Wednesday 31 August 2011

Learning to love Cognitive Dissonance.

What the hell is cognitive dissonance?

'Cognitive dissonance is an uncomfortable feeling caused by holding conflicting ideas simultaneously.  The theory of cognitive dissonance proposes that people have a motivational drive to reduce dissonance.  They do this by changing their attitudes, beliefs, and actions', Wikipedia definition. (never question Wikipedia)

I hadn't heard of this theory until the other day when I was checking out some material from Eben Pagan (a man I'll end up talking about at some point).  He was referring to cognitive dissonance in respect to improving yourself as a person, but I'm going to look at it in a more business related context.  Regardless, the analogy he gave is still perfectly appropriate.

Imagine sitting at a table on your own.  On the table is a glass, it's about 4 feet away from you, and you want it to be right in front of you so you can easily reach it.  Cognitive dissonance is that little discomfort you feel as you figure out how to get that glass where you want it.  In this analogy, you may only feel it for a split second - but make no mistake, it's definitely there.

Kane and I find ourselves in a state of cognitive dissonance currently, as we have a large idea for a business and we know what we want it to be, but we're currently strategising how we plan to get there.  We are faced with many routes, many different ideas and they are all conflicting.  For a moment, we were getting stressed and starting to doubt ourselves and the idea because we were changing our minds on the best option for us on a daily basis.  As soon as I heard Eben Pagan talk about this theory, it all became clear.  We have to learn to love cognitive dissonance, appreciate that it is a part of the journey to success and accept it.  I think a lot of people give up whilst lost in the jungle that is cognitive dissonance.

So if you're working towards something and find yourself changing your route, or doubting that you are still heading in the right direction, stop - and consider what I've just spoke about.  You're most likely experiencing cognitive dissonance, and now that you know about it - appreciate it and keep going.

Monday 29 August 2011

T.G.I. Mondays #2


Good morning everyone, it's that time again, time to get yourself fired up for another week.  Here's this weeks video to get you pumped, motivating words from the legend that is Michael Jordan.


If you have a long-term goal, what is it you're going to do this week that is going to bring you nearer to that goal?  By the end of this week are you going to be a percentage closer to achieving what you know you will? Whatever your goals are, start them today, don't wait until Tuesday or Wednesday.  Start today, make a big dent today.  As a side note, my business partner (Kane) pointed out something to me the other day that I'm guilty of myself.  He explained how productive people lose motivation because when they achieve goals, they're not taking a moment to celebrate that achievement.  It doesn't matter how small that goal is, perhaps you wanted to run 1 mile this morning, maybe you wanted to write 200 words of your book before you went to work, it doesn't matter.  Take that moment to celebrate what you've achieved, if the goal was written down - tick it!

'I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed'  - Michael Jordan

Keeping in with this weeks video, the quote is from the one and only Michael Jordan.  I hope you all have productive and awesome weeks.  Let me know what you plan to get up to!  I myself, will be working towards getting Kane and I's first site up on the web, and trust me you'll all be hearing about it!  More on that later...

Have a great week guys
!


Saturday 27 August 2011

App Review: 'Schedule Planner'

I would be hopeless without my iPhone.  If you don't have one (or a smartphone), and you want to be successful, productive etc, I can't emphasize how useful they can be.  My iPhone runs my life for me, it guides me when I'm lost, it keeps me organised, it keeps my up to date with news wherever I am, it allows me to check my email anywhere, and it keeps me in touch with my shares portfolio.  It's proved to be priceless.

But not all apps are good, for the sake of this blog I'll be mostly looking at apps that relate to improving your lifestyle (as good as Angry Birds is, it's not going to enhance your life too dramatically).  Today's app is 'Schedule Planner' which is highly regarded as one of the best apps for productivity.  I downloaded the app because I was looking for an app that would allow me to plan every hour of my day so that I could maximize my productivity.  The app was free, but to use all it's features you need to upgrade it for 69p (a good marketing technique to consider if you're making an app).

The app does what it says, it has allowed me to plan my whole day by the minute, and I've been using it for the last couple of days to see how much of an improvement it's made on my life.  Without a doubt I've been perhaps 75% more productive than usual because it reminds you that you're supposed to be doing 'X' now.  My issue with the app is it's functionality, it is overly complicated to use and requires more effort that I think is necessary.  I'd like to be able create a list of goals for that day, how long each one would take, and then be able to drag that on to a day sheet on the time I wanted.  Instead you have to create each activity from scratch, and then remember when each finishes so that you don't overlap the next.  The biggest flaw for me is that instead of being able to just tick an activity once you've done it - you actually have to reprogram the event in the 'Actual' column, rather than just ticking the activity in the 'Planned' column.

Overall this app gives you what it says on the tin, but it's functionality frustrates me and will inevitably lead to me deleting it and searching for a better option.  If you are aware of better option, tell me in the comment box, thanks guys!

I'll give this app a 6/10.

Thursday 25 August 2011

My Inspirations: Chris Guillebeau

From time to time I'm going to write a post about a person who has inspired me.  I fully recommend that you investigate these people, look at their website, buy their book - just learn about them because they have all had a huge impact on my life and my direction.

Today I'm going to be talking about Chris Guillebeau.  I made the decision to purchase Chris' book late last year based purely on the title, 'The Art of Non-Conformity'.  I hadn't heard about him before this, I just liked the concept of his book.  I read his book whilst on a road trip to the south of Spain in January this year, and I was glued to his unconventional perspectives and theories.  His views are both refreshing and useful, and I've taken his views on board and carry most of them around with me at all times.

Chris is a world traveler, who is now a full-time writer.  His goal in life is to try and visit every country in the world before he is 35, and to teach his unconventional methods of living and generating income to anyone who is willing to listen.  His blog is extremely successful, and he has many products that are fantastically innovative (many of which are free).

I've just finished his '279 Days to Overnight Success' eBook (which he gives away for FREE, yes - so go get it right now, at http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/overnight-success).  I read the eBook in research for this blog, and aim to implement many of his theories in the next few weeks.  It documents how to use social media to become a full-time writer, I suggest you read it if you're interested in blogging or writing in general.

I've learnt from Chris' writings to think outside the box, and not just simply accept the conformist ways that govern 99% of people on this planet.  It's good to take the path less traveled, it's good to step out of the crowd and wonder off in a different direction.

Monday 22 August 2011

T.G.I. Monday #1

It's Monday morning, and it's time to get excited about this week.  I'm going to be posting a TGI Mondays post every week from now on.  They'll always include a motivational video, and a quote to kick start your week.  All quotes come from my friend's awesome site, www.ultimatequote.co.uk - make sure to check it out and show him some love.  Each week I will be sharing with you a playlist of music that I'm listening to right now (see left), my music taste has always caused confusion for my friends because it so varied and odd - so I hope there is something in there for everyone.  BE WARNED - some of the music contains swearing, so if you're likely to be offended by naughty words please just do the smart thing and not listen to it, thanks.

So lets get on with this weeks TGI Monday.  The video above always psyches me up, whether it's for exercise, work or just getting on with my day - it always gets me going.  So enjoy it, and pass it on to your friends!

The playlist this week includes a proper mix of tunes with perhaps my favourite being 'Loca People' by Sak Noel - that song is destined to be huge and is already starting to be played in the club.  But on the other end of the spectrum,  I'm a little obsessed with Otis Redding at the moment.  I think it's because of the Kanye West and Jay-Z release entitled 'Otis' which includes a sample of 'Try a Little Tenderness'.  I feel so ashamed of liking that song, because it's essentially West and Jay-Z fuelling their egos over the top of a classic Redding track.  So I think I'm compensating for it by getting out my old definitive collection of the legend himself.  Enjoy 'I'm too late' on the playlist, which is also used for a Kanye West sample on another track.

'Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today' - James Dean

I thought this quote was appropriate for the first week of this blog because it sums up what this website is all about!

What have I achieved in the last week??  Well apart from starting this blog up, my business partner and I also had a meeting with a business advisor from Barclays.  She's a friend of my Mums (have to use your contacts) - which proved very productive.  She recommended some fantastic websites which are going to prove to be great resources in the coming weeks/months - I'll make sure to share them with you in a future post.

Now that you've had your TGI Monday dosage, start planning your goals for this week and get excited about them!  Go get it it guys.

Saturday 20 August 2011

Top 5 tips for Writing a Successful Blog

As you can see, I only started this blog yesterday - so please don't take this post as me saying that I am the expert on writing successful blogs!  I just thought I'd share with you the best five tips I read whilst researching writing a successful blog.

Why do people write blogs?  Some people write a blog simply as a kind of public diary, letting people read about what is going on their life.  Although this can be pleasant to write, and to read - it rarely leads to success financially.  If it is for finance reasons you are writing a blog, then you really have to be offering something to your readers, to give them a reason to keep coming back.  I personally believe that somewhere between these two styles would be a happy medium.

So without further ado, here (in no particular order) is my top 5 tips for writing a successful blog.

1)  Write catchy headlines which include the key words of what you're writing about.  This will attract more readers and help you get higher up on search engines when they search your topic.  For example, a reviewer of hip-hop music making a list of his favourite hip hop albums of all time could write his headline in many ways.  'Some hip-hop albums I like', could also be written as 'The best 10 hip-hop albums of all time' - which do you think will attract more attention and get more hits from search engines?

2)  Interact with your readers.  This helps you build a much closer connection between you and your followers and will lead to them being far more loyal to you.  So how can you interact with your readers?  There are many ways, but perhaps the most common are through the use of contests, polls, and asking them for feedback.

3)  Be extremely useful to all your readers.  If you are consistently giving your readers useful information which is helping them to have success in a particular area then you can expect far more followers to appear in no time!  Try not to stray too far from the main topic of your blog, as this could lead to people losing interest.  The people following you are doing so based on what you have written so far, so continue on that path.

4) Stamp your personality on your blog.  There is nothing more boring than reading a soulless piece of writing which has no personality or heart in it.  When you're writing make sure to be yourself, and give them personal information to help them feel rapport with you and your writing.  I'm not suggesting you detail each visit to the toilet, but I think you know what I mean!  A great way to take this to another level is to have an 'about me' section on your blog like I have.

5)  Give them a reason to keep coming back.  This can simply be consistently writing useful posts which help people, but another way to do this would be to have a weekly feature that people log in every week just to read.  You can also use regular contests or free giveaways to keep people coming back for more.

I hope this has helped you, these are the points that I found most useful when doing the prep work for this very blog.  But there is lots more out there on this topic so have a google.  If you've got any other tips for me or any other readers out there, then please leave it in the comment box - I may include them in a future post...

Friday 19 August 2011

The Story So Far...

Only seems logical to bring you guys up to speed with what I'm doing and who I am before I start bombarding you with tips and experiences.

Did the whole school, college, uni thing - and still currently at university studying film.  Only one more year to go.  I'm sure many of you find yourself in similar predicaments, perhaps having come out the other side.  Would love to hear your opinions on whether you think university is worth all the money and time it demands.

I began reading personal development literature occasionally when I was about 16, and this inevitably led me to reading about 'the new rich', and how becoming the employer rather than the employee was the holy grail to financial freedom, and that is where I am now.  Have to start somewhere...

I'm currently in the process of trying to start up two businesses with a close friend (now business partner), and we're undoubtedly going to encounter many failures and the odd success here and there (hopefully).  I'd like to share this with you, and hope that you can learn from them.  I'm also here to learn from all you lovely internet people and share all the best knowledge and advice I find on my way.

I look forward to meeting lots of new people, and can't wait to start helping each other become rich both financially and mentally.

Is this thing on?

Welcome to my blog, I hope this is going to become a place of unlimited usefulness for all those looking to live their life to the full, and take control of their future.  That's where I am now, and it certainly seems like a daunting task as I try and imagine past my graduation which is only a year away!  I hope to make a whole load of new friends and exchange tips and ideas.

Thanks for stopping by...

Phil