Take a good look at what you're putting into your life so that you can adapt and change your outcome

You're the Sum of Your Inputs

You may find that changing one input creates a cascade effect across all of your outputs. It may take time. It may take discipline. But as you start to see the results, it will make you hungry for more positive outcomes and encourage you to replace more toxic inputs with positive ones.

Your input determines your output

So think of your life as a banquet. What kind of ingredients are you cooking with?

Use the best ingredients

Take a good look at what you're putting into your life so that you can adapt and change your outcome. 

productivity

Productivity

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

habits

Habits

timemanagement

Time Management

Personal Growth Means Recognizing You're the Sum of Your Inputs

I was thinking about how busy I've been lately, sacrificing many of my joys and hobbies for a year as I try to become the best student and invest this time for the future. As an A Level student, my current years are critical- a poor university application or grades below A*AA in my 3 subjects will ruin my chances of entering medical school. And for me, this means the collapse of the future I've always wanted to pursue.

Background 

This is a thought which always plays on my mind. Contrary to the key idea of a 'work-life balance' that recurrs throughout my work experiences and chats with both medical students and doctors, I have for now given up on my drawings, video editing, reading books, playing games and so many other means of relaxing, apart from a convenient few. I have entire lists of new things I'd like to draw and create, and summer bucket lists for after my A Levels, but all of these lists had built up from things I had wanted to do, but had delayed as there is always revision to be done.

Investing Time Or Sacrificing Time?

Now thinking about it, I had the same attitude even before this stage, at GCSEs. I have one half empty sketchbook from year 9, and many creative projects that I had stopped doing from after year 8.I am now on the verge of 18, but looking back at 14, 15, 16 ... I didn't make the most of my free time, didn't enjoy studying as I could have, didn't make the most of those years.Continuing in the same way now would just mean my all my years are just a run up to when I get a job and make a salary. I will begin living my life after the age of, say, 35. Which defeats the purpose of everything.

I am tired of wasting my early life in this way, especially knowing that I'll never get these days back. Writing this at 1am in the morning, I am determined to stop procrastinating. I'll do the maths notes that I set myself to complete last week, but I'll also follow that art tutorial and start that anime that I wanted to watch. I'll make the most of this time given to me, and make every minute rewarding, whether mentally or academically.I will stop burning myself out to the point where I procrastinate and force myself to take a big break, but utilise and actually complete my to-do lists.

A Reminder

If you are in a similar situation, I hope this is useful to you as writing it has clarified my thoughts for me.Overall, there is no point working towards a long term goal if I am not going to enjoy the process and live too, especially if it costs my precious time. The main fault is with my demotivation, mixed priorities and unfit time management, which I will address and try to improve!Take life slowly and by minute instead of living a rushed and harried day which becomes weeks and then years, like for me.

A Fresh Beginning?

As the year is ending and all my homework, revision and university application commitments are piling up, I took a moment to reassess my priorities and lifestyle before 2022 commences!

career

Career

education

Learning & Education

How do I not waste my youth?

Keeping and maintaining good habits works a lot easier with small changes and small habits or actions. If we think "too big" it most probably won't occur.The key to success is to think small when wanting to develop new behaviors or routines.And not to forget: to make something stick permanently, it's important to celebrate after completing the habit.

Start Small And Not Big

"Every behavior needs a prompt to occur. Your existing routine can serve a prompt in a powerful and elegant way," Fogg says.

1. After I sit down at my desk, I will put my phone on do not disturb mode. 2. After I close my office door, I will organize one item that's lying around. 3. After I finish reading e-mail, I will close the e-mail browser tab. 4. After I launch a new Word doc, I will hide all other programs running on my computer.

12 Tiny Habits - Part 1

5. After I find myself mindlessly browsing social media, I will log out. 6. After I sit down at a meeting, I will write the title, the date, and the attendees at the top of my notes. 7. After I notice a call going on for longer than expected, I'll say this: "It's been great to talk, but I need to wrap up. What haven't we covered yet that's important?" 8. After I read an important e-mail, I will file it in a folder for the designated project.

12 Tiny Habits - Part 2

9. After I read an e-mail I can't deal with immediately, I will mark it as unread. 10. After I read an e-mail that's time-sensitive, I will reply with this script: "Got it. I will review it in detail and get back in touch soon." 11. After I leave the office, I will think about one success from the day. 12. After I walk in the door at home, I will hang my keys on the hook.

12 Tiny Habits - Part 3

Some simple tiny habits to start with right the next working day

Behavior scientist BJ Fogg has been studying habits for nearly three decades at Stanford University and has found that people want behaviors to make them more productive.

Stanford scientist: 12 tiny habits that will instantly make you more productive

At the end of Autumn and start Winter, I suffered quite a bad bout of depression. I still have My moments, but now I am back to feeling quite motivated and I will tell You how I achieved that systematically, without Anyone else’s help.Fck Other People and The Advice that is never there, Friends that are always missing, Lovers that never show up at Your Home, People that know You that don’t give You what You really want. Sorry, but I don’t have time for any of those People. I’m just going to move on to the Person Who DOES give Me attention and Who I can have reciprocal Love with.

Planning Your Time And How It Attacks Depression! 

So I made up a DAILY PLAN for the next THREE WEEKS…It generally went like this…<ul><li>Alarm, Meds, Feed Cat, Breakfast, Reading</li><li>Put washing on, start work </li><li>Shower, get ready, iron outfit</li><li>Hang out washing, tidy up kitchen, laundry, bathrooms </li><li>Lunch, Social Media </li><li>Work </li><li>Exercise </li><li>Feed Cat, Cook Dinner </li><li>Eat Dinner, Social Media </li><li>Work </li><li>Meds, Feed Cat </li><li>Something fun and different every night </li><li>Bedtime, Social Media, Reading </li></ul>

The Ensuing Schedule...

You know, it’s People that are RICH AND FAMOUS that convinced Me to do things like this. Maybe not the washing – that’s a personal obsession that no Other fcker can wash clothes as well as I can (except MUM ❤). I am very particular with My clothes. I can’t pay People to look after them as well as I would like them to, so I have to do it. That’s the way My Life is atm. OK. I am accepting of it. I will work to fit it in My day because I don’t want to get around in daggy-arse clothes.

Qveen comin' back with a brand new style...

<ul><li>Clearer thinking allows more accurate functional processes</li><li>Helps with success</li><li>Achieves more</li><li>Expends less energy</li><li>Expends less will power</li><li>Preparation is thrifty</li><li>Preparation means You are provided for</li><li>Less stress</li><li>More involvement</li><li>The project can be on a grander scale</li><li>In sync with nature</li><li>You’ll remember more</li><li>You’ll free up thinking room for ideas</li><li>You’ll become more organised</li><li>More can be considered</li><li>Different thinking processes are used</li><li>Perhaps more resources can be accessed as You have more forethought.</li><li>Perhaps more knowledge can be applied and research done</li><li>As success grows it effects happiness</li></ul>

Reasons For Wanting Scheduling 📅 

THREE WEEKS LATER…I am feeling not too bad! I am lacking emotional support, so in the end, that is something that really matter I do believe. We are not on this planet to be floating Alone.The individual cannot become Human by Himself. Self-being is only real in communion with another Self-being. Alone I sink into isolation.

Personal Results...

Great ideas on why organising Your time works!

At the end of Autumn and start Winter, I suffered quite a bad bout of depression. I still have My moments, but now I am back to feeling quite motivated and I will tell You how I achieved that systematically, without Anyone else's help. Fuck Other People and The Advice that is never there, The…

health

Health

Success with Planning Your Time

James Clear’s best-selling book “<a href="https://amzn.to/3q4t3Vn">Atomic Habits</a>” is surprisingly simple, but very powerful. He explains how habits are formed, and techniques for changing them to what you want them to be.

Your current habits lead to your current results

Your current habits are perfectly designed to deliver your current results.

Your habits and your results are going to be very closely aligned, and that’s often a good thing. If you exercise regularly, your results will reflect that. If you don’t, that’ll be reflected too.Of course, we can all see that things can go the other direction too, but it’s in your control. If you want to change your current results, change your habits. If you want to change your habits, read <a href="https://amzn.to/3q4t3Vn">James’ book</a>.

Alignment

James Clear’s best-selling book “Atomic Habits” is surprisingly simple, but very powerful. He explains how habits are formed, and techniques for changing them to what you want them to be.

James Clear's best-selling book "Atomic Habits" is surprisingly simple, but very powerful. He explains how habits are formed, and techniques for changing them to what you want them to be. I recently heard James on the Typology podcast, where he dropped another very simple yet powerful line: "Your current habits…

problemsolving

Problem Solving

Your current habits lead to your current results - Mickey Mellen

<ol><li>At wake up, try to remember your dream.</li><li>Make your bed. Our brain loves order. Spatial disorder is a sign of mental disorder</li><li>Brush your teeth with your opposite hand</li><li>Take a tall glass of water</li><li>Cold shower (if you can)</li><li>Some tea with honey</li><li>Put something on your journal. Don't touch your phone</li><li>Brain foods to include some in your breakfast: avocado, blueberries, broccoli, coconut oil, eggs, salmon</li><li>Read a book. This is the best moment where your brain is alert, so sharpen your knife first.</li></ol>

9 morning routine steps to have a better brain

Make the most of your most important asset: your brain

Do you want to stay up to date with every new episode and get my brand new Kwik Brain Accelerator Program? JOIN 👉 https://kwikbrain.com/ Check out the full interview here! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkfFLU4h9cc  SUBSCRIBE for more Kwik Brain tips:  https://www.youtube.com/kwiklearning?sub_confirmation=1  FOLLOW JIM:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimkwik/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jimkwik Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jimkwikofficial/ Website: https://KwikBrain.com/

Do you want to stay up to date with every new episode and get my brand new Kwik Brain Accelerator Program? JOIN 👉 https://kwikbrain.com/ 

Check out the full interview here! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkfFLU4h9cc

SUBSCRIBE for more Kwik Brain tips: 
https://www.youtube.com/kwiklearning?sub_confirmation=1

FOLLOW JIM: 
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jimkwikofficial/
Website: https://KwikBrain.com/

Jim Kwik, founder of Kwik Learning and NYT bestselling author, is a renowned brain performance and memory improvement expert. As a brain coach, his clientele includes CEOs, athletes, celebrities, and high-achievers. Kwik overcame a traumatic brain injury at age 5 and personal learning struggles, developing methods to unleash the limitless potential of the mind. He has been sharing these methods for over three decades.

As a sought-after speaker, Kwik presents to a quarter-million people live yearly. His accelerated learning academy, Kwik Learning, has students across 195 countries. His esteemed clientele features Google, Virgin, Nike, Zappos, Wordpress, SpaceX, U.S. Air Force, Cleveland Clinic, Caltech, Harvard, and Singularity University.

Jim also hosts “Kwik Brain,” one of the top educational podcasts on iTunes with 50+ million downloads.

Follow his mission: “No brain left behind” @JimKwik.


Jim Kwik

Use This TRICK To 10x Your Learning SPEED!  | Jim Kwik & Lewis Howes

In a recent episode of Maya Shankar’s podcast, she had an episode titled <a href="https://www.pushkin.fm/episode/the-science-of-grit/">The Science of Grit</a>., where guest Angela Duckworth defined grit as “a power combo of passion and perseverance”.

Talent vs Grit

You might have more talent than meYou might be smarter than meYou might be sexier than meYou might be all of those things.You got it on me in 9 categories.But if we get on a treadmill together, right, there’s two things:You’re getting off first, or I’m gonna die.It’s really that simple.

It's really that simple

There's also the question of knowing “when to quit and when to grit“. If you’re in a tough situation, the best move is often to quit. Burying yourself deeper into sunk costs is never wise, and quitting early can be great, so it can sometimes be difficult to know when to quit and when to grit.For that, I think it goes back to what you love and what you want. If you’re doing something you love in pursuit of something you really want, grit can take you further along that path. If you have that passion, and put perseverance behind it, you’ve found some grit and it could lead to great things.

Quit vs Grit

You’re born with talent — you work with grit.

In a recent episode of Maya Shankar's podcast, she had an episode titled The Science of Grit., where guest Angela Duckworth defined grit as "a power combo of passion and perseverance". The crux of the episode was about the difference between "grit" and "talent", not unlike the comparison I made…

leadershipandmanagement

Leadership & Management

Talent vs Grit - Mickey Mellen

Most people see email as a strictly transactional tool, using it only when they need something or owe someone something. That’s exactly why you should use it to stand out.

People love to feel appreciated. Instead of worrying about all the things you need to do in the morning, take a moment to thank someone for what they do for you. “Thanks for all your support during that last big project” or “I’m so glad we get to work together. Thanks for being my sounding board” is all you need to say to make an impact.

An Email Saying "Thank You

The fastest way to get what you want is to get to know the people who <a href="https://forge.medium.com/the-power-of-doing-the-right-things-consistently-1e7430bc0efb">already have it </a>. Send a message to someone a step or two further ahead in their career and let them know how their work has impacted you. I like to <a href="https://forge.medium.com/how-to-get-on-the-radar-of-people-you-admire-5f6646a65c45">use the formula </a>: “Thanks to your work doing X, I’ve been able to accomplish Y.”

An Email To someone you admire

There’s something magical about someone you don’t know very well showing interest in you. Often, it’s even more validating than when a friend encourages you, because they really don’t have to do it. One sentence can impact someone for a lifetime. Neill taught me to always <a href="https://michael-thompson.medium.com/to-add-meaning-to-your-career-be-a-name-dropper-1d60514b2c85">lift as you climb </a>.

An Email Lifting sometime

Reach out to someone you recently met during a training session or through a mutual friend. See if they’re up for a chat. We all need more eyes looking out for us.

An Email to someone you just met

It’s harder to network with new people, so why not use your energy to check in on the people you used to work with? It’s a good way to learn about what’s going on in your industry.

An Email to an Old Co-Worker

Save your boss from having to make rounds before the weekend. Tell them what you’ve got going on: “Here’s where we stand regarding W, X, Y so far this week. I’m focusing on Z tomorrow. But if there’s something that needs to be pushed, let me know.” It will help you understand your priorities and show that you’re organized.

A Thursday afternoon email to your blood

When I talked to <a href="https://medium.com/u/1ceb119b8919?source=post_page-----2358f8451ef9-----------------------------------">Melody Wilding, LMSW </a>, the author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Trust-Yourself-Overthinking-Channel-Emotions/dp/1797201964">Trust Yourself </a>, she suggested I send myself a Friday afternoon message with a run-down of the week. Try it: Write down your wins, a few things you learned, and any idea that made your week a successful one. It’s a simple exercise, but it really helps you <a href="https://forge.medium.com/you-still-need-an-after-work-routine-when-working-from-home-9850c1e3ccc7">transition out of work mode </a>and realize that what you’ve done is enough.

A Friday Afternoon email to yourself

Networking is something we often struggle with. Here's a few ideas I read that helped me a lot in reaching out. 

Most people see email as a strictly transactional tool, using it only when they need something or owe someone something. That’s exactly why you should use it to stand out. Taking a moment to send…

communication

Communication

The 7 Emails You Should Send Every Week to Get Ahead in Your Career

Before you start working toward improving your mental focus, you might want to begin by assessing just how strong your mental focus is at the present moment.<ul><li>You find it easy to stay alert</li><li>You set goals and break tasks up into smaller parts</li><li>You take short breaks, then get back to work</li></ul>Second set of statements: <ul><li>You daydream regularly</li><li>You can't tune out distractions</li><li>You lose track of your progress</li></ul>

Assess Your Mental Focus 

If the first set of statements seems more your style, then you probably already have fairly good concentration skills, but you could be even stronger with a little practice.If you identify more with the second set of statements, then you probably need to work on your mental focus quite a bit. It might take some time, but practicing some good habits and being mindful of your distractibility can help.

Is It Good Or Bad? 

While it may sound obvious, people often underestimate just how many distractions prevent them from concentrating on the task at hand. One way to deal with this is to seek out a calm location where you know you will be able to work undisturbed. The library, a private room in your house, or even a quiet coffee shop might all be good spots to try.A few strategies you might want to try to minimize or eliminate such internal distractions are to make sure you are well-rested prior to the task and to use <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-positive-thinking-2794772">positive thoughts </a>and imagery to fight off anxiety and worry.

1. Eliminate Distractions

While <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/multitasking-2795003">multitasking </a>may seem like a great way to get a lot done quickly, it turns out that people are actually rather bad at it. Juggling multiple tasks at once can dramatically cut down on productivity and makes it much harder to hone in on the details that are truly important.Think of your <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-attention-2795009">attention </a>as a spotlight. If you shine that spotlight on one particular area, you can see things very clearly. If you were to try to spread that same amount of light across a large dark room, you might instead only glimpse the shadowy outlines.Try to give your full attention to one thing at a time.

2. Limit Your Focus 

You have probably heard people talk about the importance of "<a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/use-this-simple-brain-hack-to-finally-stop-worrying-2337510">being present </a>." It's all about putting away distractions, whether they are physical (your mobile phone) or psychological (your anxieties) and being fully mentally engaged in the current moment.It may take some time but work on learning to truly live in the moment. You cannot change the past and the future has not happened yet, but what you do today can help you avoid repeating past mistakes and pave a path for a more successful future.

3. Live In The Moment

Mindfulness is a hot topic right now, and for good reason. Despite the fact that people have practiced forms of mindfulness meditation for thousands of years, its many <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/mindfulness-the-health-and-stress-relief-benefits-3145189">health benefits </a>are only recently starting to be understood.Practicing mindfulness can involve learning how to meditate, but it can also be as simple as trying a quick and easy <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-reduce-stress-with-breathing-exercises-3144508">deep breathing exercise </a>.

4. Practice Mindfulness

Start by taking several deep breaths while really focusing on each and every breath. When you feel your mind naturally begin to wander, gently and uncritically guide your focus back to your deep breathing.While this might seem like a deceptively simple task, you may find that it is actually much more difficult than it appears. Fortunately, this breathing activity is something you can do anywhere and anytime. Eventually, you will probably find that it becomes easier to disengage from intrusive thoughts and return your focus to where it belongs.

5. Quick Tip To Regain Focus 

Shift your attention to something unrelated to the task at hand, even if it is only for a few moments. These short moments of respite might mean that you are able to keep your mental focus sharp and your performance high when you really need it.

6. Take Short Breaks 

Building your mental focus is not something that will happen overnight. Even professional athletes require plenty of time and practice in order to strengthen their concentration skills.One of the first steps is to recognize the impact that being distracted is having on your life. If you are struggling to accomplish your goals and find yourself getting sidetracked by unimportant details, it is time to start placing <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/how-the-glorification-of-busyness-impacts-our-well-being-4175360">a higher value on your time </a>.By building your mental focus, you are able to accomplish more and concentrate on the things in life that truly bring you success, joy, and satisfaction.

7. Keep Practicing

Get helpful tips on what you can do to improve your mental focus so you can achieve your goals that much faster.

mindfulness

Mindfulness

7 Useful Tips for Improving Your Mental Focus

Many of the time-management techniques that have been used for decades are not going to work in this setting. We need a way to prioritize and triage, not to categorize and identify every to-do.
Instead of worrying about each item on your to-do lists, ask yourself this simple question: *“What three activities must I complete today to make this day feel successful?” These items are very different from your to-do lists. A standard to-do listing is a comprehensive list of all activities we should complete. It is impossible to finish 30-50 tasks in one workday.

Time Marches On

66% of people check email daily, but only 34% plan their day. It is common to reach for your phone at night and check messages. People are more productive if they don’t check their messages but instead make a plan for the day and grab a cup of coffee. This research shows that checking your email first thing in the morning increases your chances of wasting over half of your work time.
This simple technique is so effective because it forces you to create a plan for your day. As a result, you are taking charge of your priorities and exercising proactive control over your day.

Time Or Timely

You can take control of your day by setting a plan and not responding to emails. This will dramatically increase your sense of well-being.
This technique will also force you to be more proactive in your mental state. Instead of waiting for others to set your priorities, this technique allows you to get in front of them and decide where you should spend your time. High achievers are distinguished by their proactivity. If you are passively waiting for direction, it is almost inevitable that you will feel more overwhelmed and frazzled.

Staying In Control

The Time/Work paradigm is broken. The Pandemic turned time management into a whole new ball game. Without insight and courage, time is a foe. Time marches on &#8212; do you?  ...

A Time Management Hack to Beat Pandemic Blues

Find 100+ Tips for Time Management - Curated from inspiring sources like Books, Podcasts & Articles - Genuine Insights from like-minded Users like You!