Every once in a while I feel overwhelmed with how much I have to do. This includes, work, life goals, daily chores, and other things. At these times, it seems like I start procastinating cause I don't know where to start, and where to end. I am not sure how to deal with these situations, and what type of mentality is needed. Although, I know that I will get through the situation, it is very stressful at the time.
So, how do you guys deal with situations like this? How do you deal with stressful situations, and feelings of being overwhelmed? How do you not lose your cool, and maintain your composure?
I am very curious to know...cause I'm sure everyone has their own way.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Who cares? Neanderthal November & Festivus 2007
Not sure if you guys heard, but last month was Neanderthal November. Some friends from Canada, whom I haven't seen in over 10 years decided to throw me a surprise visit in Chicago. I got an e-mail on Thursday morning letting me know that they were coming up on Friday afternoon. It was a great visit and fantastic to see them again. One of these friends introduced me to a ritual event that they have back in Calgary, Canada. This event is called Neanderthal November and consists of being a Neanderthal (not shaving at all) throughout the entire month of November.I thought to myself that this was a brilliant idea and also wanted to challenge myself to see if I can do it. If I can stop caring of what others think of me, and stop caring of what I look like.
After weeks of itching, scratching, growing, and assault, the Neanderthal November beard was complete. Low and behold, here it is in the picture. (Man is it ugly)
When the month came to an end, I had truly learned that I don't care what others think of me, or what I look like. In addition, I decided to prepare myself for another yearly ritual (Festivus - House Party of the year - great times guys) by shaving all of my beard except for the moustache. This brought the ball game of 'looking and feeling cheesy' to a whole new level."You are a human being and as long as you are doing something in good spirit and with good intentions, as long as you are not harming another, then it is worth doing." - N.K. (Neanderthal Kamil)
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Tom Mackenzie Interview - 2007 Chicago Marathon
In 1997, an eager 19 year old had a vision, and a goal. While overlooking Lake Michigan he thought to himself, "I am going to run a marathon before the age of 30 because it will show my hard work and dedication towards fitness." As the years passed, Tom Mackenzie remembered this goal and accomplished it on October 7, 2007 while running the 2007 Chicago Marathon.
Tom is the lead programmer on the Market Risk Team at Bank of America. He is a highly motivated and competitive individual. I got a chance to interview Tom about his experience, and intriguing goal pursuit. I have paraphrased his responses for clarity purposes.
What were you expecting after you fulfilled this goal and ran the marathon?
"I believed that running a marathon would show my commitment to staying fit, and boost my confidence in different areas of my life. For example, I believed that running a marathon would motivate me to be more productive in other areas of my life."
What did you realize while you were preparing for the marathon?
"One of the toughest, and weirdest, realizations I had was that you are born on your own and you die on your own. No one is going to fulfill your goals for you, you have to get off your a$$ and do it yourself. The sooner you accept this fact the better off you'll be." Tom spent approximately two hours per day, four days per week preparing. There were situations where he depended on people to be there for him, was let down, and eventually became mentally phased, and depressed on that particular training.
I agree with Tom completely. I believe that people are our biggest asset, but can also be a huge liability. People may be obstacles, and can diverge our plans if we allow them to.
"Some other troubles that I encountered while running was that my short-term goals were too ambitious and unrealistic. I was trying to run fast times for the short lags, and found that this ended up hurting me because I would be sore for the following day, and would have to take it off."
Surprisingly, Tom rarely thought about the end-goal (The Marathon), he stayed in the present and would think about the current day. So the end-goal was in his subconscious to do whatever needed to be done. When the marathon was coming closer, then he started thinking about this actual run, and realizing that he was truly going to fulfill the goals he set as a teenager. In addition, he thought of the end-goal when he was having a tough time getting motivated to run his daily race.
How was the actual marathon?
"The race was brutal. It was 90 degrees, and people were dropping like flies. I experienced some heat-exhaustion symptoms and had to start walking for part of the race. There were ambulances everywhere and people were laying all over the place. Three quarters through the race, they announced that the marathon was cancelled, but this was only a strategy to get the injured people to stop running/walking. I continued on my course."
How did you feel after you crossed the finish line?
"I felt sick, hot, and exhausted. I finished the race in 5:30:43, and my goal was to do it in under 4:00:00 hours. I don't feel that I completed my goal, and I don't think I would do it again. The marathon was not anything that I expected."
As Tom believed that running a martahon would not only help him reach his goal, but would also be a catalyst in other ares of his life. Hopefully it would spark ambition in his work life, and help him focus more intensely on his job, and/or other opportunities. In the end, the confidence was not boosted in the external world, but was increased in the marathon running world, where he saw that focusing on one thing so intensely, only made one better at that one thing, and atrophy in other areas of your life.
When we originally set out goals, it is to venture into lands, and emotions that we have not experienced before. A goal is a dream with a deadline. Thus, we don't set a goal to learn how to drive a car if we already know how to do it. We set goals in areas we haven't experienced before. However, by setting goals in areas where we are not experienced, we have a preconceived notion of what the results are, and what they are going to bring to us. In Tom's case he thought it would bring him confidence in other areas of his life, but it didn't really do that. It only made him a better long distance runner. We assume that something is reality, and have associations with certain things in our life and what they mean to us, but this is not true.
Tom is the lead programmer on the Market Risk Team at Bank of America. He is a highly motivated and competitive individual. I got a chance to interview Tom about his experience, and intriguing goal pursuit. I have paraphrased his responses for clarity purposes.
What were you expecting after you fulfilled this goal and ran the marathon?
"I believed that running a marathon would show my commitment to staying fit, and boost my confidence in different areas of my life. For example, I believed that running a marathon would motivate me to be more productive in other areas of my life."
What did you realize while you were preparing for the marathon?
"One of the toughest, and weirdest, realizations I had was that you are born on your own and you die on your own. No one is going to fulfill your goals for you, you have to get off your a$$ and do it yourself. The sooner you accept this fact the better off you'll be." Tom spent approximately two hours per day, four days per week preparing. There were situations where he depended on people to be there for him, was let down, and eventually became mentally phased, and depressed on that particular training.
I agree with Tom completely. I believe that people are our biggest asset, but can also be a huge liability. People may be obstacles, and can diverge our plans if we allow them to.
"Some other troubles that I encountered while running was that my short-term goals were too ambitious and unrealistic. I was trying to run fast times for the short lags, and found that this ended up hurting me because I would be sore for the following day, and would have to take it off."
Surprisingly, Tom rarely thought about the end-goal (The Marathon), he stayed in the present and would think about the current day. So the end-goal was in his subconscious to do whatever needed to be done. When the marathon was coming closer, then he started thinking about this actual run, and realizing that he was truly going to fulfill the goals he set as a teenager. In addition, he thought of the end-goal when he was having a tough time getting motivated to run his daily race.
How was the actual marathon?
"The race was brutal. It was 90 degrees, and people were dropping like flies. I experienced some heat-exhaustion symptoms and had to start walking for part of the race. There were ambulances everywhere and people were laying all over the place. Three quarters through the race, they announced that the marathon was cancelled, but this was only a strategy to get the injured people to stop running/walking. I continued on my course."
How did you feel after you crossed the finish line?
"I felt sick, hot, and exhausted. I finished the race in 5:30:43, and my goal was to do it in under 4:00:00 hours. I don't feel that I completed my goal, and I don't think I would do it again. The marathon was not anything that I expected."
As Tom believed that running a martahon would not only help him reach his goal, but would also be a catalyst in other ares of his life. Hopefully it would spark ambition in his work life, and help him focus more intensely on his job, and/or other opportunities. In the end, the confidence was not boosted in the external world, but was increased in the marathon running world, where he saw that focusing on one thing so intensely, only made one better at that one thing, and atrophy in other areas of your life.
When we originally set out goals, it is to venture into lands, and emotions that we have not experienced before. A goal is a dream with a deadline. Thus, we don't set a goal to learn how to drive a car if we already know how to do it. We set goals in areas we haven't experienced before. However, by setting goals in areas where we are not experienced, we have a preconceived notion of what the results are, and what they are going to bring to us. In Tom's case he thought it would bring him confidence in other areas of his life, but it didn't really do that. It only made him a better long distance runner. We assume that something is reality, and have associations with certain things in our life and what they mean to us, but this is not true.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Principle 3 : Arouse in the other person an eager want
I give piano lessons to my neighbors every Tuesday, there are two 5-year old boys and their 7-year-old brother. There are times throughout the lesson when they will become bored, tired and frustrated. At these points in time I ask the one I'm teaching "Odysseus, what would you like to learn? or, what do you enjoy most about piano lessons?" Whatever the boys answer, I let them know that they are in control and we will do what they like now. Their idea of learning, and fun during piano is a little different than mine; however, I must compromise and give them what they want or else we will all end up unhappy.
Every act you have ever performed since the day you were born was performed because you wanted something. This includes donating $1,000 anonymously to the Red Cross. Why? Because if you found that money was more precious then the feeling of charity, then you would have kept the money.
Since we understand this premise as the foundation of the principle, it is safe to say that whenever we talk to anyone, we are better of talking about what they want, and helping them to get it. So, you can influence, and make a person want to do something by understanding what they want out of a situation.
Find out what they want and truly needed by simply asking "what do you want out of this?"
According to Dale Carnegie, here is one of the best bits of advice ever given about the fine art of human relationships :
"If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person's point of view and see things from that person's angle as well as from your own." - Henry Ford
Get out there and learn what other want and need.
Every act you have ever performed since the day you were born was performed because you wanted something. This includes donating $1,000 anonymously to the Red Cross. Why? Because if you found that money was more precious then the feeling of charity, then you would have kept the money.
Since we understand this premise as the foundation of the principle, it is safe to say that whenever we talk to anyone, we are better of talking about what they want, and helping them to get it. So, you can influence, and make a person want to do something by understanding what they want out of a situation.
Find out what they want and truly needed by simply asking "what do you want out of this?"
According to Dale Carnegie, here is one of the best bits of advice ever given about the fine art of human relationships :
"If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person's point of view and see things from that person's angle as well as from your own." - Henry Ford
Get out there and learn what other want and need.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
We vs I
"I made turkey dinner for everybody."
The turkey dinner "you" made was not made by "you." It was made by the gardener who picked the potatoes, the butcher that killed the turkey, as well as the lady who milked the cow. "You" helped in preparing it.
"You" have not done a single thing in your life without someone else's help.
Stop stressing on the word "I" and begin using "we" cause "you" have not done a single thing in your life without someone else's help. Think about that.
Life is a team sport. We help eachother. Lets keep it that way.
The turkey dinner "you" made was not made by "you." It was made by the gardener who picked the potatoes, the butcher that killed the turkey, as well as the lady who milked the cow. "You" helped in preparing it.
"You" have not done a single thing in your life without someone else's help.
Stop stressing on the word "I" and begin using "we" cause "you" have not done a single thing in your life without someone else's help. Think about that.
Life is a team sport. We help eachother. Lets keep it that way.
Principle 2 : Give Honest and Sincere Appreciation
I get my feeling of importance by beeing included within a group. This is actually one of my strengths and weaknesses : "Harmony." I get my importance when a team depends on me and when people do well because of my help.
For example, I was a four year point guard while playing basketball at Saint Xavier University. I always got more of a rush by making an assist than scoring a basket, this was something that stimulated me, I wanted the other guys to succeed b/c of my help. On the contrary, I feel worthless when a team doesn't include me in something, or forgets to make any recognition of my efforts.
This strength/weakness defines who I am, what I stand for, and my character type. Some people feel important from being famous, others get it from making a lot of money, and others get it from WINning.
HOW DO YOU GET YOUR FEELING OF IMPORTANCE? or
WHAT CAN SOMEONE DO TO MAKE YOU 'NOT FEEL IMPORTANT'?
STOP......really think about these questions.......
A profound philosopher , John Dewey, said that the deepest urge in hman nature is "the desire to be important." It ranks up there with Health, Food, Sleep, the things money will buy, and sexual gratification.
So, the point is to find out what makes others feel important, and pay attention to their improvements and changes in these areas. When the right time presents itself and you see an improvement in these areas make sure to give compliments and sincere appreciation.
You're probably saying "if I give too many compliments and appreciation it'll seem fake." This is where the distinction of appreciation and flattery is made. If you are giving compliments and don't truly mean them, then that will be flattery.
Dale Carnegie mentioned "The difference between appreciation and flattery? That is simple. One is sincere and the other insincere. Once comes from the heart out; the other from the teeth out. One is unselfish; the other selfish. One is universally admired; the other universally condemned.
We want to stop thinking about ourself 100% of the day, and take 5% of each day and listen to someone else's points. At this time we can truly appreciate who they are, and what they're saying.
True Appreciation from Dale Carnegie Story:
Once upon a time, a woman was involved in a self-improvement program at her church. She asked her husband to help her by listing six things he believed she could do to help her become a better wife.
He reported to the class : "I was surprised by such a request. Frankly, it would have been easy for me to list six things I would like to chnage about her--my heavens, she could have listed a thousand things she would like to change about me--but I didn't. I said to her, 'Let me think about it and give you an answer in the morning.'
"The next morning I got up very early and called the florist and hand them send six red roses to my wife with a note saying : 'I can't think of six things I would like to change about you. I love you the whe way you are.'
"When I arrived at home that evening, who do you think greeted me at the door? That's right. My wife! She was almost in tears. Needless to say, I was extremely glad I had not criticized her as she had requested.
"The following Sunday at church, after she had reported the results of her assignment, several women with whom she had been studying came up to me and said, 'That was the most considerate thing I have ever heard.' It was then I realized the power of appreciation."
Who will you give roses to today? Who will you listen to today?
"Every man I meet is my superior in some way. In that, I learn of him." - Emerson
For example, I was a four year point guard while playing basketball at Saint Xavier University. I always got more of a rush by making an assist than scoring a basket, this was something that stimulated me, I wanted the other guys to succeed b/c of my help. On the contrary, I feel worthless when a team doesn't include me in something, or forgets to make any recognition of my efforts.
This strength/weakness defines who I am, what I stand for, and my character type. Some people feel important from being famous, others get it from making a lot of money, and others get it from WINning.
HOW DO YOU GET YOUR FEELING OF IMPORTANCE? or
WHAT CAN SOMEONE DO TO MAKE YOU 'NOT FEEL IMPORTANT'?
STOP......really think about these questions.......
A profound philosopher , John Dewey, said that the deepest urge in hman nature is "the desire to be important." It ranks up there with Health, Food, Sleep, the things money will buy, and sexual gratification.
So, the point is to find out what makes others feel important, and pay attention to their improvements and changes in these areas. When the right time presents itself and you see an improvement in these areas make sure to give compliments and sincere appreciation.
You're probably saying "if I give too many compliments and appreciation it'll seem fake." This is where the distinction of appreciation and flattery is made. If you are giving compliments and don't truly mean them, then that will be flattery.
Dale Carnegie mentioned "The difference between appreciation and flattery? That is simple. One is sincere and the other insincere. Once comes from the heart out; the other from the teeth out. One is unselfish; the other selfish. One is universally admired; the other universally condemned.
We want to stop thinking about ourself 100% of the day, and take 5% of each day and listen to someone else's points. At this time we can truly appreciate who they are, and what they're saying.
True Appreciation from Dale Carnegie Story:
Once upon a time, a woman was involved in a self-improvement program at her church. She asked her husband to help her by listing six things he believed she could do to help her become a better wife.
He reported to the class : "I was surprised by such a request. Frankly, it would have been easy for me to list six things I would like to chnage about her--my heavens, she could have listed a thousand things she would like to change about me--but I didn't. I said to her, 'Let me think about it and give you an answer in the morning.'
"The next morning I got up very early and called the florist and hand them send six red roses to my wife with a note saying : 'I can't think of six things I would like to change about you. I love you the whe way you are.'
"When I arrived at home that evening, who do you think greeted me at the door? That's right. My wife! She was almost in tears. Needless to say, I was extremely glad I had not criticized her as she had requested.
"The following Sunday at church, after she had reported the results of her assignment, several women with whom she had been studying came up to me and said, 'That was the most considerate thing I have ever heard.' It was then I realized the power of appreciation."
Who will you give roses to today? Who will you listen to today?
"Every man I meet is my superior in some way. In that, I learn of him." - Emerson
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Principle 1 : Don't Criticize, Condemn or Complain
I am currently reading "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie . In each chapter there is a lesson to be learned, I will explain them here - Lesson 1.
"God himself does not propose to judge man until the end of his days," why should you and I?
Abraham Lincoln mentioned "Don't criticize others; they are just what we would be under similar circumstances." Put yourself in someone else's shoes before you criticize them, and understand why they make the decisions that they do. Criticizing and pointing the finger is the easy way out, DON'T BE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
People justify their actions 99.9% of them time, so criticizing them will only higher their defenses, wound their pride and way of thinking. An example of this is one of Al Capone. Mr. Capone, the most notorious gangster in the US, considered himself a public benefactor - an unappreciated and misunderstood public benefactor. When criticized, he justified actions by stating that he was helping people that couldn't act for themselves. Al was one of those people in the 99.9% when he was justifying his actions.
Next time, before you criticize or condemn someone, remember that they will justify their actions in their head, and no progress will be made. The best way to approach a situation like this is to give constructive feedback, and try to understand them, and their situation.
The book mentions a great way to handle these situations : "B.F. Skinner, the world-famous psychologist, proved through his experiments that an animal rewarded for good behavior will learn much more rapidly and retain what it learns far more effectively than an animal punished for bad behavior. Later studies showed that the same applies for humans. By criticizing, we do not make lasting changes and ofter incur resentment."
Finally, repeated again in Dale's words : "Instead of condemning people, let's try to understand them. Let's try to figure out why they do what they do. That's a lot more profitable and intriguing than criticism; and it breeds sympathy, tolerance and kindness. To know all is to forgive all."
Lesson 1 : Don't criticize, condemn or complain.
A great poem to help us remember this lesson, Father Forgets
"God himself does not propose to judge man until the end of his days," why should you and I?
Abraham Lincoln mentioned "Don't criticize others; they are just what we would be under similar circumstances." Put yourself in someone else's shoes before you criticize them, and understand why they make the decisions that they do. Criticizing and pointing the finger is the easy way out, DON'T BE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
People justify their actions 99.9% of them time, so criticizing them will only higher their defenses, wound their pride and way of thinking. An example of this is one of Al Capone. Mr. Capone, the most notorious gangster in the US, considered himself a public benefactor - an unappreciated and misunderstood public benefactor. When criticized, he justified actions by stating that he was helping people that couldn't act for themselves. Al was one of those people in the 99.9% when he was justifying his actions.
Next time, before you criticize or condemn someone, remember that they will justify their actions in their head, and no progress will be made. The best way to approach a situation like this is to give constructive feedback, and try to understand them, and their situation.
The book mentions a great way to handle these situations : "B.F. Skinner, the world-famous psychologist, proved through his experiments that an animal rewarded for good behavior will learn much more rapidly and retain what it learns far more effectively than an animal punished for bad behavior. Later studies showed that the same applies for humans. By criticizing, we do not make lasting changes and ofter incur resentment."
Finally, repeated again in Dale's words : "Instead of condemning people, let's try to understand them. Let's try to figure out why they do what they do. That's a lot more profitable and intriguing than criticism; and it breeds sympathy, tolerance and kindness. To know all is to forgive all."
Lesson 1 : Don't criticize, condemn or complain.
A great poem to help us remember this lesson, Father Forgets
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Quote of the day
"Everything can be taken from a man but ...the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."
-Viktor Frankl
-Viktor Frankl
Friday, October 12, 2007
Power of Teams (Quote)
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world . . . Indeed it's the only thing that ever has."
- Margaret Mead
- Margaret Mead
Love + Vocation = Success
"And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy."
-Khalil Gibran
The only way you can be successful is by finding a vocation you love and are passionate about. Otherwise it will be very difficult for you achieve high levels of success. If you do not know what your true calling is, it may be beneficial to stop everything you're doing and lock yourself in a room until you find out. Spending a week locked in your room is nothing compared to wasting years engaging in meaningless activities.
-Khalil Gibran
The only way you can be successful is by finding a vocation you love and are passionate about. Otherwise it will be very difficult for you achieve high levels of success. If you do not know what your true calling is, it may be beneficial to stop everything you're doing and lock yourself in a room until you find out. Spending a week locked in your room is nothing compared to wasting years engaging in meaningless activities.
Integrity and Business Success
There is strong correlation in the level of integrity one has and their net worth. An excellent example is Warren Buffet. He is one of the only Billionaires to make his billions investing in stocks through not only sound business fundamentals (value investing) but through strong moral judgements of character. Money is invested in corporations that are not only profitable but whose management possess high levels of integrity and respect for both their employees and shareholders.
Warren puts it very nicely in the following quote:
“You can't make a good deal with a bad person”
-Warren Buffet
Warren Buffet is one of many examples that prove morality makes good business sense. The books by Thomas Stanley that document his research of Millionaires are filled with numerous examples. I am by no means saying that you should be “good” so that you can get money but that money is actually a bi-product of being good and having a high level of integrity.
We at cameesa (our new venture) possess a reverence for our customers, investors and anyone our company touches and hold them in the highest regard. Our product’s ultimate goal is to create opportunities for others that were not present before by leveraging community based business models. We believe in sustainable, team-oriented business models where everyone in the community benefits and that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We also believe that the only way to conduct business in today’s competitive landscape is with honesty and integrity. It is extremely hard for us to believe it can be conducted in any other fashion.
If any of the aforementioned beliefs are corrupted, the business should cease operations immediately regardless of growth or profitability because it won’t survive the test of time.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Relationship between Courage and Confidence
I was recently listening to "On Being A Man" by David DeAngelo and heard something very interesting. He mentioned that a person cannot gain confidence and competence, if they don't encounter courage in their quest.
This makes perfect sense. When we do something for the very first time in our life, we have no experience, thus low, or no, confidence in it. Think of the first time you got onto your bicycle, you were not confidet that you could ride a bike. Thus, if it wasn't for courage, you would have never climbed up onto that seat. Courage put you in the face of danger, learning, pain, and ultimately experience in bicycle riding. Then, as your experience grew, so did your confidence, and you were a bicycle-riding maniac.
What are some other situations where you had used your courage? Did they improve your confidence? Where do you stand with these types of situations today? One recent experience in my life was the writing of this blog. I had zero experience, and low confidence in writing a Self-Development blog. But, as I gained couraged and put myself out there, I began to open up to people. Today, I am writing regular posts of how I am improving and what I am learning on a daily basis.
So, if you're scared or not confident in something, you must find courage first. Then, just do it.
This makes perfect sense. When we do something for the very first time in our life, we have no experience, thus low, or no, confidence in it. Think of the first time you got onto your bicycle, you were not confidet that you could ride a bike. Thus, if it wasn't for courage, you would have never climbed up onto that seat. Courage put you in the face of danger, learning, pain, and ultimately experience in bicycle riding. Then, as your experience grew, so did your confidence, and you were a bicycle-riding maniac.
What are some other situations where you had used your courage? Did they improve your confidence? Where do you stand with these types of situations today? One recent experience in my life was the writing of this blog. I had zero experience, and low confidence in writing a Self-Development blog. But, as I gained couraged and put myself out there, I began to open up to people. Today, I am writing regular posts of how I am improving and what I am learning on a daily basis.
So, if you're scared or not confident in something, you must find courage first. Then, just do it.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Stop Being Average
Just a quick point : people go through their mundane/boring lives with no direction and no improvement. What did you learn today? Who did you meet today? Stop being average.
In which part is your competitor lacking? Take that and execute on it like it's nobody's business. What does your competitor not know? Learn that and use it to your advantage.
Stop being like every one else. Model someone/something that is very successful, and even excel on their goals. Period.
Stop sucking, and start kicking ass. (This includes me at this moment)
In which part is your competitor lacking? Take that and execute on it like it's nobody's business. What does your competitor not know? Learn that and use it to your advantage.
Stop being like every one else. Model someone/something that is very successful, and even excel on their goals. Period.
Stop sucking, and start kicking ass. (This includes me at this moment)
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Disagree Agreeably
I am currently taking a Dale Carnegie Training Course. Last Wednesday, I learned a very beneficial lesson in my life, how to disagree agreeably. I notice myself turning people's ideas down constantly. How do you know if you are disagreeing with someone's opinion? Well, if you EVER use the words 'but', 'however', or 'nevertheless' in your sentences, then you are opposing one's idea. For example, Phil said "Hey Kamil, I like that new song on the radio by Matchbox 20," and I respond "I do too Phil, BUT......" Notice how everything I say is worthwhile until I use the word, BUT, then I end up disagreeing with everything Phil has just said.
So, while in training I learned to never use the word but : here is a small table of how disagreements should and should not be delivered :
Step 1) CUSHION : After the person speaks you cushion their opinion by saying "I hear you saying...", "I understand...", or "I appreciate your view..."
Step 2) USE : The words "and", "also", "in addition", or just a after your CUSHION.
Step 3) EXAMPLE : Use an example to let the person know where you're coming from with your opinion.
Step 4) YOUR OPINION : Deliver your open-ended opinion, after you have used all of the three steps.
Prior to 'Step 1' you should think about what you're going to say. Always ask yourself before speaking, "What do I think?" "Why do I think that?" "What evidence do I have?"
Once you become good at this process, I am guessing that you will be more open-minded to many ideas, since you will be thinking about what the other person is saying.
So, while in training I learned to never use the word but : here is a small table of how disagreements should and should not be delivered :
Step 1) CUSHION : After the person speaks you cushion their opinion by saying "I hear you saying...", "I understand...", or "I appreciate your view..."
Step 2) USE : The words "and", "also", "in addition", or just a
Step 3) EXAMPLE : Use an example to let the person know where you're coming from with your opinion.
Step 4) YOUR OPINION : Deliver your open-ended opinion, after you have used all of the three steps.
Prior to 'Step 1' you should think about what you're going to say. Always ask yourself before speaking, "What do I think?" "Why do I think that?" "What evidence do I have?"
Once you become good at this process, I am guessing that you will be more open-minded to many ideas, since you will be thinking about what the other person is saying.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
My focus determines my mood
Whatever you are consistently focusing on, determines your mood. Majority of this theory has been taken from Anthony Robbins and flourished with my thoughts/ideas.
For example, pretend that you are at a party with a video camera, and you are constantly video-taping a couple fighting with each other. The moment you leave that party, you will think to yourself, "man, that party was intense everyone was fighting, no one got along." Or, if you record people doing keg-stands all night, you will leave the party thinking that it was a debacle.
Another example that strengthens this theory is the following: For the next 20 seconds, look around the room, and look for everything that is brown, then close your eyes. Although, you probably can't read this with your eyes closed, after you look for everything brown, name all the things that you saw that were green. You got tricked. This is the same principle with focus. When you focus on the brown in life (the feces) you will miss out on the green (the real life).
What does this mean you ask? It means that when we focus on one thing so intensely, we delete other things, and put ourselves in the state of what we are focusing on. We tend to delete or just forget about things that we are not focusing on. So, how should you start focusing on other things? The answer is simple, ask yourself the right questions.
Have you ever been in a situation where you ask yourself, "why do I have to do this" or "why me"? Well, these diabolical 'why' questions only put you in a deeper state of frustration and anger. Next time you are in one of these situations, ask yourself, "how do I complete this job, and learn from it?" or "how can I enjoy this process?"
Whatever you ask your brain, it will find the answer to.
Negative Question : Why am I always so tired? Answer : Cause I stay up late every night.
Negative Question : Why am I always late? Answer : Cause I don't have my priorities straight, and can never make up my mind in what's important.
Positive Question : Why am I so lucky? Cause I have a positive attitude and am willing to take risks.
Positive Question : Why do I have such great friends? Cause I am very selective about who I associate with, and am a great judge of character.
Therefore, if you want to learn from every situation, ask yourself the positive questions. What can I learn from this situation? What do I respect about this person? What's funny about this that I don't notice? Why is my life so great?
Have fun with your mind, and enjoy.
For example, pretend that you are at a party with a video camera, and you are constantly video-taping a couple fighting with each other. The moment you leave that party, you will think to yourself, "man, that party was intense everyone was fighting, no one got along." Or, if you record people doing keg-stands all night, you will leave the party thinking that it was a debacle.
Another example that strengthens this theory is the following: For the next 20 seconds, look around the room, and look for everything that is brown, then close your eyes. Although, you probably can't read this with your eyes closed, after you look for everything brown, name all the things that you saw that were green. You got tricked. This is the same principle with focus. When you focus on the brown in life (the feces) you will miss out on the green (the real life).
What does this mean you ask? It means that when we focus on one thing so intensely, we delete other things, and put ourselves in the state of what we are focusing on. We tend to delete or just forget about things that we are not focusing on. So, how should you start focusing on other things? The answer is simple, ask yourself the right questions.
Have you ever been in a situation where you ask yourself, "why do I have to do this" or "why me"? Well, these diabolical 'why' questions only put you in a deeper state of frustration and anger. Next time you are in one of these situations, ask yourself, "how do I complete this job, and learn from it?" or "how can I enjoy this process?"
Whatever you ask your brain, it will find the answer to.
Negative Question : Why am I always so tired? Answer : Cause I stay up late every night.
Negative Question : Why am I always late? Answer : Cause I don't have my priorities straight, and can never make up my mind in what's important.
Positive Question : Why am I so lucky? Cause I have a positive attitude and am willing to take risks.
Positive Question : Why do I have such great friends? Cause I am very selective about who I associate with, and am a great judge of character.
Therefore, if you want to learn from every situation, ask yourself the positive questions. What can I learn from this situation? What do I respect about this person? What's funny about this that I don't notice? Why is my life so great?
Have fun with your mind, and enjoy.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Who Am I? My 5 Greatest Successes.
My name is Kamil Chmielewski and I was born in Dabrowa Bialostocka, Poland, where both of my parents were doctors. My family decided that it would be best to flee communism and escape Poland.
In 1988, my family escaped to Palma De Mallorca, Spain, hoping to one day end up in the land of freedom, the ol' US and A. We stayed in Spain for two years and lived through poverty as we ate sugar sandwiches, and had the fortune to eat 25 cent popsicle-sticks every Sunday. In the interim, my dad was a painter and my mom was taking care of the three of us. Monika, my beautiful, intelligent, older sister and my younger, evil-plotting brother, just kidding Seb. After two years of struggling, we received a Polish church sponsor in Canada and took the opportunity to move there.
We moved to Oakville, Ontario at the end of 1989, where we would grow up in a healthy, caring and loving family. During this time, my father would have to re-take ALL medical exams and re-start from scratch in order to become a doctor again. We were all raised playing sports, and keeping out of trouble for the most part. Aside from my prankster brother picking up poo and throwing it into bars, and me getting intoxicated, and caught, at a high school dance.
November 16, 1998 came before we knew it, and my father was offered an MD position in College Station, TX. This would be a great opportunity for me because I could take my basketball game to the next level (no offense but Canadian basketball was a little weaker than US b-ball).
After high school, I received a basketball scholarship to Saint Xavier University on the South Side of Chicago, where I would have to transition from being a shooting-guard my entire life to becoming a point guard. The transition was not very easy, so I spent a lot of time on the bench learning life's lessons. I was a undergraduate major in Computer Science because I always enjoyed math, and solving problems. Being in Chicago, and away from my family, has helped grow a great appreciation for my parents and siblings, which have had a great influence on me. My father has created the drive in me, my mother has created the caring, my sister has created the openness and harmony in me, and my brother has created the computer-scientist in me. For this, and them, I am grateful.
Afer graduation, in 2004, I applied to a few universities for my Masters education in Computer Science, and was surprisingly denied at Texas A&M University, but accepted at The University of Chicago. I decided to pursue my masters education at UofC; freakishly, I learned more about Computer Science in 13 months than I did in four years at SXU.
I am currently, and have been since November 2005, a web programmer for Bank of America. It is a position that has taught me a great deal. Moreover, I have learned more about myself and what I want to become in the last two years, than I did the first 24 years of my life.
My interests, passions and enjoyments include, in no particular order : people, self-improvement, improvement-of-others, basketball, learning, programming, music, and Yoga.
Lesson:
Whenever you are feeling down, or low in confidence think back of the 5 greatest successes in your life, and why you should be energetic, and vitalized. The 5 greatest successes of my life include : 1) Playing University basketball; 2) Receiving a Masters degree from The University of Chicago; 3) Receiving a phenomenal programming job with the Bank of America; 4) Living in 4 countries, and being able to adapt to any living situation, especially living alone after high school; and, 5) success of staying healthy and having a great family, and caring, close friends.
What are your 5 greatest successes? Have they made you who you are today? Do you sometimes forget them and take them for granted? Feel free to talk about yourself also.
In 1988, my family escaped to Palma De Mallorca, Spain, hoping to one day end up in the land of freedom, the ol' US and A. We stayed in Spain for two years and lived through poverty as we ate sugar sandwiches, and had the fortune to eat 25 cent popsicle-sticks every Sunday. In the interim, my dad was a painter and my mom was taking care of the three of us. Monika, my beautiful, intelligent, older sister and my younger, evil-plotting brother, just kidding Seb. After two years of struggling, we received a Polish church sponsor in Canada and took the opportunity to move there.
We moved to Oakville, Ontario at the end of 1989, where we would grow up in a healthy, caring and loving family. During this time, my father would have to re-take ALL medical exams and re-start from scratch in order to become a doctor again. We were all raised playing sports, and keeping out of trouble for the most part. Aside from my prankster brother picking up poo and throwing it into bars, and me getting intoxicated, and caught, at a high school dance.
November 16, 1998 came before we knew it, and my father was offered an MD position in College Station, TX. This would be a great opportunity for me because I could take my basketball game to the next level (no offense but Canadian basketball was a little weaker than US b-ball).
After high school, I received a basketball scholarship to Saint Xavier University on the South Side of Chicago, where I would have to transition from being a shooting-guard my entire life to becoming a point guard. The transition was not very easy, so I spent a lot of time on the bench learning life's lessons. I was a undergraduate major in Computer Science because I always enjoyed math, and solving problems. Being in Chicago, and away from my family, has helped grow a great appreciation for my parents and siblings, which have had a great influence on me. My father has created the drive in me, my mother has created the caring, my sister has created the openness and harmony in me, and my brother has created the computer-scientist in me. For this, and them, I am grateful.
Afer graduation, in 2004, I applied to a few universities for my Masters education in Computer Science, and was surprisingly denied at Texas A&M University, but accepted at The University of Chicago. I decided to pursue my masters education at UofC; freakishly, I learned more about Computer Science in 13 months than I did in four years at SXU.
I am currently, and have been since November 2005, a web programmer for Bank of America. It is a position that has taught me a great deal. Moreover, I have learned more about myself and what I want to become in the last two years, than I did the first 24 years of my life.
My interests, passions and enjoyments include, in no particular order : people, self-improvement, improvement-of-others, basketball, learning, programming, music, and Yoga.
Lesson:
Whenever you are feeling down, or low in confidence think back of the 5 greatest successes in your life, and why you should be energetic, and vitalized. The 5 greatest successes of my life include : 1) Playing University basketball; 2) Receiving a Masters degree from The University of Chicago; 3) Receiving a phenomenal programming job with the Bank of America; 4) Living in 4 countries, and being able to adapt to any living situation, especially living alone after high school; and, 5) success of staying healthy and having a great family, and caring, close friends.
What are your 5 greatest successes? Have they made you who you are today? Do you sometimes forget them and take them for granted? Feel free to talk about yourself also.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Confidence
I have a few random thoughts today, but will finish up with what I really want to talk mention.
I apologize for being rude and not introducing who I am and what I do. I will post a post....ha....discussing my history, interests, and background this weekend. In addition, I wanted to mention that a lot of the material that I write about is not my own work. It is probably an audiotape I am currently listening to, or a book I am reading. As my good friend Rick Pitino once said, "try to improve every day, if you are taking your wife on a date, pretend that it is the first date you have ever been on together." Well, I improve every day by reading/listening to something and then writing about it.
Anthony Robbins believes that every person he meets is his superior to him in some way, and vice versa. As we grow up, we focus on certain tasks and become skilled and specialized in them. In which skills are you Tony's "superior"? Personally, I am Anthony's superior in technology. I am a very good programmer, and problem solver when it comes to solving Object-Oriented design (programming lingo).
Anyways, about confidence. Confidence is a state of mind, and not an experience. Can a person be confident in something that they have never done? Definitely. For example, focus on something you've never done before, like flying a kite. Do you feel confident that you could fly a kite? The answer is probably yes, even if you've never done it. Why? Well, you can probably picture someone flying a kite, whether it is a cartoon or in real life, and remembering that it is not a difficult feat.
A confidence exercise I recently learned : Stand up and raise your right hand until it is parallel to the ground, and point forward with your index finger. 1) With your feet planted in one place, turn your body clockwise until it doesn't turn anymore, without hurting yourself of course. 2) Return your body to the original position and lower your hand. 3) Close your eyes and without actually doing it, in your mind, picture yourself raising your hand and turning your body clockwise but this time move a little further, then come back to original position. 4) Still with your eyes closed, picture yourself doing the same thing but turning your body 3/4 around, then come back to center. 5) Next, still with your eyes closed, visualize yourself raising your right hand and turning clockwise all the way around, yes a full 360 degree circle, and come back to center. 6) Finally, open your eyes, and now actually raise your right hand again and turn your body clockwise as far as you can, and then come back to center.
What did you notice? Majority of people turn 1/3 further than the first time. What does this mean? It means that when you visualize something, you can become more confident without even knowing so. Whenever you are doubtful in a situation, just visualize yourself in the situation and go through the motions if you were to execute through the situation FLAWLESSLY.
In other words, if you are afraid of approaching the opposite sex, and the situation comes up. Just picture yourself in the situation, and imagine what it would be like if you approached him/her and the conversation was flawless. When you're done visualizing, open your eyes back up (some people in the grocery store may think you're weird, but that's okay) and JUST DO IT. Thus, visualization boosts confidence because it brings us one step closer to success.
I apologize for being rude and not introducing who I am and what I do. I will post a post....ha....discussing my history, interests, and background this weekend. In addition, I wanted to mention that a lot of the material that I write about is not my own work. It is probably an audiotape I am currently listening to, or a book I am reading. As my good friend Rick Pitino once said, "try to improve every day, if you are taking your wife on a date, pretend that it is the first date you have ever been on together." Well, I improve every day by reading/listening to something and then writing about it.
Anthony Robbins believes that every person he meets is his superior to him in some way, and vice versa. As we grow up, we focus on certain tasks and become skilled and specialized in them. In which skills are you Tony's "superior"? Personally, I am Anthony's superior in technology. I am a very good programmer, and problem solver when it comes to solving Object-Oriented design (programming lingo).
Anyways, about confidence. Confidence is a state of mind, and not an experience. Can a person be confident in something that they have never done? Definitely. For example, focus on something you've never done before, like flying a kite. Do you feel confident that you could fly a kite? The answer is probably yes, even if you've never done it. Why? Well, you can probably picture someone flying a kite, whether it is a cartoon or in real life, and remembering that it is not a difficult feat.
A confidence exercise I recently learned : Stand up and raise your right hand until it is parallel to the ground, and point forward with your index finger. 1) With your feet planted in one place, turn your body clockwise until it doesn't turn anymore, without hurting yourself of course. 2) Return your body to the original position and lower your hand. 3) Close your eyes and without actually doing it, in your mind, picture yourself raising your hand and turning your body clockwise but this time move a little further, then come back to original position. 4) Still with your eyes closed, picture yourself doing the same thing but turning your body 3/4 around, then come back to center. 5) Next, still with your eyes closed, visualize yourself raising your right hand and turning clockwise all the way around, yes a full 360 degree circle, and come back to center. 6) Finally, open your eyes, and now actually raise your right hand again and turn your body clockwise as far as you can, and then come back to center.
What did you notice? Majority of people turn 1/3 further than the first time. What does this mean? It means that when you visualize something, you can become more confident without even knowing so. Whenever you are doubtful in a situation, just visualize yourself in the situation and go through the motions if you were to execute through the situation FLAWLESSLY.
In other words, if you are afraid of approaching the opposite sex, and the situation comes up. Just picture yourself in the situation, and imagine what it would be like if you approached him/her and the conversation was flawless. When you're done visualizing, open your eyes back up (some people in the grocery store may think you're weird, but that's okay) and JUST DO IT. Thus, visualization boosts confidence because it brings us one step closer to success.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Personal Goal #4 - Self-Development Blog - How and Why
Have a Blog On Self-Development - How and Why
Fast-forward to 888 :
I have been writing in a self-development blog for one year. I have posted information on social, financial, career and other miscellaneous improvement. People have been a great motivation to my writing because I want to reach out and teach them. However, you know which people enjoy being taught, and vice versa.
Back to September 12, 2007. 10 reasons Why I Write In a Self-Development Blog
1) Learn from others on different subjects
2) Teach others the material that I am learning on a daily basis
3) Will help me retain the information I am learning b/c I am writing about it
4) Realize a new lesson as I am writing about a particular subject
5) Create a positive pressure on me, where people see my goals
6) Love talking, and writing, about self-improvement
7) Improves my confidence when I can open up to others
8) Improve my writing skills
9) Acts as a good conversation topic
10) Allow to hear other people's opinions/advice/questions on self-improvement matters
11) Contact people I haven't heard from in a long time
Well, that's it for my Four Yearly Goals. I will print these on an 8x11 sheet of paper, frame it, and hang it on my wall. I am determined to achieve all four of these goals. Stick around and see.
888. 1) Cameesa. 2) PM. 3) Own a home. 4) Self-Development Blog On A Weekly Basis.
Fast-forward to 888 :
I have been writing in a self-development blog for one year. I have posted information on social, financial, career and other miscellaneous improvement. People have been a great motivation to my writing because I want to reach out and teach them. However, you know which people enjoy being taught, and vice versa.
Back to September 12, 2007. 10 reasons Why I Write In a Self-Development Blog
1) Learn from others on different subjects
2) Teach others the material that I am learning on a daily basis
3) Will help me retain the information I am learning b/c I am writing about it
4) Realize a new lesson as I am writing about a particular subject
5) Create a positive pressure on me, where people see my goals
6) Love talking, and writing, about self-improvement
7) Improves my confidence when I can open up to others
8) Improve my writing skills
9) Acts as a good conversation topic
10) Allow to hear other people's opinions/advice/questions on self-improvement matters
11) Contact people I haven't heard from in a long time
Well, that's it for my Four Yearly Goals. I will print these on an 8x11 sheet of paper, frame it, and hang it on my wall. I am determined to achieve all four of these goals. Stick around and see.
888. 1) Cameesa. 2) PM. 3) Own a home. 4) Self-Development Blog On A Weekly Basis.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Personal Goal #3 - Owning my first place in Chicago - How and Why
Own my first place in Chicago - How and Why
Fast-forward to 888 :
I own my first place of residence in Chicago. It is a spacious bachelor pad, with a large balcony that overlooks the gorgeous Lake Michigan. It is a 2-bed & 2-bath, with a large living room, modern kitchen, a play-room, and an education-room. I have a 21' x 21' bedroom, with a king-sized bed, a Mac with a 27" monitor that is used both as a television, and my work/personal computer. The residence is entirely carpeted and people have to take off their shoes when they enter the home. We hold an annual barbecue to celebrate our health, friends, and happiness. After our barbecue, we go out for a night of dancing at the Green Mill, and then, of course, have a huge slumber party, South-Side Chicago style.
Back to September 11, 2007. 10 reasons Why I Want to Own A Home.
1) Great investment
2) Stop paying for rent
3) Start my permanent life in Chicago
4) Owning my first home
5) Will feel 1 step closer to success, in terms of wealth
6) All fixes, and upgrades are done for a benefit
7) Make my own rules, and renovate how I want
8) Learn about real estate investing at an early age
9) Self-pride out of owning a home
10) Higher confidence
11) Feel more successful
888. 1) Cameesa. 2) PM. 3) Own a home.
Fast-forward to 888 :
I own my first place of residence in Chicago. It is a spacious bachelor pad, with a large balcony that overlooks the gorgeous Lake Michigan. It is a 2-bed & 2-bath, with a large living room, modern kitchen, a play-room, and an education-room. I have a 21' x 21' bedroom, with a king-sized bed, a Mac with a 27" monitor that is used both as a television, and my work/personal computer. The residence is entirely carpeted and people have to take off their shoes when they enter the home. We hold an annual barbecue to celebrate our health, friends, and happiness. After our barbecue, we go out for a night of dancing at the Green Mill, and then, of course, have a huge slumber party, South-Side Chicago style.
Back to September 11, 2007. 10 reasons Why I Want to Own A Home.
1) Great investment
2) Stop paying for rent
3) Start my permanent life in Chicago
4) Owning my first home
5) Will feel 1 step closer to success, in terms of wealth
6) All fixes, and upgrades are done for a benefit
7) Make my own rules, and renovate how I want
8) Learn about real estate investing at an early age
9) Self-pride out of owning a home
10) Higher confidence
11) Feel more successful
888. 1) Cameesa. 2) PM. 3) Own a home.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Personal Goal #2 - Becoming a Project Manager - How and Why
Become a Project Manager - How and Why
Fast-forward to 888 :
I am the Project Manager of a small team of people. We are a intelligent, dedicated, self-improving and provide under-budget solutions in a timely manner. I have taken a class in Project Management and have read numerous books on the Agile Process. The team believes in the agile process strongly because we feel that it allows everyone to participate in the process and keeps a tightly-knit group. Everyone has an opinion and the group benefits from this. The group is unstoppable and there is not a single task that we cannot achieve together. A concept that we strongly believe in is the concept of synergy : the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Let us know if you need any type of software solution and we will provide it.
Back to September 10, 2007. 10 reasons Why I Want to Become a PM.
1) I am an extrovert
2) A PM position matches my 5 strengths (positivity, harmony, relation, consistency, and woo)
3) I want to have more of an influence on a team and its environment
4) I want to meet more people
5) I greatly enjoy creating software solutions as a team
6) I will learn more people-focused lessons
7) I will be more responsible for developing others
8) The position is more interchangeable across industries
9) Create pride in people and boost their self-confidence
10) Provide personal/social solutions for the group
888. 1) Cameesa. 2) PM.
Fast-forward to 888 :
I am the Project Manager of a small team of people. We are a intelligent, dedicated, self-improving and provide under-budget solutions in a timely manner. I have taken a class in Project Management and have read numerous books on the Agile Process. The team believes in the agile process strongly because we feel that it allows everyone to participate in the process and keeps a tightly-knit group. Everyone has an opinion and the group benefits from this. The group is unstoppable and there is not a single task that we cannot achieve together. A concept that we strongly believe in is the concept of synergy : the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Let us know if you need any type of software solution and we will provide it.
Back to September 10, 2007. 10 reasons Why I Want to Become a PM.
1) I am an extrovert
2) A PM position matches my 5 strengths (positivity, harmony, relation, consistency, and woo)
3) I want to have more of an influence on a team and its environment
4) I want to meet more people
5) I greatly enjoy creating software solutions as a team
6) I will learn more people-focused lessons
7) I will be more responsible for developing others
8) The position is more interchangeable across industries
9) Create pride in people and boost their self-confidence
10) Provide personal/social solutions for the group
888. 1) Cameesa. 2) PM.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Personal Goal #1 - The Company (Cameesa) - How and Why
Me:
Thanks to your input, I have decided to a) explain my goals in detail, b) explain why I want to achieve my goals, and c) change my deadline for my yearly goals.
Simple things first : I want to change my goals deadline to August 8, 2008 (8/8/8) because it is a more memorable number, and I think it'll help both my conscious, and sub-conscious.
Next, I would like to explain each of my goals in detail, and why I want to achieve them. I will write these explanations as if today was '888' .
The Company (Cameesa) - How and Why
I am the co-owner of a small, web-based company that facilitates graphical designers in promoting, and profiting from, their art-work. This company, Cameesa, has a phenomenal work environment, a user-base of 100+ consistent users, and an unforgettable user community experience. Cameesa understands, and runs, its daily operations with all sectors in mind : technology, marketing, finance, operations, and law. We trust each other, our customers, and our partners heavily. In addition, we understand that our primary goal is to make our customers happy, and have a WIN-WIN attitude for all parties involved.
Our company environment is very lenient and stresses that family, spirituality, and personal needs should usually come before work. Every employee in the company has a personally-written statement of what their contribution, goal, and role to the company is; also, how their position fits with Cameesa. This personal statement takes months, if not years to write, and is framed, and hung, by the employee's work place where they see it every day. Moreover, they employees revise the statement on a monthly basis if they choose to. Our company has every Friday during the summer off, and recommends for each employee to take 25% time of their work-day, and use it for self- or company-development.
Cameesa is very open, always enjoys a challenge, and is constantly stimulating the mind. "Cameesa : create, invest, buy"
Back to September 8, 2007. 10 reasons Why Cameesa?
1) Giving us freedom to do whatever we want
2) Providing us with great financial benefits
3) Creating our own work hours
4) Giving us a great sense of pride that we have created our own company
5) Working, and making decisions for ourselves
6) Creating our own work-environment
7) Respect
8) Working together to make decisions
9) Developing others, and ourselves
10) Strong community
11) Taking care of our own baby
There it is. How, and Why? See you before '888' Cameesa.
Also, since I'm talking about Cameesa I will run a quick promotion. ha.
Let us know if you know of any phenomenal graphic designers, including yourself, that want help in promoting their artwork...we promise them......drum roll.......fame and fortune.
Happy beautiful Saturday.
Thanks to your input, I have decided to a) explain my goals in detail, b) explain why I want to achieve my goals, and c) change my deadline for my yearly goals.
Simple things first : I want to change my goals deadline to August 8, 2008 (8/8/8) because it is a more memorable number, and I think it'll help both my conscious, and sub-conscious.
Next, I would like to explain each of my goals in detail, and why I want to achieve them. I will write these explanations as if today was '888' .
The Company (Cameesa) - How and Why
I am the co-owner of a small, web-based company that facilitates graphical designers in promoting, and profiting from, their art-work. This company, Cameesa, has a phenomenal work environment, a user-base of 100+ consistent users, and an unforgettable user community experience. Cameesa understands, and runs, its daily operations with all sectors in mind : technology, marketing, finance, operations, and law. We trust each other, our customers, and our partners heavily. In addition, we understand that our primary goal is to make our customers happy, and have a WIN-WIN attitude for all parties involved.
Our company environment is very lenient and stresses that family, spirituality, and personal needs should usually come before work. Every employee in the company has a personally-written statement of what their contribution, goal, and role to the company is; also, how their position fits with Cameesa. This personal statement takes months, if not years to write, and is framed, and hung, by the employee's work place where they see it every day. Moreover, they employees revise the statement on a monthly basis if they choose to. Our company has every Friday during the summer off, and recommends for each employee to take 25% time of their work-day, and use it for self- or company-development.
Cameesa is very open, always enjoys a challenge, and is constantly stimulating the mind. "Cameesa : create, invest, buy"
Back to September 8, 2007. 10 reasons Why Cameesa?
1) Giving us freedom to do whatever we want
2) Providing us with great financial benefits
3) Creating our own work hours
4) Giving us a great sense of pride that we have created our own company
5) Working, and making decisions for ourselves
6) Creating our own work-environment
7) Respect
8) Working together to make decisions
9) Developing others, and ourselves
10) Strong community
11) Taking care of our own baby
There it is. How, and Why? See you before '888' Cameesa.
Also, since I'm talking about Cameesa I will run a quick promotion. ha.
Let us know if you know of any phenomenal graphic designers, including yourself, that want help in promoting their artwork...we promise them......drum roll.......fame and fortune.
Happy beautiful Saturday.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
My Four Yearly Goals
Lesson:
So, I'm sure we've all heard about having to write down our goals, and also giving them a deadline. Question : Why is writing our goals, and giving them a deadline so important?
Well, writing them does not mean "writing them and putting them in your dresser", it means writing them and being able to see them EVERY DAY. Why? Looking at your goals every single day will embed them into your smart little brain, actually your subconscious mind. And what happens when something gets into your subconscious? You start to feel it, live it, and believe it. The day that you start dreaming about your goals will be the day that they get into your subconscious mind (which is a good thing).
I don't quite understand the deadline aspect just yet, do you guys? I think that deadlines form a sense of urgency, and help measure progress in the future.
Me:
Anywho, today is September 6, 2007 and I have been thinking of different areas of my life that I would like to improve.
By September 6, 2008 I will :
- Own a company (Personal)
- Be a Project Manager, currently I am a web developer (Career)
- Own my first place of residence in Chicago (Fun/Materialistic)
- Write in a self-development blog on a weekly basis (Contributing to Society)
You:
I have spent many weeks trying to discover what these goals should be and have finally come to the goals aforementioned. Think of the following different areas : 1) Personal, 2) Career, 3) Fun/Materialistic, 4) Contributing to society; and write one major goal for each that you will have completed within one year. Remember to write it down and display it where you will look at it every day. In addition, if you want to put a little positive pressure on yourself post on this blog, and write about your progress.
So, I'm sure we've all heard about having to write down our goals, and also giving them a deadline. Question : Why is writing our goals, and giving them a deadline so important?
Well, writing them does not mean "writing them and putting them in your dresser", it means writing them and being able to see them EVERY DAY. Why? Looking at your goals every single day will embed them into your smart little brain, actually your subconscious mind. And what happens when something gets into your subconscious? You start to feel it, live it, and believe it. The day that you start dreaming about your goals will be the day that they get into your subconscious mind (which is a good thing).
I don't quite understand the deadline aspect just yet, do you guys? I think that deadlines form a sense of urgency, and help measure progress in the future.
Me:
Anywho, today is September 6, 2007 and I have been thinking of different areas of my life that I would like to improve.
By September 6, 2008 I will :
- Own a company (Personal)
- Be a Project Manager, currently I am a web developer (Career)
- Own my first place of residence in Chicago (Fun/Materialistic)
- Write in a self-development blog on a weekly basis (Contributing to Society)
You:
I have spent many weeks trying to discover what these goals should be and have finally come to the goals aforementioned. Think of the following different areas : 1) Personal, 2) Career, 3) Fun/Materialistic, 4) Contributing to society; and write one major goal for each that you will have completed within one year. Remember to write it down and display it where you will look at it every day. In addition, if you want to put a little positive pressure on yourself post on this blog, and write about your progress.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
The Power of Why
Lesson:
In 1953, a study was performed at Yale University graduate school, just before the students embarked on their careers. The students were asked a series of questions about their careers. The most intriguing question addressed whether the students had clearly written goals, and plans for these goals. Of the entire class, 3% of the people had written goals with plans to back them up. Twenty years later, the graduate students were found and asked about their lives. Many of them lead happy, successful lives. However, an amazing fact was that the goal-oriented 3% made more money than the remaining 97% of the class. The moral of the story is that if you follow your dreams, the money will find you.
Why do people give up on their goals, or forget about their goals? Because they don't understand why they clearly want them. People don't want money for the sake of having money, what good is a green piece of paper? They want money because of the life that they think it will bring them : freedom, happiness, and many other pleasures.
Designing your goals, your reasons come first, and the answers come second.
Why do goals work? 1) Because whatever you focus on consistently, will come true in your life. 2) Because you begin to understand that where you currently are is not where you want to be. There is a sense of dissatisfaction. After all, if you were totally satisfied, there would be nothing to improve on, and you would not have any goals.
Me:
What am I not satisfied with in my life, and what types of beliefs would I have to have if I wanted to achieve my goals?
I am not satisfied with my confidence-level when it relates to speaking to others. I have a fear of approaching others, so I try extra hard to do it....no matter how painful it may be. I know that this is a fear that many people have but I truly think that I need to get over it. In order for me to overcome this fear, I would have to not care of what other people think. I would also have to stop over-analyzing situations and blowing them up in my mind. It's easy to say but seize the day. Not sure how many people can actually say that they follow their dreams and goals.
Question:
What are you not satisfied with in life? How would you have to start thinking if you wanted to overcome this dissatisfaction?
In 1953, a study was performed at Yale University graduate school, just before the students embarked on their careers. The students were asked a series of questions about their careers. The most intriguing question addressed whether the students had clearly written goals, and plans for these goals. Of the entire class, 3% of the people had written goals with plans to back them up. Twenty years later, the graduate students were found and asked about their lives. Many of them lead happy, successful lives. However, an amazing fact was that the goal-oriented 3% made more money than the remaining 97% of the class. The moral of the story is that if you follow your dreams, the money will find you.
Why do people give up on their goals, or forget about their goals? Because they don't understand why they clearly want them. People don't want money for the sake of having money, what good is a green piece of paper? They want money because of the life that they think it will bring them : freedom, happiness, and many other pleasures.
Designing your goals, your reasons come first, and the answers come second.
Why do goals work? 1) Because whatever you focus on consistently, will come true in your life. 2) Because you begin to understand that where you currently are is not where you want to be. There is a sense of dissatisfaction. After all, if you were totally satisfied, there would be nothing to improve on, and you would not have any goals.
Me:
What am I not satisfied with in my life, and what types of beliefs would I have to have if I wanted to achieve my goals?
I am not satisfied with my confidence-level when it relates to speaking to others. I have a fear of approaching others, so I try extra hard to do it....no matter how painful it may be. I know that this is a fear that many people have but I truly think that I need to get over it. In order for me to overcome this fear, I would have to not care of what other people think. I would also have to stop over-analyzing situations and blowing them up in my mind. It's easy to say but seize the day. Not sure how many people can actually say that they follow their dreams and goals.
Question:
What are you not satisfied with in life? How would you have to start thinking if you wanted to overcome this dissatisfaction?
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