-to-top approach rather than a top-to-bottom approach. The kind of experience and exposure churns real leaders at the ground level to come to the fore. It distinguishes cheese from chalk. Indeed, the cream always comes to the top. Hence, true leaders rise from ranks.
Myth # 17:Leadership is a solo act.
Truth: Leadership is teamwork. No individual can take credit for the success of the entire team. Besides, there are several myths such as leaders are born in a particular community, culture, country, race, religion, and language. The truth is that they are born everywhere. Some complain about destiny for not being born in majority communities.
The leaders can also emerge from minority communities leading the majority. Barack Obama is an amazing example for all of us who were born black, with a Muslim father and Christian mother with origins outside America but led America and the world from the front.
Myth # 18: Women cannot excel as leaders.
Truth: Gender has nothing to do with leadership. It is a fact that women have more challenges than men to prove themselves as leaders as some organizations don’t encourage women to be on par with men although legally women are on par with men.
Globally very few women did great as leaders leaving exceptions like Queen Elizabeth, Joan of Arc, Florence Nightingale, Eleanor Roosevelt, Frances Hesselbein, and Margaret Thatcher. Indra Nooyi, the former Chairman & CEO of PepsiCo is a corporate woman leader who broke the glass ceiling and became a role model for all women. Being born as a woman is not a liability.
It all depends on how you lead and prove yourself. Women have several advantages over men as they are emotionally more intelligent, better at multitasking, assertive, and have soft skills. Hence, they can prove themselves as successful leaders along with men.
Myth # 19:Everybody cannot become a leader.
Truth: Leadership is not the privilege of a few people. The proven fact is that anybody and everybody can excel as a leader if there is a passion to serve and make a difference in the lives of others. Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus in their book titled, Leaders: The strategies for taking charge identified five great leadership myths leadership is a rare skill, leaders are born, not made, leaders are charismatic, leaders exist only at the top of an organization, and the leader controls, directs and manipulates. Hence, debunk all these myths to have the right approach towards leadership.
Myth # 20: Once a leader is forever a leader.
Truth: Leadership changes from time to time because what worked for some time may not work again due to rapid changes in technology. Hence, leaders must reinvent with changing times. Else, they will soon be forgotten leading to leadership decay. At times, circumstances might favor a person to become a leader, but the same leader fails in different circumstances.
Jack Welch rightly remarked, “The Jack Welch of the future cannot be like me. I spent my entire career in the United States. The next head of General Electric will be somebody who spent time in Bombay, Hong Kong, in Buenos Aires.
We have to send our best and brightest overseas and made sure they have the training that will allow them to be the global leaders who will make GE flourish in the future.” To evolve and excel as successful leaders, leaders must learn and grow continuously and they must take feedback constantly.
Myth # 21: Leadership can’t be taught.
Truth: Leadership is a skill, not a talent. Had it been a talent it would have been tough to teach leadership. But leadership is a skill, and it can be taught. There is a difference between talents and skills. Talents are inborn where people bring in through heredity.
In contrast, skills can be cultivated through training, teaching, observation, reading, experience, and practice. Daniel Goleman said that leadership depends more on emotional intelligence and less on an intelligence quotient. And emotional intelligence can be taught. Hence, leadership can be taught.
Mistakes aren’t the end of the road, they’re feedback.
When I was in high school, I used to believe mistakes meant failure. A bad grade. A poor outcome. But I’ve since learned that mistakes are teachers. They reveal what doesn’t work, giving you valuable direction toward what does.
In today’s digital world, confidence is one of the most powerful assets a young man can develop. But true confidence doesn’t come from pretending or from shortcuts, it comes from evidence.
Evidence of the skills you’ve built, the values you’ve upheld, and the challenges you’ve overcome.
To save time, avoid wasted effort, and grow stronger, here are seven common mistakes you must avoid if you want to become more confident in the digital age.
1. Getting Distracted Instead of Mastering a Skill
Most young men spend their free time partying, drinking, or chasing temporary thrills. While fun in the moment, it robs you of growth. Alcohol, for instance, dulls your focus, disrupts your mood, and can even harm your health long-term.
Instead, channel that same time and money into mastering valuable skills, especially soft skills that compound over time:
Writing – Clear writing makes you a respected voice and thought leader.
Leadership – Leading others builds influence and credibility.
Time Management – Managing priorities means you accomplish more and feel in control.
The confidence you build from skills outlasts any weekend hangover.
2. Seeking Approval from Every Woman You Meet
Confidence disappears the moment you chase approval.
When you try to please every woman, you lose yourself. Worse, you come across as needy. The truth is simple: not every woman will like you, and that’s okay. What matters is attracting someone who values you for who you are.
In dating, remember:
Some women will like you.
Some will dislike you.
A few will truly love you.
Your job isn’t to win over the world. It’s to know your strengths, hold to your values, and connect with someone who shares them.
3. Giving Up Too Early Instead of Adjusting Your Plan
Many young men quit before they’ve truly started.
When I began writing online, I wanted to become a professional ghostwriter. But I quickly realised most professionals had written thousands of articles and had decades of experience. The average beginner quits before writing 100 pieces. That’s like dropping out before you’ve even built momentum.
Instead of quitting, adjust your plan:
Use feedback to refine your approach.
See mistakes as experiments.
Shift strategies without abandoning the mission.
Persistence creates confidence. Every iteration makes you stronger.
4. Practicing Negative Self-Talk Instead of Positive Affirmations
Your inner voice can make or break your confidence.
Affirmations shape your mindset, improve your mood, and keep your actions aligned with the future you want to build.
5. Comparing Yourself to Others Instead of Owning Your Path
Comparison is poison in the digital age.
Social media highlights the best of others while hiding the struggle behind the scenes. Constant comparison leaves you feeling inadequate. The most successful people don’t compete; they create. They carve their own lane.
Take ChatGPT, for example. Instead of competing with existing search tools, it pioneered generative AI. That’s why millions now use it.
Your mission is the same: experiment, create, and discover your strengths. The more you walk your own path, the less competition matters.
6. Ignoring Body Language and Presentation
First impressions matter.
People judge you within seconds, often before you say a word. Worn-out clothes, poor posture, or lack of eye contact all silently undermine your confidence.
To improve:
Dress appropriately for the setting.
Observe others before stepping forward.
Listen actively, communication is more than speaking.
Non-verbal communication is a superpower. Master it, and people will feel your presence before you’ve spoken a single word.
7. Avoiding Discomfort Instead of Facing Your Fears
Comfort zones kill confidence.
Growth happens when you lean into discomfort. Fear doesn’t mean stop; it means pay attention. The men who take action despite fear are the ones others admire and follow.
Here’s what happens when you face your fears:
You inspire others with your courage.
You develop real resilience.
You meet people and opportunities you’d never find otherwise.
Confidence in the digital age isn’t about pretending, shortcuts, or external validation. It’s built through evidence, skills learned, values honoured, and fears faced.
Mistakes will happen. But when you learn from them instead of running from them, you step into real confidence. And with that, you’ll be prepared not just to succeed in the digital world, but to thrive in every area of life.
We let the world dictate who we spend time with and what input we allow in, rarely stopping to consider the effects it’s having on us
“Input” is anything from the outside world that influences your mood, mindset, and emotional state. It includes the media you consume, the books you read, the podcasts and music you listen to, and the movies and shows you watch. But it also encompasses much more: the environment you live and work in, the conversations you have, the people you surround yourself with, and the events, personal or global, that unfold around you.
Think about how different you feel after a weekend in nature versus a week of doom-scrolling social media. That contrast is input at work.
But not all input is created equal.
The Most Influential Input: People
Motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said, “You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Harvard researcher Dr. David McClelland echoed that sentiment, asserting that “The people you habitually associate with determine as much as 95% of your success or failure in life.”
It’s something many of us heard growing up. I know my parents constantly asked who I was with and what kind of influence my friends had. Chances are, yours did too.
Yet somehow, as adults, we stop being intentional about this. We become passive. We let the world dictate who we spend time with and what input we allow in, rarely stopping to consider the effects it’s having on us.
Your Output Reflects Your Input
The relationship between what we take in and what we put out is undeniable. When our input is empowering, our output tends to be focused, energized, and constructive. But when our input is negative, toxic, or fear-based, we unconsciously project that into the world as well, through our mood, decisions, and interactions.
And here’s where it gets more impactful: your output becomes someone else’s input.
It’s a ripple effect. If you’re in a bad headspace and bring that energy into a meeting or a family dinner, you influence everyone else’s state, too. Their mood drops, their output suffers, and before you know it, that negativity circles back to you, reinforcing your original state.
This feedback loop doesn’t just impact individuals, it can alter the tone of entire communities, workplaces, even movements.
Leadership Is Shaped by Input
Some of history’s most influential leaders, think Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., didn’t wield conventional power. They didn’t lead corporations or command armies. What they did possess was the ability to influence through powerful output. Their words, presence, and vision became input that uplifted, stirred, and mobilized others.
They understood how to shift emotions and energy. Their speeches didn’t just inform, they transformed. And that transformation started with their own internal state.
So, what can we learn from that?
We need to become more intentional about what we allow into our minds and environments. Input matters. It shapes everything.
