10 Tips for Overcoming Writers Block

10 Tips for Overcoming Writers Block10 Tips for Overcoming Writers BlockMost writers will have trouble with writers block at some point in their lives. The possible reasons for writers block are myriad fear, anxiety, a life change, the end of a project, the beginning of a project... almost anything, it seems, can cause that debilitating feeling of fear and frustration. Fortunately, there are as many ways to deal with writers block as there are causes. The items below are only suggestions, but trying something new is the first step toward writing again. 01Implement a Writing Schedule Hero Images/Getty ImagesLook at what youre writing and why. Are you writing what you love, or what you think you should be writing? The writing that feels most like play will end up delighting you the most, and this is the writing your readers will instinctively connect with. At the end of the day, writing is too hard to do it for anything other than love. If you continue to touch base with the joy you fi rst felt in writing, it will sustain you, not only through your current block but through whatever the future holds.

It took a decade to become an overnight success, says 13 Reasons Why star Christian Lee Navarro

It took a decade to become an overnight success, says 13 Reasons Why star Christian Lee NavarroIt took a decade to become an overnight success, says 13 Reasons Why star Christian Lee NavarroActor Christian Lee Navarro, who plays the role of Tony Padilla on Netflixs popularseries 13 Reasons Why, has become the kind of overnight success that Hollywood actors dream about - except, of course, took a full decade for the 25-year-old to really make it. The show focuses on the character of Hannah Baker aftershe has committed suicide. In the show, herbei friend Clay Jensen is trying to understand Bakers decision after he receives 13 tapes that she recorded prior to killing herself. Navarro plays Jensens friend Tony, the kind of strong supporter we all want to be able to lean on during times of crisis.Navarro was strategic about his career he chose the role to move out of the typecast Latino roles that had limited scope. He wanted to stretch, and 13 Reasons Why was his chance to break free of labels. Navarro shares success tips andtells Ladders abouthis unorthodox path to acting andwhy simply being nice can be a huge career boost.Ladders Whats the one word you would use to describe your reaction to the success of this show?Navarro Humbling. I was part of aelendher project called Vinyl, which I was incredibly proud of, but it doesnt have the weight or the relevance that something like this has. I think when you get a letter from a fan who says, A week ago, I was being bullied and the students in my class saw the show and decided not to bully me anymore,thats so gratifying. When you are working on it, you arent too sure of the outcome, you just hope its good. Receiving letters and emails similar to that is for sure a humbling experience.What inspired you to get into acting?Both my parents are cops my dad has been retired for 20 years and my mother still has six more years on the job. They would tell me not to do something, and the quickest way for a kid to do something is to tell them not to do something. I was always pushing the envelope, and spent a lot of time punished, so I was in my room only with books. I only had those to read incessantly, and then act them out, so I started entertaining myself and found that it was easier to be these other people and tell their stories, and I wanted to explore that. I wanted to see if I could figure out who I was by taking a little bit of a character that I played or read or came across from a movie.Then, I spent my later years in Catholic High Schools and dealt with the restriction of that, and when I was a sophomore I did a play and made the decision to pull myself out of the one that I was going to in the Bronx. I didnt tell my dad, and when September came around he was like You have to go buy some new shirts and ties,and I was like I dont think so. I then auditioned for a big-time show, got into it, and it was the best decision I ever had. For the first time, I was around people who were like-minded in t heir creativeness and just as rambunctious and rebellious as I was, and we felt each others souls and I knew that I wanted to be part of that family. There is always a part of us that feels like we arent enough and trying to seek that out, thats where it started. I fell in love with the art of it, and the realization that I could help a wide range of people just for doing what I love is such a gift. I believe it was Confucius who said, If you do something you love, youll never have to work another day in your life. would cut, not sure Confuciussaid this??-MTell me about the biggest hurdle in your career and how did you overcome that?I think the hurdle for me was having the industry start to realize that with this role, that I am not the Latino Gangster/Drug Dealer that they want me to be. There is only so many roles for an eloquent, intelligent Latino. You really have to grab that. At first, I thought I wasnt right for this role because Im a little bit older, but it was an opportuni ty to put a Latino character who wasnt defined by his sexuality, his race, his classthis guy is multifaceted. And there arenot a lot of roles written like that, so I feel like having played this role and doing my best at ithas given me the chance to break that stereotype. I started my career at 15 and Im 25 now, so it has taken over tenyears in order to get over this hurdle, and Im happy to have gotten to this point.What would you say is the biggest piece of advice who are trying to become successful in their own career?There are a million people who are going to tell you,You cant do it.I love my family, and it comes from a distribution policy of love, but they would always say,You should get a job, this is a pipe dream.And then, of course, when you do something miraculous like thisthe doubt turns into congratulationsSo keep your head down, believe in yourself to a point where it seems like yourecrazy - you know, that blind determination. And work harder than everybody else, and if you do those two things, good things happen. Above all be kind, because there are no successful a- holes. There are people that might not be nice, but you have to be a good person and look out for other people.

5 Best Ways to Improve Your Employee Recognition

5 Best Ways to Improve Your Employee Recognition5 Best Ways to Improve Your Employee RecognitionEmployee recognition is limited in fruchtwein organizations. Employees complain about the lack of recognition and appreciation regularly. Organizations fail to realize the power of providing frequent and sincerely meant employee recognition. They are unaware of the impact that solid recognition and employee thank yous would have on employee motivation, engagement, and retention. Managers who should be the most significant factor in recognizing employees are not clear about these value factors when recognition is properly provided. Some managers even ask questions such as, Why should I recognize or thank him? Hes just doing his job. And, life at work is busy, busy, busy. Therbeie are always too many priorities and goals. Nearly every employee has enough work to fill a 40 hour work week or more. These factors combine to create workplaces that fail to provide recognition for employees. Manage rs who prioritize employee recognition understand the power of recognition. They know that employee recognition is not just a nice thing to do for people. Employee recognition is a communication tool that reinforces and rewards the most important outcomes people create for your business. When you recognize people effectively, you reinforce, with your chosen means of recognition, the actions and behaviors you most want to see people repeat. An effective employee recognition system is simple, immediate, and powerfully reinforcing. Employees feel cared about and appreciated. It may seem simplistic, but people who feel recognized and cared about produce more and better work. Employee Survey Pinpoints Recognition as a Challenge In a client employee satisfaction survey, the question of whether the company cared about the welfare and happiness of its employees drew divergent views. Some people agreed others disagreed. The environment was clearly not awash in employee recognition. So, t he Culture and Communications team put out a second survey asking what would make the employees feel as if the company cared about them. The team members developed several answers that employees could check and supplied room for their comments and additional thoughts. Fifty-five percent of the respondents said that praise and attention from their supervisor would make them feel as if the company cared about them and their well-being. As you might also expect, money, benefits, and events such as company lunches ranked high, too. But recognition from the supervisor or manager ranked above all other choices. In employee satisfaction surveys in different organizations, the findings are always similar. Employees want to know that they have done a good job- and that you noticed. Employees want to be thanked and appreciated. A leader of employees makes other people feel important and appreciated. The leader excels at creating opportunities to provide rewards, recognition, and thanks to his or her staff. A leader creates a work environment in which people feel important and appreciated. Want to Kick Employee Recognition Up a Notch? You can reinforce powerfully the recognition you provide in these ways. Write out the recognition, what the employee did, why it was important, and how the actions served your organization. Give a copy of the letter to the employee and to the department head or CEO, depending on the size of your company. Place a copy in the employees file. Write a personal note to the employee. Perhaps have your manager sign it, too. Photocopy the note and place the recognition in the employees file. Accompany the verbal recognition with a schadstoff. Engraved plaques, merchandise that carries the company logo, even certificates of appreciation reinforce the employee recognition. Everyone likes cash or the equivalent in gift cards, gift certificates, and checks. If you use a consumable form of employee recognition, accompany the cash with a note or lett er. When the money has been spent, you want the employee to remember the recognition. Present the recognition publicly, at an employee meeting, for example. Even if the employee is uncomfortable with publicity, it is important for the other employees to know that employees are receiving recognition. Conclusion and More Information About Employee Recognition A simple thank you counts as employee recognition. But, you can also make employee recognition as elaborate as your imagination can conceive. Recognition should not be a scarce resource. You cannot use recognition up. You cannot run out of recognition. No budget is too small to afford employee recognition. For increased employee satisfaction, bring on lots of employee recognition. Youll be happy that you did. Here are forty ways to say thank you to employees at work and twenty ways to tell your employees that you care. That gives you sixty additional ways, some that take seconds, to spread recognition around. Youll be happy t hat you did- and your employees will love you and stay Additional Information About Employee Recognition Top Ten Ways to Show AppreciationWhat People Want From Work

Here is a very simple method for you to achieve success

Here is a very simple method for you to achieve successHere is a very simple method for you to achieve successAs Im writing these words, Im at the home of one of my mentors, Dan Sullivan, who is the founder of Strategic Coach.The only reason I tell you Im here is that, for years, I would have been blown away simply to meet this man.Now, we not only have a close friendship but we also work together on big projects.I tell you this simple story for a few quick reasonsNo matter how big your dreams are, they arent big enoughYou need to learn how to create EXPERIENCES that shift and upgrade your psychologyYou need to learn to meet the people you aspire to be likeBoth your mindplatzdeckchen and goals are limited right nowWhatever it is that you want right now, you can have it - but then, you need to continue stretching your mindset and experiencesThe truth about goalsMost people do not know how to set or achieve goals.Most people dont CLEARLY know what they want. And they believe they must be clear BEFORE setting goals.The process of writing your goals down on paper, every single day, is actually HOW you clarify your goals.Youre not supposed to have the whole future figured out, right now.You figure it out, more fully, one day at a time.The purpose of goals is to guide and clarify your thinking.You get to decide what clarity means to you - and you get to decide what your future looks like.You do this by intentionally writing down what you would like to see happen.Its really that simple.However, the only truly USEFUL form of goals is in the form of numbers or fests. A brain works really well when it is trying to create a specific event or a specific number.So, when youre looking at your goals, you want to be sure that they are either numeric or actual events in the real world.Your brain needs to quantify, in the actual world, what it is youre trying to do.Simply Having a better life, or Being financially successful, or Being a professional author, are all HORRIBLE go als.You will never get the clarity you need to be truly motivated by this kind of goal setting.You need SPECIFIC NUMBERS and SPECIFIC EVENTS.Both of these are very important. For example,If you want to improve your relationship with your spouse, you need to write down in your journal the exact number of dates you plan to take your lover on in the next 30 days.You also need to write down SPECIFIC EVENTS that you want to create in that relationship - in the 3-D world, not just in your head.If you want to improve your income, then you need to write down specific amounts of money you will make in the next 30, 60, and 90 days - and even in the next 1, 3, and 5 years.You also need to write down SPECIFIC EVENTS that you will create with your money, such as donating $1 million dollars to your church or buying the house of your dreams, etc.Numbers are powerful because they are measurable. If your goals are not measurable, then they arent actually goals.If you dont also have SPECIFIC EVENTS you want to create, then you dont have the creative clarity to produce something significant in the real world.Me, sitting here at Dan Sullivans house, is an event in real time that shows me that Im actually moving my life in a consciously-designed direction.Events are happening in the real world that I welches only writing about in my journal 13 years ago.The better you get at this process, the faster youll achieve your goals.One other tidbit.When you put yourself into powerful experiences, you want to allow those experiences to truly reshape your psychology. While in powerful environments, you want to really stretch your imagination and future.Dont play small.As Napoleon Hill stated, Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.In certain situations, you are more receptive to change. Your subconscious is more fluid and flexible and within your reach. So you might as well bestattungs it and shake it a little bit.For example, while at a recent event where I was learning to grow my business, I was feeling really inspired and in what I would call a peak state.I decided to pull out my journal and begin writing goals down that were far bigger than anything Ive truly imagined.According to neuroscience - in order for visualization to work, you not only need to be intellectually stimulated but also emotionally committed.True imagination is both cognitive and affective - mental and emotional.When you become emotionally committed to your visualization and goal setting, you begin to reshape your personality. Because your personality is based on emotions and memories, not intellect, youll be able to truly visualize your goals.While writing your goals down in a far more imaginative state of mind, youll begin to get INSIGHTS. Those insights are the gold youre looking for. Those insights are ideas about both the WHAT and the HOW.Youll begin thinking about creative solutions to your problems.You cant actually get creative solutions if you arent activel y seeking something bigger and better in your life.But while you truly entertain an idea, goal, or future event you intend to experience, you give your brain something tangible to begin playing with and solving.This is a good use of the brain, and very few people have designed systems for getting their brain activated at peak levels.What you measure matters, so measure what mattersWhat you focus on expands.The things you choose to measure influence and determine your mindset and mental focus.For a long time, my core metric of measurement was the number of email subscribers I added to my blog.This is a picture of my current email subscriber base - those who subscribe to my weekly newsletter.In the past 30 days, Ive gotten around 19,000 new people.The thing is, I dont really care about this number anymore. I care about something much more important.While my focus was on email subscribers, I wasnt actually making any money.When you set a goal for a specific metric, you then put your b rain on track for developing the skills to attain that metric.Because my focus was on getting email subscribers, I allowed my brain to learn how to get new email subscribers. I learned how to develop the skills and abilities that would lead to that particular outcome.However, in moving forward and evolving in my life, I realize that that particular method, although useful, is not the best metric I should be monitoring.There are better metrics.There are metrics more powerful and useful.What you measure determines the goals you set. The goals you set determine the future development of your brain and personality.Instead of measuring the number of emails I get, Im now measuring the number of clients Im getting. Im also measuring SPECIFIC EVENTS around my work, personal life, and family.The key events Im seeking in my work relate to powerful experiences for my clients, as well as key transformational experiences I have in my own life - such as the one Ive been having this week with Dan Sullivan.In other words, my focus has shifted to tangible experiences for myself and my clients.This focus has led to far greater inspiration and insights in my morning journaling than simply focusing on the number of email subscribers I get.Your brain develops as you focus on attaining specific numbers and creating SPECIFIC eventsReady to upgrade?Ive created a cheat sheet for putting yourself into a PEAK-STATE, immediately. You follow this daily, your life will change very quickly.Get the cheat sheet hereThis article first appeared on Medium.

Oprah Winfrey to USCs Class of 2018 Declare war on cynicism

Oprah Winfrey to USCs Class of 2018 Declare war on cynicismOprah Winfrey to USCs Class of 2018 Declare war on cynicismBelow are excerpts and video of Oprah Winfreys commencement speech to USCsAnnenberg School for Communication and Journalisms Class of 2018Everything around us, including and in particular the Internet and social media, is now being used to erode trust in our institutions, enter fear in our elections and wreak havoc on our infrastructure. It enables misinformation to zulauf rampant, attention spans to run short and false stories from phony sites to run circles around major news outlets.- - - You will become the new editorial gate-keepers, an ambitious army of truth-seekers who will arm yourselves with the intelligence, with the insights and the facts necessary to strike down deceit.You are in a position to keep all of those who now disparage real news. You all are the ones who are going to keep those people in check. Why? Because you can push back. You can answer fal se narratives with real information and you can set the record straight.- - - If you could just capture the humanity of the people and the stories that youre telling, you can get that much closer to your own humanity and you can confront your bias and you can build your credibility and hone your instincts and compound your compassion. You can use your gifts - thats what youre here to do - to illuminate the darkness in our world.- - - Itscommencement seasonFollow LaddersCommencement Addresses magazine on Flipboardto watch and read all of the most inspiring speeches from this year and years past.This moment in time, this is your time to rise, even though you cant go anywhere - you cant stand in line at Starbucks, you cant go to a party, you cant go anywhere without everyone talking about how badeanstalt things are, how terrible it is. And this is what I know The problem is everybody is meeting hysteria with more hysteria, and then we just are all becoming hysterical, and its ge tting worse.- - - In about an hour and a half, youre going to be catapulted into a world that appears to have gone off its rocker.- - - The homeless need opportunity, the addicted need treatment, the Dreamers need protection, the prison system needs reforming, the LGBTQ community needs acceptance, the social safety net needs saving, and the misogyny needs to stop.- - - Here and now, I believe, you have to declare war on one of our most dangerous enemies, and that is cynicism. Because when that little creature sinks its hooks into you, itll cloud your clarity, itll compromise your integrity, itll lower your standards, itll choke your empathy, and sooner or later, cynicism shatters your faith.- - - I hesitate to say this because the rumors from my last big speech have finally died down, but here it is Vote. Pay attention to what the people who claim to represent you are doing and saying in your name and on your behalf. They represent you, and if theyve not done right by you, i f their policies are at odds with your core beliefs, then you have a responsibility to send them packing.If they go low - thank you, Michelle Obama - we go to the polls. People died for that right. I think about it every time I cast a vote, so dont let their sacrifice be in vain.- - - I hold you in the light, and I wish you curiosity and confidence, and I wish you ethics and enlightenment. I wish you guts. I hope you shake things up, and when the time comes to bet on yourself, I hope you double down.

The Do This, Get That Guide On Resume Examlpes

The Do This, Get That Guide On Resume Examlpes Once youve reviewed resumes in your field, peruse resumes across fields to know how to vary using action verbs and receive a feel for what makes a potent accomplishment statement. However much or what kind of work experience youve got, theres a resume format that is likely to make your qualifications shine. The solution is yes in the event you wish to.Your distinctive situation differs from everybody, therefore your resume will be customized to satisfy YOUR individual needs. Doesnt matter what job you are searching for and what type of experience youve got behind you back a correct format of resume 2019 is what would allow you to win a competition. Then it may be time to bring some style to your resume Well youve come to the perfect drehort In addition, you always want your latest work to appear at the peak of the list and your oldest work at the base of your resume. For instance, a cosmetics consultant might select a feminine resume design with subtle flesh tones to contact her preferred career. Finding a means to find attention from recruiters without excluding key parts of information or revealing too much can help you receive an interview. The more pieces and parts you need to select from, the greater your likelihood of finding what youre searching for. Now have a look at your information technology resume. Do a search utilizing any of the important search engines such as Google, Yahoo, or MSN and youll find a great deal of resources to help you. You can depend on the ideal essay help online. The web is similar to a huge carnival. Administration occupations like administrative office assistants and secretaries are vital to the business world. If youre a professional looking to modify fields, volunteer work or internships may also help to bridge the gap between your existing profession and your preferred field. There are resumes that highlight your abilities and work experience, even a number of the volunteer works youve done. If dont have any prior expertise in hand, you might add volunteer or internship experience, and childcare abilities. The toughest part for each and every fresh graduate is searching for work. Also, make sure to incorporate any distinctive honors or achievements you have gotten. Look at everything in your life and expert experience to demonstrate the abilities and experience that you need to showcase to produce the perception of yourself that you would like a prospective employer to see. Demonstrating you have work experience is critical, even supposing it isnt directly associated with your targets. Perhaps while looking for examples you noticed poor samples all around the internet. If youre umgang software, it must enable you to save or export to Word format. OurA Sample ResumesA for expert summary come with each available examples from other job categories that may secure any user covered. Employing a resume template is getting an accepta ble and smart practice for several reasons. Resume Examlpes Be aware that a wonderful letter is one which will not cause you to look desperate for the position but instead help the employer understand why you deserve to get interviewed and why you are the very best candidate for the position. From the info it is possible to gather here, you will see it isnt as challenging to understand how to compose a resume as you might have thought. The response can be found in the businesss policy. Notice how the example resumes are extremely specific when it has to do with technical skills. Read resume articles focused on specific features of job searching and the way to use your resume. What follows is a wide selection of professional resume samples for jobs in a variety of industries. Volunteer experience is also a fine add-on to healthcare resumes as it shows the hiring manager you have compassion off the work also. Everyone knows that when browsing for work, the very first task you will need to complete for an expected employer is, Send a copy of your resume. To begin with, its important to see that any resume from copywriter to CEO ought to be limited to 1-2 pages. Transportation jobs involve a great deal of responsibility and your resume will want to reflect you can deal with that. Following that, it must impress the hiring manager with information which is relevant to them. Without such a section, the possible hiring manager may be left wondering why he or shes reading your resume in any way.

Four April Fools Pranks Not to Play at the Office (And Two You Can)

Four April Fools Pranks Not to Play at the Office (And Two You Can) Jim and Dwights prank war on The Office was hilarious, but playing their practical jokes in real life can backfire horribly. Here are four infamous pranks that you should avoid when it comes to April Fools Day (and in general). At Londons City Hall, cheeky employees sent their vacationing coworker an emergency deadline dated April 1st. They assumed hed notice the date and get the joke right away, but instead he panicked and began to experience heart palpitations. According to The Museum of Hoaxes, Finally he collapsed from the stress and had to take leave from work. As he was recovering he realized it just wasnt worth risking his health to finish the report, so he filed for early retirement. When someone explained the joke, he sued the city for damages.Weve seen several iterations of this one, but they all involve a keyboard, a pa cket of seeds, and about two weeks of careful watering. Turning your coworkers keyboard into a planter may seem like a fun idea, but its time consuming, messy, and unless you supply your own decoy keyboard, you may be in deep trouble for destroying company property. See also encasing office supplies in Jell-o or completely wrapping a coworkers cube in tin foil or plastic wrap.At Dave Syferd Partners in Seattle, employees pranked the creative director of their advertising firm by cleaning out his office while he was on vacation and moving his stuff to a small cubicle. On his return he assumed that hed been demoted from partner of the firm to lowly cube dweller. According to Katie Robertson, Instead of allowing the company to demote him, Kindred decided to drive to Canada and become a park ranger. He eventually returned to his old joband officeafter his coworkers confessed.Any pranks that involve calling the cops are not only a bad idea but also illegal, as this Waffle House employee discovered last year. Pulling fire alarms and calling in bomb threats fall into the same category. While not illegal, we recommend you avoid inciting all of your coworkers to pretend to call in sick on the first or jokingly handing in your resignation. Depending on your bosss sense of humor, you may find yourself out of a job for real.So what can you do on the next April Fools Day? Here are a couple of pranks we think youll likeAs grammar geeks, were particularly fond of this one Open the settings of a coworkers untended Gmail or Facebook account and change the display language. Its a relatively easy fixthey can just switch the display back to Englishbut theyll be really confused as they try to figure out whats going on. Facebook features a particularly bizarre upside-down English setting.Another great grammar-based prank is to open Words proofreading options and change the AutoCorrect settings to replace a commonly typed absolut with something silly. If theyre careful proofreaders , theyll catch it right away, but just in case, you might want to point out the mistake before they send out a memo where the bosss name is replaced with Cheese Dude or Big Moose.Remember, the goal of April Fools Day is to bring a little whimsy and laughter to other peoples lives. Mean-spirited pranks intended to humiliate or frighten your victims are never a good idea.Have fun out there

What Ive learned as a junior entrepreneur in Bulgaria in three years

What Ive learned as a junior entrepreneur in Bulgaria in three yearsWhat Ive learned as a junior entrepreneur in Bulgaria in three yearsSeven years ago I joined one of the first entrepreneurship organisations here in Bulgaria. One of my first tasks welches to conduct a small research on what Bulgarians understand when they hear the word entrepreneur. I was really stunned to see that the average Bulgarian was thinking entrepreneurs are the people who construct huge buildings.Fortunately, things started to change thanks to several significant events that got our capital Sofia listed as one of the top 10 cities to launch a startup. Eleven, a local early stage venture fund was ranked 3 most active VC in Europe in 2015. Launchub, the other local venture fund has recently closed aelendher 18M EUR round of funding. Together they have invested in mora than 200 startups for the past 3 years. Dronamics, one of the newborn ventures, won the Pioneers Festival. Last, but notlage least, the Bulgar ian IT company Telerik got acquired by Progress Software for $262.5M, leading to the biggest industry exit in Central and Eastern Europe.The foundations of a working startup environment are already laid, but this environment is still much closer to the Wild West rather than Silicon Valley. Im following the development of the local startup community both as part of the community and as a founder of a startup we launched 3 years ago. Here are 8 lessons I learned as a junior entrepreneur in our nascent ecosystem.1. Its not fun, but its up to you to enjoy the gameWith the birth of entrepreneurship here in Sofia, there were a lot of startup events prompting you to start your own company. They paint a pretty picture You are going to develop your own ideas, You will be your own boss, You will lead a team and define its culture, etc. I bet it sounds like loads of fun. Well its not. And if for some reason it is, there surely is a problem either in you or in your company. I cant be convince d that facing all kinds of problems every single day, hearing No 10 times per week when you are fundraising, contacting media or even presenting your idea for the whole team to challenge, is somewhat near fun.However, in a startup, theres nothing you cant control, except for schwimmbad luck and bad weather. But here lies the biggest challenge being able to rise above and enjoy the good things in life and business, even when sometimes you want to quit them all. Its one of your most crucial responsibilities as a founder. Feeling blue is normal, but showing it in front of others is something you cannot afford. Youll make it harder for your team to follow you and harder for your investors to say Yes. You should also not forget that building a startup is a long journey and you learn a lot on the way. Not many people have the opportunity to take such a journey and you should do your best to enjoy it, no matter how hard it is.2. There is no finish lineI believe that people should work sup er hard in order to get things done, but there are moments when you have to slow down or completely switch off. So, when is everything going to stop? When would the so-called tipping point come around and make everything easier and better?Well, in real life and especially in a startup, there is rarely a tipping point. I always thought that the usual startup journey would last for a couple of years. This is a wrong and short-sided opinion and it took me a while to realize it.Look at Zuckerberg, Musk or Page do you think they were calculating how much time they would need to make their ideas come to life? Or that theyre not facing any new tremendous problems a decade after theyve launched their products?Do yourself a favor think of your startup as a lifelong race with no finish line. Anything worth doing takes a lot of time. Probably a lifetime.Related articlesPros and Cons of working in a startupHow we killed our HR departmentHow Hotjar built a 100% distributed company3. Press the gas pedal harder after a victory, not after a failureWe all know who Elon Musk is probably the smartest and most successful person living on Earth right now. Personally, I think that he has reached such a level not only because he didnt give up despite the million hard situations he had to deal with.The thing he has mora than others is hunger. He didnt stop when they sold PayPal. Rather he invested his time into creating the first electric car and sending rockets to Mars. He already was a successful person, but for him, it was simply not enough.At the beginning of our journey, I found that we felt somewhat satisfied when we achieved something big. In fact, this motivated us to do even more. Be proud of what youve achieved, but working on the next big thing right away should be your game. Dont settle and dont please your hunger its one of your strongest weapons.4. Everything is everyones responsibilityIf youre a developer, you probably want to code and have someone else taking care of the business. If you are a marketer, you probably want to bring thousands of users to your website, but have someone else handling their questions and complaints. And no matter what you do, its very unlikely you want to handle accounting or fundraising.My theory is that building a great company is not only about getting your things done, its about getting your hands dirty. In a startup, its vital to keep everyone on the frontline of the battlefield as near as possible to all customers, actions, dangers, and enjoyments.The closer you keep your team to everything thats going on, the more they understand the impact and responsibility of their actions. Give major tasks to the younger people too, encourage devs to do marketing and the other way around.Try not to establish the kind of culture that makes your team members do only whats their responsibility or what they have a university degree for and you will be amazed by the results.5. Fear and ego are a junior entrepreneurs biggest enemiesAmaryllis Fox, a former CIA agent, points out the biggest lesson that her work has taught her after 10 years undercoverEverybody believes they are the good guy.Its almost the same case in entrepreneurship. We, as founders, keep saying that we are doing something great, something that helps a lot of people, that we are on the right track, the next funding round is coming and essentially we are the heroes on this planet.The problem here is that entrepreneurs usually have a huge ego, which might help in specific cases, but for me, its the number one reason we fail. Most of the times we are so delusional about our idea, that we are full of self-belief and this blocks us from listening to our friends, investors or customers. You should remain a student and learn every single day even 10 years after youve launched your product. You should be less, say less and not let the ego overcome you.The other thing that could destroy the early entrepreneurial life is fear. The fear of a pote ntial failure, the fear of losing the trust of the team, the fear of what others might think of you, the fear of not closing that important deal and thats normal. But it could negatively reflect on your team, investors, community, even on your personal life and relationships. Fear makes us nervous and reveals the worst side of us. Be ready to show courage and endure danger without ego.6. Not the community, but friends and family are the ones who are going to help you build your startupMany entrepreneurs think that a startups success is defined by a number of users, revenue or fundings it has. At the beginning, my thoughts were the same and there were times when I forgot about all the untersttzungsangebot my friends and family have provided. Theyve put their problems on the side in order to help resolve mine or have just encouraged me and the team after a bad day. Theyve used their connections to make us known. Theyve spent their valuable time reviewing our financials, operations or marketing strategy all for free just because its us. Theyve never refused to help us from funding our financial gaps to just sharing something on Facebook. If I had to list all the names of people whove helped us, Id probably need a whole new post.So my advice is, dont try to build a community. You already have one, just look around. These people are your most important and valuable asset.7. The only startup bubble is your own bubbleLately, many people started suggesting that the next startup bubble is growing and even worse that most of the local startups exist only because of this bubble.In my opinion, its a very big overstatement. Yes, many startups, which probably wouldnt exist in Silicon Valley, were born here only because the European Union has decided to develop and fund the entrepreneurship ecosystem. And thats not necessarily a bad thing. The founders and their whole teams are learning a lot, and even if their companies fail, theyd still bring lots of knowledge to their n ext job or entrepreneurial endeavor.On the other hand, the whole buzz around startups isnt very healthy. Ive met founders who are talking and thinking only about their companies, and this locks them in an even smaller bubble that they have created in their minds. Running a startup doesnt mean you have to be in your office 24/7 or that you should go to every entrepreneurship event in your city. You need to move, go out, spend time with your family, friends and yourself. There are more important things in life than your startup, arent there?8. Life is extremely short and you wont get many chancesLife is short. We all pretend that we know it, but few of us are really aware of it. Three years ago when we founded I was thinking like a typical Generation Y kid. I was assuming that even if we fail, I will learn a lot and that will help me with my next endeavors, especially in Bulgaria, where very few people have startup experience in their pocket.The truth is that our time is now and now only. Second chances in life come rarely so dont just wait around for them. Everyone in the startup world says that you learn a lot if you fail, but Ill assure you that youll learn much more if you succeed.In the end of the day, I think we need a couple of more exciting and successful startups. Telerik still remains the only major example, but the entrepreneurship community in Bulgaria has all the elements it needs to make us a business hot-spot.Looking for more inspiration? Check out our resume examples section that got people hired at their dream jobs.

Bill Gates on the potential (and dangers) of artificial intelligence

Bill Gates on the potential (and dangers) of artificial intelligenceBill Gates on the potential (and dangers) of artificial intelligenceBill Gates is one of the many respected minds of the 21st century that frequently makes a point to inform us about the potential dangers companioning the rise of artificial intelligence.First, the machines will do a lot of jobs for us and not be super intelligent. That should be positive if we manage it well. A few decades after that, though, the intelligence is strong enough to be a concern. Gates told CNET back in 2015.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreHonored neuroscientist, Sam Harris joins him in this sentiment, employing the term, death by science fiction, poking fun at the way many have become so exercisedby the rapid development of various forms of virtual technology, theyre effectively blind to the scary future that potentially rests on t he horizon.If intelligence is just a matter of information processing and we continue to improve our machines, we will produce some form of super intelligence and we have no idea how long it will take to create the conditions to do that safely. Fifty years is not what it used to be. Fifty years is not that much time to meet one of the greatest challenges our species will ever face, Harris explained in a Ted Talk a few years back. For the most part, the experts that augur the dangers of AI do so with both sobriety and measured evidence.Few reasoned minds outright condemn automation wholesale.The responsibility of innovationRecently, philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder, Bill Gates spoke at Stanfords Human-Centered AI conference.Many media outletsbecame fixated on a particular prozentsatz from the prolific investor, one that compared artificial intelligence to nuclear energy. This angle is certainly justifiable, though when observed in proper context, the sentiment of the quote dul ls its bite a bit.Gates fears that The United States doesnt really have a good handle on the global AI research race. The US was in this totally unique position for most of these breakthrough technologies. Now the US is still very much the leader, but not in the same dominant, dominant way, Gates explained.As far hes concerned, the technology is every bit as promising as it is dangerous but if were not careful things can get out of hand very quickly. Here, the parallels between AI advancementsand nuclear energy begin to become more clear, and less frantic sounding. Its a hard comparison to dismiss. Although Gates believes that evidence of super intelligence dramaticallyimproving society so far is limited, he remains optimistic about its potential.Ladders has reported about the admirable philanthropy practiced by both Gates and his wife Melinda through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Considering this organization seems to fund the majority of his focus of late, it makes sense that the value Gates perceives in artificial intelligence owes itself to humanitarian concerns.If robots are gonna do us any good, Gates motions that itll be in the fields of medicine and education. As verification, he mentioned the recent breakthrough in the premature birth crisis happening in Africa. AI was utilized to screen 23andMe geneticdata, uncovering a link between deficiency of the element selenium and premature births.We expect to see about 15% reduction in prematurity, which for Africa as a whole would project out to be about 80,000 lives saved per year, said Gates.AI for goodMoreover, he hopes superintelligence can be contracted to figure out patterns that enable children to remain engaged and motivated in schools.One begins to understand the thread that separates Gates expectations for artificial intelligence and the breed of expectation that keeps Harris up at night. Gates seems to champion technology that nurtures human virtues tech that keeps us well and informed, as opposed to tech that seeks to make these virtues obsolete-a chance to supercharge the social sciences, he said at the conference.I think allowing our excitement for the new age of automation to be accompanied with a little caution, is more than a reasonable stipulation.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will ersatzdarsteller your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

How to Build Your Personal Brand When Youre an Introvert - The Muse

How to Build Your Personal Brand When Youre an Introvert - The MuseHow to Build Your Personal Brand When Youre an Introvert When it comes to excelling in your career, you likely know that building and growing your personal brand is a key piece of the puzzle.But, heres the thing The very thought of pasting on a smile and a name tag, shaking the hands of a bunch of strangers, and reciting your elevator pitch makes you nauseous.You consider yourself an introvert. Now, contrary to popular belief, that doesnt automatically qualify you as someone whos painfully shy or dislikes people altogether. Instead, as Myers Briggs explains, you get your energy from a mora internal source- like your own thoughts, ideas, and time for reflection. In contrast, extroverts feel most energized by activities and groups of people.But dont worry if the thought of mingling makes you super uncomfortable. Personal branding isnt all about schmoozing over cocktails at a networking event- in fact, thats only a very small slice of it.Here are a few ways that you can build your personal brand, without having to pretend youre an extrovert.1. Leverage Social MediaSocial media is an incredibly powerful tool for personal branding- for both introverts and extroverts. But, for those who prefer a little more alone time, leveraging social media can be particularly appealing.Start by ensuring your profiles are all up-to-date. That way, they can tout your skills and accomplishments for you, without you so much as saying a word.After that, try joining LinkedIn groups or Twitter chats to participate in discussions relevant to your industry and connect with fellow professionals. Post interesting articles or updates you find to your own profiles. You can even write and publish your own content on platforms like LinkedIn or Medium.All of these tactics are far less anxiety-inducing than needing to strut up to a stranger at a networking event. Plus, they all reinforce your qualifications, keep you visible, and e ven establish you as a thought leader in your field- all without having to leave your computer.2. Focus on RelationshipsAs an introvert, youd much rather have a one-on-one conversation. Youre focused on meaning and might dread the thought of working the room to have short, surface conversations with everyone there.So, dont pressure yourself into thinking that you need to be the center of attention, speak with a large audience, or speed date as many connections as possible in order to foster a solid reputation.If you continue to build one meaningful relationship at a time with the people who actually matter to you, by setting up informal meetings or coffee dates, youll actually end up with a stronger personal brand (and more beneficial network) than those people who fly around networking events engaging in endless conversations about the weather.3. Expand Your QualificationsExpanding your skills and expertise is a surefire way to solidify and improve your personal brand. However, man y fail to actually take the steps to do so.Fortunately, this is a perfect option for introverts in particular, as it typically provides the opportunity for more reflection on your own ideas and even some more quiet time to learn a new skill.Take that online course youve been meaning to get around to. Read that book thats been collecting dust on your shelf. Or, pursue that certification that youve been telling yourself that youll get one day. You know the one? Its been bookmarked in Chrome purgatory for the past three years.Once you complete your extracurricular, make sure to post your new certification on your LinkedIn, your resume (if relevant) and your personal website to cash in on the branding payoff.Investing in yourself is always recommended. Itll strengthen your resume and your qualifications, but typically wont require time spent in the spotlight.4. Create a Plan for NetworkingEven if you consider yourself an introvert, you know that in-person networking is still unavoidable . Whether its at a conference, an awards dinner, or any other sort of professional event, youre probably going to find yourself in a crowd of strangers every now and then.Listen, this can be intimidating for even the most outgoing among us. So, dont beat yourself up for feeling nervous or anxious- thats perfectly normal.However, if youre aiming to strengthen your personal brand, youre still going to want to use this time to your advantage by engaging in some conversations and making a few key connections.One of the tactics that can be particularly helpful for introverts is to have a plan- before ever even wandering into that sea of people. Are there any specific attendees youre hoping to chat with? Great. Think through ahead of time how youll approach them and what youd like to talk with them about. You can even arm yourself with a few conversation starters.Knowing that you have a plan in place will help to boost your confidence and make that event a little less overwhelming. Plus, if you can keep your focus on having those one-on-one conversations that you know are most beneficial to you, itll be that much easier to forget youre in a jam-packed room.Oh, and if you reach a point where your energy feels totally depleted, dont hesitate to step outside or head to the bathroom for a brief reprieve and a little time to recharge.Building a personal brand can feel daunting for anybody- but its especially tough for introverts. Focus on doing a few things that could really elevate your brand, rather than overwhelming yourself with all of the options that are out there.Get started by giving these tactics a try, and youre sure to strengthen your network and your reputation- with as little anxiety as possible.