Don't start asking for a favour with vague statements like, are you around this weekend? Or "Can you get me a job?"

Instead, you must be extremely specific about what you want. This provides a scope for the person and makes them more likely to do it. Ask this instead: 

"Are you free o...

Specific goals are easier to visualize and lend themselves to a clearer path to success than their vague counterparts. To set yourself up for success, narrow your skill down as much as possible.

Ask yourself what specific problem you want to solve with this skill, what aspects...

• Goals: there’s a clear image of a certain result in our head and that gets us more excited in the moment;
• Habits: are long-term and repetitive - they seem boring. And there’s no clear image one can imagine for “going to the gym every morning fo...