Gabriel Hummel » Productivity

How Aimless Web Surfing Might Actually Help You Get Shit Done

Gabriel Hummel — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:48:50 +0000

So you get on the computer and like James Bond, you have a mission that needs to be accomplished.

You have to write a response email to one of your clients about a upcoming project, write an email to your wedding planner, and write a “I haven’t talked to you in forever but I hope this email will reconcile our friendship” to one of your distant friends in a far away land.

You open up your web browser and immediately get e-hard when you see YouTube (your homepage).

There is a new video of a kitten attacking an empty paper bag, I must watch it at least 3 times, subscribe to the user’s channel, and email it to my friends.

Oh crap your friends, time to get on Facebook.

Wow mike has clearly been hitting the gym, look at Rachelle, man she is becoming bigger than Rosie O’Donnell’s cankles. Sweet Jesus, are those the pictures from Saturday night?

Have you ever found yourself in this loop of never ending bullshit?

No one would like to admit it, but I know for a fact that way to many people waste enough time online to propel a nuclear bomb straight into the home of Al Gore for his invention.

The bottom line is that people inherently act like this all the time. Trying to become a creative and working powerhouse that shovels out 2 novels and 3 around the world trips in a month just isn’t practical for most people.

But at the same time, I would lose my fucking mind if all I did was productive things all day, I would feel like the energizer bunny on crack.

Before you commit Facebook hara-kiri, there is a solution.

The key is developing some middle ground and taking some much needed baby steps in order to divert your attention away from the new event that was just posted on Facebook and towards something that might actually hold some level of impact in your life.

But what if aimless wandering could have a purpose?

What if in some twisted universe your aimless web browsing remained somewhat ambiguous but had a much more defined purpose?

This is how I choose the aimlessly wander when I need time to unwind in front of the computer, and it can be quite magical for getting things done that you want to do.

I think we can all agree that spending anymore than 5 minutes on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Youtube, foursquare, or nearly any other social media platform is a complete waste of time unless you own a business or are trying to procure a career in social media marketing (what the hell is wrong with you? Go outside now)

That being said, there are more interesting ways to divert your “follow the shiny thing” syndrome my young web browser.

Start by thinking about some of the things you actually have any avid interest in your life

This could be anything and everything, from career orientation to personal. Go fucking nuts, from poodles to papier-mâché and everything in-between, just stay away from porn and those damned internet time sinks.

Got a few things? My hotspots are anything related to food and travel

Now if you really love these things that you picked, chances are that you know a websites, blogs, forums, and ever risqué photo galleries that are related to your areas of interest.

Find a few websites that you really enjoy, and bookmark them immediately

These sites will be your new and only fallback for when you need to write an email that you really don’t give two shits about writing, so now your shiny syndrome is at least pointing you in the direction that might help you get something accomplished.

Chances are your interests would serve as a career/business/hobby platform (if they don’t already). By frequenting these types of websites instead of aimless wandering the dark alleyways of social media, you could, and likely will, develop an idea, business, or at least some relief you’re your ADD.

Try it, I promise your Facebook friends will forgive you (but who really gives a damn).

Gabriel

Information Whores

Gabriel Hummel — Thu, 27 May 2010 18:13:48 +0000

I have a confession to make

I am an addict

I am seriously addicted to information

Books, articles, worthwhile news stories, podcasts, TED talks, super conferences

You name it, I probably use it

Every moment in my life that I have a passion for something, I put an enormous amount of energy into seeking out the best information I can regarding the subject matter so I can be as prepared as I possibly can

Sometimes it can get out of control and become a time sink, in which case it becomes a ridiculous time sink to be a maven of so many topics

Most of the time, this information whoring has served me incredibly well

Whether it meant getting free meals all day on my birthday, discovering the best means to cook healthy vegan dishes, or even planning out my vagabonding trip across Asia, information has yet to let me down

It’s possible that it works well for me because I am such a multifaceted individual who has interests in so many different areas (See cooking, traveling, personal development, writing, fitness, etc) but what I have recently discovered is that even if you don’t have a diverse interest range and are more focused in your passions, being an information whore can only server to benefit you even more

Why?

Being an information whore has nothing to do with planning; it has to do everything with building

Building in the sense that you are taking your initial foray into some area of interest and branching it out into as many areas as you feel comfortable doing

After you have spent X amount of time looking out and finding new answers and questions, you will find yourself coming back to your own ideas and making far more powerful judgment calls about the various happenings in your life

Say for example you love boating, but all you know about it is that it involves water and some term dubbed “stern”

As you reach out to various boating blogs, forums, magazines, and other forms of media, you will learn exponentially more about boating in general

After you spend some time learning, you will then be able to make a more accurate judgment call as to whether boating is something you really want to be a part of

The same holds true for if you were already an avid boater who knows a lot about boating

You can always find someone who knows more than you, or some awesome trick that makes that day on the water so much more relaxing and less tedious

Seek out as much information as you want to digest, you will find that you will learn more about yourself as you find out about a plethora of topics, test the waters with your interests, and ultimately come to a better conclusion about who you are through your interests (and disinterests)

K.I.S.S. and find some topics that excite you

Information is here to serve us, so I suggest you take full advantage

Prostitution rules

Gabriel

What Could Be Better Than TV?

Gabriel Hummel — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:05:55 +0000

I was recently inspired by the ramblings of Seth Godin to write a brief but emphatic post on the importance of watching TV.

Yes, you heard me right, it is vital to you and your survival to watch as much TV as humanly possible. This means having TV with you at all waking hours of the day. Whether it is on your cell phone screen, being downloaded to your DVR, being watching over Hulu, or being downloaded from a torrent website, your time is simply well spent with your face in front of a screen watching the latest American Idol.

Because really, what else could you be doing with your time other than watching TV? I guess you could

Write that book you always talked about
Ride a bike
Learn to cook
Build something
Travel the world
Learn to speak a new language
Read an enriching book
Start a small business
Find a better job
Learn a new skill
Practice your favorite hobby
Get naked and start the revolution

Who would want to do any of that though?

Cheers

Gabriel

3 Step Program to Be A Creative Powerhouse

Gabriel Hummel — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:08:18 +0000

(Photo by Adriana Curcio)

You know how people say that in order to do something important in your life, often times you have to push yourself out of your “comfort” zone, or act out of character, or be more spontaneous?

While it is easy for someone who naturally likes to get naked at the drop of the dime and make an impromptu speech at a public gathering, or write an Emmy winning screenplay, most people are not blessed with this ability

And it’s this very ability that can lead you to be more attractive, interesting, fun, exciting, admired, and a load of other good terms that I am too lazy to type out

And while many people simply are more conservative and laid back, there are moments in a person’s life when they simply have to act out of character in order to grow as a human being

If in these moments you decide to cower in the corner like a little scared bunny rabbit, your character dies a little bit inside (not to mention if I see it I will call you out )

Here is a short guide on how to act a bit more spontaneous, act out of character, and push your limits in order to ultimately grow and succeed in any area of your life

Being spontaneous does not require you to be a cast member on “Who’s line is it anyway”, you simply have to be willing to go the extra mile and be willing to screw things up a few times

Every failure is going to be a brick in your palace for this stuff, even if you think the palace is going to be made of dog crap

Now to get your spontaneous side into action there are a few exercises you need to perform before I will even offer you any advice

1) Access your “fun” state

Because like building a muscle, every rep of higher weight in time makes the muscle larger. If you want your spontaneous abilities to better serve you, practice is needed

Try making some ridiculous noises

This is as simple as it sounds. Think of the most ridiculous and over the top sound effect you can think of (it can be anything) and scream it out so the neighbors down the block call the police

How was that?

It was bullshit because I know you haven’t done it yet, you wimped out

Really go for it this time

By doing this you will break your mental state from “I’m reading and being very serious” to “alright I’m ready to have a bit of fun”

This fun state is critical for acting spontaneous and taking more beneficial risks and challenges in your life

A few other ways of breaking character include

1) Acting like an animal

2) Running around your room flailing your hands

3) Screaming

4) Pretty much anything that is someone walked in on would think you are mentally insane

You know how to access this state of mind fairly easily; you just need to give yourself permission to not be such a buzz kill

Once you know how to access this state, you need to get yourself in a fun frame of mind every time you know that being spontaneous can serve to your benefit

Whether you are trying to score a date, be inventive at a business meeting, get over your writers block, figure out what you want to eat, this fun spontaneous state can serve you to succeed

Now that you’re in this fun state that next step is to

2) Recognize the randomness in the things around you

Now I know that sentence looks like I took a hit of LSD and rolled my face across the keyboard, but it truly is necessary in order to get your spontaneous gears moving

Lets say for a moment that you are at a bar and there is a napkin sitting on the table

Is a napkin fun at all? Not at all

But what if the napkin was folded into a paper crane? Or made into a hat? Or made into a paper football?

Its these little creative spins on simple things that have revolutionized many things we use in society today

By looking at a seemingly boring object and changing the terms from which you can derive a sense of pleasure from it, you can literally create an infinite amount of possibilities from even a stupid piece of paper

Try looking around your room for something completely mundane, and attempt to think of fun ways you could use this object to accomplish things

You could think about how that pencil on your desk, stacked with a million other pencils, could make a mini pyramid

Does this sound stupid? Yes

Does it work? Yes

Who really cares if you’re having a bit more fun and making something out of nothing

Making the endless out of the seamless is what creativity is all about, and by doing exercises like this you will get your brain churning in a creative mindset, ultimately lead you to

3) Letting the words and ideas flow

If you have already made noises to sound like a cow and began to ponder the use of your computer speakers as flotation devices then you are already at the mindset you need to be for ultimate creativity and ultimate spontaneity

This is where most people screw it all up

They choke, come up with reasons why it’s not proper at that moment, get scared, anything, and back down instead of stepping up

All you need to do now is let it all out, let your mouth, pencil, mind, paintbrush, and keyboard run free like a 10 year old that just started summer vacation

Don’t back out and make excuses for why you can’t just open your mouth, write, etc

Just go for it, chances are you will be handsomely rewarded for doing so

And If the shit hits the fan (which it never does) you can blame me

“That really wasn’t me, that was Gabriel acting vicariously through me”

Be sure to let me know how being creative and spontaneous has served you in the past

Gabriel

4 Reasons to Act More Like a 5 Year Old

Gabriel Hummel — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:52:58 +0000

(Photo by Catchthedream)

Who doesn’t love kids?

They are carefree, feel like they can take on the world, always have a smile on their face, and generally just seem to be enjoying everything that life hands them (with the occasional temper tantrum)

Why are kids so damned infatuating?

They seem to be living the dream lifestyle, and we all seem to be chasing the carrot dangled at the stick

I recently finished watching the movie, “Big” with Tom Hanks and had an epiphany

Kids DO have it better than we do

But its not the whining and neediness that I admire, it’s the carefree and happy lifestyle that they all seem to live

What I realized is that if everyone in the world acted a bit more like a kid, the world would be a much better place

Here are four reasons to unbox your Barbies or Gijoes, so to speak, and let loose like your 5 year old a bit more

1. Have Fun, All the Time

Kids are in a constantly state of play, anything and everything they interact with becomes a wondrous playground for which they can mold and bend into a fun little adventure

Even when they are presented with the worst possible circumstances (doctor office, a boring TV show, really crappy toys) they might complain at first, but ultimately they find a way to make it fun for themselves

The general idea is that they can make anything fun in their lives

If we aren’t having fun, we may have the power to change the circumstances a bit easier but if we aren’t happy with the results we will sulk and moan until our environment changes

Kids just don’t do that, they roll with the punches and find some way to have a great fucking time

Don’t you wish you could be sitting in traffic on the way to work and instead of being angry at the road you find a way to enjoy yourself?

The simple way to do this is so ask yourself, “How can I make this fun?” as much as possible

Every time you run into a situation that is lackluster or even downright shitty, find a way to change the perspective and have a bit of fun

By asking this question you will activate the right side of your brain and seek out creative and fun ways to find fun in drudgery, the magic will be happening as much as you want it to

The next time you find yourself sulking like a two year old, think about how you can make that boring meeting you are in fun and watch a smile run across your face as you imagine your boss with a super long western moustache

2. Be Constantly Happy

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a child? (and not after they just spilled orange juice all over your Persian rug)

A smile of course

As we have already covered, kids are always in a constant state of play, everything they run into can be a chance to have some fun

What’s even more amazing than this nonstop party in these kid’s minds is their constant state of joy

Nearly 90% of the time you’re spent being a kid, you were always smiling and feeling good

Of course sometimes another toddler would steal your naked Barbie or start using the space Legos with your Cowboy ones, but even if you cried or got upset…..it just wouldn’t last

Soon enough a smile would run across your face faster than a pubescent boy at the playboy mansion

This concept of always feeling good is a great tool for us in adulthood (See 5 Reasons Why Smiling Can Change Your Life)

While many people think running around with a smile on your face and a gleam of happy thoughts nearly 24/7 is unrealistic and downright stupid, they are right

If you believe that feeling good and being happy all the time like a 5 year old is immature and stupid then chances are you are going to act more and more like a boring, unattractive, uninspiring, notworkmytimetotalk to individual

The most successful and charismatic people in our world today have this quality

They are not super serious, very calm, and boring…..they are energetic, fun and happy

And if you adopt this 5 year old mindset, you too can embody some of the keys to success necessary to make you the next Michael Jordan, Justin Timberlake, or Ryan Seacrest

3. Be Fearless

One of the most admirable traits I see in children is the ability to run into a situation blindly and without fear

They see a teeter-totter or a new wing set or some kid playing soccer and just run right in

They don’t worry about the potential for failure, or what might happen if they fall off that super tall swing set, they just go for it

I don’t even need to get into the idiosyncrasies of why this is a powerful mindset for an adult

A) You don’t worry about going up to talk to a guy/girl you are attracted to

B) You don’t make excuses for doing the things you want to do

C) You aren’t afraid to follow your career goals

D) You don’t lie to yourself

This list goes on and on

You know that if you had no fear in life that you could ultimately do anything you want, I don’t need to tell you that

What you need to know is that the seven year old who is playing on the monkey bars that are 15 feet of the ground has more balls than most people I meet in any given day

The key is to kick your fear in the ass and realize that you are capable of being just as fearless as the kid running around on his skateboard with no pads

Get back in touch with your inner child and realize that all your fears can be conquered with steps of action in your life

4. Get Into Adventures

Cops and Robbers

House

These two games are the staples for many children growing up, and they can serve as the foundation for adulthood adventures

When a child taps into their imagination and creates an adventure for themselves, they are making their own fun and setting the rules for having life adventures

When they dawn an imaginary apron or grab a wooden sword for dragon slaying they are simply creating the necessary environment to get into a daily adventure, an adventure that is going to be 100x more entertaining , fun, and exciting than any blockbuster movie, TV sitcom, or video game

This ability to create your own adventure does not die once you start noticing the big arms of young boys or the seemingly endless bust line of young women; it just remains dormant and ready to be tapped into at any given moment

Adventures can occur at any given moment in your life, some can cost money and others can be free, the key is that you make them happen for you on a daily basis, not just when you use your two weeks off per year to go to some beach and get a short lived tan

You can make a trip to the grocery store an adventure, and get creative beyond any means you thought possible

That fruit and yogurt aisle no longer is a cascade of glass windows filled with dairy products, it’s an opportunity to learn something from the nutrition facts and recommend the most ridiculous flavors you can find to the attractive guy or girl that is riding in the aisle with you

And if you are feeling like dipping into your wallet a bit more, you could pack up a backpack and go to some exotic location that you have never been to before, but have always wanted to traverse

Backpack through Europe, take your family dolphin swimming in the Caribbean, or go hang gliding off the Swiss alps (Its cheaper than you might think)

By making every day some sort of adventure, you will open yourself up to endless possibilities for health, love, joy, and generally enjoy your life that much more than the next person on the street

You will be getting as much out of your days as the 5 year old with the cape and Nerf guns, but you don’t have to dawn the costume unless you want to

Go out and make your day like an adventure, and watch your life grow

Gabriel

How to Build a Motivational Board

Gabriel Hummel — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:24:48 +0000

Visualize your goals

Speak affirmations

Define who you are

Listen to your Eckhart Tolle audio CDs until you are a walking incantation of the Buddha himself

Every piece of advice in the self help community is beneficial to you in your path to living the life of your dreams

But there is SO MUCH information that is can get overwhelming at times

And all the advice and tips that self help gurus tell you tend to impart on you, how the hell do you make sense of it all, where do you begin?

Something I figured out a long time ago was to develop a motivational board of sorts

This board housed everything that I was, and everything that I strive to be, all in one neat little package that I could look at every day without being overwhelmed by mountains of books filled with advice

I want to show you how to make a very kickass and extremely useful motivational board for your goals, life passions, and just because it will be the single best coffee table “book poster” you could ever come up with

When building a motivational board it is important to keep one concept in mind

“Quality over Quantity”

Does this mean you can only put up a few things on your board?

It’s just means you need to really think about the things in life that matter to you the most

A motivational life board can include all sorts of things that can help guide your life in the direction of your dreams

Quotes

Pictures

Affirmations

Goals

Ideas

Anything and everything can go on a motivational white board, as long as it represents quality for YOU and YOUR DREAMS

I recommend a combination of the things I have previously listed in order to develop a diverse and powerful motivational board

My motivational boards consist of quotes, goals, pictures, and a “life statement” I made for myself

(I apologize for the quality of the photos, my digital camera is on the fritz)

As you can see one of them is a bit daunting with lots of text and the other ones include a combination of text and pictures

A board can be any shape, size, or material, but it must be in a place that you can look at it every day in order to reaffirm what you want out of life

Here are my recommendations for making a motivational board, including placement and design

STEP 1

Buy a white board and dry erase markers (http://www.dryeraseboard.com/ could be a good place to start looking, or any office supplies store

STEP 2

Write down on a piece of paper all the things in life that you love, give you passion, or cause a positive emotional stir in you that eclipses anything else you can imagine (don’t think, just write)

(For example: Write down your personal development goals, career goals, contribution goals, items you want to own, places you want to see, people you love, etc)

STEP 3

Write down the top 10-20 items on your board that seem the most important to you (you can always switch them around later)

STEP 4

Hang the board in a place that you visit frequently in your home

(Examples: Bedroom, office/study, closet)

STEP 5

Spend a few minutes every day looking over your board. Be sure to take mental notes on what steps you are taking to maintain or reach out towards the things you have written down

Chances are, things on your board will change. As they change, be sure to update them with new goals so you are constantly moving towards things you want in life

This white board will serve as a constant reminder for the things that truly matter in your life. You will find that every time you look it over you will re affirm why it is you do the things in life that are so hard

You workout for 20 minutes a day because you want to look like a CK model

You bust your ass at your job because you know your getting a big promotion soon

You show your partner how much you love them every day because you are constantly reminded of how much they mean to you

The possibilities are endless, and the potential is limitless

Be sure to email me pictures of your motivational boards!

7 Reasons Why You Should Go on More Vacations

Gabriel Hummel — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:37:14 +0000

(Photo by Patrick Smith)

White sand beaches of the Mediterranean

The most delicious and savory meals white sitting on a bungalow in the creoles islands

Going scuba diving in the Bahamas

Everyone loves going on vacations but yet many people don’t have the time, money, or ability to drop everything they are doing and get away for an extended period of time

I’m here to tell you that vacations are not only fun, relaxing, and exciting

They are also needed for you to be healthy, successful, and motivated human being

I want to show you why leaving the country, or even going to your neighboring country or state, can drastically improve the quality of your life

And have a little fun while doing it

Vacations are a necessary part of life

Even if you work 20 hours a week or 60, it is always a good idea to take a break once in a while

Now I know what you are thinking

“Everyone loves vacations, so why the hell are you making a list for WHY we should go on them? You might as well tell people how to drink or eat food”

While this is true, the simple fact is that many people are simply not going on vacations anymore

And while everyone loves the idea of vacations, fewer and fewer people are taking the time to actually embark on them on a daily basis

For many people a vacation simply means they are going to have more trouble getting things done for their job

“I never go on vacation,” said Ellen Kapit, a real estate agent in Manhattan. “And when I do, I have my computer, my Palm, my e-mail and my phone with me at all times.” (NY Times)

It is this all work no play mentality that causes people to get overstressed and generally more irritable on a daily basis

Here are a few reasons why you should take a a leave of absence from your job for a week or so

1. Vacations are Healthy

As stated earlier, vacations are a healthy means of introducing relaxation and calmness into your life. When people go on vacations it has been shown to increase your immune system, slightly boost your metabolism, increase your overall energy, and even reduce stress in your life

2. Why Not?

Instead of thinking of the many reasons why you shouldn’t go on a vacation (lack of finances, to much work to get done, family problems, etc) think of the many reasons why you should go on a vacation (you deserve a break, you love the beach, you want some alone time with your partner). By shifting your focus from why you shouldn’t to why you should you can gain a new perspective for why you should go on a vacation

3. Improve and Expand Relationships

Spending time alone with someone in a new location is a great way to enhance intimacy and the strength of your relationships with your partner. Scientific studies have shown that time spent with someone in a location other than the home environment increase levels of Nero chemicals such as serotonin and progesterone, which lead to stronger bonds between you and your loved ones. The more experiences and exotic locales you visits with your loved one, friends, or family the stronger the bonds you have with the people in your life.

4. Vacation doesn’t have to mean lying on the beach all day

Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean you don’t have to get anything accomplished (and no I don’t mean you bring your laptop and blackberry so you can write that expense report you’ve been putting off). Think of the many new skills you could learn while in a new location. Maybe your by a mountain trail and you always wanted to learn how to hike up mountain with a guide. Or you are by the beach and you have always been fascinated by surfing, but never had option to learn it. You can expand your skills sets and experience new adventures that could not be done in your home

5. Rest and Relaxation

This is the most obvious one. The ability to lie down on the beach, or sit in a hot tub, or even lay down at night and gaze at the stars for hours are all at your fingertips. Studies have shown that people who vacation typically are less likely to have anxiety and have an increased ability to relax at any given moment. Feel free to sit back and relax.

6. Adventure and New Experiences

Everyone loves variety. Vacations offer and endless amount of new experiences and variety from your normal life. You have the ability to escape from your normal existence and try new and exciting things that may even be out of character for you, but that’s what makes it all the more invigorating and memorable. Every new and varying experience we have in life adds a new story in the book that is our life, and the ability to cram as many exciting and thrilling adventures in that book is all at your fingertips while on vacation.

7. Escape and reconnect (help better your work later)

Did you know that going on vacation can actually help you get more done at your job? Having a chance to escape and gain fresh outlooks on your daily life can allow you to see new opportunities and prevent future problems. Sometimes after you work on the same project for weeks on end, you become angered and frustrated at even the mention or notion of working on it any further. After you go on vacation and step away from your important work you can reassess what you have been doing and allow yourself to make more informed decisions when you return to work energized and relaxed form your soothing vacation.

2 Simple Rules For Accomplishing More In Less Time

Gabriel Hummel — Mon, 25 May 2009 15:35:26 +0000

(Photo by Badboy69)

“I never have enough time to do everything I want to do!”

Ever hear that before? Everyone has been through that at least one time in their life (usually lots of times)

Time management is one of the trickiest things to deal with in life

The who, what, when, where and why of our daily activities can overbear us and cause us to miss manage our time at work, with family, and with friends, thereby causing conflicts and ultimately conflict in our lives

I just finished rereading “The Four Hour Work Week” By Tim Ferriss and thought I would touch on some of his great time management ideas

In order to be better at time management, you need to be able to accomplish more in less time, and spend less time figuring out if Suzie in cubicle 113A just went to the tanning salon yesterday

There are simple rules that if followed will allow you to accomplish more of the things you need to do, in less time, and give you more time to spend doing the things you really love to do

The 80/20 Rule or the Pareto principle

While this concept is mostly familiar to anyone who remembers taking Algebra, the applications of this concept are endless and widely used among many of the most successfully people in the world

The Pareto principle in its purest form states that, 80% of the outputs come from 20% of the inputs

Some example of this include

80% of the money in the world is owned by 20% of the world population

80% of the consequences come from 20% of the problems

80% of profits in a company come from 20% of company’s products/services

80% of the results come from 20% of the effort and time

This principle can be seen in nearly every aspect of your life, and the application of it can yield amazing results in nearly everything you do

My first understanding of this principle came from a teacher in a class I had early in college

Most professor utilize a class syllabus that includes a breakdown of exactly how your grade is determined, with every test, quiz, and project assigned a weight on its overall impact to your grade in the course

But this professor was different

He had laid out everything that was going to happen in the course, but felt that putting weights on certain items over others deterred from the overall benefits that a student would receive in the course, causing their focus to fall only on the things that mattered

Students were not happy to say the least, college students are used to understand exactly what is expected of them

As he described what we would be doing in the course, he elaborated for an extra amount of time on a final project that he said would, “act as a culmination of everything we have learned in the course” He was very emphatic about how important this project was going to be

I instantly assessed that 80% of my grade was going to be determined by 20% of the work, or in this case this final project

As a result I did not focus as much on the other tests and quizzes that occurred in the course, but put extra effort on the final project

In the end I received an A on the final project, and lower grades in other areas of the course

But my overall grade in the class was an A

As you can see understanding the Pareto principle can have long lasting positive aspects in your life

Consider if you want to lose weight, earn more money, etc

You can understand that 80% of your weight is going to come from 20% of your food sources

This would allow you determine what is causing an increase in weight and eliminate it, resulting in better health and physical appearance

You want to earn more money, so you see that 20% of your earnings are causing 80% of your wealth, so you shift your efforts to where your highest income is coming from and thereby increase your earnings

The possibilities are limitless, but the Pareto principle gets even better when combined with…..

The Parkinson Law

Ever wonder why the vast majority of Americans work a 9-5 work cycle?

It is because it is believed that 8 hours of productivity done in a 40 hour work week can result in massive employee results

The truth of the matter if that most 9-5 office type jobs NEVER involve 8 hours of productive work

Much of the time is wasted writing pointless emails, reading unnecessary memos, re-reviewing analysis reports, and checking Facebook accounts

This is totally understandable as it would be nearly impossible to be 100% productive for 8 straight hours every day, 5 to 6 days a week

But for a few hours per day, how is it that you accomplish all that is necessary for an entire workday, or even a work week?

Parkinson ’s Law states that, a task will increase in perceived importance and complexity in relation to the time allotted for its completion.

This is why when your boss tells you that you have 48 hours to complete a massive presentation that you are giving to a an important committee in your company, you panic. You scramble to put it together to the best of your ability, and magically you seem to finish it with astounding results an hour before it is due.

It is also true that if I give you 2 months to work on a project, it will quickly become mundane and will likely not become important to you until at least a week or so before its deadline, all the while you are on twitter talking about how exciting it was to drive your car to work that morning

This is Parkinson’s law in action

Now imagine the combined power of both of these concepts

1) Limit your tasks to only the important to shorten work time (80/20 Rule)

2) Shorten work time to limit tasks to only the important (Parkinson’s Law)

These two concepts in junction will allow you to focus your efforts only on the activities that are important to you (ie: reading, working out, etc) or your company (make most money, contribute the most), and then schedule them with clear and defined deadlines

You will effectively be getting up to 10x more important things accomplished in a shorter amount of time in your everyday life and in your work life thereby freeing up more time for you to focus on the things you value most in life (love, family, hobbies, passions, etc)

Go out and give it a try

Simple Steps To Feeling Good

Gabriel Hummel — Fri, 01 May 2009 14:14:35 +0000

Some people are constantly challenged by the notion feeling good all the time

While many people may read affirmations to themselves, or surround themselves with sex, drugs, or alcohol, the simple notion of feeling good more than a few hours a day seems to escape many people

While there are different steps on the path to happiness, many people neglect the simplest notion of maintaining a healthy and positive routine that would be simple to implement and would offer immediate positive results

Here is a routine created by my friend Mack and myself that offers a few steps to a simpler and more positive lifestyle

1) Stay away from the computer and internet and videogames and TV. I am not saying quit them, just limit them. Any more than an hour a day staring at a electronic screen starts to affect your brain. It gets you irritable, it gets you in a very introverted mood, it messes up your energy when you go interact with the world. Pay attention and you will notice this. Make sure to use the time you need to be online effectively and don’t abuse it, or it is going to make it much more difficult for you to get into state, and for you to be connected with others — it makes you detached.

2) Exercise. Even if you cant get to a gym, do some pushups crunches and go for a walk, get outside. Get blood flowing. It makes you feel better and it keeps you in shape. If your not exercising then your not meeting your potential physically or mentally.

3) Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep — especially before a big day. More sleep translates to better control over your emotions and thoughts.

4) Find a hobby that you are passionate about, and pursue that hobby and practice that hobby. Be sure to devote a designated amount of time to it every week

5) Spend at least a half hour every week finding out something that would be a good conversational topic, some new type of information for you to learn or bring up. Make a point to work this into your conversations for that week.

6) Meditate, especially guided meditations meant to produce confident self assured thoughts. Commit to it every day for at least a half hour. This is the stuff successful athletes do. DO IT. It’s essential and very helpful.

So there you have it, nothing groundbreaking, nothing innovative, nothing that hard. It’s very simple — so simple that many will dismiss it. I am telling you right now if you make an effort to do this stuff and stick with it, that within 30 days you will feel better then you ever have had before , and then suddenly your life will begin to transform because you are focusing on the things that will help you lead to a more “feel good” lifestyle.

Gabriel

For Love Or Money, Working The Right Job

Gabriel Hummel — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:59:34 +0000

“My father taught me to work; he did not teach me to love it.”

-Abraham Lincoln

Everyone has work that they do

Some people might be an accountant that crunches numbers; others might be an artist who splatters paint on a canvas

Even if you don’t have a typical “job” everyone has their work and puts a ample amount of time into it

I recently was being giving a lift by a friend of mine when we started talking about work and why people work the jobs they do

Let me first begin by saying that this friend’s job is that of an enterprise rent a car driver

His job is to drive customers to and from the enterprise rental location

He does this 40 hours a week

Now some people might look at this job and ask, “why? Isn’t there some other job that pays more/has more perks/is more distinguished?”

(In fact most people would look down on his job, which is simply misplaced anger and a person’s attempt to gain significance by putting another person down)

He said that even before he got his driver license, he always knew that he wanted to be a driver

Whether he was driving cars for a company, being a chauffeur, or even a truck driver

He said he couldn’t think of anything more satisfying

He said that he is planning on getting a truck and driving from the east coast to the west, living on the road

The look of joy on his face when he described his road trip, showed that he had true love and passion for his work

He then said, “Its better to work a job for less money than to wake up to a high paying job you can’t stand”

I laughed and agreed with him, and it got me thinking

“How many people work jobs they don’t love simply because they are led to believe it is safe option, or the only option they have”

A good portion of my friends who just graduated college are about to enter the workforce

My friends have backgrounds in marketing, finance, management, psychology, culinary arts, and many other fields

While I support tall of them in their endeavors into the workforce, the interesting fact is that about 80 percent of them hate the field they work in

Not dislike or it could be better, but hate

The vast majority of college grads are trying to get into the hot career pathways that will lead them to bigger salaries, bigger perk packages, larger expense account s and ultimately more money

They are in the belief that money is part of the key to happiness

So in that belief they get jobs so they can

“I can make enough money to start a family”

“I can make enough money to get the Hollywood wannabes to want to fuck me”

“So I can work in the field for 10 years then have enough money to do what I really want”

“So I can have enough money to travel”

“So I can retire in 20 years”

These are all quotes directly from friends I have at school

They are not mislead, in fact they have been guided in this direction nearly their whole lives by everyone and everything they interacted with

What they do not realize is that all the money in the world will not offer you happiness in life

It’s important to recognize what kind of work you enjoy doing, whether that is a hobby, activity, sport, anything

You need to ask yourself

“If I could do any job in the world, what would that be?”

Assume you would get paid nothing, and there are no perk packages, and there are no qualifications of any kind

What would you do?

Write it down, and post it on your wall

That is what you should be striving for in life, and any other job is simply a waste of your time unless it falls in alignment with your dream work life

If you want to work for PETA then it’s probably not a good idea to view McDonalds as a platform for your future career

Work jobs that interest you, and have direct connections to what you want to do in life

Want to travel the world?

Take a job as tour guide in the country of your choice

Want to own your own business?

Work directly for a small business owner and learn the ropes of running your own company

Want to be a basketball player in the NBA?

Get outside and start shooting hoops

Nothing is unattainable, people will throw all sorts of statistics at you and tell you that whatever you want is not possible

Ignore them

The human potential is limitless and this means you can work in any career you choose

Don’t let someone else dictate how your suppose to live your life, and guide you towards the “safe” jobs

Take a risk; work the jobs they may not pan out, that may not have the great starting salary, that does not have a 401k

Take a chance, that’s what life is all about

Take the reins of your life and work in something that truly moves you, and makes a difference for yourself and others

That will give you joy in life

Not money from a safe job that you doesn’t make you happy

Something to think about

-Gabriel