This post is by Christy Smith of ThinkBlot Communications.

It was just after Thanksgiving that I realized things had gotten out of hand. It started so innocently. An ebook here, a mini-course there, a free whitepaper—I didn’t even notice I had a problem until it was too late.

After downloading yet another purchase onto my computer (a zip file loaded with over 30 different info products), my eyes widened as I realized I had to scroll, scroll, and scroll some more to find the file I was looking for. My “Document” folder had grown fat and rather useless having gorged on a mountain of information products.

I needed to go on a diet.

Knowing how is half the battle

I’ve been on enough weight loss diets to know that the secret of successful dieting is made up of two parts: reducing what’s being taken in, and maximizing your energy output.

When my gluttony of info gathering began, I had the best of intentions. I was going to stuff my head full of so much knowledge and know-how that I’d become a walking encyclopedia.

Instead I was clogging up my computer memory, and since I wasn’t taking action on anything, I was none the wiser either.

My diet plan

I scurry around the internet all day. It seems like every blog you read has something free that you’ll get in exchange for your email address. And it looks like enticingly good stuff. (Those darn copywriting geniuses!)

But if I download something that I never actually read, then the information is nothing but a waste. Even worse, if I do read it but I don’t take action on any of the ideas in it, then it just languishes in my ever-expanding document file.

So I made an agreement with myself.

I would go through item in my document folder and either read the info and act on it, or delete it altogether.

Only after this exercise was complete could I start downloading products again.

Results not typical

I admit: it’s been a bit tortuous.

People are launching products and giving away amazing content all the time. My finger twitches to click that download link. My mind says “Just one more, it’ll be okay.”

But then my Stern Voice of willpower says, “No” and I force myself to navigate away from the object of my desire.

My Stern Voice is able to keep me in line these days for a few simple reasons:

1. My document folder is getting smaller. There were things in there that I didn’t really need. I had gotten them because of the “One Day” factor. I’d be ready for this info “One Day”. I’d want to know more about that thing “One Day”. Once I made the decision to stop living for “One Day” it was easy to see clearly what I could get rid of and not miss.
2. I am getting smarter. I’m forcing myself to work through products that promised to teach me things. When you take a break from that data gathering mode and spend some time implementing things, it’s pretty amazing to see what you can do.
3. I’m getting excited. I forgot how much information I already had access to! It’s a little like uncovering buried treasure. There were so many things gathering dust in that folder that opening a new file is a bit like opening a Christmas present.
4. I realize how far I’ve come. Some of the information that I downloaded six months ago is what I’d consider “entry-level” knowledge now. These are topics that I’ve since gained a lot more knowledge and experience with since then. It’s given me a new found respect and confidence in my skills and abilities.

Stern Voice has also given me a healthy dose of patience. I didn’t gather all of this information overnight, and it’s going to take time to work through all of it. It wouldn’t be fair to just skim it either. I spent some well-earned money on many of them. It’s time to buckle down and be serious.

Ultimately I realized that my information diet was one of the best things I could have done for myself. I forced myself out of the procrastination rut and into doing things that are moving me forward. As with any kind of diet, action speaks louder than words.

Have you ever gone on an Information Diet? What did you learn?

Christy Smith is the Founder and Chief Word Artist of ThinkBlot Communications. As a self-proclaimed Pollyanna, she is always looking on the bright side of any situation. You can find Christy on Twitter at @thinkblotcom.

This post is by Suellen Hughes of www.transforme.com.au

As a marathon runner, I often find myself thinking about my business while I’m out training. Using training time to listen to business related podcasts or work through business challenges is a good use of the time and a nice distraction.

Recently a mentor said to me “running a business is like running a marathon—not a sprint” and that got me thinking about what other lessons I could draw from my running to apply to my business.

There are some obvious similarities like the need to have a vision, long and short term goals, a plan, and the metrics to tell you whether or not you’re on track.

There are also a few less-obvious lessons to be drawn.

Interval training is uncomfortable but worth the pain

Interval training at its most basic involves running at a fast pace, close to maximum exertion, for a short distance, then recovering for a short while, then repeating a number of times, aiming for the same or better pace. It’s also sometimes called Fartlek training—don’t you just love that word?

What’s the benefit?

The main aim of interval training is to improve cardiovascular fitness or Vo2 Max—the body’s capacity to transport and use oxygen during exercise—which is important for running 42.2kms (26.2miles). Without interval training, runners can end up running at the same comfortable pace and they don’t improve. They become what’s known as “one-pace plodders.”

What’s business lesson?

If you want to improve, sometimes you need to get out of your comfort zone.

To improve and grow your business, you need to try new things. This doesn’t mean embracing innovation or change for the sake of it. What it does mean is: add something challenging into the mix. If your business isn’t growing as fast as you’d like, try something different. You might feel uncomfortable, but if you keep doing the same old things year in and year out, you risk stagnating or, worse still, failing.

It’s hard to fit the training in, but if you don’t, you’ll pay the price on race day

Training for a marathon takes a lot of time. Typical marathon training plans start at least ten weeks prior to the event, with some beginning up to 18 weeks beforehand. Although plans vary depending on the runner’s level and goals, they all include a gradual increase in the number of miles covered each week and the duration of “the long run.” For most runners, training includes for or five runs every week, including a long run of three to four hours. Training sessions need to be scheduled.

What’s the benefit?

Having a training plan to follow means that you can work out when you’ll do your training sessions, how long each session will take, and when you need to juggle to fit training around other life events. The training plan has an end goal and a fixed date: the marathon.

What’s the business lesson?

You need to plan and schedule activities to get it all done.

Solopreneurs and small business owners don’t often have (m)any staff to delegate to. There is so much to get done, and it can be overwhelming. Setting short term goals, then scheduling the activities needed to reach them, makes the unachievable seem doable.

If you don’t schedule, then you’ll end up not doing enough, putting off the hard or unpleasant tasks (like chasing payments), or never finding the time to do the critical but less-urgent activities that require a lot of time and determine future success (like creating new products).

Marathons are as much mental as physical

Sure, a marathon runner needs to be in good physical shape. Without the basic physical conditioning, it’s unlikely that the runner will complete the event. However, as all marathon runners tell you, once you hit the 30-35km (18-22miles) mark, it becomes as much a mental game as a physical one.

What’s the benefit?

Being mentally prepared as well as physically capable will result in a successful marathon.

What’s the business lesson?

Having the right mindset is as important as the right skill or product set.

Running a successful business is not only about having the business know-how and the right products and services. It’s also about being mentally prepared; being self-confident in your abilities; being able to talk yourself through the pain of missing out on that big contract; charging what you’re worth; and standing on a stage and asking people to sign up for your program.

Race day conditions are not always ideal but the race goes on anyway

Marathons take place in all weather conditions: torrential rain, heatwaves, snow storms, you name it. Some marathons are road races, others off track. Some are flat, some hilly. Marathons don’t get canceled because it’s a few degrees hotter than ideal. The same should apply to training. Don’t miss a session because it’s raining—use it as an opportunity to test possible race day conditions

What’s the benefit?

Marathons are about endurance. It’s about competing in an extremely physically and mentally challenging event. It’s about finding a way to push through and cross the finish line.

What’s the business lesson?

We need to make our businesses work even when we’re faced with less than ideal conditions.

We might not have the budget to market our business the way we’d like. We might be feeling a bit under the weather the day we have to make that important presentation. We will have our ups and downs. Regardless, we need to find a way to push ahead. You can’t just cancel a product launch, a major customer event, or a new opening because the conditions are not ideal. Push ahead. Find a way to make it work.

There are lots of competitors but you need to run your own race

Arriving on race day at the starting area, you are surrounded by other runners. The line up for the Port-a-Loos (Port-a-Potty) is horrendous! Everyone is all kitted out and looks fit. Your stomach is full of butterflies and the adrenalin starts pumping. The important thing is to run your own race!

What’s the benefit?

It’s easy to get caught up in what others are doing and go out too fast, only to suffer later. You need to stick to your race plan and trust in yourself.

What’s the business lesson?

The only way to compete is to be in the race.

There will always be competitors. Some will be better than us. Some won’t make it. Strong competitors give us something to aspire to. Some will sneak up and overtake us. Someone has to come last, but next year, they’ll be better.

The final word goes not to a runner but to cyclist Lance Armstrong:

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.”

Suellen Hughes is a wife, mother, fit forty something, lover of life, marathon runner and Chief Kick Starter of www.transforme.com.au. She mentors gutsy, motivated people who are fed up with the daily grind, to kick start their own lifestyle change.

This post is by Ali Luke of Aliventures.

Maybe you’re working at a day job which isn’t really “you”. You’re doing it for the money, until something better comes along.

Or maybe you enjoy your work. You’re in a career you love, or you work for yourself. Even so, you still have days when you just want to stay in bed.

Even mundane, low-paid jobs have their good moments. It’s just a matter of finding them. So rather than daydreaming (yet again) about quitting, here are fifteen ways to enjoy your work a bit more.

Focus on you

If you’re not taking care of yourself, you’ll find your motivation dropping towards rock-bottom. Sometimes, enjoying your work means making sure that the rest of life is going strong.

1. Get enough sleep. If you’re regularly feeling tired and groggy, you’ll be struggling to get through your work at all – let alone enjoy it. Try shutting down the computer at 9pm, and reading a book for the rest of the evening; you’ll find it much easier to drop off.
2. Avoid excessive drinking. If you’re feeling bored or stressed at work, it might be tempting to head straight to the bar every evening – but a hangover isn’t going to make you feel any better the next morning.
3. Improve your work space. Is your desk cluttered? Is your office drab and uninspiring? Just tidying up, and perhaps finding some nice wall art, will give you a much nicer working environment.
4. Think positively. Sure, maybe it’s just a “day job” and you’d rather be at home writing your novel. But referring to work as “cubical hell” or to yourself as a “wage-slave” is only going to make you feel worse.
5. Get enough downtime. That probably doesn’t mean napping on the job – but if you run your own business or work long hours for an employer, make sure you’re taking enough time to rest and recharging.

Focus on someone else

Sometimes, it’s much easier to find motivation for your work when you start thinking about the people who you can help. They might be clients, colleagues or even your boss.

1. Go the extra mile. Perhaps a customer emails and asks for help. You could just point them towards the online documentation – but, from their email, you suspect they’ll struggle to find the information that they need. Take an extra five minutes to guide them through it.
2. Say “thank you”. If you’re in charge of a team, or have subordinates reporting to you, remember that a “thank you” can mean a lot more than a paycheck. It also helps you to get into a more appreciative mindset.
3. Think about who you’re helping. In almost any job, you’re helping someone. Perhaps you fix bugs in software. It might seem dull at times – but by solving those problems, you’re making sure that the software’s users have a great experience.
4. Give a colleague a hand. Maybe you’re bored at work because you don’t have enough to do. It’s pretty likely that someone else in the office is feeling under pressure and would love some help. What could you do to make their day easier?
5. Get to know people. If you don’t like your job much, you might feel that you have nothing in common with your workmates. Maybe they’re all a lot older (or younger) than you, or they seem boring. Give them a chance – they might turn out to be a lot more fun than you think.

Focus on Your Work

When your work is going badly, it’s going to be almost impossible to stay positive about your job. You’ll enjoy it more when you feel on top of things. Here’s how:

1. Delegate properly. Hand over tasks which you don’t need to be doing, and give your colleague full responsibility – don’t micromanage. If you work for yourself, consider hiring someone to take on the jobs which you find difficult or tedious.
2. Do your toughest work first. Have you ever put something off for weeks, and found that the longer you put it off, the harder it was to get started? By tackling the “tough” things (whatever you feel resistance to), you’ll make the rest of your day seem easy.
3. Don’t go straight to your inbox. Do you really need to open your emails at 8.30am? Most people will be happy to wait a few hours for a reply. Get on with your important tasks before tackling emails – it’ll make your whole day go more smoothly.
4. Give it your best. If you habitually do as little work as you can get away with, you’re probably not going to feel much sense of satisfaction. Put some effort in, however routine the task, and at least you’ll know that you did a good job (even if no-one else notices).
5. Concentrate. All the distractions and interruptions in a typical office can eat up hours of valuable work time. Close Facebook and Twitter, turn off the new email notifications, and get on with your work – your day will go much more smoothly, and you’ll have a sense of accomplishment at the end of it all.

What are your favorite ways to make work more enjoyable? Share them with us in the comments!

Ali Luke works for herself as a writer and writing coach. Over on her blog Aliventures, she has two resource-packed posts for new freelancers and entrepreneurs: Freelance Writing: Ten Steps, Tons of Resources and Beyond Freelancing: The Shift to Entrepreneur.

This guest post is by Doug Lawrence of TalentC.

Have you been positively or negatively influence by some of the leaders that you have encountered during your career? Has their influence inspired you to take on challenges, or to run away from those challenges? Are you questioning your abilities? Have you, for the most part, accepted a role that is just “okay”?

I had a conversation with a colleague of mine—a very bright and gifted person who I have always felt had the qualities of a great leader. But for some reason, this person didn’t want to take on the role of being a leader, and that troubled me, as good leaders are few and far between. So I started to ask questions, and was somewhat surprised by the answers.

We all go through the first part: my colleague asked, “do I really have the skills to be a leader or manager?” Part of being able to take on this challenge is believing in yourself. You know the self-affirmation that we should all be doing from time to time—“I think I can” and “I knew I could,” which may bring back some storybook memories!

If someone thinks that you have the qualities to be a good leader and is willing to mentor you to help you prepare for these challenges I think that you should jump on board the leadership train and go for it! A good mentor will make sure that you are not being set up to fail.

The second part of our discussion involved learned behavior. My colleague had made observations of certain organizational behaviors that caused this future leader to shy away from leadership roles. Why is that? Working in organizations where alleged “leadership behaviors” fell short of what could be considered desirable had tarnished this person’s view of what a leadership role involved.

In other words, my colleague thought, “I am afraid that if I take on this role, I may become like them, and for me, that’s not acceptable behavior.” It’s interesting to think that leaders can have so much influence on a future leader’s decision to step up to a leadership role, or run the other way. Learned behavior is a difficult thing to change, and it won’t happen overnight.

So what can we do to change all of this? If the organization that you work for accepts “leadership” behaviors that you dislike, it’s probably time to re-evaluate your values and decide whether those behaviors disagree with your values.

If there is a disparity, and the organization isn’t willing to change as a whole, then you have a bigger problem—and some personal decisions to make. Consider the “leadership” behaviors you’re seeing and ask yourself, “What would I do differently in this situation? How can I ensure that I do not develop the behaviors that have turned me against taking on management and leadership opportunities? Am I willing to make a difference? Or will I just go with the flow?”

Sadly, my colleague chose to not pursue leadership opportunities, which is most definitely a loss to the organization that he works for. He will continue to contribute in many other ways, but his organization will face future challenges with one less leader that would have made a difference.

What about you? Are you avoiding leadership roles because of bad examples you’ve seen in the workplace? Do you think you could do things differently? I’d love to discuss your thoughts in the comments.

Doug Lawrence is the founder of TalentC™ – People Services Inc. and has over 30 years of management and leadership experience. TalentC™ provides succession planning/development, mentor programs/training/certification and software/human resources outsourcing as well as job and life coaching. Visit the TalentC™ website and blog at http://www.talentc.ca or contact us for more information through the contact page of our website.

This post is by Kim Murphy.

Dear Dr. Phil and Oprah,

Soon I’ll be back in the workforce. But I want you to know I’ve really enjoyed the time we’ve spent together over the last few months. You’ve been great company while I’ve been at home, trying to decide what new career direction to take.

You’ve helped me structure my days. I don’t usually watch television during the daytime, but I’ve made an exception for you. In the morning, I happily go about my household chores and run errands, knowing Dr Phil will be dropping by at midday followed by Oprah at one o’clock. Not that I necessarily sit glued to the television while you’re on—most days I keep on working, and you’re there in the background while I’m washing or ironing or stacking the dishwasher.

After you’ve finished for the day, I switch off the television and head out to tackle one of the many activities I’ve rediscovered now I’ve got more time. But I often think about what you’ve discussed that day.

You’ve given me information and advice about things I would otherwise never have known. I credit Dr Phil with my knowledge of drug addiction and rehabilitation, a topic regularly discussed on his show. In the unlikely case my husband should turn to drugs, I now feel informed enough to (a) perform an intervention in our home, (b) have my husband admitted to a rehab centre, ideally La Hacienda Treatment Centre in Texas, and (c) avoid becoming an “enabler”, thereby sabotaging my husband’s recovery from addiction.

Likewise, I thank Oprah for introducing me to so many of her good friends. Her favourite interior designer, Nate Berkus, has helped me understand how decluttering my home and installing decent wardrobes can change my life. Her favourite physician, Dr Mehmet Oz, has taught me how to enrich my diet with anti-aging foods, like blueberries and green tea. And her favourite sex therapist, Dr Laura Berman, has reminded me to use the correct anatomical names for my body parts, rather than saying “va-jay-jay” and “botbot.”

These last few months at home have renewed my spirit and helped me reconnect with things I enjoy. I’ve taken classes in creative writing and Swedish massage at my local community college. I’ve put my cookbooks to good use and reignited my passion for cooking. I’ve got to know the shopkeepers in my neighbourhood. I’ve started swimming again.

Yes, I’ve been busy while I reoriented my life and chose a new career path, but when I had a quiet moment, you were always there. And whenever I felt nervous about the future, you reminded me that my concerns are manageable, and my life is rich. Thank you, Dr Phil and Oprah!

Kim

Kim Murphy lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband and two cats. She recently said goodbye to a stressful career in corporate marketing and now works part-time for a small consultancy and studies Swedish massage. Her friends and family take advantage of her new massage skills whenever possible.

Just a few years ago I was one of the most shy, nerdy, and unadventurous guys out there. Today, I travel around the world on a whim, work for myself, and am one of the most social people you’ll come across. When I tell people about my uneventful and unsuccessful past, they laugh like I’m telling some hilarious joke. Most simply don’t believe me.

I can relate to that, since I almost feel as if I’m talking about another person. By no means am I here to brag (I still have a lot I want to conquer); I’m here to do something which, ironically, helped me to live the lifestyle I’m living now: give value. The value I want to put out there today is a “roadmap” of how I completely transformed my life, so you can do the same.

Far more important to my success than the top layer of actions I took to get to this position, were the fundamental beliefs and standards I followed and gave myself from day one. Day one being the day I realized that…

You are 100% responsible for your current life situation

This is the most important job you’ll ever have: to take your life in the direction that you want to take it. You need to be aware that the position you find yourself in right now is completely based on the actions you’ve taken in life.

A lot of people claim their supposed lack of education, good looks, or wealth are what holds them back in life. I like to present the fact that over 50% of CEOs in the UK have no university degrees, mention a three-foot tall man confined to a wheelchair dates models (video), and remind them of the boy from Malawi who built a windmill at 14, then traveled the world giving motivational talks.

These are just three examples. I have dozens more.

Until you realize that every decision (friends, career, social circle, etc.) you’ve made has got you to this point, and every decision you make from this day will take you to the next one, you’ll constantly find yourself passing the blame on to others. Stagnating.

I wanted better for myself than working seven days per week (five in college, two in a clothes store) making $350 per month and just watching TV in my spare time. I knew something had to change, so I literally just did the opposite of what I was doing. I recall the old saying “Keep doing what you’ve always done, keep getting the results you’ve always gotten” coming to mind at this moment in time.

From my own experiences, here’s what I recommend:

Surround yourself with the right people

I didn’t consciously set out to have successful people in my life; it actually happened as a by-product of me going for what I want, and meeting those doing the same along the way. My three closest friends work for themselves, do very well financially, and enjoy the freedom of traveling around the world.

It should be no surprise that if you surround yourself with hard-working people who are in a position you aspire to be in, you’ll naturally pick up the habits and beliefs which make them successful, and incorporate them into your own life.

A test which applies to about 80% of people is to look at the general income of your closest friends. You’ll find, more often than not, that your income brackets are eerily similar. Though I don’t believe money or success is the key to happiness, I believe the freedom to contribute to the world in your way is the most valuable thing anybody can have.

Play to your passions (not strengths)

I don’t recommend that people play to their strengths, as commonly advised, for two reasons. The first is that your strengths are not always around something that you love doing; the second is that your strengths got you to where you are today. So, if you’re not happy with your situation, your strengths probably aren’t that strong.

Your passions, on the other hand, are definitely something to work on. When you’re focused on projects or active in industries that you just love, something amazing happens. The work you produce, in whatever form, is far superior to anything you clearly don’t love.

Have me write an article about knitting, and you’ll see exactly what I mean! Superior work makes you indispensable to companies, friends, and contacts, and ultimately puts you on the greatest path you can be walking.

Remember the game that nobody wins

The game that none of us will ever finish is the game of life. Something that every single one of us has in common is that we’re all going to die. I actually think about death quite a lot, though not in a depressed way. Instead, I think about death in order to inspire myself:

“If this is the only life I’m going to live, I may as well make the most of it.”

There are times when we worry about how our decisions may affect our families, friends, and even our life as a whole. I know I had a lot to think about when I was asked to go and work in South Africa at 18, when I didn’t know a single person there (I’m English).

Ultimately, though, you have to make decisions based on what is going to work out best for you. Is the career path your parents are pushing you down really what you want to see when you look back on your life? Is the short-term pleasure of smoking a cigarette worth the long-term damage it does to your body?

Even if you believe in Heaven, Reincarnation or something else, why not make the most of the reality you currently find yourself in?

Use what works, and disregard the rest

Internalizing these fundamentals was undoubtedly what helped put me on the right path to success, but you don’t have to do the same. If you don’t like one of my ideas, ignore it. If you have a better system, use that. My own beliefs and core values are constantly changing as I grow as a person and learn more about myself and the world we live in.

Don’t just filter through my advice: filter through everything. Look at what is working for you in your situation, and follow through with it. Don’t take things on board which you don’t think will get you to where you want to go.

After all, this life is 100% your responsibility, so it’s entirely up to you how you want to live it.

This post is by Bradford Werner of Classical Guitar Canada.

I teach classical guitar at the Victoria Conservatory of Music in Victoria British Columbia, Canada. I teach about 25 one-on-one students, give lectures on occasion, and coach a few ensembles as well.

One thing I love about teaching is making the study of music a positive experience where learning is exciting, and there is no need to build motivation or discipline because it develops on its own. I think the tenets of this philosophy can be applied with success in other areas of our lives. Let me explain.

1. Just keep practicing

My students have taught me a lot about the importance of routine and consistency. They show up to lessons every week and practice on average 45 minutes to one hour each day. After a year of lessons, they are good little classical guitarists—they’re happy, I’m happy, their parents are happy. All they had to do was practice regularly. They didn’t doubt themselves in their practice sessions because practicing is like brushing their teeth—they just do it every day.

Some of the greatest people in history weren’t the smartest ones or the most talented—they were people who simply did whatever they set out to do. While the rest of us were watching six hours of Star Trek episodes, those guys were out there practicing.

Sometimes when I’m facing challenges in life, I like to think of my students. If I’m being negative or feeling self-doubt I just remember that if I simply do the work I’ll end up with something to show for it.

One of my best students didn’t start as the most promising. When the student came to me she was young, relatively untrained, and rather unfocused too. She joked about in lessons quite a bit and I wasn’t sure she was suited to one-on-one training of the classical kind. But guess what? She stuck with the lessons and so did I. She is now an amazing student and becoming an independent, head-strong musician who practices more than I’d ever ask

In Scott Tenant’s book on classical guitar technique, humorously called Pumping Nylon, he quotes Yoda from Star Wars who sums up the point: “Do or do not, there is no try.”

2. Make your work positive

Youth and adult students often come to the first lesson with fear, insecurity, and a lack of motivation. However, as we get into the groove of weekly lessons, the successful students always find ways to make the grind of practicing enjoyable.

Reward yourself well when you practice or work. It’s not all about self-discipline. Make your practice sessions into something special. I usually treat myself to a gourmet coffee, which I get to drink when I actually sit down to practice. Others might take the time to get away from everyone and have a bit of quiet time just before practicing. Whatever you do, consider making it a habit that will encourage you to sit down and get to work with a smile, because starting is the hardest part.

Here’s another trick (replace these musical references with your own chosen work or activity): make your practice session positive by working on ultra-small amounts of music, but playing well, and exactly the way you want it to sound. If that means only being able to play one tiny bit at a time, then so be it. Choose your ideal aesthetic and make it happen in your playing.

This is a way to make sure you feel good after every session, and a way for you to know that you’re on the right track. Reach your full potential, if only in small amounts—it will become easier to get through more material at this new high level of quality each time your try it.

3. Collaborate and share

Working with others is like having multiple brains working for you at once. When I play in groups, I get exposed to all sorts of new ideas and fresh perspectives. I often see people wanting to hide their ideas and protect their intellectual activity but they slowly become closed-off and secluded. In my teaching studio, the students who play ensemble music are more dynamic, more inspired, have better listening skills, and continue playing for longer periods of time due to the extra stimulation.

I run a website called Classical Guitar Canada, where I post pretty much anything for anyone about their Canadian classical guitar activities. The site makes virtually no money since I don’t run ads. However, by creating a central place to share ideas, I’ve been introduced to nearly all the classical guitar contacts in Canada. I’m now getting invited to adjudicate festivals all over, and it’s been nothing but fun. Plus, all the ideas and interaction really keeps me interested in my profession.

One of the joys of modern technology is that learning tips from others has never been easier. Sometimes, if I need to find a way of making my practice session more efficient, I ask my Facebook friends or the Classical Guitar Canada friends. They always are dying to share their tips and strategies at practicing.

4. Practicing is problem solving

The best students are the ones who don’t repeat their mistakes. That’s one reason why we have teachers. Teachers teach students to learn how to solve problems, and introduce alternative ways of approaching issues based on their own experience.

When I teach students how to practice, I tell them that they must isolate problems and get to solving them right away. Find out what the aesthetic is (the particular sound, style, or ideal) and try accomplishing it in small amounts. Make a list a of your “problems” and tackle them one at a time. If you have a problem either professionally or personally you need to solve it a.s.a.p. or it will waste your precious time again and again.

5. Be efficient and realize your potential

The great classical guitarist John Williams once said that as a child he only practiced 30 minutes a day. John Williams is one of those flawless players whom I would have expected to have been a strung-out child addicted to practice by age five. But instead, he only practiced 30 minutes a day? I can only imagine that during those 30 minutes he used his time ultra-wisely. I tell my students that you don’t have to practice very much, but you do have to practice very well.

After a student recital last year, I complimented one of my young students on how well they played. It was their first year of playing and first public performance in their life. They were only practicing about 15 minutes a day at the time (now they are up to 45 minutes). They replied to my compliment with, “I didn’t know I could do that!”

My teaching has taught me these tenets of success. What has your experience showed you about learning, improving, and achieving what you want?

Bradford Werner blogs about the classical guitar at Classical Guitar Canada and just started blogging about teaching, life, and the arts on www.bradfordwerner.ca.

This post is by Kirsten Simmons of Multi-Passionate.

Last week, five inches of snow topped by an inch of ice kept my movements confined within a 500-yard radius of my front door.

We’ll pause here so those of you from colder climes can laugh at the large metropolitan city that went into a winter storm with a grand total of ten snow plows and no salt. Done now?

As I was saying, Atlanta’s ice storm singlehandedly cleared my week.

At first, I was excited. “I’ll finish the layout for my new ebook, write the sales page, set up a guest posting campaign to market it, write enough blog posts to get me through the next semester, and go through that book on infectious disease modeling and research that website my supervisor wants me to make,” I thought.

Then, round about mid-week, I hit something of a low. “I still haven’t sent those pitch emails, the modeling book is buried under papers on my desk, I’ve hit a dead end with the website, and I haven’t had a substantial conversation with another human in over 24 hours!”

This continued for about a day, until I realized what was going on and did two things that made all the difference.

I went out and found some human contact

I watched the parking lot until I saw someone come out, then suited up and picked my way across the ice to say hello. We ended up talking for a good twenty minutes, and it turns out he owns a local jewelry gallery and gave me some great advice on marketing my line. But even if it had just been a ten-minute conversation about the weather, the roads, and the continuing lack of ice removal, it would have had the intended effect—I needed human contact to anchor my own life in reality.

I made a list of everything I had done.

You know what? It was a pretty long list. I finished creating a value packed ebook with a snazzy layout; I wrote my first ever sales page, and created a website and a banner to go with it; I reached out to the only other person in my niche to discuss a potential partnership; I read two books and my backlog of Bloomberg Businessweek and National Geographic; I cooked so much food that I ran out of Tupperware; and I spent some time participating over at the Third Tribe forums, where I appear to have made some connections that will last me well into the future.

Not too shabby. And that was just the list from the middle of the week—with four more iced in days to go.

So the next time you feel like beating yourself up about what you haven’t accomplished yet, make a list of what you have. You may well find that your accomplishments add up to more than you think they do.

Kirsten Simmons is the polymath behind Multi-Passionate and Written Insight. Her new e-book, The Multi-Passionate Resume Manual teaches polymaths how to use their passions to create a compelling job application and bypass the entry level.