Ronald Hadrian's Blog, page 6

Make hard to easy

Art is hard

Selling is hard

Writing is hard

But show up daily.

Then they will say.

Your life was easy

Writing is easy

Getting customers is easy

In short, make your schedule before you start

Then follow through

The hard becomes easy.

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The early morning ride to my hometown brought so many memories last Saturday.

I left my beautiful town Ooty to pursue my higher studies. I embarked on a weird journey.

But my nostalgic feeling for my hometown never waned.

This time around I was returning for my best friend’s marriage. We have known each other since 2nd grade.

And what a pleasant surprise to see my other school friends.

I for a new moment thought we had matured.

Nope.

The same old jokes, mockery, and nostalgic talks about school fights. The age-old question of becoming old and girls.

The shared laughter.

Met my old school principal and my other best friend’s parents. They were happy to see me.

We were happy to see our friend tell his speeches and dances.

Really happy for him.

We might not meet for decades yet we can easily get back without awkwardness.

Until next time…

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You want to make a dent in the universe.

Then you need to be mentored by the best.

But all of us cannot be mentored one on one.

That’s the reason we have books.

If you are in college and just starting out.

Read these books and apply them immediately to your life.

1) The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson

2) 7 habits of highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey

3) Deep Work by Cal Newport

Read these and take action.

You will make a dent in the universe.

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The Journey to Expertise: Understanding the Stages of Skill Development

Have you ever wondered why some people excel at their craft while others plateau? The path to mastery isn’t a straight line—it’s a journey through distinct stages, each with its own challenges and opportunities for growth.

The Three Stages of Skill Development

The Beginner Stage: When you’re just starting out, your focus is entirely internal. Beginners concentrate solely on learning the fundamentals without much awareness of how others perform. This self-contained learning environment allows for exploration without the pressure of comparison.

The Novice Stage: As you gain some experience, you enter what I call the “manageable safe zone.” Novices have acquired basic competence but often remain in their comfort zone. While this stage feels secure, it’s where many people stagnate because they avoid pushing boundaries.

The Expert Stage: True expertise emerges only when you willingly face challenges. Experts understand that significant progress happens at the edges of their abilities. They actively seek out difficult situations that force them to adapt and evolve their skills.

Breaking Through Plateaus

The most critical transition in skill development is moving from novice to expert. This leap requires intentionally stepping outside your comfort zone and embracing situations where failure is possible. Without this willingness to be vulnerable, your skills remain confined to what’s comfortable rather than what’s possible.

Practical Steps for AdvancementIdentify your current stage honestly. Are you a beginner, novice, or working toward expertise?Set challenges slightly beyond your current abilities. Look for opportunities that make you uncomfortable but aren’t impossible.Practice deliberately rather than mindlessly repeating what you already know.Seek feedback from those who have already achieved expertise in your field.Measure progress against your previous performance rather than comparing yourself to others.The Reality of Growth

Remember that expertise doesn’t happen overnight. It requires consistent effort and a willingness to embrace discomfort. Each time you push past your limits, your skills expand, creating a new foundation for further growth.

Final Thoughts

Whatever skill you’re developing, understand that the journey from beginner to expert isn’t just about accumulating knowledge—it’s about transforming how you approach challenges. The path to mastery requires courage to move beyond the safe, manageable middle ground where no growth happens.

Where are you in your skill development journey? Are you comfortable in the safe zone, or are you pushing yourself toward expertise?

Follow me @ronaldhadrian for more insights on skill development and personal growth!

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Want to know the real secret to learning English? It’s not what most people think!

The brutal truth about English language acquisition: you don’t need any spoken English class.

You actually need a speaking partner who speaks with you and also suggests improvements.

I work with school kids, college kids, and professionals.

The more they spoke, the better they got.

It is always about imitation – that’s still manageable.

Imitation plus grammar plus situation will get you to fluency.

Imitation plus grammar plus situation plus wisdom equals mastery.

If you want a speaking partner, DM me – no matter what stage you are at!

#EnglishLearning #LanguagePartners #SpeakingPractice

Want to improve your English speaking skills? Follow me, @ronaldhadrian, for more tips and opportunities to practice!

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11th Writer Club meet

An ocean of words became a crystal-clear stream at this week’s Writers’ Meetup.

In the 11th session, Mr. Prabhu turned our scattered ideas into focused writing wisdom.

He covered three key topics:

Made to StickMake Numbers CountDrop the Pink ElephantThree Books, Three Core Ideas.

We practiced with two writing activities that let us apply these ideas right away.

Every meetup adds new tools to our writing arsenal.

Plus, you meet people who 

are just as wonderfully weird as you are.

Next month brings our one-year anniversary! Join us. 

Even if you haven’t written a single word yet, by next year you’ll be amazed at how much you’ll have written and learnt.

#WritingCommunity #ContentCreation #WritersLife

Follow me for more writing insights @ronaldhadrian

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Why Should You Need to Read Book Everyday

It’s no secret that the digital industry is booming. From exciting startups to global brands, companies are reaching out to digital agencies, responding to the new possibilities available. However, the industry is fast becoming overcrowded, heaving with agencies offering similar services — on the surface, at least.

Producing creative, fresh projects is the key to standing out. Unique side projects are the best place to innovate, but balancing commercially and creatively lucrative work is tricky. So, this article looks at how to make side projects work and why they’re worthwhile, drawing on lessons learned from our development of the ux ompanion app.

People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all.

Producing creative, fresh projects is the key to standing out. Unique side projects are the best place to innovate, but balancing commercially and creatively lucrative work is tricky. So, this article looks at how to make side projects work and why they’re worthwhile, drawing on lessons learned from our development of the ux ompanion app.

Why Integrate Side Projects?
Being creative within the constraints of client briefs, budgets and timelines is the norm for most agencies. However, investing in research and development as a true, creative outlet is a powerful addition. In these side projects alone, your team members can pool their expertise to create and shape their own vision — a powerful way to develop motivation, interdisciplinary skills and close relationships.

Building into the identity and culture of an agency can also lead to new client work. These projects act as a road map, showing clients exciting new technologies and ideas that will differentiate you from competitors. One of our earliest projects turned our website into a brochure, optimized for the first iPad’s touch interactions. By demonstrating the final product, we went on to win a project to create a similar product for a new client.

A significant shift in mindset is required to support either type of side project — weighing the longer-term, incremental benefits against committing what would otherwise be immediately billable time. Many agencies do this with a time-bound model of 80% client time versus 20% time, inspired by Google’s successes with Gmail and Google Reader which they have since (tellingly) phased out. I’d instead recommend the following guidelines.

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For a More Creative Brain Follow These 5 Steps

Nearly all great ideas follow a similar creative process and this article explains how this process works. Understanding this is important because creative thinking is one of the most useful skills you can possess. Nearly every problem you face in work and in life can benefit from innovative solutions, lateral thinking, and creative ideas.

Anyone can learn to be creative by using these five steps. That’s not to say being creative is easy. Uncovering your creative genius requires courage and tons of practice. However, this five-step approach should help demystify the creative process and illuminate the path to more innovative thinking.

To explain how this process works, let me tell you a short story.

A Problem in Need of a Creative Solution

In the 1870s, newspapers and printers faced a very specific and very costly problem. Photography was a new and exciting medium at the time. Readers wanted to see more pictures, but nobody could figure out how to print images quickly and cheaply.

For example, if a newspaper wanted to print an image in the 1870s, they had to commission an engraver to etch a copy of the photograph onto a steel plate by hand. These plates were used to press the image onto the page, but they often broke after just a few uses. This process of photoengraving, you can imagine, was remarkably time-consuming and expensive.

The man who invented a solution to this problem was named Frederic Eugene Ives. He went on to become a trailblazer in the field of photography and held over 70 patents by the end of his career. His story of creativity and innovation, which I will share now, is a useful case study for understanding the 5 key steps of the creative process.

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The Proven Path to Doing Unique and Meaningful Work

Nearly all great ideas follow a similar creative process and this article explains how this process works. Understanding this is important because creative thinking is one of the most useful skills you can possess. Nearly every problem you face in work and in life can benefit from innovative solutions, lateral thinking, and creative ideas.

Anyone can learn to be creative by using these five steps. That’s not to say being creative is easy. Uncovering your creative genius requires courage and tons of practice. However, this five-step approach should help demystify the creative process and illuminate the path to more innovative thinking.

To explain how this process works, let me tell you a short story.

A Problem in Need of a Creative Solution

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30 One-Sentence Stories From People Who Have Built Better Habits

In this article, I’d like to share 30 “one-sentence stories” about building better habits. (They are not all exactly one sentence, but they are very short.)

None of these stories are mine. They were sent to me by readers of Atomic Habits. My hope is that these examples will illustrate how real people are putting the book into practice. They will show you what people are actually doing to build good habits and break bad ones. And hopefully, they will spark some ideas for how you can do the same.

I have divided the stories into categories that roughly correspond to different sections or ideas in the book.

Identity-based habits

One of the central ideas in the book is the concept of building “identity-based habits”, which essentially recommends focusing on the type of person you wish to become rather than the outcome you wish to achieve.

One reader named Roland used the idea to improve his eating habits.

“I stopped eating unhealthy food via identity change,” he wrote. “I tried many times in the past, but it became easy — natural — only after I had made the conscious decision that I want to be someone who eats healthy. Instead of aiming for I want to stop eating bad food, I tried changing the mindset to I am someone that eats healthy and lives a healthy life. It changes how you approach things.”

Another reader named Robert employed this idea to help him quit smoking. He wrote, “I recently stopped smoking and the difference between I don’t smoke and I can’t smoke is a powerful trainer of my brain. The positive message of I don’t smoke is that I have not “given up” anything. I am not sacrificing a pleasure. I am investing in my future happiness and wellbeing.”

Like most strategies in the book, the concept of identity-based habits can be combined with other habit building tactics. For instance, one reader used an external reward of $10 to reinforce the desired identity. “I told myself, I am no longer a drinker. Then, after each day of non-drinking, I gave myself $10 to buy something nice rather than poison (like clothes and household items). Today, I no longer need the allowance and I’m six years sober.”

Chapter 2 of Atomic Habits covers these strategies in much greater detail.

Changing the Cues

Another way you can change a habit is by identifying and altering the cues that prompt your behavior. This is precisely what many readers have done.

One woman named Lisa cultivated a reading habit by increasing her exposure to books. “I’ve read more books by continually having 20-30 books on hold at the library,” she said. “It saves time on browsing for books. I always have new things to read with a three-week deadline.”

Heather used a similar strategy to reinforce the simple habit of drinking more water. “I use color and placement for visual reminding and motivation. I poured water in a bright aqua water bottle – my favorite color – and placed it on my nightstand so I couldn’t miss it when I woke up.”

Other readers have done the opposite. They reduced exposure to negative cues. One man named Max managed to eliminate his e-cigarette habit. “I quit e-cigarettes with a combination of determination and also quitting coffee at the same time, which was a trigger for me as I’d smoke and drink coffee together in the morning.”

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