Weekly Round Up #1: Five interesting things from my week

With the new year upon us and my personal goal planning now underway (Short guide to personal goal planning), in terms of this blog I had a big think about a content plan for the upcoming months.

Part of my planning led me to think of creating more of a short, sharp and informative regular-weekly style of post. Consider it to be like a newsletter, where I encourage you to click out of my blog and indulge in whatever I have shared.

My Prerogative:
The process of sharing what I have found interesting, motivating and/or fun in my week with you the reader helps me set aside time to reflect on it all and I actually simply enjoy sharing interesting things with friends, so hopefully it's a win win setup.

So this is it, welcome to the first of what I hope will be many weekly posts called - 'Watch, read, listen, think, learn: Five interesting things from my week #1'

Enjoy.

The what, how, when and why of personal goal setting [Revisited]

Hello 2015: New years, new goals, old ways?

(Updated: This blog post is an updated version of a previous post written back in December 2012)

Work life for many people goes by at a thousand miles an hour. When life is flashing past this quickly it's almost to easy not to make time and headspace to set personal goals for the upcoming year. A new year gives us an opportunity or a trigger to make time. Some people don't believe in setting new years resolutions because they believe they will only fail in achieving them and to be honest that is their experience of them. When I hear this I actually feel sad. Goal setting should be about trying to maximise all elements of your life; be it health, financial, travel, spiritual, personal challenge, a new skill etc etc - why wouldn't you want to do this?!

The problem I think is that a lot of people don't know how to set goals, they set unrealistic objectives and do not have a plan as to 'how' and 'when' they are going to achieve their goals. To be honest, the goals these people set are pretty up against it from the onset!

Do we really only use 10% of our brain?

The short 5 minute video below is a really cool animation which discusses the common myths about humans only accessing 10% of their brains potential. Fascinating stats, cleverly scripted and convincing narration, and some slick animation makes this short video well worth watching. It certainly is a long shot away from the other points of view on the subject of humans' mental capabilities, which have been exploited by recent Hollywood movies such as Limitless and Lucy.

Enjoy.

 

About the author
Si Muddell is a Digital Strategist who has worked extensively both agency and client side. Si is fascinated about marketing, psychology & what motivates people, and loves guitar, surfing and travelling.

Get connected with Si on Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn & Facebook

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Who stole my calendar? - The Economic Impact of Bad Meetings

Like many others who have worked in advertising and the corporate world for quite some time, I hate having unproductive meetings for meetings sake. Unfortunately I find the vast majority just that; inefficient and under productive.

No agenda, no defined outcome, no preparation points distributed beforehand, no clock to track the time but yet just a big block of colour standing its ground on my calendar that distracts me from being productive..........sound familiar?!

Yup.

This post is about two things:

1. The economic impact of bad meetings
2. Tips to maximise the success of a meeting in terms of time efficiency and outcome. 

Want people to listen to you? Tips for effective speaking (Ted Talk)

Sometimes, well often, the best things are the simplest and most obvious. Yet despite the obvious simplicity of many things such as talking and listening, we get caught up in overcomplicating everything to the point where simplicity and common sense gets lost in pride and BS.

This post is about a brilliantly simple TED Talk by Julian Treasure titled 'How to speak so people want to listen'. Julian studies sound and advises businesses on how best to use it. Julian charismatically covers a couple of important topics that relate to speaking and listening, and their close relationship to yield effective communication and genuine listener attention. Although not necessarily an exhaustive list, the topics that Julian covers he argues if adhered to, will create a more positive environment where people will maximise the effectiveness of how they communicate.

The key topics raised in the talk are:

• What not to talk about aka 'The 7 Deadly sins of Speaking'
• Four foundation elements to effective speaking
• The effective speakers toolkit
• Summary that Powerful Speaking = Conscious Listening

Coursera - How to learn from the best Universities for free

From watching TED Talks, to reading books, to asking lots of questions - I've always been passionate about personal development and learning about new and wonderful things. Sometimes, well often, the barrier of cost can get in the way when it comes to doing an accredited course, especially if your employer won't pay for it. The prospect of your own hard earned cash going on a course that you are unsure will benefit you may further reinforce you not to do the course, so, what happens - nothing. You continue reading, watching Ted Talks and generally procrastinating about doing some sort of course that in actual fact you will never do, because, you can't afford it!

Well, let me introduce you to Coursera, one of the best personal development tools I have used in a long long time that allows and enables you to learn at your own pace across multiple devices.

Maybe you didn't get a formal and orthodox education in the area of work you are now in (I have a BSc degree in Creative Music and Sound Technology but have worked in Digital Marketing for the last 9 years), or you want a refresher of a subject you did study, or you just simply want to learn about a new subject all together - Coursera is brilliant and I encourage you to check it out.

Meditation - The what, why and a little bit of how

Need some headspace?

Meditation is something that as I get older I hear more and more about. The reality is I probably haven't really 'heard' about it more, I've just become a lot more receptive to it. It's something that I become increasingly aware that I should do and would likely benefit from. Sure, meditation in some circles has become the hip and cool thing to do and its benefits have in recent years become more mainstream through it's amplification across digital channels, but let's not forget that in no way is it a new thing. Some of the earliest references of meditation date back to the 6th to 5th centuries BCE.

If the pure monetary size of the self help industry is anything to go by (apparently worth $11 billion in 2013), which includes books, seminars, life-coaches and endless guides to 'a happier life', it would be fair to conclude that a lot of people feel unsatisfied, overwhelmed and in need of clarity and a helping hand with their lives.  From the compounding and often damaging pressures of a hectic work and social life, it's easy to feel that we are 'always on'. We lack the mental downtime we so badly need and get caught up with being focused on focusing on everything; at once.

Think about it....when was the last time you deliberately sat on the floor still, closed your eyes and focused on a single minded thing as simple as the air moving through your nostrils for 5 minutes, whilst blanking every other thought from your mind. Could you even do this without getting bored or distracted? Most of us (including me) find this extremely difficult.

From ultra successful business leaders such as Steve Jobs, to sport stars like Lionel Messi who are at the absolute top of their game, to the average working Joe who against all odds seems to be successfully balancing work and life commitments. These people understand that taking some regular time out or 'headspace' is hugely beneficial to their quality of life and success within it.

For many of us training ourselves physically is quite easy and normal, and increasing knowledge aka learning is also pretty normal in work and life, but training our minds to consciously focus on something whilst blocking everything else out is something that is pretty new and alien to many of us.

Well, this is where meditation comes in. This post is a brief look at what meditation is, what leading authorities say it's benefits are, a few simple exercises to start you off, and a few tools that I have recently found. It is written from my perspective of a beginner.

21 Things you need to know before entering the Marketing World (Slideshare)

Whatever the subject that you have studied and think you have mastered at University, School, or College there is always going to be quite a huge disparity between theoretical knowledge and reality in practice. That is not to take away the valuable knowledge that you have worked hard to gain from your studies but more a healthy reminder, understanding and expectation that your greatest learnings will always come from real-life practice in the workplace.

If studying is the preparation of food for a dinner party - like finding a recipe, having the right ingredients, marinating the meat, having the right cooking tools - then real-life experience is the actual cooking of the food. Cooking without the initial preparation may be detrimental to the end result, however you will learn through failure and success as you go, and preparation without the cooking makes for an incomplete dish!

The deck below created by Hubspots Inbound Marketing Manager Anum Hussain focuses on '21 things you actually need to know before entering the marketing world' and is aimed at Graduates of Marketing. Whilst graduates are the primary audience for this I think some of the learnings are a healthy reminder to us all and ring true no matter what your level.

How to optimise your brains performance (Documentary)

The brain needs no introduction

The brain is simply and paradoxically complicatedly amazing - the more I learn about it, the more amazed I become. I rather like how one of the worlds most foremost neuroanatomists Marian Cleeves Diamond describes the brain "It is the most complex mass of protoplasm on Earth, and perhaps in our galaxy. A simple essay can only begin to describe its magnificence on the one hand and its malice on the other."

Some facts and stats about the brain you may not have known:

• Your brain uses 20% of the total oxygen and blood in your body
• It's the same consistency as tofu and about 60% of it is fat
• When awake the brain produces enough electricity to power a small bulb
• There are over 100k miles of blood vessels in the brain!
• Aristotle mistakenly thought that the functions of the brain actually took place in the heart

Strategic Thinking: The What & The How

"Thinking is hard work. That’s why most people don’t do it"

Jack Welch, the infamous CEO of General Electric from 1981 to 2001, whilst discussing Strategic Thinking was quoted as saying “An organization's ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage.” We should take heed from these wise words, considering Jacks ability to increase company revenue by 4000% during his time at GE, by putting Strategic Thinking at the heart of the business.

Whilst a debated subject amongst academics, this post is my take on what Strategic Thinking is from both a holistic and granular perspective, and how it can be applied within the workforce. I, like Jack Welch, believe that challenging conventional thinking, following intuition, being curious to really challenge and understand things, yet mentally flexible are behaviours that yields results.

4 steps to making 2014 a year of action

Goodbye 2013 & hello 2014

Firstly - Happy New Year.

For me personally, 2013 was amazing. My partner and I travelled around the world for 10 months, visiting 19 countries, learning (some) Spanish along the way, meeting endless interesting people, being immersed in old cultures and traditions, and reaping memories and experiences that will be with us for the rest of our days. The fella on the left is a shot I took in Borneo, Malaysia.

That, however was 2013 - this is 2014 where I have new goals, dreams, ambitions, and experiences to be had.

This is a short post to help inspire you to set and achieve your goals, and to make the most out of life and the moment, without wasting valuable time and energy on unfounded beliefs and negative thoughts.

Having literally just moved back to Sydney, and looking for a new challenge myself - this post is as much for you the reader as it is for me the author; we are on the same boat, and our actions and beliefs will determine the consequences.

4 short videos to inspire you to make the most of life

As this year comes to a close and work slowly winds down, we start to reflect on the year past, and dream about the year to come, namely in our often to quickly broken 'new years resolutions'.

Maybe we have achieved our goals this year, maybe we haven't. Maybe life has been tough and thrown some curve balls at us and we are seeking some inspiration, and maybe we are just treading water - things are neither good or bad, they are so-so. Maybe we could still do better and achieve more.

Well, whatever you situation may-be, it is important to remember we only live life once. When rationalising problems we think are insolvable, rate them on a badness scale of 1-10, 10 being death. Then rate on the same badness scale of 1-10 what would happen if you try and do the things you so want to do and yet fail - you are probably looking a about 2-3 out of 10.

The point is life is short, make the most of it, life life without regret and enjoy it.

Below are four short videos that help me when I need inspiration. They aren't new clips - you may well have seen them before - but they are very powerful and forge the fundamentals of my reflecting and goal planning for the coming year.

Want to be happy? Be grateful

The pursuit of happiness and even the definition of this simple basic human feeling has long been the subject of debate; theorised by scholars and people from all faiths and walks of life.

'How to be happy' is the title of many life coaching books - we all want to be happy, and the multi-million dollar industry built around guiding us to master this emotion demonstrates that maybe we (as a world) aren't really too happy or content at all. This is despite all of the resources, money and materialistic products that marketing tells us will make us happy, and we willingly consume ten to the dozen.

Or is that just it....we need to simplify things and refocus.

Despite the size and multitude of books on the subject of 'what is happiness', one simple philosophy that really resonates with me is discussed in a great TED Talk by Brother David Steindl-Rast, a monk and interfaith scholar.

7 tips to keep yourself energised

Yawn.....Grab me a coffee - I need something sugary - I don't have the energy - I am too tired.....

Sound familiar?

Being energised doesn't always seem to an easy task, especially when we have such busy lifestyles where multiple multi-tasking is the norm. Our addiction to energy quick-fixes like coffee, energy drinks, and general sugary stuff would indicate that we are well aware that our energy levels are often running in the red, and so we seek that magic quick fix. 

But how effective are these quick fixes, and wouldn't prevention be better than the not so effective short-term 'cures'? 

I reckon so. 

Below are seven healthy general lifestyle tips to help you feel more energised. The tips within this post are very much inspired by Oliver Gray, who is a former professional tennis player, and now author of the book 'Energise You'.

Sharks - They REALLY need our help against ourselves

Every now and again you watch something that hits home, it strikes a chord, and you instantly feel saddened by the human race.

You ask yourself 'why', and then in that moment want to do something that helps, but then even that actionable thought is quickly lost to the quagmire of life. You just get left with the sickened insight of what goes on in the world, all of which gets silently swept under the carpet for a significant few to get rich.

This post is a rare one for this blog in that it isn't about marketing, or psychology, or TED Talks - It is about something else that I feel strongly about, and I believe this topic needs as much awareness as possible.

So to keep the blog consistent, let's just say this post is about 'Marketing' - that is driving awareness of Shark conservation and preventing them becoming extinct. We MUST do something, and I am starting right now with this post.

The Psychology of a Great Athlete

Luck is where opportunity meets preparation

I once heard a saying - "Luck is where opportunity meets preparation", and how true. We live in a world where less fortunate people can be successful, and a world where fortunate people often fail. Maybe they get complacent, don't try as hard, or just don't realise how fortunate they actually are.

Success, winning, 'luck' are a direct result of your preparation, practice, endurance, tenacity, willingness to learn, and failing....often! One of my favourite ad campaigns was Michael Jordans 'Fail Harder' ad for Nike where it goes through all of his failures, yet despite these failures he was still arguably the best basketball player the world has ever seen.

The inspirational ad copy was "I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." - Michael Jordan

From sports stars and business leaders, to our family and friends; there are many people we can learn from.

20 Quotes to Inspire and Motivate (We all need a little sometimes!)

Work work work, focus, focus, focus, and then maybe play......repeat from start.

We all have dreams and sometimes, maybe even often, it's easy to get de-railed off our paths.

Maybe we feel pressured and bogged down by the things that don't (in the whole scheme of things) really matter so much, or perhaps we are just lacking inspiration and need to take some timeout and reboot.

Well, this post marks my 75th post since I started the blog back in September 2012 and I have definitely needed inspiration along the way to keep me going with it! The journey has been well worth it though, and I continue to enjoy and learn so much from doing it, which makes it all worthwhile.

Below are 20 quotes that I hope help reboot your inspiration.

When it comes to your dreams remember “Forget all the reasons it won’t work and believe the one reason that it will.” and in the wise words of Paulo Coelho “It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”

You get one shot at life, live it - LOVE it, and keep dreaming.

Success - 10 Tips to help you find your way

I was recently asked a question on LinkedIn, and the question itself was quite simple "can you give me some advice / tips to be successful in marketing".
The question really got me me thinking and reflecting on my career to date. Making the topic slightly broader, I thought it made an interesting topic for a blog post and so my response to this person and anyone else who is interested is below.


Remember - We are all different, have different objectives, goals, strengths, weaknesses, approaches and personalities. I have read too many books that promote a 'one hat fits all approach" and this is just a load of BS. My advice whenever reading any 'life' advice books / articles is that if you can take away one useful point then your time hasn't been wasted. When reading the points imagine you need to teach someone else the points. It's a good practice as it makes you question and challenge the advice more, which in turn helps you validate it in your own mind and understand it.

What motivates us to work?

What motivates us to work? A lot of people would argue that the answer to this is simple; its money.

But is this truly the key long-term factor that maximises motivation and yields the best results from ourselves and others around us?

Short answer; no, it isn't.

Imagine if we had all the money we could possibly have, what would make us work then? How we motivate people around us? "Throw them a big bonus if such-and-such targets are met" some would say, but does this really yield the best long-term results and ensures employee satisfaction and retention?

Contrary to common belief, money is not actually the key driver. Money is just the means, it's the short-term fix, in normal standard life practice it's a necessary 'reward', but it is certainly not the whole reward. Some may argue that 'joy' is the greatest motivator for work, (which is also very important), but that wouldn't be right either.

One second every day..

Ever forget things you do in your life? I do.

Well, Cesar Kuriyama also felt this way, which is why he decided to start filming one second of his life every day for the rest of his life.

Personally, I think this is a really cool and inspiring idea, with benefits way above and beyond just the film clip you are left with at the end of your life; which is also pretty incredibile as well!

In this TED Talk, Cesar explains that the intrinsic benefits of the project derive more from the process than the end result itself. It's hard to decide what one second you show from your day, when the average person is awake for 57,600 seconds a day (16 hours), and we are all such busy people! So choosing the best one second to represent each day is his way of implanting the memory of the day in his brain for ever.  

It's everybody's duty to give the world a reason to dance

Every now and again, we all need a good pep talk, that little (or big) bit of encouragement to re-align our focus.  Here is an inspiring, funny and charismatic pep talk by Kid President that got a lot of viral love last week. If you haven't seen it yet, or just want to watch again, see it below and remember "It's everybody's duty to give the world a reason to dance".

10 mindful minutes for a better life

What a busy world we live in. Watching, listening, texting, talking, driving, working, gyming, cooking, socialising, shopping, eating, drinking, sleeping.... When was the last time you did nothing? As in absolutely nothing apart from simply breathing. Can you even remember?

Well, there are some real benefits to putting some regular time aside 'to do nothing', or in other words to meditate. Below is a great and short TED Talk by Mindfulness expert Andy Puddicombe, delivered in a charismatic, down-to-earth manner; plus the use of juggling balls as visual props!

A Philosophical story for a better life

Every now and again I read something inspiring and thought provoking that I feel compelled to bookmark and reflect on personally again and again, but also want to share with friends.

The philosophical story below is one of those stories. I did not write it myself, and was recently re-acquainted with it after seeing it on my Facebook newsfeed. I can't seem to find the original author to reference. Enjoy.

New year, new goals, old ways? A short guide to goal setting

So it's that time of year again where our bellies are full with all the great ingredients that make Christmas-Christmas (think roast turkey, mulled wine, cheese & crackers, chocolate....etc!). Our minds have hopefully taken a little rest from our normal busy work filled days, and as the year counts down its final days, we can, and should, reflect on the year that has past, but more importantly focus on what is achievable for the New Year.

Did you achieve your goals for 2012? What are your goals for 2013? Have you set any? What do you need to do in order to achieve them?

When it comes to goal setting, or in context with this time of year, setting New Years Resolutions, I think there are four types of people. We all have probably been each one of these at some point, and no doubt often float from one to the other.

1. The Doer
2. The Tryer
3. The Procrastinator
4. The 'I can't be bothered'

We would all benefit a lot more if we could be 'The Doer', when it comes down to goal setting. This article is a short guide to help you become the Doer, so that you can not only set achievable goals, but you can actually achieve them, and maintain a regular goal setting element to your life.

Here is a little information about the four types of people. Which one do you think best describes you?

A Broken body isn't a broken person

"When you let go of what you are, you become what you might be" is a powerful quote from an inspiring Ted Talk by former cross country skier Janine Shepherd. From Olympic athlete, to paraplegic, to pilot and inspirational speaker. This talk reminds us about the true value of life, ambition, and how focused human tenacity can succeed over a seeming impossibility.

Whilst in the final stages of her Olympic preparations, Janine was hit by a truck while training on her bike with her Olympic squad.

With life-threatening and crippling injuries, not only did living itself seem a challenge, but the idea of ever walking, being mobile, and achieving something, very much seemed a million miles away. Specialists who had deemed her as a 'partial paraplegic' because amongst other things her spine was so badly damaged, had advised her that she would never be able to walk again.

Well against all odds, 18 months later Janine had not only achieved her private and commercial pilot's licence, but she was also a flying instructor! Oh and she could walk!

"Janine focused intently for years on healing both her broken body and crushed morale. A turning point came watching small planes flying overhead. She decided: “If I can’t walk, I’ll fly.” While still in a full body cast, Janine was lifted into an aircraft for her first flight. Within a year she had her private pilot’s license. Later, she earned her commercial pilots license and instructor’s rating. Janine recently served on the board of Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and became its youngest -- and only -- female director."

Shut up and listen!

Ever approach a task with so much focus, confidence and intent that on reflection you wished you had perhaps slowed down a bit, asked a few more questions, and listened a bit more. The later point being the crucial one! Well, I hold my hands up high as I know I am guilty of this. It's so easy to get caught up with your own objectives, that the needs and wants of the intended audience can sometimes be ignored, or at least not fully understood.

Don't get me wrong, these are attributes that drive my ambition, and well, make me me, however if I was told I could increase my effectiveness exponentially by refining my listening skills, well then you have my attention!

I will caveat the above with a famous quote from Henry Ford, that I think is worth remembering, as pioneers and innovators often deliver a product from a left field angle, and standard rules of listening may not apply. “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”

This post isn't just about me, or even about our own personal development, it is about how listening skills, or even just how listening itself can totally (re)-define a company, a project, a campaign. From this, greater, better, and more worth-while results can be achieved; and I completely dig that.

Are gadgets before bed affecting your sleep? (Infographic)

"When I go to bed I use my ipad/phone to:"

- Browse the web / Use social media
- Watch a film or something on Youtube
- Stream music via an online service like Spotify
- Read an ebook
- Play a game (words free / chess.com etc)
- Text / Call

Sound familiar?

I think the above is an accurate account of many of our pre-sleep habits, definitely is for me and apparently is for 95% of the population!

Online Psychology Degree have put together a fantastic infographic called 'Getting in Bed with Gadgets - Your Technology is keeping you awake' and it's about, well, what it says on the tin really! Using technology just before you go to sleep is detrimental to a) getting to sleep and b) actual sleep loss; all of which affects your mental well being, in a bad way.

Stay in the moment...you just might be happier

What is happiness? Is it subjective? Is it external like getting a brand new car or house - maybe; many brands, magazines, and advertising would have you believe this, and definitely 'push' this philosophy, is it more aligned with the Buddhist mentality, that happiness is internal. Maybe it's a bit of both.



Well happiness has been the subject of many a book, course, therapy, philosophy, religion, culture, and science, and is not going to be answered in this short article! But maybe there is a small takeaway from this TED Talk by Matt Killingsworth. A short biography and synopsis of the TED Talk "While doing his PhD research with Dan Gilbert at Harvard, Matt Killingsworth invented a nifty tool for investigating happiness: an iPhone app called Track Your Happiness that captured feelings in real time. (Basically, it pings you at random times and asks: How are you feeling right now, and what are you doing?) Data captured from the study became the landmark paper "A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind PDF"

Body language Shapes who you are

Wouldn't it be great if when we felt down, depressed, anxious, unconfident or generally not quite as sharp as normal we could train ourselves to get through it? I think it would be great.

To some, it may seem obvious that you can train / prepare yourself to get through hard times, or up your game from where you currently are, but to many the obvious is often clouded when emotions are involved.

OK, so contrary to what some people would have you believe, there isn't a magic potion that requires minimum effort that will transform us with positive long term affects. There is however, compelling evidence to suggest that not only can we 'fake' our body language to change others perception of us (think Politicians), but overtime we can train ourselves physically to become the thing we are faking. To coin a phrase from Amy "Fake it 'til you become it' I.E Genuinely feel powerful, confident, more in control, less anxious etc.

Live life and don't regret

It's easy to get so wrapped in our own little worlds, to be thinking / worrying about the future that it taints the present, and then what happens? We get old or ill and then regret all the things that we should have done and didn't but suddenly have no more time?

I really hope I am not that guy. I want to embrace the 'now' as much as possible and when I die, look back with a smile and a heart free of regret. But it's so easy to be saying the statement above one moment and then falling back into the grind of things like living to work the next.