All situations that happen to you in life have no inherent meaning. You are the one who signs a meaning, seeing a situation through a certain frame. With cognitive reframing, you can change the way you look at something and consequently change how you experience it. That kind of an approach enables you to implement the ancient wisdom that you can’t always control what happens to you, but you can certainly control how you react to different situations – no matter how tough your position might be. And that’s the ultimate power you always possess. If you want to change something, be it how you fe ..read more

No matter how big or small a failure is, failing sucks. Period. It’s true that you can learn much more from failure than from success, and it’s true that every successful person went through a series of failures before reaching the top, but still … winning is sweet, and failing sucks. The problem with failure is that if it’s not managed properly, it can do serious damage to your life or potential. A big improperly managed failure can get you financially or emotionally bankrupt, stuck in the comfort zone forever, or even cause you to quit when success is just around the corner. That’s why I dec ..read more

Several years ago, in the supermarket where I most often buy groceries, I picked up some packaged food, looked at the nutrition facts label and said to myself: “I want to know exactly what these numbers mean”. I’m so happy I did that, because learning about macronutrients (proteins, carbs, fats) was some of the most valuable knowledge I ever acquired about dieting. So, I want to share with you, in a very structured and simple way, all the important basics of macronutrients that every single person should know. Among many other things, learning how to read nutrition fact labels and understandin ..read more

It might surprise you, but going to a conference can be a huge waste of time. It’s absolutely fun to meet new people at conferences, get a little bit motivated by enthusiastic speakers, acquire new knowledge, drink cocktails at the after-event parties and so on, but… It can be much more productive to acquire knowledge by enrolling into an online course, to perform a targeted sales call rather than meet random people at a conference, and to have fun with people you really deeply care about. I don’t want to be a killjoy, but being out of the office for The post Is going to a conference a waste o ..read more

Don't be obsessed with constantly checking daily news. News is history. It already happened. You have almost zero influence on it. The quality of reporting is always questionable. Information in the news is more or less only negative. You don’t want to feed your mind with negative things. Remember, if you want to co-create the future, you need to empty your mind, clear your schedule, and focus on your own visions and goals. You have to feed your mind with creative and useful things. You should make your own news, you should work so well that nobody can’t ignore you, not even the media. That sh ..read more

As human beings, we’re all wired to build deep connections with other people. We can’t survive without being connected. But we need to be really connected, not only communicate superficially. Poor online communication can never replace real connection. Real connection happens when you spend time with people in person (fully present) and you devote your full attention to them. Real connection happens when you open up to people, actively listen to them, when you show you care about them and being available without interruptions and distractions. Instant messaging apps are a good add-on to regula ..read more

Social networks have become an important part of our everyday lives. Around half of the world’s population use social media, with an average of 2 hours and 23 minutes spent per day on social media. Rare are the people who are not yet hooked on social networking. And it's no secret that social networks can be a big waste of time. Thus I have deactivated and reactivated my social networks many times in the past. But at some point, I stopped bouncing back and forth, decided to keep my social networks active, and to take a really smart approach towards social network management. The post How to ma ..read more

Constant interruptions from people and devices are one of the biggest productivity killers. The most challenging interruption to manage from a relationship point of view are your superiors (bosses, managers etc.); or your clients, if you are an entrepreneur. It’s hard to say “no”, “go away” or “leave me alone, I have work to do” to your boss or to a client. It also wouldn’t make sense to say anything like that. As always, you need to take a smarter approach. In this video you will lean a few possible approaches to make sure your boss lets you work in peace. The post A boss who constantly inter ..read more

Research shows that more than 50% of meetings are unnecessary. People do it to socialize, feel important, share opinion, avoid decision making, and so on. Not to mention, you usually have to commute to a meeting destination, make small talk with all the participants, everybody is on their phones during the meeting, and so on. Meetings really can get in the way of you doing real work. Learn a few core tips how to run a productive meeting. The post A few core tips to run productive meetings appeared first on AgileLeanLife ..read more

One big phenomenon that I notice when people have to deal with email is email guilt. To be honest, even I used to suffer from email guilt. So, let’s look at what guilt is and how it can cripple your email efficiency. Guilt occurs when you feel that you violated your moral standards. Guilt can be a useful feeling, until it escalates out of proportion and becomes overactive. Many people suffer from an overactive conscience or false guilt. False guilt always looks for people to please and rules to keep. You won’t believe it, but false guilt can also be shown when it comes to email. The post What ..read more