Category Archives: Positive Thinking

Ten Minute Virtuoso Tip: Do One Small Thing Today

I talk to a lot of people who want to: learn a new skill start a new hobby improve a professional skill begin a creative project absorb and retain some new information Nearly all of these people contact me because … Continue reading →

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Make More Time: News Blackout

Here’s a simple and effective way to create more time in your day: Stop paying attention to the news. You can choose how to do your news blackout: Total news blackout. No exposure to the news whatsoever. Limited news blackout. … Continue reading →

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Resources to Deal with Perfection

In yesterday’s blog post, I listed 8 strategies to help you overcome being a perfectionist. Today, I’m giving you a handful of resources for exploring this topic more. If you’re interested in learning more or getting a new perspective, try … Continue reading →

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8 Ways to Overcome Perfectionism

Perfectionism. Is it a wonderful attribute to have? Is it a defect? There are definitely times when doing something less than perfect can be disastrous. For instance, figuring out the location of a planet two years from now so you … Continue reading →

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Question Your Brain: Attentional Bias

Here’s another Brain Bias that affects you, me, everyone we know, and every other person on earth: Attentional Bias. We are all affected by what we most pay attention to and think about. Our very perception of what is real … Continue reading →

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SMARTER Goals: A Recap

My SMARTER Goals system moves beyond the SMART Goals system in a crucial way: While SMART goals are great for planning, SMARTER goals give you two extra steps that actually get you started doing the needed work to achieve your … Continue reading →

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SMARTER Goals: R is for Rewarded

The final letter in my SMARTER Goals system is a second R. This one stands for “Reward.” Rewards Motivate You Carrots and Sticks. This is the central metaphor we use when talking about extrinsic motivation – that is, something outside … Continue reading →

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SMARTER Goals: E is for Enabled

In my SMARTER Goals system, “E” stands for “Enabled.” Enabling a Goal Has Two Components 1) You will probably need to change something in your life to enable yourself to achieve this goal. Carve out specific time to work on … Continue reading →

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SMARTER Goals: T is for Timed

Dreams vs. Goals There are a lot of great quotes about the difference between dreams and goals. Here are some of my favorites: A goal is a dream with a deadline.Napoleon Hill A goal without a deadline is just a … Continue reading →

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SMARTER Goals: R is for Risky

In the traditional SMART Goals system, the “R” stands for “realistic.” That meant: set up goals that you actually have a shot at achieving. Be realistic and don’t dream of things that are actually physically impossible, like thinking you’ll teach … Continue reading →

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