Your bad attitude serves an evolutionary purpose. No, it’s not just pessimism. Whenever you find yourself fixating on anxiety and fear, it’s likely because your brain is trying to keep you safe. Humans owe their survival as a species to highly evolved biological and psychological strategies. Case in point: the brain’s amygdala processes stimuli to help […]
Refresh Your Style
You probably know good style when you see it on the street. But can you recognize it on the page? Prose style is unique to each writer, and it’s a quality that only emerges with patience and practice. For that reason, style isn’t something you can learn by following specific steps or a uniform recipe. […]
Why It’s Hard to Get Started
Is it possible to become too invested in your work? Obviously, entrepreneurs need to be passionate. But it’s equally important to avoid fixating on perfection, which can delay the start date of a new product or service. The goal should always be to make the first sale as quickly as possible. First-time entrepreneurs sometimes suffer from inertia, letting their fear […]
Build Trust Fast
This week, the chief executives of Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Google were grilled by the US House Judiciary Committee. Members of both major American political parties have clamored for the four Big Tech firms to be investigated for violation of antitrust legislation. The four executives—Tim Cook of Apple, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, […]
Value People Over Profit
A business’s success is driven by two main currencies: resources and employee goodwill. With economies reeling from the effects of COVID-19, reduced resources are a challenge for many companies right now. But the good news is that high-quality leadership and a clearly defined mission tend to boost goodwill—which motivational speaker Simon Sinek believes is the most […]
Forget Your Haters (and Your Fans)
Is the customer really always right? Businesses often operate under this assumption, but it can lead them to make costly mistakes. Placing too much emphasis on others’ feedback can mean chasing fads instead of pursuing change that would improve the business’s performance. Customers’ tastes change constantly, and sometimes the suggestions companies receive from them would perform terribly […]
Every Sale Is the Same
With economies around the world shaken by the effects of COVID-19, making a sale is more challenging than ever. What distinguishes stellar salesmanship from mere survival in any competitive field is the realization that every sale is fundamentally the same. Unsuccessful and middling salespeople tend to approach each sales situation differently, itemizing and weighing the […]
Time to Get Creative
Do you need another hobby? With so many of us around the world stuck at home more than usual, more people are looking for new ways to tap into their artistic side. Creative projects like cooking, painting, or even learning to code can be a lot of fun—and often complement your professional skills in surprising […]
End on a Good Note
We’ve all been there. A lackluster Zoom meeting. A presentation that falls flat. A vacation that doesn’t go as planned. If you ever find yourself flopping, here’s a quick tip to salvage the situation: make sure to end on a positive note. The way in which an experience concludes helps to crystallize a good—or bad—memory. Often enough, […]
Turn Your Year Around
A little more than halfway through 2020, it’s safe to say that for most of us, this hasn’t been a banner year for personal goal-setting and productivity. Take heart: challenging circumstances can be an incredible source of personal and professional growth. Using motivational speaker Michael Hyatt’s five-step plan for goal-setting, you can reset your expectations […]
