2013年5月5日 星期日
2013年4月28日 星期日
3 of my favourite business parables on success
A parable is a succinct story, which illustrates one or more instructive principles, or lessons. I have came across a lot of good ones. Today I would love to share 3 parables that I love the most.
1. The 'New' Story of The Tortoise and The Hare
Once upon a time a tortoise and a hare had an argument about who was faster. They decided to settle the argument with a race. The hare shot ahead and ran briskly for some time. Then seeing that he was far ahead of the tortoise, he thought he'd sit under a tree for some time and relax before continuing the race. He soon fell asleep. The tortoise plodding on overtook him and soon won the race.
The moral of the story is that slow and steady wins the race.
Well, it turns out the hare was disappointed at losing the race and he did some Defect Prevention (Root Cause Analysis). He realized that he'd lost the race only because he had been overconfident, careless and lax. If he had not taken things for granted, there's no way the tortoise could have beaten him. So he challenged the tortoise to another race. The tortoise agreed. This time, the hare went all out and ran without stopping from start to finish. He won by several miles.
The moral of the story? Fast and consistent will always beat the slow and steady.
But the story didn't end there. The tortoise did some thinking this time, and realized that there's no way he can beat the hare in a race the way it was currently formatted. He thought for a while, and then challenged the hare to another race, but on a slightly different route. The hare agreed. They started off. In keeping with his self-made commitment to be consistently fast, the hare took off and ran at top speed until he came to a broad river. The finishing line was a couple of kilometers on the other side of the river. The hare sat there wondering what to do. In the meantime the tortoise trudged along, got into the river, swam to the opposite bank, continued walking and finished the race.
The moral of the story? Change the game to fit your strengths. Be strategic.
The hare and the tortoise, by this time, had become pretty good friends and they did some thinking together. Both realized that the last race could have been run much better. So they decided to do the last race again, but to run as a team this time. They started off, and this time the hare carried the tortoise till the riverbank. There, the tortoise took over and swam across with the hare on his back. On the opposite bank, the hare again carried the tortoise and they reached the finishing line together. They both felt a greater sense of satisfaction than they'd felt earlier.
The moral of the story? It's good to be individually brilliant or to have a great product; but unless we are able to work as a team and harness all of our core competencies, we'll always perform below par. The tortoise and the hare never gave up. They changed the game to suit their joint competencies to succeed and worked as a team.
2. The Master Carpenter
A master carpenter who worked for the same builder for nearly 50 years announced that he wanted to retire. The builder told him how much he appreciated his work. He gave the carpenter a $5,000 bonus and asked him if he would build just one more house. The builder owned a magnificent lot with a spectacular view and he wanted to build a dream home.
The carpenter was bitterly disappointed at the small bonus, but his last building fee would help him buy a small cottage, so he agreed to build the dream house.
The carpenter prided himself on his uncompromising commitment to quality, but his resentment caused him to cut corners, ignore details, and accept shoddy workmanship from other workers. He even looked the other way when some of them substituted cheaper materials and pocketed the difference.
When the house was finished the builder shook the carpenter’s hand and with a huge smile he gave him an envelope with a thank-you card and a folded piece of paper. The carpenter was disdainful — until he unfolded the paper and found the deed to the house he had just built.
The carpenter was ashamed that he had misjudged his old friend and betrayed his own values, and he was remorseful that the house he would live in for the rest of his life was made so carelessly.
Our character is the house we live in and it’s built piece by piece by our daily choices. Deceit, irresponsibility, and disrespect are just like shoddy workmanship. Whenever we put in less than our best and ignore our potential for excellence, we create a future full of creaky floors, leaky roofs, and crumbling foundations. Character counts.
3. Reap what you have sown
A successful businessman was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.
Instead of choosing one of his directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.
He said, “It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you. The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. “I am going to give each one of you a seed today – one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.”
One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Every day, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.
Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.
Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.
By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn’t have a plant and he felt like a failure.
Six months went by — still nothing in Jim’s pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn’t say anything to his colleagues, however, he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil – he so wanted the seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.
Jim told his wife that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the boardroom.
When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful – in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!
When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.
Jim just tried to hide in the back. “My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown,” said the CEO. “Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!”
All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified.. He thought, “The CEO knows I’m a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!”
When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed, Jim told him the story.
The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, “behold your next Chief Executive Officer!
His name is “Jim!” Jim couldn’t believe it. Jim couldn’t even grow his seed.
“How could he be the new CEO?” the others said.
Then the CEO said, “One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead – it was not possible for them to grow.”
* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends
* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness
* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment
* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective
* If you plant hard work, you will reap success
* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation
So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.
Have you reaped what you have sown?
Hope you guys love the parables. Have a great weekend.
1. The 'New' Story of The Tortoise and The Hare
Once upon a time a tortoise and a hare had an argument about who was faster. They decided to settle the argument with a race. The hare shot ahead and ran briskly for some time. Then seeing that he was far ahead of the tortoise, he thought he'd sit under a tree for some time and relax before continuing the race. He soon fell asleep. The tortoise plodding on overtook him and soon won the race.
The moral of the story is that slow and steady wins the race.
Well, it turns out the hare was disappointed at losing the race and he did some Defect Prevention (Root Cause Analysis). He realized that he'd lost the race only because he had been overconfident, careless and lax. If he had not taken things for granted, there's no way the tortoise could have beaten him. So he challenged the tortoise to another race. The tortoise agreed. This time, the hare went all out and ran without stopping from start to finish. He won by several miles.
The moral of the story? Fast and consistent will always beat the slow and steady.
But the story didn't end there. The tortoise did some thinking this time, and realized that there's no way he can beat the hare in a race the way it was currently formatted. He thought for a while, and then challenged the hare to another race, but on a slightly different route. The hare agreed. They started off. In keeping with his self-made commitment to be consistently fast, the hare took off and ran at top speed until he came to a broad river. The finishing line was a couple of kilometers on the other side of the river. The hare sat there wondering what to do. In the meantime the tortoise trudged along, got into the river, swam to the opposite bank, continued walking and finished the race.
The moral of the story? Change the game to fit your strengths. Be strategic.
The hare and the tortoise, by this time, had become pretty good friends and they did some thinking together. Both realized that the last race could have been run much better. So they decided to do the last race again, but to run as a team this time. They started off, and this time the hare carried the tortoise till the riverbank. There, the tortoise took over and swam across with the hare on his back. On the opposite bank, the hare again carried the tortoise and they reached the finishing line together. They both felt a greater sense of satisfaction than they'd felt earlier.
The moral of the story? It's good to be individually brilliant or to have a great product; but unless we are able to work as a team and harness all of our core competencies, we'll always perform below par. The tortoise and the hare never gave up. They changed the game to suit their joint competencies to succeed and worked as a team.
2. The Master Carpenter
A master carpenter who worked for the same builder for nearly 50 years announced that he wanted to retire. The builder told him how much he appreciated his work. He gave the carpenter a $5,000 bonus and asked him if he would build just one more house. The builder owned a magnificent lot with a spectacular view and he wanted to build a dream home.
The carpenter was bitterly disappointed at the small bonus, but his last building fee would help him buy a small cottage, so he agreed to build the dream house.
The carpenter prided himself on his uncompromising commitment to quality, but his resentment caused him to cut corners, ignore details, and accept shoddy workmanship from other workers. He even looked the other way when some of them substituted cheaper materials and pocketed the difference.
When the house was finished the builder shook the carpenter’s hand and with a huge smile he gave him an envelope with a thank-you card and a folded piece of paper. The carpenter was disdainful — until he unfolded the paper and found the deed to the house he had just built.
The carpenter was ashamed that he had misjudged his old friend and betrayed his own values, and he was remorseful that the house he would live in for the rest of his life was made so carelessly.
Our character is the house we live in and it’s built piece by piece by our daily choices. Deceit, irresponsibility, and disrespect are just like shoddy workmanship. Whenever we put in less than our best and ignore our potential for excellence, we create a future full of creaky floors, leaky roofs, and crumbling foundations. Character counts.
3. Reap what you have sown
A successful businessman was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.
Instead of choosing one of his directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.
He said, “It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you. The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. “I am going to give each one of you a seed today – one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.”
One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Every day, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.
Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.
Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.
By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn’t have a plant and he felt like a failure.
Six months went by — still nothing in Jim’s pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn’t say anything to his colleagues, however, he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil – he so wanted the seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.
Jim told his wife that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the boardroom.
When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful – in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!
When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.
Jim just tried to hide in the back. “My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown,” said the CEO. “Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!”
All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified.. He thought, “The CEO knows I’m a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!”
When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed, Jim told him the story.
The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, “behold your next Chief Executive Officer!
His name is “Jim!” Jim couldn’t believe it. Jim couldn’t even grow his seed.
“How could he be the new CEO?” the others said.
Then the CEO said, “One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead – it was not possible for them to grow.”
“All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!”* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust
* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends
* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness
* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment
* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective
* If you plant hard work, you will reap success
* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation
So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.
Have you reaped what you have sown?
Hope you guys love the parables. Have a great weekend.
2013年4月21日 星期日
The secret behind 6 pack
Recently I stumbled upon a video on youtube that teaches people how to obtain 6 pack. The video requires us to complete 8 sets of exercise on each alternative day. So far, I have completed 3 sessions and I can already see a little bit of result. Which led me to think if it is so easy to obtain 6 pack, why everyone is not doing it? The reason is rather intriguing - the lack of DETERMINATION.The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of talent, but rather a lack in will. As my mentor always teaches me, if you do the right things long enough, you will get the right results.
I hope this article can inspire you to understand what are the things that will easily wipe your determination away. To make it easier to understand, let us stick with the theme of the quest for 6 pack.
1. Excuses
Many times in our lives we will give ourselves excuses to postpone getting something done. Some of the common ones are "I'm tired, maybe tomorrow", "it's too late, I rather sleep", "I am caught up with something else", "I'm not in the mood". These are excuses that will hinder your progress. If you planned to something, just do it. Some suggestions on how to stop procrastination includes 1. Give yourself a small award after you complete your task. In this way you can train your brain to relate completing a task to pleasure and it will want to complete more tasks. 2. Get yourself a big calendar. Everyday you manage to complete the task that matters the most, draw a big cross on that day, form a chain and make sure you won't break the chain.
2. Subjective advices
Sometimes people like to give you advice on things that you are working on. Your friends, relatives, pessimists or even the society. They may say things such as "Can this really work?", "8 mins every alternative day then you can get 6 pack?", "Don't be so foolish.". Without a doubt, some advices may be true. But you have to analyze the validity. Some deciding questions include. 1. Have they try it before? 2. How well do they know the subject of matter? 3. If they mentioned the negatives, are there any positive aspects regarding the issue? It is very easy for us to get influenced by others. Remember, if you believe in something, don't let others tell you that you can't do it. Use the doubts as your motivation and prove to the world that it could be done!
3. Giving up
Sometimes when we start a habit. We will do it for a few days, or even a few weeks. But after a while, we might lose our motivation and stop doing it. Self doubt and lack of confidence are the main villains. Know that the word impossible actually means "I'm possible". Don't let set backs or short term disappointments affect you. An arrow only shoots forward when something pulls it back. Suggestions I can give other than sustaining a chain on your calendar, is to have an open commitment. Tell people around you what you are going to achieve and aiming for. Let them be the ones to support you and give you the extra push when you need it. An open commitment means that you have to get it done, as people know about what you want and no one wants to let their friends down.
I would like to end this post with a quote. "If you want to succeed as much as you want to breath, then you'll be successful" - Eric Tomas. Make what you want to achieve a necessity. Don't give up and keep moving forward. Eventually, you will reach the destination you want to reach.
I hope this article can inspire you to understand what are the things that will easily wipe your determination away. To make it easier to understand, let us stick with the theme of the quest for 6 pack.
1. Excuses
Many times in our lives we will give ourselves excuses to postpone getting something done. Some of the common ones are "I'm tired, maybe tomorrow", "it's too late, I rather sleep", "I am caught up with something else", "I'm not in the mood". These are excuses that will hinder your progress. If you planned to something, just do it. Some suggestions on how to stop procrastination includes 1. Give yourself a small award after you complete your task. In this way you can train your brain to relate completing a task to pleasure and it will want to complete more tasks. 2. Get yourself a big calendar. Everyday you manage to complete the task that matters the most, draw a big cross on that day, form a chain and make sure you won't break the chain.
2. Subjective advices
Sometimes people like to give you advice on things that you are working on. Your friends, relatives, pessimists or even the society. They may say things such as "Can this really work?", "8 mins every alternative day then you can get 6 pack?", "Don't be so foolish.". Without a doubt, some advices may be true. But you have to analyze the validity. Some deciding questions include. 1. Have they try it before? 2. How well do they know the subject of matter? 3. If they mentioned the negatives, are there any positive aspects regarding the issue? It is very easy for us to get influenced by others. Remember, if you believe in something, don't let others tell you that you can't do it. Use the doubts as your motivation and prove to the world that it could be done!
3. Giving up
Sometimes when we start a habit. We will do it for a few days, or even a few weeks. But after a while, we might lose our motivation and stop doing it. Self doubt and lack of confidence are the main villains. Know that the word impossible actually means "I'm possible". Don't let set backs or short term disappointments affect you. An arrow only shoots forward when something pulls it back. Suggestions I can give other than sustaining a chain on your calendar, is to have an open commitment. Tell people around you what you are going to achieve and aiming for. Let them be the ones to support you and give you the extra push when you need it. An open commitment means that you have to get it done, as people know about what you want and no one wants to let their friends down.
I would like to end this post with a quote. "If you want to succeed as much as you want to breath, then you'll be successful" - Eric Tomas. Make what you want to achieve a necessity. Don't give up and keep moving forward. Eventually, you will reach the destination you want to reach.
2013年4月14日 星期日
7 facebook pages on success
Facebook allows us to do a lot of things - sharing photos, updating recent activities, inviting people to events etc. Today I would like to share how it can be used to learn and broaden our horizon as well. Below are 7 facebook pages that I like a lot regarding personal growth.
1. Funders and founders
- Uses infographics to facilitate learning
- Mostly share tips on starting new business, reaching success and interesting facts
- easy to read through
- below are some samples
2. 6 minutes: Andrew Dlugan
- great page to learn how to excel in public speaking and improve on delivery
- some interesting blog posts includes:
- how to improve your slides with the rule of thirds
- 5 writing lessons from Obama's inaugural speech
- 3 pillars of public speaking
- 6 simple tips to present data
- 25 skills every public speaker must have
3-5. Daily inspiration and motivation/ Film video just for laughs/ Sport motivation
- These 3 pages belong to the same category
- They all provide videos and images that motivates and encourages their viewers
- I will share 3 awesome videos from these pages below:
6. Brian Tracy
- Personally I am subscribed to a lot of famous writer's pages
- In my opinion Brian Tracy's page is the best out of all
- His page includes quotes, motivational images, tips towards life and vlogs etc.
- One can learn public speaking while watching his videos as he speaks with clarity
- He is considered a guru in the field of leadership and management
7. Dumb little man - tips for life
- Author has always been into productivity, exceeding goals, automation, and finding a simpler way for everything
- In this page, he shares sites and resources that he finds helpful
- Some of his best articles includes:
- How to craft a killer elevator pitch that will land you big business
- 7 habits of highly excellent people
- 22 secrets to discovering your dream and living it
- 12 tricks your brain is playing on you
- 7 simple ways to burst out of bed every morning
- 30 easy ways to save money
2013年4月7日 星期日
Investigating Aaron
At the end of last month, I was lucky enough to watch Aaron Kwok's concert in Hong Kong. The concert was amazing. I can imagine how much effort was put into organizing it. In the middle of the concert I was curious to know his age. To my amazement, he is already 48 years old. No one would believe his age by observing his performance. He was doing acrobats, nonstop dancing, climbing cubicles etc. The whole concert was more like a circus show to be honest but I enjoyed it a lot. This week I would like to dig into and share what makes Aaron stand out and succeed.
A different route
Everyone knows singing did not led Aaron to his success. Drawing dancing inspiration from his idol - Michael Jackson, Aaron was recognized as an all-round dancer. Alongside of Leon, Andy and Jacky, they became the 4 heavenly kings. Each had their own strengths and weaknesses, yet Aaron is the only 1 in the group who really danced well. With this addition to his talents, Aaron was able to win a major award every year from 1991 - 2001. This proves we to succeed, we don't necessarily have to follow what others are doing. Not to mention, Aaron could have chosen an easier path to success by following his father's footsteps in becoming a jewelery merchant. Despite rejections from his father, he decided to follow his dreams of becoming a superstar. Persist, preserve and prevail.
A clear objective
Aaron is well known for his dancing and aura he emits on the stage. Something not many people can replicate. For Aaron, he is not complacent and he wishes to achieve more. In an interview with a Taiwan TV station, Aaron mentioned in the coming years, he hopes people will recognize him for his cinematic skills. He also wants to perform in musicals at his later stages of his career. We can observe that having goals is crucial if one wants to succeed. It is important for us to be able to explain our goals in a clear and simple manner. Take traveling as an example, before we head off to a new country for leisure, we will do a lot of research, knowing what tourist attractions to go to, where to stay and what to eat. The reason for that is to have a clear direction. When your friends ask where you are going? You can easily tell them the Eiffel Tower or the Great Wall of China.
Routine
It is easy to give a 100%, but it is difficult to give a 100% 100% of the time. When asked about how Aaron can possess of such a perfect body, he mentioned the importance of running 30 minutes a day. The perk is to do that every single day. Aaron claimed that his life is very routine, he non stop ran on his treadmill 30 minutes everyday for 8 years until it finally broke. As an old saying goes, do the right things long enough and you will get the right results.
Own style
In marketing term - USP. Aaron's answer towards the question "What makes you stand out?" is rather special. He mentioned he believes in the importance of grasping beauty. When he was still in training school, he was often asked to look into the mirror and pay attention to his posture. Aaron insists that every time when he is performing on stage, when his fans take a photo of him, that photo is guaranteed to be beautiful. When I look back at the photos I took in the concert, it is true. It is very hard to capture a picture of Aaron with a hunched back or body language without confidence. We should all ask ourselves, what makes us special and different from others?
Never settle for less
In recent years, Aaron has excelled in acting as well. Aaron mentioned he loved his performance in the movie Murderer most so far. In Murderer, Aaron acts as a cop who didn't know he murdered a lot of people. When he prepared for the role, he read criminology books, asked CIDs who investigated murders. Basically, he did a lot of research so he can create this character in his head. It took a lot of facts, hard work and imagination. During shooting, Aaron convinced himself that he killed somebody and he was the murderer. Arron remembers that there was a night where he dreamed about killing someone and when he woke up he was thinking "Where did I hide the body?". One can imagine the amount of dedication he puts into his work. This is the reason why he is so successful.
Teenagers can learn a lot from this superstar. I am looking forward to witness more masterpieces from him in the near future.
"Your confidence grows ... And fans showing their support makes you want to improve your act every time you get on stage. That's why we keep changing the show and we keep pushing ourselves. Me, the choreographer, the musicians, the dancers. Everyone. That means we get a thrill every night too."
- Aaron Kwok
A different route
A clear objective
Routine
Own style
Never settle for less
A different route
Everyone knows singing did not led Aaron to his success. Drawing dancing inspiration from his idol - Michael Jackson, Aaron was recognized as an all-round dancer. Alongside of Leon, Andy and Jacky, they became the 4 heavenly kings. Each had their own strengths and weaknesses, yet Aaron is the only 1 in the group who really danced well. With this addition to his talents, Aaron was able to win a major award every year from 1991 - 2001. This proves we to succeed, we don't necessarily have to follow what others are doing. Not to mention, Aaron could have chosen an easier path to success by following his father's footsteps in becoming a jewelery merchant. Despite rejections from his father, he decided to follow his dreams of becoming a superstar. Persist, preserve and prevail.
A clear objective
Aaron is well known for his dancing and aura he emits on the stage. Something not many people can replicate. For Aaron, he is not complacent and he wishes to achieve more. In an interview with a Taiwan TV station, Aaron mentioned in the coming years, he hopes people will recognize him for his cinematic skills. He also wants to perform in musicals at his later stages of his career. We can observe that having goals is crucial if one wants to succeed. It is important for us to be able to explain our goals in a clear and simple manner. Take traveling as an example, before we head off to a new country for leisure, we will do a lot of research, knowing what tourist attractions to go to, where to stay and what to eat. The reason for that is to have a clear direction. When your friends ask where you are going? You can easily tell them the Eiffel Tower or the Great Wall of China.
Routine
It is easy to give a 100%, but it is difficult to give a 100% 100% of the time. When asked about how Aaron can possess of such a perfect body, he mentioned the importance of running 30 minutes a day. The perk is to do that every single day. Aaron claimed that his life is very routine, he non stop ran on his treadmill 30 minutes everyday for 8 years until it finally broke. As an old saying goes, do the right things long enough and you will get the right results.
Own style
In marketing term - USP. Aaron's answer towards the question "What makes you stand out?" is rather special. He mentioned he believes in the importance of grasping beauty. When he was still in training school, he was often asked to look into the mirror and pay attention to his posture. Aaron insists that every time when he is performing on stage, when his fans take a photo of him, that photo is guaranteed to be beautiful. When I look back at the photos I took in the concert, it is true. It is very hard to capture a picture of Aaron with a hunched back or body language without confidence. We should all ask ourselves, what makes us special and different from others?
Never settle for less
In recent years, Aaron has excelled in acting as well. Aaron mentioned he loved his performance in the movie Murderer most so far. In Murderer, Aaron acts as a cop who didn't know he murdered a lot of people. When he prepared for the role, he read criminology books, asked CIDs who investigated murders. Basically, he did a lot of research so he can create this character in his head. It took a lot of facts, hard work and imagination. During shooting, Aaron convinced himself that he killed somebody and he was the murderer. Arron remembers that there was a night where he dreamed about killing someone and when he woke up he was thinking "Where did I hide the body?". One can imagine the amount of dedication he puts into his work. This is the reason why he is so successful.
Teenagers can learn a lot from this superstar. I am looking forward to witness more masterpieces from him in the near future.
"Your confidence grows ... And fans showing their support makes you want to improve your act every time you get on stage. That's why we keep changing the show and we keep pushing ourselves. Me, the choreographer, the musicians, the dancers. Everyone. That means we get a thrill every night too."
- Aaron Kwok
2013年3月24日 星期日
Helping the Homeless
The video above is a documentary made by ABC. I haven't seen such an inspiring and heart warming video in quite some while. The documentary is a psychology experiment and the purpose is to find out how people will react when they see a stranger bring a homeless person into the bar and treat him lunch. Some people are offended as they think they are more superior while some Samaritans actually stood up for the homeless person when the bartender (also an actor) gave the homeless person a hard time.
Caring is Sharing
I am going to go through the 5Ws and 1H of caring today~
Who to care? Everyone. Family members, friends, helpless people on the street, basically we can care about any human being we come into contact with. There is no limit to the amount of care we should share. We should care about ourselves too.
Why care? Caring makes the world a better place. What goes around comes around. Everyone in a point of their life would feel down. During those times, we all wanted someone to care for us. The same applies to others.
When to care? All the time, unless you're sleeping :P
Where to care? Any place you can think of. Be creative.
What to care? Emotional feelings - make others happy and be a good listener. Physical - facilitate others so they can be in a well state of mind.
How to care? From a range of small to big actions. For instance, simply give a stranger a smile. Tell someone they're beautiful. Help someone who forgot to bring an umbrella when it is raining, tag them along your journey so they don't need to get soaked up. Facilitate a kid who is looking for his/her mum. Countless possibilities.
I would like to end my sharing by a habit of mine's. At the end of the day I will write down 9 things in a journal. 3 wins (things that I am proud of achieving) 3 improvements (areas that I can work on) and 3 good deeds (actions that helped someone in someway). What are your 333s for today? :)
2013年3月17日 星期日
5 apps to thrive
Nowadays most people have a smart device. We often use them to browse the internet, find tasty restaurants, book movie tickets etc. Do you know they can be used to learn as well? I would love to share 5 apps we can all download in order to make 2013 a fruitful year.
1. SUCCESS magazine
Price: $158 HKD for 12 issues
- Easy to read and carry
- Key ideas and strategies to help you excel in every area of your personal and professional life
- Composed of articles, videos and audio interviews
- Up to date
- Attractive interface (a lot of visuals)
2. HBR tips
Price: Free
- Updated everyday
- Capitalize this app by loading it on our spare time (queuing for bus/ using the washroom etc)
- Spend 3-5 minutes everyday to learn something new
3. Stumbleupon
Price: Free
- This app will randomly show you popular sites on the subjects that you are interested in
- Not only for business
- Categories you can choose from include: computers, arts/history, regional, commerce, hobbies, music/movies, home/living, health, media, society, sports, outdoors, religion, sci/tech
- In each category there will be sub-categories
- You might stumble upon some mind blowing sites
- If you don't like the site generated, you can quickly stumble to the next one
4. Business secrets
Price: $23 HKD
- There is an app called Mindtools that is similar to this app which is free
- But hands down this app is much more superior
- Superior on its design and also scope of knowledge
- This app covers topics from NLP to dealing with difficult person
- For each category, we can choose to learn new things in 4 different ways
- Secrets, case studies, insights, quotes and 1 min wonders
- A knowledge meter is at the bottom of the screen to indicate the level of our knowledge
5. Gorilla workout
Price: $8 HKD
- Having a healthy body is extremely important
- 4 different difficulties to choose from
- 175 different fun workouts
- Videos to teach us how to complete the exercises are included
- Don't need excercise equipments
- Fun exercises include "pistols", "supermans", "tuck jumps" etc
I would update the list if I find more apps that are value for money. If you have apps that you highly recommend, please feel free to share as well.
1. SUCCESS magazine
Price: $158 HKD for 12 issues
- Easy to read and carry
- Key ideas and strategies to help you excel in every area of your personal and professional life
- Composed of articles, videos and audio interviews
- Up to date
- Attractive interface (a lot of visuals)
2. HBR tips
Price: Free
- Updated everyday
- Capitalize this app by loading it on our spare time (queuing for bus/ using the washroom etc)
- Spend 3-5 minutes everyday to learn something new
3. Stumbleupon
Price: Free
- This app will randomly show you popular sites on the subjects that you are interested in
- Not only for business
- Categories you can choose from include: computers, arts/history, regional, commerce, hobbies, music/movies, home/living, health, media, society, sports, outdoors, religion, sci/tech
- In each category there will be sub-categories
- You might stumble upon some mind blowing sites
- If you don't like the site generated, you can quickly stumble to the next one
4. Business secrets
Price: $23 HKD
- There is an app called Mindtools that is similar to this app which is free
- But hands down this app is much more superior
- Superior on its design and also scope of knowledge
- This app covers topics from NLP to dealing with difficult person
- For each category, we can choose to learn new things in 4 different ways
- Secrets, case studies, insights, quotes and 1 min wonders
- A knowledge meter is at the bottom of the screen to indicate the level of our knowledge
5. Gorilla workout
Price: $8 HKD
- Having a healthy body is extremely important
- 4 different difficulties to choose from
- 175 different fun workouts
- Videos to teach us how to complete the exercises are included
- Don't need excercise equipments
- Fun exercises include "pistols", "supermans", "tuck jumps" etc
I would update the list if I find more apps that are value for money. If you have apps that you highly recommend, please feel free to share as well.
2013年3月10日 星期日
Soccer and success
Today's weather is fabulous. Along with some friends I went to play soccer. During intermission, I thought to myself, how cool would it be to write a blog on how soccer could be related to success. Let me give it a try.
1. Like soccer, if you want to succeed, you need goals
In anything you do, it is very important that you have goals. Short-term, mid-term and long-term goals are crucial. The reason we need goals is that we have to know where we are going. Can you imagine if suddenly two of the goals disappeared on the football pitch? All athletes will not know what to do and the game will be over as there is no way to determine who will win the match. Therefore setting smart goals can help us to achieve our dreams.
2. Know your position
In soccer, there are many different positions - goalie, defenders, midfielders, strikers, managers and cheerleaders etc. There is not a single player that can excel in everyone of these roles. This shows us that everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. In order to shine, one should be able to determine what position suits himself/herself best. According to the Pareto principle, everyday 20% of your action determines 80% of your results. By focusing on your strengths, you can achieve more. Things that you are weak at, try delegating them to others. This will save you time and energy. A great example will be in a soccer game, defenders will focus on defending their goal, from time to time they might attack and score a goal, but most of the time they will leave this to the strikers as that is their caliber.
3. Shoot as much as you can
When will a striker stop shooting the ball in a match? Never! Why? The reason is that if the striker stops shooting, there will be no more goals for his team, which might lead to a comeback or a draw. No matter what you do, one should not be complacent and get satisfied with his/her achievement. If you managed to close a deal, complete a project etc, fantastic, go for the next one. One shall not stop once they get a brief taste of victory. Instead, we should ride on the success wagon. Success is all about momentum and when you are winning, keep doing the right things that will ensure that you can keep on winning and winning and winning and winning :)
1. Like soccer, if you want to succeed, you need goals
In anything you do, it is very important that you have goals. Short-term, mid-term and long-term goals are crucial. The reason we need goals is that we have to know where we are going. Can you imagine if suddenly two of the goals disappeared on the football pitch? All athletes will not know what to do and the game will be over as there is no way to determine who will win the match. Therefore setting smart goals can help us to achieve our dreams.
2. Know your position
In soccer, there are many different positions - goalie, defenders, midfielders, strikers, managers and cheerleaders etc. There is not a single player that can excel in everyone of these roles. This shows us that everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. In order to shine, one should be able to determine what position suits himself/herself best. According to the Pareto principle, everyday 20% of your action determines 80% of your results. By focusing on your strengths, you can achieve more. Things that you are weak at, try delegating them to others. This will save you time and energy. A great example will be in a soccer game, defenders will focus on defending their goal, from time to time they might attack and score a goal, but most of the time they will leave this to the strikers as that is their caliber.
3. Shoot as much as you can
When will a striker stop shooting the ball in a match? Never! Why? The reason is that if the striker stops shooting, there will be no more goals for his team, which might lead to a comeback or a draw. No matter what you do, one should not be complacent and get satisfied with his/her achievement. If you managed to close a deal, complete a project etc, fantastic, go for the next one. One shall not stop once they get a brief taste of victory. Instead, we should ride on the success wagon. Success is all about momentum and when you are winning, keep doing the right things that will ensure that you can keep on winning and winning and winning and winning :)
2013年3月3日 星期日
Build your foundation right
Recently I read an article on the internet that talked about 5 fun facts about Dubai. It mentioned its constant increasing population, the existence of an indoor ski resort, there is no street addresses in Dubai and like in Hong Kong, people are not required to pay tax. Out of the 5 fun facts, 1 fun fact particularly caught my eye. Fun fact no.5 - It has the tallest building in the world! What an astonishing accomplishment.
The name of the building is Burj Khalifa. The building is in its own league and I am not crediting its uniqueness only to its height (829 meters tall). Some of Burj Khalifa's outstanding achievements include:
- World's tallest and fastest elevator
- World's highest nightclub (144th floor) and restaurant (122nd floor)
- Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol was shot there
- Won Middle East Architect Awards 2010, CTBUH Awards and awards by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
The list can go on and on. We just have to write "Highest (insert here)" and 9/10 it would apply. Despite the glamorous appearance. Today I would like to investigate and share what is beneath the building. Have you ever wondered what is beneath this remarkable complex?
To our amazement, It actually took over two years to just build the foundation, which included placing large rocks in a honeycomb pattern and setting deep foundation (50 meters) using hundreds of 130 foot foundation piles
This proves a point that it is important for us to build a deep foundation for ourselves. This world class building took 5 years to complete and 2 years were used to build the foundation. The importance of a good foundation is that it gives support to the building and makes sure that it can stand tall. The same would apply to us. If we want to succeed in life, we shall have a strong foundation to support us. This ensures that we will have what it takes to win. Below are some suggestions on how we can build a strong foundation:
- equipping ourselves with new knowledge frequently
- from time to time review on our current situation
- hitting our goals and setting new goals
- get along with the best people in the field you want to succeed in
- getting the right attitude
Visiting Dubai is one of my goals. Looking forward to build a strong foundation alongside with everyone in order to one day travel to Dubai and take a picture with the tallest building in the world!
The name of the building is Burj Khalifa. The building is in its own league and I am not crediting its uniqueness only to its height (829 meters tall). Some of Burj Khalifa's outstanding achievements include:
- World's tallest and fastest elevator
- World's highest nightclub (144th floor) and restaurant (122nd floor)
- Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol was shot there
- Won Middle East Architect Awards 2010, CTBUH Awards and awards by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
The list can go on and on. We just have to write "Highest (insert here)" and 9/10 it would apply. Despite the glamorous appearance. Today I would like to investigate and share what is beneath the building. Have you ever wondered what is beneath this remarkable complex?
To our amazement, It actually took over two years to just build the foundation, which included placing large rocks in a honeycomb pattern and setting deep foundation (50 meters) using hundreds of 130 foot foundation piles
This proves a point that it is important for us to build a deep foundation for ourselves. This world class building took 5 years to complete and 2 years were used to build the foundation. The importance of a good foundation is that it gives support to the building and makes sure that it can stand tall. The same would apply to us. If we want to succeed in life, we shall have a strong foundation to support us. This ensures that we will have what it takes to win. Below are some suggestions on how we can build a strong foundation:
- equipping ourselves with new knowledge frequently
- from time to time review on our current situation
- hitting our goals and setting new goals
- get along with the best people in the field you want to succeed in
- getting the right attitude
Visiting Dubai is one of my goals. Looking forward to build a strong foundation alongside with everyone in order to one day travel to Dubai and take a picture with the tallest building in the world!
2013年2月23日 星期六
Stay hungry stay foolish
สวัสดี ครับ (Hi in Thai language) :) Last week was awesome! Along with my family members and some of their friends, I was lucky enough to tag along and visit the land of smiles - Thailand. We visited palaces, ate a lot of wonderful Thai cuisine and visited the well known wet market. To summarize the entire trip in 2 words - good times!
Despite having a lot of fun, during night time and idle time, I did manage to spend some time on developing myself. In this blog I would like to share 5 tips on maximizing learning wherever you are.
1. Listen to audio-books
Sometimes we might find carrying books a bit heavy. Even if me manage to tag them along our journey, we might not be motivated to take them out in public due to limited space or laziness. To tackle this challenge, I suggest everyone to download audio-books from the internet. Pop the files into your smart devices and you are ready to go. Whenever you feel like learning, pop in your headphones and "TA DA", you are ready for some new knowledge. Instead of listening to music, by listening to audio books during transportation, queuing up for a burger etc, one can at least gain hours of wisdom every week.
2. Read/listen to a book more than once
Do you remember when we were young, we use to remember the lyrics of a song even without memorizing the lyrics online. Why did we manage to do that? The answer is simple, we learned the lyrics through repetition. By listening to the song over and over again, we automatically memorize the lyrics. The same concept could be used on learning as well, as long as we keep feeding our brain with the same knowledge, it will memorize them and those knowledge will be engraved onto your brain.
3. Keep a pocket size notebook
I have a habit of keeping a pocket sized notebook with me wherever I go. Whenever I have questions that I want to do more research on, a future business idea, topics I can write in this blog, lessons learned etc, I would write them down. This helps you be clear of the things you want to learn/accomplish.
4. Be like a kid
When we were small we are always curious about the little things in life. When we grow up, we tend to stop seeking for answers. This might be due to the fact that we are afraid of how people will look at us. Quoting from Steve Jobs, "Stay hungry stay foolish". Don't approach everything with the same tired perspective, think out of the box, by frequently seeking for answers, you might be able to find new doors that lead you to success.
5. Be persistent
If you want to learn something, be persistent. How did jugglers learn to juggle? They learn through failing over and over again. The same theory can be applied to us. When we decide to learn something, don't give up halfway. Be like a postage stamp, stick to one thing until you get there.
Despite having a lot of fun, during night time and idle time, I did manage to spend some time on developing myself. In this blog I would like to share 5 tips on maximizing learning wherever you are.
1. Listen to audio-books
Sometimes we might find carrying books a bit heavy. Even if me manage to tag them along our journey, we might not be motivated to take them out in public due to limited space or laziness. To tackle this challenge, I suggest everyone to download audio-books from the internet. Pop the files into your smart devices and you are ready to go. Whenever you feel like learning, pop in your headphones and "TA DA", you are ready for some new knowledge. Instead of listening to music, by listening to audio books during transportation, queuing up for a burger etc, one can at least gain hours of wisdom every week.
2. Read/listen to a book more than once
Do you remember when we were young, we use to remember the lyrics of a song even without memorizing the lyrics online. Why did we manage to do that? The answer is simple, we learned the lyrics through repetition. By listening to the song over and over again, we automatically memorize the lyrics. The same concept could be used on learning as well, as long as we keep feeding our brain with the same knowledge, it will memorize them and those knowledge will be engraved onto your brain.
3. Keep a pocket size notebook
I have a habit of keeping a pocket sized notebook with me wherever I go. Whenever I have questions that I want to do more research on, a future business idea, topics I can write in this blog, lessons learned etc, I would write them down. This helps you be clear of the things you want to learn/accomplish.
4. Be like a kid
When we were small we are always curious about the little things in life. When we grow up, we tend to stop seeking for answers. This might be due to the fact that we are afraid of how people will look at us. Quoting from Steve Jobs, "Stay hungry stay foolish". Don't approach everything with the same tired perspective, think out of the box, by frequently seeking for answers, you might be able to find new doors that lead you to success.
5. Be persistent
If you want to learn something, be persistent. How did jugglers learn to juggle? They learn through failing over and over again. The same theory can be applied to us. When we decide to learn something, don't give up halfway. Be like a postage stamp, stick to one thing until you get there.
2013年2月10日 星期日
Happy new year~
In the year of snake, wishing everyone good health and unlimited amount of success :) Kung Hei Fat Choi!
2013年2月3日 星期日
Entrenuership and much more
This afternoon, I was lucky enough to stumble upon a youtube video that talked about entrepreneurship. Matthew Hussey was the speaker and in the video he talked a lot about what led him to where he is now and tips for succeeding in life. The video was 75 minutes long and I highly suggest people to give it a shot if you are in the appetite for some new knowledge.
I will leave most of the lessons taught in the video for you to explore. However, would also like to share the 4 features Matthew thinks each entrepreneur have.
1. Ability to sell themselves
Entrepreneurs are exceptionally persuasive people. You can be in a room with them for a minute and leave the room with something that they've sold to you.
2. High stress threshold.
Entrepreneurs are used to dealing with stress. At highs and lows they can keep a constant mentality. A lot of people might plummet when things go bad, but not entrepreneurs.
3. High stamina
Entrepreneurs don't feel tired easily. They are passionate about the things they do and emit a ray of positive energy no matter when. They also believe if they work hard they'll get the results, so they'll work super hard to get their tasks completed.
4. A little mental
Entrepreneurs at times will seem inhuman. They keep wanting to get ahead and also keep going towards their goals no matter the circumstances.
The video is a 10/10. Definitely check it out! :)
I will leave most of the lessons taught in the video for you to explore. However, would also like to share the 4 features Matthew thinks each entrepreneur have.
1. Ability to sell themselves
Entrepreneurs are exceptionally persuasive people. You can be in a room with them for a minute and leave the room with something that they've sold to you.
2. High stress threshold.
Entrepreneurs are used to dealing with stress. At highs and lows they can keep a constant mentality. A lot of people might plummet when things go bad, but not entrepreneurs.
3. High stamina
Entrepreneurs don't feel tired easily. They are passionate about the things they do and emit a ray of positive energy no matter when. They also believe if they work hard they'll get the results, so they'll work super hard to get their tasks completed.
4. A little mental
Entrepreneurs at times will seem inhuman. They keep wanting to get ahead and also keep going towards their goals no matter the circumstances.
The video is a 10/10. Definitely check it out! :)
2013年1月27日 星期日
Candy crush cognition
Recently if one is to log into their facebook account, they will be more than likely to receive invitations to join a game called candy crush. I was once skeptical about the game and claimed that I will not download it as it looked not only childish but also girlish. However the game to my astonishment, redeemed itself by reaching #1 on the app store billboard. Also, many of my friends, strangers, pedestrians seem to have went on-board onto this candy crush train. To find out its charm and to learn about its successful marketing strategies, I decided to download the game as well.
Basically, candy crush is an addictive puzzle adventure game. Gamers are required to join candies together to get rid of blocks or by this process help collect ingredients that will lead them to success. Every user has 5 lives and after they are used up, gamers have to wait for 20 minutes to gain 1 life back or to request 1 from their friends. The purpose of this post is not to criticize or give comments on the game. Instead, would like to share 3 things that I have picked up from this game that is relevant to success.
1. Choose your moves wisely
In life, a lot of things are finite, time, money. Just like the game, where it is important to complete each level within a given amount of moves, we need to grantee that we choose the wisest moves to make in life too. Ask yourself the question, is this the best move that you can make? There will always be options in life, whether to sleep for 10 more minutes or to read 10 more pages of a book to gain new knowledge. By controlling the actions you make you can make a difference.
2. Connection between hard work and good luck
Make sure you sharpen your craft. Quoting from Jim Rohn, "You can cut down a tree with a hammer, but it takes about 30 days. If you trade the hammer for an axe, you can cut it down in about 30 minutes. The difference between 30 days and 30 minutes is skill." Through massive practicing, one can then master their skills. Luck does exist, but it will most likely go to those who are prepared for it. I remember a time during the game when I combined a brown power up with a striped power up randomly and witnessed a mega candy destruction in the game. The tutorial never taught users to do that. The moral is you first have to gain the skills required and luck will follow.
3. Cherish your friends
Make sure you treasure your friends. During times where you face setbacks or obstacles, most likely your friends will be the ones who pick you back up or to give you the push you need to try one more time or to go ahead. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
Basically, candy crush is an addictive puzzle adventure game. Gamers are required to join candies together to get rid of blocks or by this process help collect ingredients that will lead them to success. Every user has 5 lives and after they are used up, gamers have to wait for 20 minutes to gain 1 life back or to request 1 from their friends. The purpose of this post is not to criticize or give comments on the game. Instead, would like to share 3 things that I have picked up from this game that is relevant to success.
1. Choose your moves wisely
In life, a lot of things are finite, time, money. Just like the game, where it is important to complete each level within a given amount of moves, we need to grantee that we choose the wisest moves to make in life too. Ask yourself the question, is this the best move that you can make? There will always be options in life, whether to sleep for 10 more minutes or to read 10 more pages of a book to gain new knowledge. By controlling the actions you make you can make a difference.
2. Connection between hard work and good luck
Make sure you sharpen your craft. Quoting from Jim Rohn, "You can cut down a tree with a hammer, but it takes about 30 days. If you trade the hammer for an axe, you can cut it down in about 30 minutes. The difference between 30 days and 30 minutes is skill." Through massive practicing, one can then master their skills. Luck does exist, but it will most likely go to those who are prepared for it. I remember a time during the game when I combined a brown power up with a striped power up randomly and witnessed a mega candy destruction in the game. The tutorial never taught users to do that. The moral is you first have to gain the skills required and luck will follow.
3. Cherish your friends
Make sure you treasure your friends. During times where you face setbacks or obstacles, most likely your friends will be the ones who pick you back up or to give you the push you need to try one more time or to go ahead. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
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