My Tips For Success In 2019 Might Surprise You:
[icon name=”address-book-o” class=”” unprefixed_class=””]Be Less Social: Use social media in a very strategic way for you sales efforts but be careful that you don’t get sucked in and distracted by non-essential social media perusals. Remember that social media is simply a veneer, a superficial snapshot in time where everyone strives (often unintentionally but not always) to make their lives look better and more exciting than yours. So don’t start your workday off with a sense of underachievement or envy brought on by an overindulgence in social media.
[icon name=”newspaper-o” class=”” unprefixed_class=””]Be Less Informed: The news today – regardless of who you get it from or what side of the political spectrum you reside on – is designed to make your blood boil. Gone are the days of even semi-objective reporting. Whether it is cable news or internet-based news it is all crafted to elicit a reaction. Not the best way to start your day because the likelihood of seeing, hearing or reading something that makes you crazy is pretty much a given – so perhaps you can wait until the end of your day to tune in (if you must). Chances are if something catastrophic is happening that really affects you such as an asteroid hurtling towards your neighborhood someone will let you know in time, in most other instances ignorance is bliss.
[icon name=”child” class=”” unprefixed_class=””]Be More Self-Centered: It is human nature to look externally for all the reasons why things may not be going our way and we are very talented at identifying the most tangental and random events as proof of a worldwide conspiracy to mess our lives up. The reality is that usually the only common denominator in all our travails is ourselves. So in 2019 make yourself the starting point when looking at how life is unfolding and identify what is within your control to change, modify or eliminate. Once you begin this process you might be surprised to see how fast that external, worldwide conspiracy loses interest in you and moves onto someone else.
[icon name=”expeditedssl” class=”” unprefixed_class=””]Be More Stuck In Your Ways: We have become the most distracted generation in history with gadgets, instant everything and shiny new toys blinding us at every turn. We say we are busier than ever but be honest we are just more distracted – we live in the short-cut culture where we are bombarded with “easier, quicker, no effort required” messages. So the temptation to overload yourself with new tools, new methods of operating is always going to be there and while I don’t suggest ignoring every new tool and new idea, I am suggesting that you be discerning and focused. Concentrate on a small number of tools and methods that really work for you and be relentless in using them. Stick with them, cut out the noise and focus on the results. Constantly jumping around might bring the promise of success but likely not much more.
May you have a wonderful & successful 2019 and one more thing – do you know what success in 2019 looks like for you? Write down a short list of your goals and put them somewhere you can see them every day and every day look at them asking yourself “What am I doing to achieve these goals?”.
Comments (16)
This is an interesting perspective on what most people would believe in today. It seems unnatural to follow some of the principles that have been discussed in this article. However, I do understand where this author is getting these ideas because all though we live in a world where social media and online presence is a key aspect of our lives, it could be effecting people negatively as well. I agree to this author on this topic to certain points, but I do not think that if everyone followed this the world would not be better off.
Very interesting article, there are a few things I want to expand on.
-The first section was quite interesting regarding the advice to use social as a platform to make moves in the business world but not get too sucked up in all activity on social. I believe this is good advice because social media tools are a great way for networking and communicating with others, especially in the sales world. But at the same time, I think it is unhealthy to get too soaked up into all activity on social, due to the potential of becoming en vinous of others and also wasting too much time focusing on social activity that has no direct benefit to you.
-I also found the section regarding being less informed to be interesting as well. I am under the belief that being informed with what is going on in the world is important. Although I do agree that some of these news articles are often designed to make your blood boil, and when it comes to managing your time it is probably better to lay off of these topics first thing when you wake up and spend time on more important things going on in your life.
-The section regarding being more self centered is the final one that I want to speak on. I agree with the fact that in order to make changes in your life you should find things in life that are within reach. When you find these aspects of your life that you can control, you will be able to make changes and have the ability to transform. This will then prevent you from blaming others, and help you have a more positive outlook on life.
While I agree with the author’s main points and understand his perspective, there are certain pieces I find questionable. I was most intrigued by the author’s first point on social media usage. I definitely agree that social media can be used strategically in terms of our personal brands and marketing our sales efforts, but it comes with the negative side of being sucked in to feeds of superficial postings. These filtered photos and snapshots in time that Golden describes are often what we see on social media and typically create a sense of envy or underachievement. However, I believe there are also social media posts that can inspire and motivate us. Rather than completely tuning social media out I think its important to carefully choose what sort of people and pages you follow.
The author acknowledges the proliferation of online data and attempts to help young people navigate this new phenomenon. I believe social media platforms intentionally exploit their consumers’ low self-esteem by chaining them to a vapid system of instant gratification. While I agree that news coverage continues to become more sensationalized, simply tuning out may further polarize the electorate. I have been raised in a comfortable middle-class home where daily politics does not dramatically alter my life. However, my participation in democratic society comes with the onus of fighting for equal light among all my countrymen. For anyone unable to spot an asteroid, I recommend refocusing your telescope.
Though the author makes some valid points throughout his 2019 Success Tips, I found some faults as well. For example, in regards to tip #1 Be Less Social, the author mentions that utilizing social media platforms results in distraction and a sense of underachievement and/or envy. While I do agree that there are plenty of opportunities for this to occur, I also believe that one can also benefit, monumentally, from indulging in social media usage. The trick is to find and follow accounts, blogs, pages etc. that contain and post content which motivate, educate/inform, and bring you happiness. For instance, I follow a plethora of personal trainers and fitness accounts on Instagram. While some might find their content as harmful because it showcases “unrealistic bodily expectations” – I find it motivating and a buffer/reminder when I partake in unhealthy activities because at the end of the day, I feel happier and healthier when I model my workouts and eating habits after these individuals. That being said, everyone’s different and I suppose – in the case of social media usage – it doesn’t matter *how much* one uses it, it matters *what* kind of accounts and content they are allowing themselves to be exposed to and whether it is constructive or destructive just depends on the individual.
The sales tips given in this article are very insightful and hold a lot of truth. I liked how John mentioned that social media can negatively influence the start of your day. I agree with him that the things you see other people posting can make you feel inferior and starting your day with this mindset could be damaging. This idea is in the same vein as his second tip about watching the news in the morning. I believe the first hour of a persons day is the most influential in the direction the rest of the day will go. Watching a terrible news story could set you on course to have a bad day and ruin your mood. Overall I enjoyed this read and took something positive away from John’s tips.
The authors perspective on these points in the article were very interesting. I agree with the author when he stated that although social media can be used in a positive way with marketing and sales efforts, it can become a distraction. There is a lot of things on social media that are not very useful, but then every so often there are things on social media that are meant to inspire people to go out there and do better.
On the other hand I did not really agree with the author when he suggested to be less informed. I think it is important to know what is going on in the world, you just have to be careful where you are getting this information from. I think it is kind of cruel to turn a blind eye to what is happening in the world today.
I think John brings up a lot of valid points. The business world for millennials and gen z is vastly different than it was 30 years ago. I understand that Johns intention was to speak on the “cons” of the topics but there are also several pros. Social Media is a way to connect to the world and allow your personal network to be worldwide. Social Media can bring opportunities and knowledge that wouldn’t have been available in the past. I agree that watching the news first thing can really put a damper on your day. But knowing what is going on in the world is so important, there are other ways to get important information without causing a stir. I really resonated with his point on “being more self centered”, I believe people like to play the “blame game” ,especially online, but looking inside yourself and being self aware is crucial to success.
In todays world it is all about balance. We should use the resources we have to do the best we can while also not losing sight of ourselves or what is important.
I do agree with what the author has stated above, especially about his take on social media. It can be such an advance way to connect with others and bettering personal sales, but it can also be a vortex of useless information. The article as a whole is a reminder that we should be focusing on bettering ourselves and live in the moment. I would have to say the best part about this article is to focus on what we have control of and what we don’t, this way we have a better understanding of how our day can go along rather than being aggravative for something we have no control over. Overall, a great article and some great take away tips from John!
While I agree with some of the arguments that the author is using, I feel like the paragraph on being less informed does more harm than good. While you can easily claim that news now is very biased and based on stories that are more likely to make you mad than inspire you. That doesn’t mean we should simply shut it out because we disagree with what we hear. Personally, I think the best way to handle this is to find a less biased media source, or become more media literate to understand why certain media sources act the way they do.
Besides that, I think he poses some interesting statements on what the younger generations should focus on as we age into this new founded tech era.
The author did a great job of making this article relatable to the reader, the way he broke down these tips into a way they can aid in everyday life makes the suggestions very useful. I strongly agree with his ideas regarding social media and how it can become a catalyst for negative ideas and feelings when someone becomes too involved in it. Although I agree, I do feel that social media can also be a source of inspiration and positive thinking when used in moderation and when the individual using these different platforms is following influencers who build them up rather than breaking them down. Another tip that John gives regarding news is also very interesting, he does a great job of pointing out how news outlets are actively trying to get a rise out of people and by feeding into these various outlets you as the viewer or reader are only going to be angered or outraged by these stories and that staying away from them is the most constructive way to go about the situation. I thought the author did a great job of highlighting some of the issues we face in everyday life and how to deal with them in a positive fashion.
This article pointed out some great tips but there are also ways around these tips that do not involve cutting things out of your life completely. For example, in the first section on social media the author speaks on social media making you feel envious of others or threatened because you see how others are living their lives and how you aren’t doing the same. I’d say that although if you allow it, social media will kill you, you can also use social media to lead you to positive thoughts. Fill your feeds with positive pages and daily reminders and other things that will help you start your day on a high note, rather than looking and wishing you were in Hawaii like a friend posted a few minutes ago.
I personally do not start my day looking at the news because of the same reason this author gives us. I do not like starting my day with heartbreak from seeing a disaster on the news going on. Then again, it is very important to stay informed, especially as a college student. So much in the world relates to students during college. For this section i would suggest starting with news you want to hear about (i.e. sports, business, trading, community). Give yourself time to wake up and be ready for the hard news later in the day.
The final two sections i think go hand in hand. Be self centered and learn how your mind and body work and how you can change your life for the better. This is definitely the hardest tip/step in life to follow because many people do not take the time to get to know themselves first before they focus their time on others. Be good at what you know and do and continue to look for ways to better yourself.
I thought the tips within this article were extremely accurate. The harm of social media is becoming very apparent in young people and I think that staying away from it can better an individual significantly. I also completely agree with the idea of staying avoiding the news a bit. Although it is very important to stay up to date with current events, the news is often biased based of the news source and is use to skew the audience opinions to see an issue like how the author sees it. It is good to stay informed but the public needs to be weary of who is reporting. And the concept that society is not more busy but more distracted is very true. There are so many distractions that we lose sight of what is important and get lost in the hectic world we live in. It is important to take a step back and focus on priorities.
I think this is a very interesting take on our regular day to day lives. I see a lot of what this article mentions bleeding into the normal work day. I find myself trying to multi-task or take on too many projects at once, resulting in me not giving each project my full attention. As an intern, it is very easy to be a “Yes man”. My goal for 2019, as I transition to a full time role after graduation is to organize my time so I can work on multiple things at once without get side tracks by smaller tasks.
Thanks to everyone who commented – very good points all. My point on avoiding news and social media is just that we have to be careful what we will fill our minds with on a daily basis especially when in a role like sales where every working day can be a series of highs and lows and you have to stay motivated – so choose carefully what you allow into your consciousness at the start of an important day. On news, we tend to fall victim to confirmation bias in the news we consume & so maybe wait until the evening to get your news –
In other words, be mindful of what you consume and fuel your mind with positive energy – Psychology Today says that 68% of our daily self-talk is negative – so again be mindful of both inputs and internally generated thoughts.
I enjoyed reading this article and the perspectives you took. As somebody who does not like wasting time on social media, it seems interesting to use as a business platform rather than just to have. When it comes to the news, I feel like writers are trying to make people’s blood boil to a certain extent. I see many news stories with “clickbait” and it becomes really annoying… When it comes to our generation, I feel like everybody nowadays is attached to their devices. I feel like the last section is the older generation making the other new generation look lazier.