Self Development
Energy Redirection
When faced with a bad situation – think of a way to turn it into a CHALLENGE.
Yesterday, we went to the doctor for Tanya. We had a 14h00 appointment and I figured I'd be back by 14h30. We were only seen sometime after 16h00! I got highly peeved but, instead of going on an emotional rollercoaster, I resolved to upgrade our medical aid to something other than "KeyCare" as it greatly limits the doctors we can go to.
Many people would have blown up and allowed the (very frustrating) afternoon spoil the rest of their evening and even the rest of their week. That's fine but I've found it's a lot more useful to change that energy into something I can use and grow from.
Read this article for another example of energy redirection.
2009 Goals - Recap
First, my business goals...
1. Get FreeArticles.co.za back over the R5,000 hump.
FreeArticles.co.za stayed earning under the R5,000 mark but I sold it for R50,000. Less than it's worth but I'm investing it and it does free up my time for other things, so I still feel like this is a win :)
2. Push GuitarForum.co.za over the R5,000 hump as well.
Not doing good in this regard. The site makes maybe R300-R500 a month. Maybe. However, I have a BIG plan in the works to transform the site into a Drupal site which will give me a lot more freedom in offering more/better/cooler features which also translates into easier monetisation.
Even though I feel off-target with this goal, I'm having fun with this site. I love it so I'm not concerned about the cash I'm not making with it ;)
3. Go under debt review and stop getting calls from banks and things ;)
Win + fail. Went under debt review, couldn't make payments. Creditors likely to be on my butt again soon.
4. Push SpotOnForex.com over the R20,000 hump.
On-target here. We've got an affiliate who is promoting us like crazy and we're about to start offering a managed-trading option where we do ALL the hard work for our clients. They seem very happy with this so far and it should boost their income in a very BIG way. So affiliate signups should skyrocket. Definitely feel on-target here :)
5. Push IconFarm.co.za over the R1,000 hump.
I've gotten the ball just barely rolling along on this one. We need to get more icons and designers on the site then I can push the SEO into top-gear and achieve this goal quite easily, I'm sure.
So far I'm getting the feeling that I should review these goals every 3 months, not 6 months. Reviewing every 3 months would probably inspire me to get back on course a lot faster. Not impressed with how I basically "forgot" about these goals! Moving on...
6. Push iThank.co.za over the 1,000 users hump.
Not even close. Haven't put any effort into this site at all. It has so much potential. Seriously off course here :/
7. Revive JogMyMemory.co.za and push it over the R1,000 hump.
Good things happening here. Got an investor involved who has funded some development in a new direction. Still lots of work to do but this one might surprise me and go over the R10,000 mark this year.
8. Develop semi-confidential projects that are potentially worth over R100,000 per month.
This is (if I recall correctly) related to JogMyMemory.co.za. Headed in the right direction but need to pay a bit more attention to this to get to R100,000 per month!
9. Get R1m funding so I can get other people to do the work necessary for some of these and so I can finally realise my vision of Maxiware CC being a solid web development and internet technology research house.
Way off-course but also not entirely convinced I still want this. The past few months have made me wonder if I would rather like to keep things very small, tight & easy. ie: Build sites over 3-24 months and then sell them. Rinse, repeat.
Having sold FreeArticles.co.za, I know what it takes to build a site I can sell and I know how to find a buyer. With bandwidth prices coming down, we should see more buyers entering the market, so there's a good chance I can make a very, very happy living out of this sort of web site flipping biz.
On to my personal goals...
1. Reach my 100 pushups goal and stay there or do better.
Fell off the wagon here. Stopped doing the pushups altogether. Not happy about this and would like to get back on track but not sure how to motivate myself to stick with the program.
2. Take at least one week-long holiday somewhere pretty. Can even be up the road, as long as it's pretty.
Took a weekend off in Mpumalanga. Was really nice but still not quite the week I was aiming for.
3. Pay everyone on time.
Rent has been on time every month. Quite a change from last year. Quite a relief. Other things have been a little less on-time :P
4. Help my mom, dad & sisters in some significant way.
No idea if I've achieved anything here. We've been doing little bits here and there for them but nothing I would label "significant".
5. Help other family as well.
Probably also a few very minor things here.
6. Build a repertoire of really awesome songs I can play on guitar. (Learn them first, duh :P)
A little bit of success here. I'm currently working on "Ten Words" by Joe Satriani and, also, a jazzy composition of my own. Not sure how many songs I need before I can call it a "repertoire" but I'm making a little headway here, which is good :)
A couple of disappointments in some areas while other things are progressing at an acceptable rate. One thing's for sure, I don't have the same energy as what I had in the beginning of the year, when I wrote this post. I need to revive that energy as it is, most likely, what is needed in order for me to achieve all these goals in the next 6 months.
One thing I've noticed is that, each time we move houses (we moved to Kempton Park in March), I lose all my motivational stuff, goals, quotes, affirmations, etc, that I had stuck around the house. That's pretty sucky as I lose focus and get beat down a whole lot faster. I'd like to pay some attention to having a more permanent way of reminding myself of my goals & aspirations.
Perhaps a wooden notice board? I'm not sure but I need to address that before I lose any more steam!
Who am I Gonna be in 15 Years?
That's the title of the A4 sheet of paper I have next to me. I wrote this list about 8 years ago, when I was just 17. It has 10 things written on it and I've achieved 3 so far. Considering I still have 7 years to go, I'm doing okay but I think I need to re-assess and shoot a little higher.
Here's the full list...
Who am I gonna be in 15 years time?
Drives a Viper RT/10 [Not Done]
To be honest, I'm not phased by this one any more. I'd love to rent a Viper a few times a year and take it round the track a coupla times but I can hardly justify owning one. I drive our car maybe once a week and, most times, I need boot space.
Although, there's nothing wrong with owning one and keeping it for Sunday joyrides. Just don't know who'll take care of the kids while we're out. There's definitely no space for kids in a Viper!
(Kids?! What kids?! Relax! We don't have kids yet but read on ;))
Owns his Own Successful Company [Not Done]
Some people might argue that I've succeeded here but I really haven't. If I died tomorrow, my business would begin to die with me. There might be a little bit of money due to me but, without someone to collect it, that would probably never reach my wife so, really, I don't have a business, I just own my job right now.
Although... I do make R5,000 passive income a month from one of my web sites. That has to count for something. I should probably take a few moments to teach my wife how to take over that site. It's good money for the 1 hour a day I work on it.
It's still not a successful company, though. Just a good passive income.
What do I need to do to turn my current company into a successful company? Create a product I can sell (as opposed to the service I currently sell - my own time as a developer) and then create systems (advertising, sales-copy, autoresponders, procedure documents for employees, etc) that help me sell that product to hundreds or thousands of people. Employing people (although I'm scared-white of it) is probably also an important next step here. I can't sub-contract forever. Not if I want a company instead of just a passive income. It just doesn't work that way.
Is Married with Cute-Ass Kids [Half Done]
How about: Married to a cute-ass wife? Then I'd be able to tick this one off ;) I suppose the cute-ass wife guarantees me cute-ass kids, right? I mean, I was kinda cute and she's adorable so all we need to do is misplace the condoms :D
Although, on a serious note, I won't misplace any condoms until we've paid off our debt and actually feel like we could afford to have kids without moving back in with our parents or living in a trailer park!
I've still got 7 years before I need to get this done so I say we give it a shot in 2010 :)
Has a Beautiful House in a Beautiful Area [Not Done]
Not done but I have a good idea of what I need to do to make it done. I'm quite keen on living in the Centurion Golf Estate. Prices there range from R1,5m all the way up to R15m. I'm a modest guy so I'll happily call one of the "entry-level" (what's entry-level in a Golf Estate???) my "beautiful house in a beautiful area".
The trick here is that I could rent such a place for between R11k and R15k. That sort of money is a bit out of my grasp right now but not by much. But that would be cheating. My goals-list says nothing about "living" in such a house but "having" such a house. So I must buy.
Can it be done in the next 7 years? Quite easily I think. Probably within the next 3 years. Sooner if I can pay off my debt a bit faster and buy on auction or similar.
The interesting thing is that, when I wrote this list, I never really knew what "a beautiful house in a beautiful area" meant to me. I didn't even really like kids at the time. But I looked within when writing the list and now it all makes perfect sense to me and resonates with me in an absolutely divinely spiritual and higher-self kind of way. Hope that makes sense to you ;)
Doesn't Let Anything Stop Him from Getting What he Wants [Not Done]
I still let obstacles get in the way. Earlier this year I decided to attack my dreams with "persistence that doesn't recognise failure". That's a noble and wise thing to choose for yourself. It's also incredibly difficult because, unless you remind yourself of this choice daily, you will forget it and it's so easy to fall back into the slump of, "I failed, best I give up and do something else."
Someone important (I don't know who) said, "It's because you give up that you fail. Not the other way around". And that's profound. It's also self-evident to an extent...
If you don't give up when you fail, but you keep on keeping on, 1 of 2 things will happen. You will die trying (which is a life worth living!) or 2, you will succeed. But the moment you give up, you lose both options. And all you're left with is failure. And only because you accept it as all that's left. Because it's not. You can get back on that horse and try again, until you're beaten black and blue but also until you've succeeded or died trying!
Haha - I can't help think of Morpheus, "Isn't that worth fighting for? Isn't that worth dying for?" I say it is!
So, back to this goal on my list of goals I wrote 8 years ago. I still let things get me down but, by golly, I'm doing a lot better than I was doing even 6 short months ago! So it may not be done, it may never be done but it's worth pursuing till my last breath, so I'm okay with that :)
Earns at Least 6 Digits a Year [Done!]
Okay, so I've achieved this one and I'm damned proud of it. It means a lot to me not because it's a lot of money (I no longer consider it to be a lot) but because it used to mean "a lot of money" to me.
I'm still very much in the early 6-digits-a-year side of things. I hope to reach the middle or end of that scale by the time my deadline arrives for this list. Although, chances are good that, by that time, 6 digits a year won't be a lot of money any more. The fact of life is that we'll always want more and that's okay with me. Because having a list like this to reflect on will help me appreciate my achievements, even long after I've begun taking them for granted.
Is Disciplined and Balanced in his Lifestyle [Not Done]
I go through stages when I'm disciplined and balanced but the very fact that I've never completed a fitness program (and "complete" means achieved my fitness/weight goals) before giving up tells me I'm not disciplined. The fact that I've stuck with a fitness program long after it got boring and painful tells me that I do have this in me. Somewhere ;)
Balance is another problem for me. Being a Libra, I constantly seek this out but I do it in the worst way possible. I first over-indulge in something (coffee, food, work, relaxation time, whatever), then I completely cut myself off and then I find a healthy balance. However, each step takes months at a time so, at this rate, I'll never achieve this goal but it does help me live a healthier life and gives me insight to both sides of an obsession - be it over-indulgence or complete abstinence. I'm sure that will serve me many times in my life.
Has Released at Least One CD of Music Nationally [Not Done]
I'm quite excited about this one because, when I wrote this (2001), distributing music over the internet was still largely unheard of or, at least, not very common.
These days, you have big bands (Radiohead) releasing their music exclusively over the 'net and still making a profit. We're living in interesting times where a musician can make a living from his music and do it quite independently. I'm not talking about becoming a rock star here but making a few bob from my music would be great.
How far am I from achieving this? I'm satisfied with how well I play guitar but I'm useless at writing songs so I'd say I'm a good 4 years or so away from this. I need to learn some song-writing theory, learn how to play along with the song (instead of overtaking it with my noodling!) and then create something cohesive and pleasing to the ears.
The good news is that, by the time I'm ready to release my CD (or album, more likely), I'll have access to a huge group of potential fans through my online guitar community, www.guitarforum.co.za. That's very exciting. What's even MORE exciting than that is that I'll be in a position to teach other members of that community how to do the same thing and make some money from their music. And that, I think, makes up a large chunk of why I'm still allowed to be alive today - I'm here to eventually empower others and teach them how to do things they might not believe to be possible. Cool! :)
Has a Site that Generates at Least 150 Unique Hits a Day [Done!]
Not only have I done this one but I've plastered it. I've got a site that does between 900 and 2000 unique visitors a day. Not too shabby at all. It pays my rent but I must admit, it amuses me to think how fixed I was on getting that (small) amount of visitors and no where did I mention monetising that traffic. Back then, it would've been an achievement just to have gotten the traffic. Now I know how to get the traffic but don't always know how to maintain it and don't always know how to monetise it. Fascinating how we grow and our challenges grow with us!
Is Always Ready to Help Out a Friend When in Need [Not Done]
I'm almost ashamed to admit this but I'm still too afraid to be as helpful as I could be. I'm afraid of losing it all, I'm afraid of failing miserably, I'm afraid of not knowing what to do to help, I'm afraid of so darned much that I end up not helping the people who need me. The people who I could do so much for, if only I could recognise that I'm good enough to help them. That I have everything I need within me to do it, I just need to actually go out and do it now.
On the positive side, I'm growing in this direction. Since we've moved to Joburg, I've helped one or two people out in ways that I thought were impossible for me to do before. I've also promised my help to a few other people - again help that I would normally think is beyond what I can do.
I'm not Christian but I do believe that, "God doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies the called". I believe it on an intellectual level, now I just need to move into believing it on an emotional, spiritual and experiential level. Getting there. At least I'm headed in the right direction. I've got to give myself points for effort there. I used to be very stingy with my time and now I'm better. (It's like a disease, I tell you ;))
Conclusion
You might ask yourself if achieving these things will give me a sense of fulfillment. I can tell you now that they won't. I guarantee that I will eventually take these things for granted once they ARE in my life (as I currently do). But what I also guarantee is that I will have learned the value of setting and (most importantly) working towards goals until you achieve them. I'm sure that that will be the most important lesson in my life and that, in the next 7 years, after I've achieved all these things (if I live that long!), THEN life will truly begin and then I will set life goals for myself that will be truly worthwhile.
The exception to this is, of course, the values I have set as goals for myself. Striving to live in a balanced and disciplined way, and to always be available for my friends and family when they need me, those things will stay with me till I die (I hope). And those are the things I hope to fill my next list with.
Sure I could start now but, right now, I'm still in a place in my life where the material stuff means too much for me to give it up. I believe there are 2 ways to learn how to look beyond the material....
1. Is to have nothing and find happiness, peace and joy in that.
2. Is to have everything and find happiness, peace and joy in that.
Because neither offers fulfillment by itself. You have to REACH that stage and then look beyond it to find happiness, peace and joy. At least, that's what I choose to believe right now.
Here's the full list...
Who am I gonna be in 15 years time?
Someone who:
Drives a Viper RT/10 [Not Done]To be honest, I'm not phased by this one any more. I'd love to rent a Viper a few times a year and take it round the track a coupla times but I can hardly justify owning one. I drive our car maybe once a week and, most times, I need boot space.
Although, there's nothing wrong with owning one and keeping it for Sunday joyrides. Just don't know who'll take care of the kids while we're out. There's definitely no space for kids in a Viper!
(Kids?! What kids?! Relax! We don't have kids yet but read on ;))
Owns his Own Successful Company [Not Done]
Some people might argue that I've succeeded here but I really haven't. If I died tomorrow, my business would begin to die with me. There might be a little bit of money due to me but, without someone to collect it, that would probably never reach my wife so, really, I don't have a business, I just own my job right now.
Although... I do make R5,000 passive income a month from one of my web sites. That has to count for something. I should probably take a few moments to teach my wife how to take over that site. It's good money for the 1 hour a day I work on it.
It's still not a successful company, though. Just a good passive income.
What do I need to do to turn my current company into a successful company? Create a product I can sell (as opposed to the service I currently sell - my own time as a developer) and then create systems (advertising, sales-copy, autoresponders, procedure documents for employees, etc) that help me sell that product to hundreds or thousands of people. Employing people (although I'm scared-white of it) is probably also an important next step here. I can't sub-contract forever. Not if I want a company instead of just a passive income. It just doesn't work that way.
Is Married with Cute-Ass Kids [Half Done]
How about: Married to a cute-ass wife? Then I'd be able to tick this one off ;) I suppose the cute-ass wife guarantees me cute-ass kids, right? I mean, I was kinda cute and she's adorable so all we need to do is misplace the condoms :D
Although, on a serious note, I won't misplace any condoms until we've paid off our debt and actually feel like we could afford to have kids without moving back in with our parents or living in a trailer park!
I've still got 7 years before I need to get this done so I say we give it a shot in 2010 :)
Has a Beautiful House in a Beautiful Area [Not Done]
Not done but I have a good idea of what I need to do to make it done. I'm quite keen on living in the Centurion Golf Estate. Prices there range from R1,5m all the way up to R15m. I'm a modest guy so I'll happily call one of the "entry-level" (what's entry-level in a Golf Estate???) my "beautiful house in a beautiful area".
The trick here is that I could rent such a place for between R11k and R15k. That sort of money is a bit out of my grasp right now but not by much. But that would be cheating. My goals-list says nothing about "living" in such a house but "having" such a house. So I must buy.
Can it be done in the next 7 years? Quite easily I think. Probably within the next 3 years. Sooner if I can pay off my debt a bit faster and buy on auction or similar.
The interesting thing is that, when I wrote this list, I never really knew what "a beautiful house in a beautiful area" meant to me. I didn't even really like kids at the time. But I looked within when writing the list and now it all makes perfect sense to me and resonates with me in an absolutely divinely spiritual and higher-self kind of way. Hope that makes sense to you ;)
Doesn't Let Anything Stop Him from Getting What he Wants [Not Done]
I still let obstacles get in the way. Earlier this year I decided to attack my dreams with "persistence that doesn't recognise failure". That's a noble and wise thing to choose for yourself. It's also incredibly difficult because, unless you remind yourself of this choice daily, you will forget it and it's so easy to fall back into the slump of, "I failed, best I give up and do something else."
Someone important (I don't know who) said, "It's because you give up that you fail. Not the other way around". And that's profound. It's also self-evident to an extent...
If you don't give up when you fail, but you keep on keeping on, 1 of 2 things will happen. You will die trying (which is a life worth living!) or 2, you will succeed. But the moment you give up, you lose both options. And all you're left with is failure. And only because you accept it as all that's left. Because it's not. You can get back on that horse and try again, until you're beaten black and blue but also until you've succeeded or died trying!
Haha - I can't help think of Morpheus, "Isn't that worth fighting for? Isn't that worth dying for?" I say it is!
So, back to this goal on my list of goals I wrote 8 years ago. I still let things get me down but, by golly, I'm doing a lot better than I was doing even 6 short months ago! So it may not be done, it may never be done but it's worth pursuing till my last breath, so I'm okay with that :)
Earns at Least 6 Digits a Year [Done!]
Okay, so I've achieved this one and I'm damned proud of it. It means a lot to me not because it's a lot of money (I no longer consider it to be a lot) but because it used to mean "a lot of money" to me.
I'm still very much in the early 6-digits-a-year side of things. I hope to reach the middle or end of that scale by the time my deadline arrives for this list. Although, chances are good that, by that time, 6 digits a year won't be a lot of money any more. The fact of life is that we'll always want more and that's okay with me. Because having a list like this to reflect on will help me appreciate my achievements, even long after I've begun taking them for granted.
Is Disciplined and Balanced in his Lifestyle [Not Done]
I go through stages when I'm disciplined and balanced but the very fact that I've never completed a fitness program (and "complete" means achieved my fitness/weight goals) before giving up tells me I'm not disciplined. The fact that I've stuck with a fitness program long after it got boring and painful tells me that I do have this in me. Somewhere ;)
Balance is another problem for me. Being a Libra, I constantly seek this out but I do it in the worst way possible. I first over-indulge in something (coffee, food, work, relaxation time, whatever), then I completely cut myself off and then I find a healthy balance. However, each step takes months at a time so, at this rate, I'll never achieve this goal but it does help me live a healthier life and gives me insight to both sides of an obsession - be it over-indulgence or complete abstinence. I'm sure that will serve me many times in my life.
Has Released at Least One CD of Music Nationally [Not Done]
I'm quite excited about this one because, when I wrote this (2001), distributing music over the internet was still largely unheard of or, at least, not very common.
These days, you have big bands (Radiohead) releasing their music exclusively over the 'net and still making a profit. We're living in interesting times where a musician can make a living from his music and do it quite independently. I'm not talking about becoming a rock star here but making a few bob from my music would be great.
How far am I from achieving this? I'm satisfied with how well I play guitar but I'm useless at writing songs so I'd say I'm a good 4 years or so away from this. I need to learn some song-writing theory, learn how to play along with the song (instead of overtaking it with my noodling!) and then create something cohesive and pleasing to the ears.
The good news is that, by the time I'm ready to release my CD (or album, more likely), I'll have access to a huge group of potential fans through my online guitar community, www.guitarforum.co.za. That's very exciting. What's even MORE exciting than that is that I'll be in a position to teach other members of that community how to do the same thing and make some money from their music. And that, I think, makes up a large chunk of why I'm still allowed to be alive today - I'm here to eventually empower others and teach them how to do things they might not believe to be possible. Cool! :)
Has a Site that Generates at Least 150 Unique Hits a Day [Done!]
Not only have I done this one but I've plastered it. I've got a site that does between 900 and 2000 unique visitors a day. Not too shabby at all. It pays my rent but I must admit, it amuses me to think how fixed I was on getting that (small) amount of visitors and no where did I mention monetising that traffic. Back then, it would've been an achievement just to have gotten the traffic. Now I know how to get the traffic but don't always know how to maintain it and don't always know how to monetise it. Fascinating how we grow and our challenges grow with us!
Is Always Ready to Help Out a Friend When in Need [Not Done]
I'm almost ashamed to admit this but I'm still too afraid to be as helpful as I could be. I'm afraid of losing it all, I'm afraid of failing miserably, I'm afraid of not knowing what to do to help, I'm afraid of so darned much that I end up not helping the people who need me. The people who I could do so much for, if only I could recognise that I'm good enough to help them. That I have everything I need within me to do it, I just need to actually go out and do it now.
On the positive side, I'm growing in this direction. Since we've moved to Joburg, I've helped one or two people out in ways that I thought were impossible for me to do before. I've also promised my help to a few other people - again help that I would normally think is beyond what I can do.
I'm not Christian but I do believe that, "God doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies the called". I believe it on an intellectual level, now I just need to move into believing it on an emotional, spiritual and experiential level. Getting there. At least I'm headed in the right direction. I've got to give myself points for effort there. I used to be very stingy with my time and now I'm better. (It's like a disease, I tell you ;))
Conclusion
You might ask yourself if achieving these things will give me a sense of fulfillment. I can tell you now that they won't. I guarantee that I will eventually take these things for granted once they ARE in my life (as I currently do). But what I also guarantee is that I will have learned the value of setting and (most importantly) working towards goals until you achieve them. I'm sure that that will be the most important lesson in my life and that, in the next 7 years, after I've achieved all these things (if I live that long!), THEN life will truly begin and then I will set life goals for myself that will be truly worthwhile.
The exception to this is, of course, the values I have set as goals for myself. Striving to live in a balanced and disciplined way, and to always be available for my friends and family when they need me, those things will stay with me till I die (I hope). And those are the things I hope to fill my next list with.
Sure I could start now but, right now, I'm still in a place in my life where the material stuff means too much for me to give it up. I believe there are 2 ways to learn how to look beyond the material....
1. Is to have nothing and find happiness, peace and joy in that.
2. Is to have everything and find happiness, peace and joy in that.
Because neither offers fulfillment by itself. You have to REACH that stage and then look beyond it to find happiness, peace and joy. At least, that's what I choose to believe right now.
OMG this girl is fine ;)
I've filed this one under "Personal Development". Hehe ;)
See: www.bikinibeat.org for more. Thank me later!
See: www.bikinibeat.org for more. Thank me later!
My Top 5 Strengths
Wow, 3rd update today - I'm on a roll :P
According to Happier.com, these are my top 5 strengths. (They should know after I completed their 240-question questionnaire!!).
Creativity, ingenuity, and originality
Thinking of new ways to do things is a crucial part of who you are. You are never content with doing something the conventional way if a better way is possible.
Humor and playfulness
You like to laugh and tease. Bringing smiles to other people is important to you. You try to see the light side of all situations.
Judgment, critical thinking, and open-mindedness
Thinking things through and examining them from all sides are important aspects of who you are. You do not jump to conclusions, and you rely only on solid evidence to make your decisions. You are able to change your mind.
Fairness, equity, and justice
Treating all people fairly is one of your abiding principles. You do not let your personal feelings bias your decisions about other people. You give everyone a chance.
Forgiveness and mercy
You forgive those who have done you wrong. You always give people a second chance. Your guiding principle is mercy and not revenge.
Now I just need to focus on practising these strengths daily! But how?!
According to Happier.com, these are my top 5 strengths. (They should know after I completed their 240-question questionnaire!!).
Creativity, ingenuity, and originality
Thinking of new ways to do things is a crucial part of who you are. You are never content with doing something the conventional way if a better way is possible.
Humor and playfulness
You like to laugh and tease. Bringing smiles to other people is important to you. You try to see the light side of all situations.
Judgment, critical thinking, and open-mindedness
Thinking things through and examining them from all sides are important aspects of who you are. You do not jump to conclusions, and you rely only on solid evidence to make your decisions. You are able to change your mind.
Fairness, equity, and justice
Treating all people fairly is one of your abiding principles. You do not let your personal feelings bias your decisions about other people. You give everyone a chance.
Forgiveness and mercy
You forgive those who have done you wrong. You always give people a second chance. Your guiding principle is mercy and not revenge.
Now I just need to focus on practising these strengths daily! But how?!
Finding the next 2 Quarters
Exactly 2 months ago (29 Jan, 09), I blogged about "Finding My Three Quarters". I was making around R5,000 a month passive income. That is to say, I wasn't putting in any hard hours to get that R5,000.
I'm half way to R20,000 so this post is about finding the next 2 quarters. Pretty exciting stuff!
What happened? Two of my sites started getting the traffic they deserve. By no accident, mind you. The one site has undergone (and is still undergoing) a LOT of optimisation to get it to this point and the other is being actively promoted by one of our affiliates.
Groovy stuff huh?
Now I could still go ahead and try make up the remaining 2 quarters of my desired passive income by building 30-Day-Challenge sites (see my previous post) but it's obvious to me that focusing on what's already working would be a wiser investment of my time.
So keep that in mind next time you wanna make more money - figure out what's ALREADY bringing in the most significant amount of money and focus more attention on THAT.
Also remember to work smarter not harder.
As a web developer (or webpreneur), working harder means bookmarking your site more, commenting on more sites, submitting to more article directories, writing content, etc. Working smarter means helping your site's visitors bookmark your site, encourage THEM to write more content, add a weekly newsletter that runs itself, automate posting GOOD content to Twitter, Facebook and the likes. I'm hoping you're getting the picture by now :)
No More "Winging It" - Can I Handle It?
For the first time (EVER) in my entire life, I'm experiencing what it means to be "organised". However, I'm not the one organising my life, Tanya is. Once a day we meet up and we go through my work items and then she helps me decide what gets done, etc.
Now, please understand, I (just about) never studied for a single exam in my life. I can count on my hands the number of times I prepared for an exam and I did that by reading over some notes the night before.
In fact, everything in my life has been "winged". I seem to trust that things will just work out and, for the most part, they always do. The difference is that I end up being stressed about how they will work out. So planning does have its benefits - you stress a little less about how something will get done because you've already figured it out. Of course, this comes at a price - you need to sit and think before you sit and do.
The most important change in all of this is that Tanya's forcing (whipping me and everything - serriusss!) me to plan my projects. This is new to me because generally I (rather successfully) "wing" everything. Right now I have a massive project that I'm planning and it's taking me most of the day just to plan it. Tanya says that planning is 80% of the project. I hope she's right. It almost feels entirely wrong to be doing all this "planning" when I could be klapping bugs but I trust in her.
Wish me luck :D
Now, please understand, I (just about) never studied for a single exam in my life. I can count on my hands the number of times I prepared for an exam and I did that by reading over some notes the night before.
In fact, everything in my life has been "winged". I seem to trust that things will just work out and, for the most part, they always do. The difference is that I end up being stressed about how they will work out. So planning does have its benefits - you stress a little less about how something will get done because you've already figured it out. Of course, this comes at a price - you need to sit and think before you sit and do.
The most important change in all of this is that Tanya's forcing (whipping me and everything - serriusss!) me to plan my projects. This is new to me because generally I (rather successfully) "wing" everything. Right now I have a massive project that I'm planning and it's taking me most of the day just to plan it. Tanya says that planning is 80% of the project. I hope she's right. It almost feels entirely wrong to be doing all this "planning" when I could be klapping bugs but I trust in her.
Wish me luck :D
2009 Work Goals
So Ally mentioned something about self-assessing once every 6 months and I think it's very wise so I'm putting my goals down in writing out in the open and, somewhere around June, I need to come back and see just how much of this I've achieved and what I haven't and what I need to change to get back on track...
Business Goals...
1. Get FreeArticles.co.za back over the R5,000 hump.
2. Push GuitarForum.co.za over the R5,000 hump as well.
3. Go under debt review and stop getting calls from banks and things ;)
4. Push SpotOnForex.com over the R20,000 hump.
5. Push IconFarm.co.za over the R1,000 hump.
6. Push iThank.co.za over the 1,000 users hump.
7. Revive JogMyMemory.co.za and push it over the R1,000 hump.
8. Develop semi-confidential projects that are potentially worth over R100,000 per month.
9. Get R1m funding so I can get other people to do the work
necessary for some of these and so I can finally realise my vision of
Maxiware CC being a solid web development and internet technology
research house.
Personal Goals...
1. Reach my 100 pushups goal and stay there or do better.
2. Take at least one week-long holiday somewhere pretty. Can even be up the road, as long as it's pretty.
3. Pay everyone on time.
4. Help my mom, dad & sisters in some significant way.
5. Help other family as well.
6. Build a repertoire of really awesome songs I can play on guitar. (Learn them first, duh :P)
That's it! Let's see how I'm doing in 6 months :)
Business Goals...
1. Get FreeArticles.co.za back over the R5,000 hump.
2. Push GuitarForum.co.za over the R5,000 hump as well.
3. Go under debt review and stop getting calls from banks and things ;)
4. Push SpotOnForex.com over the R20,000 hump.
5. Push IconFarm.co.za over the R1,000 hump.
6. Push iThank.co.za over the 1,000 users hump.
7. Revive JogMyMemory.co.za and push it over the R1,000 hump.
8. Develop semi-confidential projects that are potentially worth over R100,000 per month.
9. Get R1m funding so I can get other people to do the work
necessary for some of these and so I can finally realise my vision of
Maxiware CC being a solid web development and internet technology
research house.
Personal Goals...
1. Reach my 100 pushups goal and stay there or do better.
2. Take at least one week-long holiday somewhere pretty. Can even be up the road, as long as it's pretty.
3. Pay everyone on time.
4. Help my mom, dad & sisters in some significant way.
5. Help other family as well.
6. Build a repertoire of really awesome songs I can play on guitar. (Learn them first, duh :P)
That's it! Let's see how I'm doing in 6 months :)
Keep Calling till You Get Thru
Failing is like phoning someone when they're in the shower. Your first call might not get answered. Maybe even your 2nd, 3rd and 4th calls but, if you're persistent, and you recognise failure as a stepping stone to success, your 5th call will probably get answered and you'll get what you were looking for.
It works like this: The first time you call, the person you're trying to reach might not even hear his phone ring before the last ring and it's too late. "Oh well", he says and he carries on showering without even opening the shower door.
The second time you phone, the guy you're trying to reach will be a little more sensitive to the sound of his phone ringing so he might hear the whole thing but maybe he just doesn't feel like running out, sopping wet, just to answer his phone. The 3rd and 4th calls could go the same way, with the guy you're trying to get a hold of being too busy drying off, getting dressed and brushing his teeth to get to the phone.
But... by the 5th time you phone this guy, he's clean, dry, dressed and ready to take your call so he picks up and you get what you wanted -- and you have his FULL attention coz he knows you're SERIOUS about what you want. He's also probably really sorry for missing your earlier calls so you could even get him to go that extra mile for you -- neat :)
Life and the universe is like that. The first time you take action towards something you want, the universe might be a bit distracted. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th times, it's moving closer and closer towards you BUT you can't see anything so you might lose faith and give up. The trick is in making that 5th call because then, all of a sudden, everything seems to line up for you and you have a massive success -- potentially achieving more than you had originally set out to do.
All you need to realise is that each call (action) is bringing you closer to your goal and persistence is what will get you to success.
Sometimes it just takes 2 calls, sometimes it 4,000 but as long as you keep calling, you'll eventually get through :) (As long as you have the right number ;))
It works like this: The first time you call, the person you're trying to reach might not even hear his phone ring before the last ring and it's too late. "Oh well", he says and he carries on showering without even opening the shower door.
The second time you phone, the guy you're trying to reach will be a little more sensitive to the sound of his phone ringing so he might hear the whole thing but maybe he just doesn't feel like running out, sopping wet, just to answer his phone. The 3rd and 4th calls could go the same way, with the guy you're trying to get a hold of being too busy drying off, getting dressed and brushing his teeth to get to the phone.
But... by the 5th time you phone this guy, he's clean, dry, dressed and ready to take your call so he picks up and you get what you wanted -- and you have his FULL attention coz he knows you're SERIOUS about what you want. He's also probably really sorry for missing your earlier calls so you could even get him to go that extra mile for you -- neat :)
Life and the universe is like that. The first time you take action towards something you want, the universe might be a bit distracted. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th times, it's moving closer and closer towards you BUT you can't see anything so you might lose faith and give up. The trick is in making that 5th call because then, all of a sudden, everything seems to line up for you and you have a massive success -- potentially achieving more than you had originally set out to do.
All you need to realise is that each call (action) is bringing you closer to your goal and persistence is what will get you to success.
Sometimes it just takes 2 calls, sometimes it 4,000 but as long as you keep calling, you'll eventually get through :) (As long as you have the right number ;))
Rage, rage against the dying of the light
Jim Rohn says, and I happen to agree, that the way to fix money stress is to have a lot. It might not fix your other problems in your life. It won't necessarily make you happy but your money stress will go away.
That makes perfect sense in my head! Sure there are other ways of fixing money stress. You could become a monk, you could convince yourself that you don't need the money, or you could live by a budget but, quite frankly, none of those appeal to me. Okay, I lie. The monk one appeals to me but I'm married, have 2 dogs, 4 cats & 2 rats. I feel responsible to them to make money so I've chosen this path I'm on now.
And that's what brings me to the point of this muse. Before I had financial responsibilities, I wanted to save the world. I had a real fire burning inside me and there was nothing anyone could say that could turn it out.
In my mid-teens I was reading books about "Accelerated Learning", "Mind Power" and more. Long before "The Secret" ever came out, I had at least a shallow understanding of its basic principles.
I dropped out of school and set out to conquer the world. And, make no mistake, I achieved a lot in the 7 or 8 years that followed...
I got my first real-world job (I'd been working for extra cash since I was 13), got my driver's licence, got my 2nd job, bought my first car, got medical aid, left the job scene to start my own business, had some tough months, had some flipping amazing months, moved in with the hottest girl alive, got household insurance, got married and lots of other stuff in between.
By my standards, I've actually been very successful and achieved much of what I set out to do when I first wrote my "Before I turn 30" goals-list. I haven't quite "arrived" yet but I've certainly met and overcome many challenges that had others defeated.
But something else happened over these last 7 or 8 years. I gradually became a slave to money.
Make no mistake, money is a wonderful thing if you earn it because you want it and the things it can buy but not if you earn it because you're afraid you might starve otherwise, or be uninsured and stand the risk of losing all you own, or lose your car, or lose something else.
When you're earning money because you're afraid of losing what you have, something happens and you lose your fire. Heck, I'd say you lose your life.
I have big visions for my life and I fully expect to be a multi-millionaire within the next couple of years but the trouble is that in my daily struggle to survive, I often (not sometimes, often) lose sight of my bigger goals.
And that's why I think I am where I am today and I'm not where I could be. Each time you lose sight of your goals and you get stuck into what you're doing day-in and day-out, you forget to do things that serve your higher purpose. You forget to make that call, go to that meeting, answer that phone (I almost never do!), build that business, and the list goes on.
Instead, you avoid those calls, make just enough and, bit by bit, if you're not careful and you don't wake up to what's happening around you, your goals slip a little further away from you until, eventually, you can barely see them in the horizon.
That, my friend, is the scariest thing I could ever imagine for myself. To fail to achieve what I've set out to do. And if you're afraid of it too, I recommend you join me in my resolve to stop being afraid and to rekindle your passion for life because FEAR is what got us here in the first place. Find that fire within you, remind yourself why you want the things you want and then set out every day to do a little something that brings you closer to your dream, your vision, your goals.
"Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light." - Dylan Thomas
That makes perfect sense in my head! Sure there are other ways of fixing money stress. You could become a monk, you could convince yourself that you don't need the money, or you could live by a budget but, quite frankly, none of those appeal to me. Okay, I lie. The monk one appeals to me but I'm married, have 2 dogs, 4 cats & 2 rats. I feel responsible to them to make money so I've chosen this path I'm on now.
And that's what brings me to the point of this muse. Before I had financial responsibilities, I wanted to save the world. I had a real fire burning inside me and there was nothing anyone could say that could turn it out.
In my mid-teens I was reading books about "Accelerated Learning", "Mind Power" and more. Long before "The Secret" ever came out, I had at least a shallow understanding of its basic principles.
I dropped out of school and set out to conquer the world. And, make no mistake, I achieved a lot in the 7 or 8 years that followed...
I got my first real-world job (I'd been working for extra cash since I was 13), got my driver's licence, got my 2nd job, bought my first car, got medical aid, left the job scene to start my own business, had some tough months, had some flipping amazing months, moved in with the hottest girl alive, got household insurance, got married and lots of other stuff in between.
By my standards, I've actually been very successful and achieved much of what I set out to do when I first wrote my "Before I turn 30" goals-list. I haven't quite "arrived" yet but I've certainly met and overcome many challenges that had others defeated.
But something else happened over these last 7 or 8 years. I gradually became a slave to money.
Make no mistake, money is a wonderful thing if you earn it because you want it and the things it can buy but not if you earn it because you're afraid you might starve otherwise, or be uninsured and stand the risk of losing all you own, or lose your car, or lose something else.
When you're earning money because you're afraid of losing what you have, something happens and you lose your fire. Heck, I'd say you lose your life.
I have big visions for my life and I fully expect to be a multi-millionaire within the next couple of years but the trouble is that in my daily struggle to survive, I often (not sometimes, often) lose sight of my bigger goals.
And that's why I think I am where I am today and I'm not where I could be. Each time you lose sight of your goals and you get stuck into what you're doing day-in and day-out, you forget to do things that serve your higher purpose. You forget to make that call, go to that meeting, answer that phone (I almost never do!), build that business, and the list goes on.
Instead, you avoid those calls, make just enough and, bit by bit, if you're not careful and you don't wake up to what's happening around you, your goals slip a little further away from you until, eventually, you can barely see them in the horizon.
That, my friend, is the scariest thing I could ever imagine for myself. To fail to achieve what I've set out to do. And if you're afraid of it too, I recommend you join me in my resolve to stop being afraid and to rekindle your passion for life because FEAR is what got us here in the first place. Find that fire within you, remind yourself why you want the things you want and then set out every day to do a little something that brings you closer to your dream, your vision, your goals.
"Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light." - Dylan Thomas
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