Vik Dulat: Thinking differently
Hard work equals Success

Nobody can predict the future. This is why everyone is scared to take risks in their life. Whether it is moving to a new place or leaving your current job, you do not want to do it because of the unknown. I was up to this dilemma as well but mine was a little bit different.

I got laid off from my current job due to the downturn in the economy. I was debating whether I should find a job close to my current residence or take a risk and look outside my comfort zone. In the beginning, I was hesitant to do so but the more I analyzed the situation, I knew the right choice was to start searching for a job that will benefit me two to three years from now.

I know what you’re thinking, “Vik, how do I know if this risk will benefit me?” That’s the beauty of life. You do not know whether the risk you take will benefit you or set you back. You have to be willing to take this risk. It will vary person to person depending on their circumstances.

I was fortunate enough to find the right job that will allow me to grow as a person and as a professional. I think it is very important for you to take risks in life. You get out of your comfort zone and learn new things about yourself that you would not have if you did not take that risk. Either way, you will always learn something about yourself and this will benefit you down the road.

I would love to hear stories when you took a risk. How did it turn out?

P.S. Don’t forget to follow me on twitter

Most people do not bother negotiating their salary when they are presented with a potential  job opportunity.  They are scared and wonder what the recruiter and their potential boss might think.  I have been doing research on this and I found a few videos which I found helpful.   Enjoy!

You need to be lucky to succeed or but nothing is impossible.  The picture below says it all:

The above picture shows president Obama in 1987 at his grandmother’s place. President Obama went from this to the most powerful chair in the world.

Anything is possible.  Never ever give up.

You can be the smartest person in the world and be “the one” but if you do not have work ethic, you are not getting anywhere.

What is work ethic?

According to Wikipedia, “Work ethic is a set of values based on hard work and diligence. It is also a belief in the moral benefit of work and its ability to enhance character.”

When a company is looking to hire someone, work ethic is the main thing they need to focus on.  Any person can have the right tools for the job.  They may even how to do everything but without work ethic, they are going to be a liability rather than an asset.

On a final note, a company can teach how something works or train someone but work ethic is something that comes from within.  Another thing to take into consideration is the type of job someone has.  If they truly enjoy their job, their work ethic will tend to be better than someone who despises their job.

How important do you think work ethic is for a company?

I always hear comments such as, “Wow, that person is rich because he/she makes $300,000/year.”  Just because someone makes that amount of money, doesn’t make them rich.  A person can be making $300,000/year but if they spending more than they earning, they are in fact in debt.

They might be able to have a buy more toys or better clothes than someone who is making $25,000/year.  Having said that, this does not mean they are richer than someone making $25,000/year.   So next time, you hear someone say that guy is rich, make sure to point out that it’s how you much save, not how much you make.

The message I am trying to portray here is spend less than you learn.  Especially with the current economic conditions, it is beneficial to save as much money as you can.

What are your thoughts? I would love to hear them.

It is that time of the year when final exams are upon us. There are many different types of strategies used to study. Some of these include all nighters, chapter by chapter or keeping up with the studying during the semester or year.

All nighters

This is by far the most commonly used study method in college. I have guilty of using this as well. Procrastination has a big thing to do with this method. I personally believe this type of method can work for certain classes but overall, you are prone to failure. If all possible, you should stay away from this method.

Chapter by Chapter

In this strategy, you read a chapter and revise it until you are comfortable with the material. After you are done with one chapter, you go to the next chapter. This is a great method to use but if course whether you have to build upon your previous course material, this method can be costly. Most students will read the chapter and go on to the next chapter. What they fail to do is to connect the readings from the previous chapter. This is the key element. You have to build on your previous readings and examples.

Keeping up during the semester

This is the best method to study for any exam. During the semester, you keep up with the necessary reading and do examples and practice problems as you go. When it is time for the final exam, all you need to do is to review the material and you are set.

What’s the method of your choice? Do you choose one of the 3 listed above or another strategy?

It is Sunday and here is another round of link love Sunday.  Hope you enjoy the following articles:

Shoemoney - How to build(and Monetize) Twitter Content Channels

On Simplicity - Six Conversational Habits to Ditch Today

Dosh Dosh - Most Powerful way to Presell

Neil Patel - The Andrew Warner: How a 21 year old created a $38.5 million business by returning this J. Crew Clothes

The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur - 115 Marketing Strategies for Small Business

Enjoy

If you work hard, you will be successful in life.  This is true but what if you worked smarter but accomplished the same things.

You do have to be the smartest person in the world to be able to work smarter.   I think the best way to explain this is with examples:

Example 1

Working harder: You get all work done but you are doing your projects in no particular order or with no plan.

Working smarter: You get all your work done but you have broken down how you are going accomplish this and you have matched similar projects with each other.

Example 2

Working harder: It takes you almost an hour to find something for your boss because you did not organize your work space.

Working smarter: You have an bin for incoming papers and you have hanging file folders labeled A to Z.  This way if your boss needs something from a particular company (e.g.  Home town products), you know exactly where it is (folder H).

Example 3

Working harder: You do not eat a proper breakfast and you feel the results in the afternoon.  You feel tired and cannot focus.  You expend more energy and make your body work harder.

Working smarter: You eat breakfast every morning and drink fluids throughout the day.  When the late afternoon comes, you are still on top of your game.

I can go on and on.  However, now it is your turn.  How do you work smarter?

Another great week.  Here are some of my favorite articles from the past week.

Passive Family Income has a great article on 8 benefits of eating at home.

Small Business Trends talks about selling more by seeing your store through the customers’ eyes.

The change blog breaks down how to stop procrastinating and write that book inside you.

My super charged life has my favorite article of the week .  The article talks about five family values to teach our kids.

BONUS: One of my favorite articles from this blog: 11 keys to waking up early

Have a great weekend!