George Kao's Blog, page 43

Visualize the process, not just the outcome

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Many people try to apply "The Secret" and #LawOfAttraction and it doesn't work for them, at least not for accomplishing projects.

I believe it's because visualization is ineffective when used on only the outcome, the desired end result.

Instead, use visualization for the process of getting there...Visualization for Success -- seeing in your mind’s eye what you would like to happen in the real world -- is a tool used by many successful people.

Un...

Before you buy that expensive business training program, read this...

Image by HeatherPaque from Pixabay I see a lot of people making this mistake -- buying into expensive business/marketing training / big group coaching programs.

In these programs, they're with a large group of hundreds of other students, with high hopes that the energy of the program will somehow propel them toward success...

As someone who has sold such programs myself, and have partnered with dozens of others to sell these, I can tell you this: These programs are highly profitable for...

Hold off on buying that expensive business training program...

Background image by HeatherPaque from Pixabay I see a lot of people making this mistake -- buying into expensive business/marketing training / big group coaching programs.

In these programs, they're with a large group of hundreds of other students, with high hopes that the energy of the program will somehow propel them toward success...

As someone who has sold such programs myself, and have partnered with dozens of others to sell these, I can tell you this: These programs are usually a b...

Before You Check Social Media, Take A Breath.

Original image by TeroVesalainen on PixabayNext time you want to check Facebook, take a pause.

Breathe first.

Facebook has been carefully designed to get you coming back again and again, instinctively, all throughout the day, looking for new notifications, messages, and interesting posts.

It has been designed for addiction.

(This applies to any social media that you frequently check.)
The resulting instinct -- checking social media in order to resolve a momentary boredom, frustration, or sadness -...

5-Minute Method for Overcoming Procrastination

photo by @nicholasjio on unsplashWhat helps you overcome procrastination on an important project?

Here's a technique that works for me:

Set a timer for 5 minutes, and make any progress on the project. I remind myself:

I can do anything for 5 minutes.  

It doesn't have to be brilliant. Just any progress is helpful for now.  

Here's the key:Before I start the timer, I take a moment to place myself in a positive state of mind.
I close my eyes, and remind myself:

All is well, and All will be well.

We are...

Repair Your Relationship to Your Productivity Tools

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How well do these tools work for you -- your alarm clock, your to-do list, and your calendar?

If you had a good relationship with these most basic productivity tools, they can make a significant difference in helping you live a purposeful, contributory life. People who don't feel productive, almost certainly have developed a flippant, or avoidant, attitude towards these tools:

Your alarm app/clock goes off, and you turn it off, and...

Need Clients ASAP? Use Personal Outreach.

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Your own network, even your friends, often forget what it is you do. 

Or if they remember, it's too rarely, and not when they're talking to someone who would be an ideal client of yours, which is when you want them to be thinking about you!

So if you aren't keeping in touch with your network, how will they remember to refer you new clients?

Out of the hundreds of entrepreneurs and service providers I have personally coached, I can count on one hand (i.e. v...

Calmly Productive

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Is it possible to be emotionally relaxed, yet highly productive?

Think of a martial arts master ... you don't see them fretting, tense, worried, or stressed out. They have a relaxed focus, a calm strength, an empowered composure.

Their face might seem emotion-less, yet their body has a wide range of powerful motion, able to accomplish a great deal with precision and flexibility.

Inside, they may be feeling clarity, confidence, and a deep joy.

I’m not a martial...

Green Yellow Red -- Which State of Being are You in?

Here's one of the secrets to a joyfully productive life:

To become sensitive to your state of being, many times throughout the day.

And, if you are in a less than optimal state of being, to do what you know, right away, to move you back to a good state.

To keep it simple, this is the question I ask myself multiple times a day:

"Am I in green, yellow, or red right now?" Green = feeling deeply peaceful or happy. When I'm working, Green means being in flow, feeling confident, skillful, or cu...

The Energy Reboot Technique -- How I Get Unstuck

When you feel stuck on a difficult project, it's usually because your perspective has gotten stuck. Any problem can be solved with your creativity and persistence, but when stuck, you don’t have the mental and emotional  energy in that moment to figure a way through that challenge. Instead, you might be in danger of spiraling into negativity.

This is why the most foundational practice I have at work is not how I manage my time, my knowledge, or the tools I use to track my business... it's how I...