Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary

A lack of sleep leads to brain fog, low energy, irritability, and forgetfulness.A few of the actionable sleep tips:<ul><li>Exercise more</li><li>Make your bedroom a sleep sanctuary</li><li>Put screens away at least 90 minutes before going to bed </li><li>Stop consuming caffeine after 15:00</li></ul>

Sleep Smarter — Shawn Stevenson

Less stuff. Fewer demands. Fewer obligations.Most people are too busy with things that don’t matter much. They major in minor things. They waste their money on stuff they don’t need, waste their time on trivial tasks that don’t matter, and waste their energy worrying about the opinions of people they don’t even like.

The Power of Less — Leo Babauta

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

It is for anyone looking to improve their finances and build real wealth. You’ll see how the average millionaire truly thinks and acts — not how the media portraits them.<ul><li>80% of millionaires are first-generation self-made millionaires</li><li>Most don’t acquire any luxury items to show their status </li><li>Most live below their means so they can save and invest</li></ul>

The Millionaire Next Door — Thomas J. Stanley

It contains an incredible amount of wisdom on topics like wealth, health, mental strength, habits, and happiness. “You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”“It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.”“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself in your way of thinking.”

Meditations — Marcus Aurelius

The War of Art is one of the best books on defeating procrastination.“The more important a call or action is to our soul’s evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it.”“I write only when inspiration strikes. Fortunately, it strikes every morning at nine o’clock sharp.”“The amateur believes he must first overcome his fear; then he can do his work. The professional knows that fear can never be overcome."

The War of Art — Steven Pressfield

Books contain a wealth of knowledge, broaden our perspectives, and help us develop into wiser individuals. Reading is truly a shortcut to success since you can learn essential life lessons from the…

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

health

Health

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

timemanagement

Time Management

5 Books I’ll Re-Read In 2022 Because They’re Too Important Not To

We’re all terrified of being revealed as amateurs, but in fact, today it is the amateur who has the advantage over the professional.Because they have little to lose, amateurs are willing to try anything and share the results.The world is changing at such a rapid rate that it’s turning us all into amateurs.

Be an amateur

“In the beginner’s mind, there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind, there are few.”

Amateurs might lack formal training, but they’re all lifelong learners, and they make a point of learning in the open, so that others can learn from their failures and successes.

Advantages of being an amateur

We all have the opportunity to use our voices, to have our say, but so many of us are wasting it. If you want people to know about what you do and the things you care about, you have to share.

The only way to find your voice is to use it

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything—all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure—these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked.”

"Every day is an extra day"— Writer of Star Wars

Obituaries aren’t really about death; they’re about life.  Reading about people who are dead now and did things with their lives makes us want to get up and do something decent. Thinking about death every morning makes us want to live.

Read the obituaries every morning

Audiences not only want to stumble across great work, but they, too, long to be creative and part of the creative process. By letting go of our egos and sharing our process, we allow for the possibility of people having an ongoing connection with us and our work, which helps us move more of our product.

Process matters

“In order for connection to happen, we have to allow ourselves to be seen— really seen.”

Whatever the nature of your work, there is an art to what you do, and there are people who would be interested in that art, if only you presented it to them in the right way. In fact, sharing your process might actually be most valuable.

Document what you do

No one is going to give a damn about your résumé; they want to see what you have made with your own little fingers.

Take a lot of photographs of your work at different stages in your process. Shoot video of you working. This isn’t about making art, it’s about simply keeping track of what’s going on around you. You’ll start to see the work you’re doing more clearly and feel like you’re making progress.

Show your work

Put yourself, and your work, out there every day, and you’ll start meeting some amazing people.

Forget about decades, forget about years, and forget about months. Focus on days.A daily dispatch is even better than a résumé or a portfolio, because it shows what we’re working on right now.

Daily dispatch

The trouble is, we don’t always know what’s good and what sucks. That’s why it’s important to get things in front of others and see how they react.

90% of everything is crap

Anything you post to the Internet has now become public. Share imperfect and unfinished work that you want feedback on, but don’t share absolutely everything.“Is this helpful? Is it entertaining? Is it something I’d be comfortable with my boss or my mother seeing?”

Sharing and over- sharing

Small things, over time, can get big.Your stock is best made by collecting, organizing, and expanding upon your flow.

From flow to stock

When you share your taste and your influences, have the guts to own all of it. Don’t give in to the pressure to self- edit too much.

Be authentic

Human beings want to know where things came from, how they were made, and who made them. The stories you tell about the work you do have a huge effect on how people feel.

Become a better storyteller

A good story structure is tidy, sturdy, and logical. Whether you’re telling a finished or unfinished story, always keep your audience in mind. Speak to them directly in plain language. Value their time. Be brief.

Story telling structure

Think about what you can share from your process that would inform the people you’re trying to reach.The minute you learn something, turn around and teach it to others.

Teach what you know

If you’re only pointing to your own stuff online, you’re doing it wrong. You have to be a connector.Be thoughtful. Be considerate. Don’t turn into human spam. Be an open node.

Don't turn into a human spam

Don’t waste your time reading articles about how to get more followers. Don’t talk about stuff you don’t want to talk about.If you want followers, be someone worth following. Make stuff you love and talk about stuff you love and you’ll attract people who love that kind of stuff. It’s that simple.

Be someone worth following

They’re so, so important. Do what you can to nurture your relationships with these people.  Invite them to collaborate. Show them work before you show anybody else. Keep them as close as you can.

People who share your obsessions

The trick is not caring what EVERYBODY thinks of you and just caring about what the RIGHT people think of you.

A troll is a person who isn’t interested in improving your work, only provoking you with hateful, aggressive, or upsetting talk. You will gain nothing by engaging with these people. Don’t feed them, and they’ll usually go away.

Trolls

Don’t be afraid to charge for your work, but put a price on it that you think is fair.

Turn your work into patrons

The people who get what they’re after are very often the ones who just stick around long enough.Every career is full of ups and downs

Don't quit

Instead of taking a break in between projects, waiting for feedback, and worrying about what’s next, use the end of one project to light up the next one. Just do the work that’s in front of you, and when it’s finished, ask yourself what you missed, what you could’ve done better, or what you couldn’t get to, and jump right into the next project.

Momentum

When you get rid of old material, you push yourself further and come up with something better. When you throw out old work, what you’re really doing is making room for new work.Have the courage to get rid of work and rethink things completely. Don’t think of it as starting over. Think of it as beginning again.

Change course and find something new

Anyone who isn’t embarrassed of who they were last year probably isn’t learning enough

Everybody loves a good story, but good storytelling doesn’t come easy to everybody. It’s a skill that takes a lifetime to master.Your stories will get better the more you tell them.

Storytelling is a skill

In his New York Times bestseller Steal Like an Artist, Austin Kleon showed readers how to unlock their creativity by “stealing” from the community of other movers and shakers. Now, in an even more forward-thinking and necessary book, he shows how to take that critical next step on a creative journey—getting known. Show Your Work! is about why generosity trumps genius. It’s about getting findable, about using the network instead of wasting time “networking.” It’s not self-promotion, it’s self-discovery—let others into your process, then let them steal from you. Filled with illustrations, quotes, stories, and examples, Show Your Work! offers ten transformative rules for being open, generous, brave, productive. In chapters such as You Don’t Have to Be a Genius; Share Something Small Every Day; and Stick Around, Kleon creates a user’s manual for embracing the communal nature of creativity— what he calls the “ecology of talent.” From broader life lessons about work (you can’t find your voice if you don’t use it) to the etiquette of sharing—and the dangers of oversharing—to the practicalities of Internet life (build a good domain name; give credit when credit is due), it’s an inspiring manifesto for succeeding as any kind of artist or entrepreneur in the digital age.

creativity

Creativity

books

Books

In his New York Times bestseller Steal Like an Artist, Austin Kleon showed readers how to unlock their creativity by “stealing” from the community of other movers and shakers. Now, in an even more forward-thinking and necessary book, he shows how to take that critical next step on a creative journey—getting known. Show Your Work! is about why generosity trumps genius. It’s about getting findable, about using the network instead of wasting time “networking.” It’s not self-promotion, it’s self-discovery—let others into your process, then let them steal from you. Filled with illustrations, quotes, stories, and examples, Show Your Work! offers ten transformative rules for being open, generous, brave, productive. In chapters such as You Don’t Have to Be a Genius; Share Something Small Every Day; and Stick Around, Kleon creates a user’s manual for embracing the communal nature of creativity— what he calls the “ecology of talent.” From broader life lessons about work (you can’t find your voice if you don’t use it) to the etiquette of sharing—and the dangers of oversharing—to the practicalities of Internet life (build a good domain name; give credit when credit is due), it’s an inspiring manifesto for succeeding as any kind of artist or entrepreneur in the digital age.

I’m a writer who draws. I make art with words and books with pictures. Author of Steal Like An Artist and other bestsellers. Visit my website: http://austinkleon.com/

Austin Kleon

Show Your Work!

“Doing it right is hard. Doing it over is harder.”

“Three simple ways to get more of what you want in life:<ol><li>Be kind and pleasant to others.</li><li>Ask for what you want.</li><li>Follow up.</li></ol>

In the gym, if you experience no stimulus your muscles won't grow. If you step under 10,000 pounds your body will break.Life is similar.Too much challenge makes life hard, but so does too little.

Challenges

On being grateful for what you avoid:“If you don’t get everything you want, think of the things you don’t get that you don’t want.”

“I tell my kids, what is the difference between a hero and a coward? What is the difference between being [cowardly] and being brave? No difference. Only what you do. They both feel the same. They both fear dying and getting hurt. The man who is [cowardly] refuses to face up to what he’s got to face. The hero is more disciplined and he fights those feelings off and he does what he has to do. But they both feel the same, the hero and the coward. People who watch you judge you on what you do, not how you feel.”

At this time next year, what will you be thankful you spent time on during the next 12 months?

1 QUESTION FOR YOU

habits

Habits

communication

Communication

3-2-1: Gratitude, courage, and how to get more of what you want in life

Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behavior.

?Our smartphone is a space, where we spend a copious amount of time, that we may have overlooked as an environment.For better or worse, we go about our daily lives in this digital palm-sized space.

Our smartphone is the environment

“Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”

“Healthy” doesn’t necessarily mean very little screen time, but screen time that is dominated by the right apps.You have to put the right triggers front and center.

The key to healthy phone usage is thoughtful customization

The Apps Hierarchy<ul><li>Tier 1: Habit-builders</li><li>Tier 2: Daily Tools</li><li>Tier 3: Someday Apps</li></ul>

Be the designer of your world and not merely the consumer of it

Value: An app’s value is based on how it strongly aligns with and supports your values, goals, & desired habitsVisibility: This includes both the app’s accessibility (placement on screen) and how active the app can be (notification settings)

Apps with higher value should have more visibility on your phone

Apps that support the habits you want to build or maintain.Make the habit (those apps) obvious.

Tier 1: Habit-builders

These are the apps you need for your day-to-day activities or facilitate an important aspect of your life.Standard apps such as Safari, Contacts, and Messages

Tier 2: Daily Tools

You either might need them someday or you need them some of the time. Standard iPhone apps that you occasionally use, such as the App Store or Voice Memo app

Tier 3: Someday Apps

Apps that:<ul><li>Are completely useless and you just forgot they were still there</li><li>Take up too much of your time when they really shouldn’t</li></ul>Just “cut bad habits off at the source.”

Dust Bunnies

<ul><li>Step 1: Only display your Habit-builders and Daily Tools</li><li>Step 2: Adjust the notifications of your apps</li><li>Step 3: Test & adjust</li></ul>With this setup, your home screen will be an instant, stark reminder of all the things you value and are working towards.

Arranging The Applications

The key to healthy phone usage is thoughtful customization.

When it comes to habit formation, self-improvement author James Clear writes, “Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behavior.” The spaces we find ourselves in—how they’re arranged and…

productivity

Productivity

How to Architect Your Smartphone for a More Focused Life

When you practice gratitude, your world changes.People are magnets. When you’re grateful for what you have, you will attract more of the positive and good. Gratitude is contagious. It changes not only your world, but everyone else’s you come in contact with.

50. Spend time reflecting on your blessings at least once per day

We’ve become so high-paced in the world that everything we do is on the go. We’ve forgotten what it means to just be with our loved ones.It doesn’t matter if it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Eating together creates a sense of community like nothing else.

49. Eat at least one meal with your family per day

If left untreated, gum disease can be a risk factor for heart disease, diabetes, and a high body mass index.Yes, not flossing can make you fat.Not only that, but it greatly reduces bad breath.

48. Floss your teeth

Many people have horrible relationships with their parents.Growing up can be tough and sometimes our parents make horrible decisions that negatively impact us.If your parents are still around, rekindle those ties or increase the flame. You’ll find enormous joy in those relationships.

47. Become good friends with your parents

The messages of handwritten letters impact deeper and are remembered longer than electronic messages.Handwritten messages are so powerful that people often keep these notes for a long time. Sometimes a lifetime.

46. Write and place a short, thoughtful note for someone once per day

People are instinctively cooperative and generous.When you want to say “I love you,” to a loved one, just do it. Don’t think about it.Paralysis by analysis is dumb. And Malcolm Gladwell explains in Blink that snap-decisions are often far better than well-thought out ones.

45. Be spontaneously generous with a stranger at least once per month

Very few things in life are just randomly given to you as an adult. In most cases, you need to earn it and/or ask for it.The entire crowdfunding industry is based on making asks.Start making bold and audacious asks. What’s the worst that could happen? They say “No”?What’s the best that could happen?When you don’t ask, you lose by default. And you’ll never know the opportunities you missed out on.Put yourself out there. You’ll be blown away by what happens.

44. Make one audacious request per week (what do you have to lose?)

71 percent of bed makers consider themselves happySomething so simple. Yet, when you make your bed first thing in the morning, you knock-off your first accomplishment of the day. This puts you in a mindset of “winning.”

43. Make your bed first thing in the morning

“If you have more than three priorities, then you don’t have any.” — Jim Collins

42. Have no more than 3 items on your to-do list each day

Research has repeatedly found that when behavior is tracked and evaluated, it improves drastically.It’s best to track only a few things. Maybe just one at a time.

41. Track at least one habit/behavior you’re trying to improve

However, most wealthy people’s income comes from multiple sources.With a few short years of intentional and focused work, you can have several income streams.

40. Have multiple income streams (the more the better)

No matter your skill-set and interests, you can put a business in place that runs 24/7 even while you’re sleeping, sitting on the beach, or playing with your kids.An entrepreneur is someone who works for a few years like no one will so they can live the rest of their life like no one else can.

39. Create an automated income source that takes care of the fundamentals

Warren Buffett doesn’t invest in technology because he doesn’t understand it. Instead, he invests in banking and insurance. He’s not a tech guy. He invests in what he understands.

38. Invest only in industries you are informed about

<ul><li>In a free-market economy, anyone can make as much money as they want.</li><li>Your background, highest level of education, or IQ is irrelevant when it comes to earning money.</li><li>The bigger the problem you solve, the more money you make.</li><li>Expect to make lots of money. Think BIG.</li><li>What you focus on expands. If you believe in scarcity, you’ll have little.</li><li>When you create incredible value for others, you have the right to make as much money as you want.</li><li>You’re not going to be discovered, saved, or made rich by someone else. If you want to be successful, you have to build it yourself.</li></ul>

37. “Change the way you feel, think, and act about money” — Steve Down

Every decision has opportunity cost. When you choose one thing, you simultaneously don’t choose several others.We must define success, wealth, and happiness in our own terms because if we don’t, society will for us — and we will always fall short. Our lives will be an endless race for the next best thing. We’ll never experience contentment.

36. Define what wealth and happiness mean to you

Change freaks people out. It immediately pulls you from your comfort zone. Which is exactly what you need. You’ll often feel like a fraud. But impostor syndrome is exactly what you should be seeking.

35. Make a few radical changes to your life each year

When you wake up and put yourself, not other people first, you position yourself to win before you ever begin playing.

34. Check your email and social media at least 60–90 minutes after you wake up

Paying rent is like working hourly. You get money while you’re on the clock. When you’re not on the clock, you get no money. Earning equity is like having residual income.

33. Buy a small place rather than rent

It’s a no-brainer. If you’re not drinking the healthy amount of water each day, you should critically assess your priorities in life.

32. Drink 64–100 ounces of water per day

31. Tithe or give 10 percent of your income away

“I would have saved 10 percent automatically from my paycheck by direct deposit into a savings account earning the best possible interest compounded daily.” — D. Lorinser

30. Save 10 percent or more of your income

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” — Jim RohnWho you spend time with is incredibly important.

29. Make friends with five people who inspire you

It’s not your choice if people choose to forgive you.

28. Genuinely apologize to people you’ve mistreated

Relaxation is crucial for success. People approach their lives like a workout without rest breaks.

27. Give at least one guilt-free hour to relaxation per day

Expect optimal performance from yourself and let the chips fall where they may. Put most simply: Do what is right, let the consequence follow.

26. Stop obsessing about the outcome

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.”If you don’t believe in your dreams, the chances of them happening are slim to none. But if you can come to fully know the things you seek will occur, the universe will conspire to make it happen.

25. Choose to have faith in something bigger than yourself, skepticism is easy

Juicing is an incredible way to get loads of vitamins and nutrients from fruits and vegetables. These nutrients can:<ul><li>Help protect against cardiovascular disease, cancer and various inflammatory diseases</li><li>Guard against oxidative cellular damage from everyday cellular maintenance and exposure to chemicals and pollution.</li></ul>

24. Buy a juicer and juice a few times per week

<a href="http://dailyhealthpost.com/8-medically-based-reasons-to-consume-coconut-oil-every-day/">Coconut oil</a> is a healthy alternative to caffeine. Eating a small amount will give you a shot of energy without the side-effects.

23. Consume a tablespoon of coconut oil once per day

While all of that untapped energy gets removed, a new wave of positive energy comes into your life. You can use that energy in more useful and productive ways.

22. Remove all non-essentials from your life (start with your closet)

There is always a faster way than you originally conceive. Actually, goal-setting can slow your progress and diminish your potential if you rely too heavily upon it.

21. Decide where you’ll be in five years and get there in two

Use this technique and you’ll be consuming as much information as you once consumed caffeine.

20. Listen to audiobooks and podcasts on 1.5 or 2x speed, your brain will change faster

Eating protein first decreases your white carbohydrate cravings. These are the types of carbs that get you fat. Think bagels, toast, and donuts.Protein-rich foods keep you full longer than other foods because they take longer to leave the stomach. Also, protein keeps blood-sugar levels steady, which prevents spikes in hunger.

19. Consume 30 grams of protein within the first 30 minutes of waking up

The more you express love (like gratitude), the more other people feel love for you.

18. Say “I love you” 3+ times a day to the most important people in your life

Don’t be surprised as your habit of graciously saying “thank you” turns into even more to be thankful for.

17. Say “Thank you” every time you’re served by someone

Your 20 seconds of daily courage will most consistently involve saying “no” to stuff that doesn’t really matter. “No more yes. It’s either HELL YEAH! or no.” — <a href="https://sivers.org/hellyeah">Derek Sivers</a>

16. Say “No” to people, obligations, requests, and opportunities you’re not interested in from now on

Cold water triggers a wave of mood-boosting neurochemicals which make you feel happy.Just do it for 60–90 seconds, then get out. You’ll be very pleased.

15. Replace warm showers with cold ones

Sleep is just as important as eating and drinking water. Despite this, millions of people do not sleep enough and experience insane problems as a result.

14. Get 7+ hours of sleep each night

Waking up early allows you to proactively and consciously design your day. You can start with a morning routine that sets the tone for your whole day.

13. Go to bed early and rise early

Taking the time to spontaneously — as well as planned — helping other people is one of the greatest joys in life.As <a href="https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/finding-joy-in-the-journey?lang=eng&_r=1">Thomas Monson</a> has said, “Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.”

5 Books I’ll Re-Read In 2022 Because They’re Too Important Not To

Show Your Work!

3-2-1: Gratitude, courage, and how to get more of what you want in life

How to Architect Your Smartphone for a More Focused Life

50 Ways Happier, Healthier, And More Successful People Live On Their Own Terms

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