What is the first baby step to becoming successful in anything?

"Failure is the mother of all success" -Chinese idiom

The answer to the question in the title is:

MAKE MORE MISTAKES!

Actually, this is not the complete answer. This is just to Wake. You. Up. 

Our society is one which penalize failure. Kids are punished for doing the wrong things. Adults are looked down on for being a failure. Hence, most people nowadays avoid taking risks. They are afraid of wasting time, losing money, looking like a fool, making mistakes. They are weak and unable to overcome their fears.

In the end, they did nothing, and it is obvious that people who did nothing cannot be successful. 

If you want to be successful, these are the first baby steps:

1. Build up your Mental and Emotional Strength. This is the first and the most important step, without which you cannot continue. Be strong! Face your fears!  

2. Try things out, make mistakes. Look like a fool, lose precious resources, feel depressed! But, it is OK!

3. Learn from mistakes. Every mistake is a precious opportunity for you to learn from. Don't waste it. NEVER, make the same mistake twice, EVER! 

4. NEVER give up. You will not fail until you give up! Be strong and resilient enough to stand up and fight again! 

The more successful you are going to be, the more mistakes you are going to make. Be strong and start making them now!


Idea adapted from:


Midas Touch: Why Some Entrepreneurs Get Rich-And Why Most Don't

How to attain a breakthrough?

"Break is the important part of Breakthrough"  -Matthew E. May

The answer to attaining a breakthrough is a "break". A break from routine, habit, work, or simply just a break. 

When a pattern is broken, you will become more aware, and from this awareness, the seed of creativity emerge. From this seed of creativity, you will create a breakthrough!

Imagine you are driving along the expressway. For most of us, our conscious is usually on autopilot mode at this point of time. Suddenly, your tire was punctured! This is a break from routine. Immediately you become 10 times more attentive to the things around you - the traffic, how the car handles etc. Your mind goes into overdrive - where to stop, how to change tire, who to call for help etc. 

This sudden awareness / burst of mental energy brings about tremendous creativity, which will help you to resolve any problems that you might have, and finally, achieving a breakthrough! 

There are 2 kinds of breaks, those you make and those you take. No matter which kind they are, these are good opportunities! Remember to make the best use of them to help you achieve what you want!


Idea adapted from: 


The Laws of Subtraction: 6 Simple Rules for Winning in the Age of Excess Everything

How to enjoy the moment more?

"Everyone knows they're going to die, but nobody believes it. If we did, we would do things differently.”  -Mitch Albom, Tuesdays With Morrie

As we grow older, time seems to fly pass us more rapidly. For the good moments in our life, it can't be more true. It is usually gone before you have the time to indulge in it.

Why do good moments pass so quickly? According to Geoff Beattie in his book "Get The Edge", it is, ironically, because we don't believe that it is going to end! As a result, we tend to relax and 'take things for granted'. 

However, once we know something is about to end or perish, our sensory perception tend to increase and hence we get to 'enjoy' the moment more. 

An analogy: Lying on a bed of nails seems like infinity because you subconsciously wants to end it. On the other hand, when hugging a pretty woman, time flies because you don't believe it will end.

So, how do you increase your awareness of the moment? By telling yourself: 

This is going to end soon!


Idea adapted from:


Get the Edge: How Simple Changes Will Transform Your Life

How to be happy and attract great things?

"If you are reading this, you are more fortunate than 3 billion people in the world who cannot read it at all." - Unknown

Do you feel down sometimes? Do you feel that negative things keep happening to you? Do you want to feel happier? Do you want more good things to happen to you?

The answer is the missing word from this ancient text: "Whoever has _______ will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have _______, even what he has will be taken from him."   -Matthew 25:29

And the missing word is

Gratitude.

There are so much to be grateful for and thankful about!

If you are alive, be grateful for the the air you breath, the water you drink, the food you eat, the bed you sleep etc! And you will enjoy life even more!

If you are healthy, be grateful for your eyes which let you see, ears which let you hear, nose which let you smell, tongue which let you taste, skin which you feel, hands which let you do things, legs which let you move, brain which let you think etc! And you will become more and more healthy!

If you have parents, a friend, a lover, a boss, a colleague , be grateful for their presence in your life, for every little things they do for you, for the love they shower you, for the things they give you, for the time they spent with you etc! And you will have better and better relationship with them!

If you have some wealth, be grateful for having it, and the things they can bring you! And you will have more and more wealth!

If not-so-good things happened to you, be grateful that they ain't worse, that they make you stronger, and for the lessons they teach you. And you will become a better and happier person!

And these are just a few examples! With so much to be grateful for, how not to be happy??

The key to happiness is to be constantly and genuinely grateful! Try this - For this week, write down 10 things to be grateful for every night. And then, see the magic that will happen to you!

Thank you for reading!


Idea adapted from:


The Magic (The Secret)

How to radically increase your salary?

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it." -Upton Sinclair

Joke aside, there is no easy answer to the question. However, for those who enjoy challenges, there is indeed an answer, and that is

Work extremely hard to  

1. Become more valuable - or better yet, invaluable 
2. Get closer to the money - the closer you are to the money, the more you earn

1. How to become more valuable?

a) Work harder and longer hours
There is no better way to demonstrate your commitment to your company than working harder and longer hours than everybody else.

This may seem hard, but actually there is a trick to it that will make it effortless: choose a job you love.

b) Work smarter 
Ask questions, take courses, do own reading. Do everything to become better and more efficient.

c) Help your boss do better 
Make him or her look good, your boss will do the same to you.


After doing all these, you boss will become your strongest supporter when it comes to increasing your income. However, although these are essential things to do to increase your pay, they are not very efficient by themselves. To be more efficient in increasing your pay, get closer to the money.


2. How to get closer to the money?

There are generally 3 types of jobs

• Administrative 
• Technical
• Profit-Generating

The distance from "money" is the furthest in the Administrative jobs and the closest in the Profit-Generating jobs. Examples of Profit-Generating jobs: marketers, salespeople, people who create new products, managers of all these people, and CEO. 

A Technical job can also earn a lot. However, a Profit-Generating job has much much greater potential for income growth.

The fastest way to sky-rocket your salary is become the key profit generator in your company. Rule-of-thumb: If you want to get a raise of $1000, generate at least $10,000 to $20,000 in additional net profit for the company.

If your current job is not a Profit-Generating job, you should either switch roles or expand your role so that it includes Profit-Generating aspects. Work hard and work smart to learn more about the new role, look for opportunities, and then, ease yourself into into your new role. 

The last step is to, as stated earlier, work extremely hard to become more and more valuable, and your salary will definitely increase exponentially! 


Idea adapted from:

Automatic Wealth: The Six Steps to Financial Independence (Agora Series)

How to have good luck?

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein

Do you feel down on your luck recently? Do you feel stagnant with your life, doing the same things day in day out, stuck? Are you looking for a breakthrough, but can't think of any ideas?

 I felt the same way recently. Then I read a book, and I have a sudden realization - an epiphany! The way to have good luck and breakthrough is simply to

CREATE NEW CONDITIONS! 

Do things that you don't normally do. Talk to new people. Read random books. Tweak your thinking. The new condition doesn't have to be radically different. Don't wait until you think of something brilliant. Just a small little change will do. Any change will do. Start creating new conditions now!

Ever heard of the Butterfly Effect? Who knows? Maybe those little new conditions lead you down a new path which will bring tremendous luck in the future!

Good luck!


Idea adapted from:

 
Good Luck: Creating the Conditions for Success in Life and Business