5 Ways to Reward Great Employees Besides Money

When your company is underperforming, many employers assume that cash incentives will turn up the volume. All employees are delighted by a raise or a bonus, right? Sure, for about five minutes. It turns out money isn't actually everything when getting a high-powered team to meet goals and objectives.

If it were that simple then every company with deep pockets would be successful and all commission-based sales people would perform the same. Current research actually shows that money alone is not enough make team members bring their A game.

Below are five critical motivators that are key to getting your best employees working happily and consistently. Master them and watch your team soar to new heights.

1. Help them learn. Smart, ambitious people need mental stimulation. If they feel stagnant they will get distracted and perhaps search for another company that is mentally stimulating. They want to be challenged, and exposed to new ideas. Give your best people the first opportunity to access training materials, try their hand at new techniques, and practice advanced skills. Give them access to your most experienced leaders and mentors. And because teaching can help solidify the teacher's own expertise, give them a chance to bring newer people up to speed.

2. Say thank you. Achievers thrive not only on their accomplishments, but also want to feel appreciated for what they contribute. Anyone who shows improvement, solves a problem, or exceeds a target is justifiably proud of what they have accomplished.

They want to know that you are proud, too, and that you appreciate their effort. Public recognition through awards and acknowledgement helps them understand they are valued on the team.  It is easy to send a brief thank you email or make mention at a weekly meeting with a personal comment on their accomplishment and why it matters. A public awards wall with noticeable achievements rewards those who excel and motivates those who are looking to be recognized.

3.  Empower them. Achievers want responsibility. But it can be really hard for a leader to step back and let their people fly solo. It is especially tempting to rush in when they start to stumble or stray off the path.

But most people learn more from their failures then they do successes. Empower your best employees so they can act on their own. If you construct your processes to allow for limited failure, smart employees will step up with creative solutions and learn along the way. Create ways for your people to test their skills safely, without threatening the team or company's prospects. This will relieve you of the pressure to come to the rescue and short circuit the process.

4. Help them enjoy themselves. People want to have fun. Nothing is less motivating than the prospect of 8 hours of drudgery--that's a recipe for a staff that drags in at 8:30 and bolts for the door at 5 on the dot. If you want your staff to bound in early and stay long past dinner time, make work a place they love to be.

Find fun and entertaining ways to accomplish work and celebrate success. Encourage them to enjoy each other's company while working on engaging tasks together. The more an emotional connection exists among the team the more likely they will help each other so they share in the rewards of accomplishment.

5. Help them grow. Some people are perfectly willing to stay in the same position doing the same work for 20 years--their bliss is not in the office. But if your people are showing signs of boredom, fatigue and dissatisfaction, they are definitely in need of stimulation.

They want the opportunity to push themselves, test their own limits, and see what they can accomplish. Give them ways to grow personally and professionally at work. Personal and professional training programs are consistently rated as the most valuable reward high achievers value from their employers. Taking an active interest in someone's personal growth is a thoughtful way. Budget time and resources to make sure each employee grows to their full potential so everyone will see beneficial results.

via inc

Note to Self: Be Aware

Every Friday on his way home from work, alone with his thoughts on Silicon Valley’s Highway 101, Matt would replay the week’s frustrations over in his mind. He wasn’t even consciously aware of what he was doing; it just sort of happened. And every Friday evening like clockwork, he would get a migraine.

For the longest time, Matt couldn’t figure out why in the world he was getting these monstrous headaches after the stressful workweek was over. But he eventually figured out that he was worrying at the worst possible time – when he could do nothing about it. Not exactly the best way to deal with stress.  

Once he became aware that there were problems at work he wasn’t dealing with and started to change that, the migraines magically stopped.

That is, until Matt started having Friday night conference calls with his company’s Asian headquarters. For weeks, he tried to hammer out a huge deal, but his company’s attorneys were being difficult – picking apart every clause of a 20-page agreement. It was incredibly frustrating, but nothing a couple of glasses of wine couldn’t cure.

Sure enough, the following morning, the migraines returned. That went on for a couple of weeks until, once again, the light bulb went off in Matt’s head. Just another issue he wasn’t dealing with as he should.   

While the story does provide a classic example of how not to manage stress, it actually highlights a far bigger issue: self-awareness. Self-awareness – or lack thereof – affects your relationships, career, success, and happiness. And while you might think you know yourself pretty well, when it comes to what really matters, chances are you don’t. 

Back in the 1800s, Henry David Thoreau felt the need to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. He wanted to gain perspective and get to the heart of what life on this planet was really all about.

So he lived a simple life, alone in a cabin in the woods near Walden Pond, for two years, two months, and two days. Then he penned Walden, wherein, among all sorts of brilliant insights on the human condition, he wrote, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.”  

Even then, in a far simpler time, it took an extreme level of solitude and introspection for Thoreau to understand himself and, in so doing, uncover a great secret of the human mind: its ability to burry critical feelings deep beneath layers of thoughts, distractions and other day-to-day noise of modern life.   

And the more we distract ourselves with 24x7 communication and information, the more time we spend with our heads buried in a display – texting, tweeting, posting, linking, liking, playing, updating, viewing and listening – the harder it is to be aware of what’s really going on under the threshold of our conscious minds.  

I’m sure you know the serenity prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. If Thoreau were alive today, he would immediately see the problem with the prayer – that it assumes awareness of these things. And therein lies the rub.   

The truth is, as long as your deepest feelings – the things you so desperately want and fear – remain buried in your subconscious, the harder your mind has to work to deal with everything you’re not willing to come to terms with. And that sort of denial results in undue stress and anxiety, not to mention bad life and business decisions you’ll ultimately come to regret.

That’s why self-awareness is so important. Surprisingly enough, the way to become more self-aware hasn’t changed in centuries. It’s remarkably simple to understand, although it is far more difficult for some to accomplish than others.

When you’re troubled, stressed, anxious, or having trouble with a tough problem or decision, just sit quietly and look inward. Be open to your thoughts and feelings. Let them go where they will. Don’t judge them, just listen and learn. If there is an answer, that’s where you’ll find it.

As for Matt, the sooner he begins to deal with issues in real time instead of worrying about them after the fact, the sooner his stress – and migraines – will subside and his life will get a lot easier. But that’s something he’s going to have to do on his own. Quietly.

via entrepreneur

3 Simple Swaps That Will Make You a Better Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurship is a holistic lifestyle of better health, better ideas and a better lifestyle that you’re working toward. To make those improvements means updating your habits and to change your habits takes commitment and some tricks. One trick that has been helping make change for many is the idea of a swap. From addictions to smoking cessation to weight loss, the idea is that you don’t go cold turkey but you swap out the habit you have for one that’s better.

To be an improved version of yourself, here are some simple daily swaps you can make:

Mind: Swap radio for podcasts or audio books. You’re in the car or at the gym listening to workout mixes or the radio. That’s great and there’s nothing wrong with that kick of motivation when you need it. However, one simple swap you can make is downloading audio books and podcasts instead. This has a few cool ramifications. One is that you’re getting smarter and learning.

Whether it’s a self-improvement book or a business-related podcast, you’re learning during under-utilized times. The second key factor of this swap is by listening to it now in the car, you’re freeing up time later in your schedule when you might otherwise have been reading. Finally, there’s the added benefit that during those podcasts or audio books, you could have major strikes of inspiration that open up where the radio would never have taken you.

Body: Swap out sugary energy drinks for fruit. Avoid the sugar crash that comes from energy drinks and improve your brain function and health by swapping them out for fruit. Fruit can give you the boost of natural sugars and energy you need in a much healthier way. It’s a simple swap that can make a huge difference in your health.

The other added benefit of this swap is that consuming energy drinks can sometimes have the unwanted side effect of keeping you too stimulated -- resulting in poor quality sleep or less sleep. That makes you tired, which makes you want an energy drink the next day. Break the cycle with this simple swap and see your mood and sleep improve.

Spirit: Swap out “can’t” with “how can.” Nothing is more depressing than a bad attitude. Naysayers and downers are no fun to be around. Are you one of them? Stop focusing on “can’t” and start asking yourself and others how it might just be possible. Opening yourself up to the possibility of “how can I?” leaves a lot of space for good ideas and inventive solutions in life and business. It’s a life approach that starts with swapping out your vocabulary and can open you up to possibilities instead of closing doors on ideas.

Can you think of any other simple swaps? Let us know in the comments section.

via entrepreneur

5 Scientific Secrets To Naps That Will Make You Happier And Smarter

NOTE: It was our beloved Muhammad P.B.U.H  way  after lunch's nap of 20 to 40 min boost u for almost 12 hours . 



For many of us, more hours of shut-eye at night just doesn’t seem to be in the cards. Is there anything we can do? Yes.

Naps. Wonderful, glorious naps.

They’re not a full-on substitute for lack of sleep but they can do much more than you think and in less time than you’d guess.

Without them, you’re going to be a mess. Here’s why. 

Wanna Be Dumb And Ugly?

Lack of sleep not only makes you ugly and sick, it also makes you dumb: missing shut-eye makes 6th graders as smart as 4th graders.

And if that’s not enough, lack of sleep contributes to an early death.

Via Night School:

Starting in the mid-1980s, researchers from University College London spent twenty years examining the relationship between sleep patterns and life expectancy in more than 10,000 British civil servants. The results, published in 2007, revealed that participants who obtained two hours less sleep a night than they required nearly doubled their risk of death.

Maybe you think you don’t need all that much sleep. You’re wrong.

Less than 3% of people are actually 100% on less than 8 hours a night. But you feel fine, you say?

That’s the fascinating thing about chronic sleep debt. Research shows you don’t notice it – even as you keep messing things up.

In her TED talk, Sara Mednick, author of Take a Nap! Change Your Life, gives the rundown:

Now here’s the part you’ve probably never heard:

Eight hours might not even be enough. Give people 10 hours and they perform even better.

Via Power Sleep:

Timothy Roehrs and Thomas Roth at the Sleep Disorders Research Center of the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, have demonstrated that alertness significantly increases when eight-hour sleepers who claim to be well rested get an additional two hours of sleep. Energy, vigilance, and the ability to effectively process information are all enhanced, as are critical thinking skills and creativity.

I know what you’re thinking: 10 hours a night? I don’t have time for that. I barely have time to read this post.

Is there a compromise?

Naps.

Can closing your eyes for a few minutes really make that much of a difference? Keep reading.

NASA Says You Should Sleep On The Job

Research shows naps increase performance. NASA found pilots who take a 25 minute nap are 35% more alert and twice as focused.

Via Night School:

Research by NASA revealed that pilots who take a twenty-five-minute nap in the cockpit – hopefully with a co-pilot taking over the controls – are subsequently 35 per cent more alert, and twice as focused, than their non-napping colleagues.

Little siestas helped people across a whole host of measures. Improved reaction time, fewer errors…

NASA found that naps made you smarter — even in the absence of a good night’s sleep.

Via Dreamland: Adventures in the Strange Science of Sleep:

If you can’t get in a full night’s sleep, you can still improve the ability of your brain to synthesize new information by taking a nap. In a study funded by NASA, David Dinges, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and a team of researchers found that letting astronauts sleep for as little as fifteen minutes markedly improved their cognitive performance, even when the nap didn’t lead to an increase in alertness or the ability to pay more attention to a boring task.

Study after study has shown naps boost learning.

Via The Little Book of Talent: 52 Tips for Improving Your Skills:

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, found that napping for ninety minutes improved memory scores by 10 percent, while skipping a nap made them decline by 10 percent. 

And naps make you happier. Studies show we can process negative thoughts quite well when we’re exhausted — just not the happy ones.

Via NurtureShock:

Negative stimuli get processed by the amygdala; positive or neutral memories gets processed by the hippocampus. Sleep deprivation hits the hippocampus harder than the amygdala. The result is that sleep-deprived people fail to recall pleasant memories, yet recall gloomy memories just fine.

What’s not to love? I know. You’re busy. You’ll just have another cup of coffee. Sorry, research shows naps beat caffeine.

So how do you nap the right way? How do you get the results you want with minimal effort? Here’s what science says.

The Perfect Nap For You

Whatever your limitations and desires, there’s a nap for you. Looking at research from Richard Wiseman and the WSJ, here’s a breakdown.

Which one describes what you need?

1) “I Just Need To Be More Alert And Focused”:

Take a 10-20 minute nap. You’ll get a boost in alertness and focus for 2 hours or more, pay off a little sleep debt and even reduce blood pressure.

2) “Brain No Working. Need Smartz”:

Consider a 60 minute nap. You’ll get all the benefits of the 10-20 minute nap while also improving memory and learning.

But be warned: 60 minute naps cause grogginess.

3) “I Want It All, Baby”:

Take a 90 minute nap. This allows your brain to experience a complete sleep cycle.

You’ll get the full whack: increased alertness, memory, learning, creativity and performance — with no post-nap grogginess.

4) “I Don’t Know What I Want But You’ve Scared Me Into Napping And I Don’t Have Much Time”:

Go with 10 minutes. It beat 5, 20 or 30 minute naps in a comparative research study.

5) “I don’t have enough time to tell you how little time I have”:

No nap is too short: “A 2008 study showed that even a nap of a few minutes provided benefits. Just anticipating a nap lowers blood pressure.”

Got more questions? I have answers:

• When is the best time to nap? Salk Institute researcher Sara Mednick generally recommends you nap approximately 6-7hrs after waking.

• Trouble falling asleep? Write down any worries and think positive (but not exciting) thoughts. Trying too hard to sleep is counterproductive.

• Worried you won’t wake up in time? Richard Wiseman recommends a cup of coffee immediately before napping. The caffeine will kick in 25 minutes after you lay down.

Sum Up

We’d all be better off with 10 hours of sleep a night — but that’s not going to happen for most of us.

Naps can boost performance and help make up for some of the problems sleep deprivation can cause.

Learn the sleep secrets of astronauts here and a neuroscientist’s recommendations for the best way to use caffeine here.

In the meantime, see if you can sneak a nap this afternoon. As Groucho Marx once said:

Anything that can’t be done in bed isn’t worth doing at all.

via businessinsider

11 Proven Ways to Improve Your Marketing

You could sit around and wait for inspiration to strike. (It happens sometimes.) But here is a more proactive approach you could take to increase your revenues. Feel free to employ any or all.

1. Conduct tiny experiments.

Your resources are limited and there is no guarantee that even the most brilliant marketing idea will work. That's why you want to hedge your bets, both by trying a number of ideas simultaneously and keeping the cost of each one low. 

2. Place your bets (quickly.)

No, you don't want to lose money.  But, since you are not risking much, you can afford to have some of your marketing experiments fail.  Get your product or service out there fast and let potential customers tell you if you are onto something.

3. Where do you experiment? 

Obviously, in areas where competitors don't exist, or are weak. (There is absolutely no reason to take on an entrenched competitor head-to-head.) Not so obviously, in places where you feel strong. The confidence will help you overcome the inevitable hurdles you will face.

4. Always look for low-hanging fruit (part I).

No customer wants to be entirely dependent on just one supplier, no matter who it is. Ask yourself, what your competitor's customers want. Better yet, ask them--and get yourself a new client.

5. Low-hanging fruit (part II).

It is far easier to build off an existing idea. Yes, it would be great to come up with something that has never existed before in any shape or form.  But if you do, you are going to spend an awful lot of time educating your market about what you have. There is a reason the cliché is "if you build a better mousetrap," and not "if you build a brand new, never been seen before mousetrap."

6. One step at a time. 

Speaking of creating that better mousetrap, be satisfied with making one significant improvement in a product or service. You're bound to make mistakes just attempting one thing--many more if you try to do too much.

7. Let the market do the work for you.

People will tell you what they like, and what they don't, about your product.  Incorporate their ideas with yours.  It's lovely that your favorite color is purple, but if customers--and potential customers--want your product in yellow, give it to them in yellow.

8. Import.

What marketing ideas are working in Modesto, California, that you can try in Marblehead, Massachusetts.  Get on a plane and take a look.

9. Think Small.

Keep looking for limited markets where you have a genuine competitive edge.

10. What is the competition doing right?

They have spent millions to create marketing programs that work.  What can you adapt and use as your own?

11.  Ask customers what they want... and give it to them.

There is no better marketing strategy than that.

via inc

7 Things Really Persuasive People Do

While many people don't like to sell, most find themselves having to persuade someone at some point. Persuasion is not just for salespeople and their prospects. You may try to persuade an employee to perform better, or perhaps you want to persuade your boss to take on your brilliant idea. Often the most effective persuaders are your kids. Somehow they come by it naturally while you, the adult, has to work hard to find the persuasive path to success.

Whatever your persuasive need, here are 7 things that the most persuasive people consistently do:

1. They Are Purposeful

Truly persuasive people understand their power and use it sparingly and knowingly.  They understand that most conversations do not require trying to get someone to do or accept something. Aggressive pushers are a turn-off and will put most people on the defensive. It's the person who rarely asks or argues that ultimately gets consideration when they strongly advocate an idea, especially when they do it with power and persistence.  Simply put, they pick their battles. Want to persuade more? Argue and advocate less often.

2. They Listen ... and Listen ... Then Listen Some More

People who know how to persuade also know that just pushing your own argument will get you nowhere. They certainly are able to articulate their position in a convincing way, but that is only half the equation. They are actively listening when in persuasion mode. First, they are listening to assess how receptive you are to their point of view. Second, they are listening for your specific objections, which they know they'll have to resolve. Last, they are listening for moments of agreement so they can capitalize on consensus. Amazingly persuasive people are constantly listening to you and not themselves.  They already know what they are saying. You can't persuade effectively if you don't know the other side of the argument.

3. They Create a Connection

It's easy to dismiss people who are trying to persuade you if you have no emotional stake in them or their argument. Really persuasive people know this, so they will be likeable and look for common ground to help establish emotional bonds and shared objectives. They show empathy for your position and make it known that they are on your side. They manage their impatience and wait for you to give them permission to advocate their approach. You'll persuade people much more easily if they are open and aligned with your desires.

4. They Acknowledge Credibility

Really persuasive people understand that there is no sense wasting time arguing facts. Most of the world does not function in black and white. They value strong opinions and will make sure that you are entitled to yours. In fact, they will make sure they give you full credit for every argument of yours that has some validity. This makes it harder for you to fully dismiss their point of view. When you are persuading people, reinforce their credibility on facts and opinions rather than dismissing them outright. Then they'll be more likely to pay you equal respect in the exchange and be more open to the merits of your opposing view.

5. They Offer Satisfaction

Smart persuaders know that they don't have to win every little battle to win the war. They are more than willing to sacrifice when it helps the overall cause. They are ready to find the easiest path to yes. Often that is simply to give you what you want whenever possible. In my old lending days, we would often deal with busy underwriters who asked for items we knew they already had. Instead of arguing the point, we would just resend the documents and save our energy for issues that were not so easily resolved. Give ground where you can and hold your ground only where it matters. Choose being successful over being right.

6. They Know When to Shut Up

Successful persuaders get that you don't win the battle by constantly berating people with an unending verbal barrage. Wearing people down is not an effective strategy. They carefully support their arguments and check in with questions that will help to close the conversation. Then they step back. The great sales trainer Tom Hopkins still today teaches these decades-old techniques of his mentor J. Douglas Edwards. His most important lesson is "Whenever you ask a closing question, shut up. The first person who speaks, loses."

7. They Know When to Back Away

Urgency and immediacy are often the enemies of real persuasion. It's possible to close a less significant sale through urgency, but deep ideas require time and thought to take root. Great persuaders bring you along in your own time. And they give you the space and time to carefully consider their position. They know that nothing is more powerful than your persuading yourself on their behalf. That almost never occurs in the presence of the persuader. The next time you want to persuade someone of something truly important, follow the tips above, make your case, and walk away. If they don't come around, you were probably wasting your effort in the first place.

via inc

How Do I Build a Business Plan? (Infographic)

You have a powerful idea for the next big thing, but before you sell it to anyone, you have to get it all down on paper.  It’s time to make a business plan.

How do you know if you’re headed in the right direction? Washington State University created an infographic that provides 10 guidelines to help prospective entrepreneurs organize their thoughts and wow potential investors.    

The infographic details some major questions that aspiring CEOS need to ask themselves like, what problem is my business going to solve, what’s my company’s mission, and what do we do better than anyone else in the market?

But you aren’t quite done yet. A thorough business plan includes who your target demographic is, the conditions of the market you’re entering into and accounts for worst-case scenarios. And of course, there’s the money: how much you need to get going, and where it’s going to come from once your business is up and running.

For more information, like how much funding you’ll need before applying for a small business loan (that’s 30 percent), check out the infographic below. 

6 Practices to Boost Your Chances of Success in Life and Business

We all define success differently. For some, it might be the ability to purchase a nice car or take a fabulous vacation. For others, it might mean being able to provide for one’s family. I think it’s important to take the time to explicitly define what success means to you. And of course, you don’t have to settle on just one definition. 

I’ve been doing some reflecting lately, because my youngest daughter is about to graduate college. It’s an exciting time, but she’s also wracked with nerves, unsure of whether she’s making the right decision in regards to what she does next. Her decision-making process has me thinking about the choices I’ve made over the years -- in particular, what actions have lead me to be the most happy in my personal and professional life.

When I think about my successes, and the successes of my peers, several practices immediately jump out at me. Want to be a successful person? Do the following:

1. Seek out new experiences. It’s easy to get caught up spending your time doing the things you already know you like. If that's all you do, you won’t grow as much as a person. The wider the range of experiences you pursue, the more you will be exposed to different people, lifestyles and perspectives. If you can put yourself in someone else’s shoes, you will have more empathy. Seeking out new experiences means you’re willing to challenge yourself and want to keep learning about the world around you. Those are two keys to success.

2. Abandon your expectations. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that having expectations is a surefire road to disappointment. Why not walk into an unfamiliar situation with an open mind? It’s impossible to be let down if you don’t make assumptions about what should or shouldn’t happen. When you open yourself up to possibility, not necessarily expecting anything immediately or directly in return, amazing things can happen. I’ve been reminded of this time and time again.  

3. Treat everyone you meet with respect. Everyone has something to offer. You’ll be surprised at how many people will be willing to support and follow you if you treat them with respect, regardless of what they’ve achieved or where they are in their life. To be successful, we all need help. It’s impossible to predict who may be able to help you later. People are dynamic. Things change. Don’t miss out an opportunity to befriend someone because you’re too judgmental.

4. Give back. Whether it’s to a charity, a cause you believe in or a stranger who could benefit from your help, there are immeasurable benefits to thinking of others. For one, you’ll become a better and more attentive listener. You’ll focus less on your own shortcomings.

5. Celebrate milestones, large and small. Let me tell you: When you finally achieve that goal that has been eluding you, it won’t feel as great as you imagined it would. That’s been my experience anyway. You’ll be a much happier person if you celebrate each step along the way. If you wait to celebrate that one elusive goal -- you might end up waiting a long time. There’s so much more for you to appreciate. And when you make the time to celebrate milestones, you welcome others -- your friends and family -- to take part in your success.

6. Let go of the past. Mistakes are stepping stones to success. People who are willing to take risks inevitably make mistakes. That’s OK. I’ve learned more from my mistakes than my successes. In fact, I know I couldn’t have been successful without making mistakes. So stop beating yourself up. And in that same vein, try not to be so hard on others.

What’s your personal definition of success? Tell me in the comments section.

via entrepreneur

5 Life Lessons That Will Help You Make Fewer Mistakes

I don’t necessarily consider making mistakes a bad thing, because I’ve learned so much more from them than my successes. If you own up to the mistakes you make and do your best to learn from them, they can be helpful, actually. I like to think of them as necessary evils. 

That having been said, who doesn’t want to make fewer of them? Consider employing these five tips to make fewer mistakes:

1. Follow your gut. Over the years, I’ve learned to trust my instincts, because they’re almost always right. If something doesn’t feel or look right, there’s probably a reason. Do due diligence and look into whatever is concerning you. You know more than you think you do. If it walks like a duck and looks like a duck -- it’s probably a duck.

2. Let time be on your side. Hasty decision-making has been the cause of most of my mistakes. This is especially true when it comes to negotiations. If the party you are negotiating with wants you to make a quick decision -- for whatever reason -- let that serve as a warning. Making good decisions takes time. There will always be seemingly “good” reasons for urgency. I don't buy it. Good decision-making requires perspective, and perspective comes with time. Most decisions can wait.

3. Don’t waste your time on the wrong people. Trying to convince businesses to do something they aren’t currently doing has been a source of angst my entire career. I’ve been selling my inventions for a long time. Over the years, I’ve learned that if I’m selling a variation of an apple, I had better find someone who is buying apples. I’ve spent too much time showing my ideas to people in different industries. The truth is that most people aren’t willing to take a chance on something outside their comfort zone. It’s too hard of a sell -- even if you have a great idea.

4. Realize that some things aren’t meant to be, no matter how much you want them. I’m less of a fighter than I used to be, and that’s a good thing. In the past, when something didn’t go my way, I would focus on working harder. I thought that sheer willpower alone was enough. I know now that it’s not. I’m more accepting these days. Nine out of 10 times, I’m pleased when I let things go. When I look back, I realize things worked out for the best -- perhaps better! If you push too hard, all the time, you’ll end up regretting it. Of course, there’s a fine line between pushing too hard and giving up too easily. It takes time to navigate.

5. Pick up the phone. Miscommunication happens all too easily over email! If you’re ever in doubt, pick up the phone. Email is a very efficient and convenient form of communication. But because it’s so impersonal, your words and intent may be misinterpreted. First, always strive to be as clear as possible, even when you’re in a hurry, and remember to read what you’ve written before you send it. If you sense that a potential conflict may be brewing, pick up the phone and talk it out. It’s worth the minor inconvenience. Many problems can be avoided this way. Relationships are built through dynamic conversations. So make the effort to pick up the phone, and even better, meet the people you are corresponding with in person.

A mistake is really only a mistake if you continue to make it. You’re missing out on an opportunity to be and do better if you don’t analyze yours

via entrepreneur