Examining Your Own Belief Structure

We each steer our lives around a set of beliefs we have on ourselves, on others and on the world around us.  These beliefs shape our decisions, thoughts and ultimately our actions then as a result whether we know it or not.  It is beliefs that also shape us into the individuals we are and it is these very beliefs that limit or allow us to change and grow in our lives as well.  We all have them, we all have a unique set of beliefs even if many overlap, and we often don’t examine our beliefs enough to truly understand ourselves. Personal development is highly related to these beliefs and without taking time to understand them, we can never achieve the maximum personal growth we desire.  So, in this article we will explore our belief structures as they are in intermingled critical point

It is common to reflect on questions about ourselves, about our character traits and the description we have of ourselves, and most people can do that quite easily but it’s much more difficult to describe one-self entirely on the beliefs that we have.  That is where I feel the true character is revealed and knowledge of those beliefs lets each of us to move those from the subconscious mind to the conscious mind where we can shift our beliefs and decisions more easily by choice.  Without examining your own belief structure, we easily confuse our beliefs and how they steer us, with situational excuses or victimization, both which highly limit our ability to change and grow in areas we are striving for improvement in to become a better person.

Core Values and Principles

Core values and principles are often looked at to define things or a person, but they are unfounded without also looking at the beliefs that shape them.  Values and principle are really just the actions or results we show because of what we believe.  For example, take integrity as a value or principle.  Integrity is something that is shown when a person acts consistently with good judgment.  Well that judgment is really part of the underlying belief.  A person with integrity believes that making the right choice and acting consistently in those actions is worth doing or the right thing to do.  The moral aspect here is not the point, the belief in this moral aspect however, is.  You can have a similar value or principle with a negative side as well that is triggered by a belief.  Some people believe that if they don’t get their way, then they will also lose power and it is a sign of weakness.  The belief of this being a weakness steers that anger.

Activities

Core values then turn into action as we choose our activities in life.  Perhaps our activities come about from circumstances you may think, but I think they are much more in line with our beliefs than we let ourselves realize.  In fact, all of our actions are at the very least, influenced by our beliefs and so our activities are a result of choice, and the choices we each make are a direct result of our beliefs that steer those choices.  So, beliefs impact this area of our lives as well.

Aspirations and Dreams

And finally, the area I so love to write about. Aspirations. Dreams.  Everything we hope to become and do and learn is wrapped up inside our many aspirations.  Our aspirations and dreams are a reflection of character and they define the spirit within that holds them. Our dreams as children create a path for life that could be followed by what imagination places in our minds.  This creative mind is a catalyst to forming new beliefs and generates an internal motivation and drive to make the imaginative aspects reality, therefore also forging the belief the dream is based on into a realization.  If only it were left on its own for this to happen…

Unfortunately, our dreams as children and aspirations through life are not shaped only by our imaginations.  They are also shaped by the endless social aspects that form the majority of our beliefs and it is these beliefs that limit and bound our capabilities.  Some people rely more heavily on these social influences than others, but we are all affected by them to some degree.  The problem with them is that the social aspect makes wild dreams and aspirations something to be avoided, since it is less likely to ‘fit in’ or to be ‘realistic’ as others define it.  To avoid embarrassment, fear of rejection and the many other limiting beliefs, we often succumb to what is more regularly accepted as ‘normal’ and we stop chasing our dreams.  The beliefs that these social aspects are either more important or perhaps more likely shapes the decision we make when it comes to aspirations.  Some of us accept being the social outcast and are willing to take those consequences by still going for their ‘unique’ dream and others ignore their dreams in order to be accepted more by others.  Both are beliefs, the difference is that we easily forget about the daily influences and beliefs that we all wish deep down we were not limited by.

So with all this weighing on your mind and thoughts, I leave you with just a simple question.  What beliefs in your life are the strongest ones you have and how are they shaping your choices?

Posted by Mike King under Learning | 14 Comments »

I am pleased to introduce this guest article by Mariana, who writes on the topics of online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her site where you can also find more articles.

Going back to school after you’ve graduated from the traditional undergraduate age and lifestyle is a decision rife with positives. Generally, older students — even those who are still in their 20s — are more focused and ambitious than they were in their late teens and earlier 20s. Think about it: when it’s your money and your direct choice to go back to school, you’re more likely to invest your whole self in learning quite a bit more. Going back to school after you’ve had some work experience also helps you understand the value of education and the direct relation to what you learn in class to how it can help you in your career. You’ve hopefully learned how to relegate your partying to after-hours only, and even if it’s still not pleasant, you understand the importance of adhering to a regular sleep schedule and waking up early each morning.

On the other hand, if you’re unable to give up your current job to pursue a degree full-time, you’re going to face some unique struggles that you didn’t encounter as a traditional undergraduate. Even if you worked on campus in college, the stress, responsibility, and often times inflexibility of a “grown-up” job in the real world will interfere more with your academics than your gig working in the library or engineering shop did. How are you supposed to study the way you want, attend classes, and impress your boss in the office?

• Set up a study plan for each class: With such a hectic schedule, it would be foolish to assume you can set up a rigid study plan for the entire semester, but you will need serious structures to get it all done. As soon as you visit your classes and get your syllabi, decide when and where the best times for you to study are. Look ahead so that you can set aside extra time for tests, papers and projects, and talk with your boss about adopting a more flexible work schedule — staying late one day and coming in later the next — if you need more time before an exam.
• Talk to your professor: As an adult student, you’re still going to need face time with your professor. At the beginning of the semester, speak with your teachers about your strenuous schedule so that they can better understand your study habits and ability — or inability to meet during office hours and extra review sessions. Also try to e-mail or Skype with your professor throughout the semester if you feel like you’re falling behind. Even a ten-minute, one-on-one meeting can clear up complex concepts and prevent you from stressful study sessions all alone.
• Meet with others in your class: Depending on your program, you will probably have a mixed class of younger students, full-time, non-working students, and students with similar schedules as yourself. Make a point to study with the others when you can to facilitate discussion and make sure you’re not missing anything from lectures or the readings. Associating yourself with other students will also help you feel more connected to the class and have a more positive, productive attitude towards studying.
• Review notes online: Most college and graduate professors use online tools like Blackboard to post notes, extra discussion and other study materials that they may or may not go over in class. Review these for convenient, supplemental study help during your lunch break or off-time.
• Know how and when to bring your academics to the office: If your boss is helping finance your education, he or she will probably be more understanding about your added workload. But if you’re going to school on your own time, you shouldn’t bring your homework to work. Know how to apply the concepts you learn in class to the job you’re doing in the office, but don’t chat with classmates or use the office resources for homework.

I am pleased to introduce this guest article by Mariana, who writes on the topics of online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her site where you can also find more articles.

Posted by Mike King under Learning | 2 Comments »

Relationships are not easy but they are absolutely worth every ounce of effort you put into them.  They are the most rewarding area of life and the one thing that lasts despite all other things.  With the fun I’ve had in writing several 100 lists and my recently released ebook on “Building Better Relationships“, I knew the next 100 list would have to be about relationships.  My ebook is about relationships in general and doesn’t get into romantic relationships, so neither does this list.  These items can be used to improve any relationship and there easily 100 more things that would be more specific to romantic relationship, which I have not going into.  So here it is: 100 ways to improve your relationships!

1. Make breakfast for someone in bed
2. Send someone a hand written thank you note for something they did
3. Leave a message or note telling someone what you appreciate about them
4. Make time commitments that are realistic and possible
5. Ensure you do everything you can to meet your commitments
6. Don’t take promises lightly, be honest and keep them
7. Turn the TV off and have a real conversation
8. Upgrade your communication style
9. Talk about what you both want out of a relationships
10. Find a chore you can do with another person
11. Offer to do a regular activity together
12. Buy groceries together
13. Go Shopping together
14. Organize a meal out with someone for friends
15. Go camping together
16. Take a road trip together
17. Have a staring contest
18. Have a picnic together
19. Schedule 10 minutes everyday to talk (with NO distractions)
20. Be spontaneous and energetic
21. Spend time researching great relationships
22. Learn from relationship masters
23. Read biographies of great relationship builders
24. Buy and read books on relationships
25. Put your relationship time BEFORE work, overtime or chores
26. Buy and gift a simple gift that reminds you of that person
27. Keep in touch with friends at least monthly even when living afar
28. Actually phone in person your facebook friends
29. Limit your online friends lists to those you want to be friends with
30. Don’t make lame excuses for things, be honest
31. Use encouraging positive words instead of negative or critical responses
32. Learn some cellphone etiquette and shut your phone off once in a while
33. NEVER be negative or critical in an email - its too dangerous and easily misinterpreted
34. Be a “yes” type of person when doing things for others
35. Learn to say “no” to keep your priorities in check
36. Teach someone how to do something
37. Exercise together
38. Make friendly competitions for achievement
39. Support each other in your actions / challenges
40. Take up a new hobby together to build a common interest
41. Never eat alone
42. Take and print photographs of activities together
43. Ask for help when you need it
44. Opening share your beliefs and values
45. Stick to your beliefs and express why
46. Know your moral principles and stick to themT
47. Share your spiritual personality
48. In challenging situations, ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”
49. Learn behavioral models (like DISC) to communicate better
50. Learn personality models (like Meyers-Briggs) to apply personality tips
51. Be willing to have those necessary and crucial conversions
52. Create your own bucket list, share it and do many of them together
53. Improve your telephone skills
54. Give a gift that is more than a purchased item
55. Give genuine compliments on a regular basis
56. Surprise someone with a kind act towards them
57. Have conversations where one of you actively listens and ONLY repeats what you heard in your own words
58. Share your spiritual beliefs with each other
59. Pray together
60. Take up learning a new sport together
61. Take responsibility for your own happiness in the relationship without burdening or expected the other person to do that for you
62. Tell one another why and how they make you a better person
63. Identify and compliment anything you see them improve
64. Be gracious and quick to give an apology
65. Forgive one another quickly and completely
66. Stop complaining and start appreciating
67. Laugh together
68. Cry together
69. Serve others
70. Conquer a fear (like heights or fear of a certain animal) together
71. Never participate in gossip
72. Don’t share private relationship information that deserves to be kept private
73. Be spontaneous with activities and have fun
74. Never try to change someone else, change yourself instead
75. Avoid blaming others
76. Take time to think about your relationships in order to improve them
77. Make relationships priority and make time to work on them
78. Set some goals and work specifically on your relationships
79. Expose your vulnerabilities
80. Socialize with friends of friends
81. Compromise to resolve disputes
82. Be generous with expenses and money
83. Live below your means so you can save money and prevent money stress in your relationships
84. Be humble, not boastful
85. Take a weekend retreat together
86. Attend a relationships course
87. Put your self in other people’s shoes to gain perspective
88. Keep in touch often
89. Value what you have in each relationship and be grateful for it in conversations
90. Highlight and recognize every person’s specialty
91. Avoid assumptions by voicing questions and paraphrasing
92. Value your own time and don’t waste other’s time
93. Use humor and don’t take things too seriously
94. Building relationships takes time so be patient
95. Change things up with variety and by getting out of your comfort zone
96. Have empathy and express it
97. Study and improve your body language
98. Listen to music together
99. Tell the truth (in a kind way) even if it might be hurtful
100. Put the level of effort in, that you want to get out!

Do you have more to add?  Please add them as a comment for others to enjoy as well.

Posted by Mike King under Relationships | 20 Comments »

Do you have relationships you want to strengthen?

We all strive for relationships to be improved somewhere in our lives and that is what this eBook is for.  It’s a guide to explore how you can begin to build better relationships today and get much more out of them in your life.  Relationships are the single most important things that impact our lives and affect our health, mindset and happiness.  This book explores the different aspects of relationships and how you can quickly and easily put specific actions and behaviors into place to break old negative relationship habits, and to form new healthier, stronger, more meaningful relationships.

View the eBooks page for more info on Building Better Relationships and hopefully, future eBooks as well.

Three Methods to Learn

Learning is obviously the main topic here at learnthis.ca and there are many ways to go about it and each person has their own learning styles.  There are three main styles of learning:

• Auditory (learn best by listening and hearing)
• Visually (learn best by seeing and observing visually)
• Kinesthetic (learn best by feelings, hands on and direct involvement)

Because of these styles, I wanted to make sure they all exist in this eBook as well to ensure it is useful to ANYONE.  And that is why this is so much MORE than an eBook.  It includes:

1. The eBook itself to read ( it is 38 pages with over 13000 words)
2. Not everyone learns or enjoys reading.  Some of us are audible learners or have more time available to listen than to read.  That is why there is also a full MP3 audio recording of the audio book read by the author, Mike King!  You will gain access to download the mp3 audio with the PDF upon purchase.
3. The best way to change habits and to make improvements is to actually take action!  That is why this book includes a 3 page workbook to help you assess your relationships and ensure that you reflect and plan specific actions to make the most of your relationships.

I’ll be updating my eBooks page on the LearnThis.ca site here with reader’s quotes and referrals for the book so I’d be happy to include any links or references from readers if you purchase it.  I’d love to hear your thoughts, would great appreciate any promotion you can help me with and I look forward to the reactions from this Book.  It was a joy to write and even more to learn from and put it into action.  I have a lot of work to do as well, as relationships are certainly not easy, but absolutely worth every second of investment.

Get The eBook, the Workbook AND the MP3 audio version all for one low price! View my eBook page here for ordering Building Better Relationships and future eBooks.
Twitter account (optional) Website (optional)	Only $22 US PDF, Workbook and MP3 Audio

Posted by Mike King under Relationships | 13 Comments »

As I’m sure everyone finds, cycles of time come and go in life and how we choose to spend that time determines everything we get involved in. For the last few months I’ve shifted much of my free time either to work on renovations and home improvements since moving or I’ve put my time in working for clients in my 3D business.  That need will likely continue and when I do make time to spend on my blog much of it makes me realize just how much there is to learn in running a blog. This article summarizes 3 important areas I’ve learned the most about from blogging!

The People Factor

This is definitely the one I like the most about blogging.  Having discussions with people and developing connections and friendships online is definitely a great value.  I’m afraid that many people get into blogging for themselves and so don’t ever spend much time interacting with or even trying to get to know other people through their blog.  I love this part of blogging and knowing there are friends who support me and who have similar thoughts and experiences that visit my blog (and I theirs) on a regular basis.  This itself is a huge encouragement which makes the time spent feel so much more valuable.  I only wish and hope that I’ll be able to meet in person some of the people I feel like I know so well online.  It’s incredible how revealing blogging can be and a person can definitely get to know another person quickly when they share a lot of their thoughts and backgrounds on important subjects.  I find this especially true for personal development blogs since the subject is so often rooted in underlying beliefs, morals and life principles, you find out quickly what matters to a person and yourself and talk about those items.  If only we could have those conversations with everyone we meet in our work and day to day interactions, image how much quicker we would get to know people.

Online Marketing

Online marketing and promotion is another huge area for learning as a blogger.  I definitely knew a few things about online marketing before I got into blogging from operating my own online freelance graphics business but I never ventured into nearly as much marketing and promotion as I did once I got into blogging. I knew a bit about web design and HTML coding but knew little about all the variety of things you find in a marketing glossary. Words like SEO, adsense, click fraud, CTR, CPC, affiliate marketing, conversions, page rank, social media, and literally hundreds of other words for marketing your content and site I’ve learned as I’ve explored this vast world of online marketing.  I will say however that while all this learning has occurred naturally as I’ve been reading and involved with other bloggers in their own search for learning to market their content better and better.

Not only has this helped me with my blog, but also my business websites and my day job also gets the benefit of my knowledge now put to use for new online marketing programs that had never before existed.  I’m confident this media will only continue to expand so there is definitely value in knowing how to use it effectively for your business and personal life.  There is much more to learn and it seems to ever be evolving, the perfect recipe for someone who doesn’t ever want to stop learning!  Ha!

Learning from the Content

Written content is continually valuable for yourself and others as reference material.  I find myself referring to articles and series I wrote quite a while ago now very often and they are always valuable to me to pass along to people asking about those subjects.  I’m constantly surprised by how much shear volume of content that accumulates from blogging and how useful it can be in a variety of situations.

The other great thing to be learned from the content is in writing it itself.  I write about subjects I am interested in but I certainly don’t only pick subjects I already know about.  I go out and research my topics, I read books and articles to gain some insight and varying perspectives on the subject and then I write my own version and opinions on the subject based on what I’ve learned and experienced about it.  Sometimes this is over the course of years or even my whole lifetime and sometimes it’s over the course of a few hours.  There is something I learn, reinforce or realize every time I write any new content.

Posted by Mike King under Learning | 20 Comments »

I’m a quick learning of software applications and I’ve done this by venturing into complex programs when I was very young from my interest in 3D graphics and video editing.  In spending much time in these types of applications over the years I have developed the skills to quickly learn any software application and I think I can help others to develop some of those same skills if practiced.  So these are the things I find work best to learn a new application and become more productive in it.

Understand the Software’s Purpose and Usage First

This is the first step because if you don’t know what an application is supposed to do, it is very difficult to learn and apply to how you think it might or should be used.  Depending on how you come across a new application, there are usually additional resources available to quickly get familiar with the application.  If you don’t know, look it up online, ask others who might use it and find out from the manufacturer or author who the software was built for and why?

If you know the applications purpose, you can look at it from the perspective of the intended user and that is the first step to quickly learning it.  If you attempt to learn an application from a user’s perspective it wasn’t designed for, chances are, you will become frustrated much easier or disappointed.

Test Out All the Options

The first thing I do is go and find the options.  I don’t try it, explore it, start some simple project or doing anything else first.  I always check the options.  I’ve learned that this tells a lot about an application and it also typically quickly shows some functionality of the software that you may not find out about with general use.  Often options hide things like advanced menus or toolbars that you’d have a hard time finding otherwise.  I love an application that has lots of configuration options and it always helps me to learn quickly what I can do with it.

Options often reveal ways to add, configure or setup the software to your own personal liking as well.  The quicker you do this, the more comfortable you will feel with the application and it will help to make you feel like you are in control of it, instead of it in control of you, which is exactly what you want when learning an application.

Run Full Screen so you Have no Distractions

Most software nowadays has an option to run full screen, and if not, it can at least be maximized.  This is simply a good way to eliminate other computer distractions so you can focus on learning that application, and that application alone.  I have a bunch of tips in this previous article on how to maximize your productivity on your computer and most of those can be helpful in this step as well for learning this new app.

Read the Quick Guides and Manual if its Complex

Simple software might be easy enough to pick up on your own just by playing with it for a few minutes or perhaps an hour or two.  However, if you cannot master an application in a couple hours, it is likely complex enough to have a user manual and that user manual will usually be quite helpful.  Yes, there are some bad user manuals out there but most have useful tips or at least they are a good reference to browse through to find any features or areas you haven’t yet explored or learned on your own.

The 3D software I use has hundreds of pages of user manuals and they ar e jammed full of useful tips, workflow suggestions, details and examples on how to do certain things, shortcuts and many other useful bits.  They are always worth browsing and reading straight though if the manual has enough good content in it.

I also recommend you make your own notes for items you think you will use in the future or want to try.

Check Online for Tips on that Software

Many applications have there own communities of followers or fan sites or forums online now a days.  These are excellent resources for finding additional tips for a piece of software.  They sometimes have a frequently asked questions (FAQ) section that might answer some common questions you have.  Forums are great places to ask questions as well or to get support from the manufacturer or author if you need some help with the software.

Another often overlooked method of learning software is to search for and follow free tutorials.  There are literally hundreds of tutorial sites out there and thousands of applications that have tutorials written for them.  Many of these are free and can be easy to find for your application by doing just a few Google searches using keywords with your software name and “free tutorials” or “tutorials” or “help guides”.

Keyboard Shortcuts

This one is definitely my favorite.  I love keyboard shortcuts for applications and is actually one of the first things I learn if I know I will continue to use that application often.  Shortcuts allow you to run commands, open windows or navigate the options and features in an application much quicker than having to mouse to those locations every time.  When I’m working in an application, I keep my left hand on the keyboard pounding out all my known shortcuts and my mouse can stay in hand doing the mouse actions, instead of all the menu and options work.

I use a 7 button mouse and actually put man y keyboard combos and commands right on the mouse buttons using its driver software.  I can customize this on a per application and it makes it must faster to access what I without moving my hand away from the mouse.

You can often find keyboard shortcuts and shortcut cheap sheets online as well that people have build if you want a quick reference card for all the shortcuts.  Some user manuals and applications have this built in so you can easily refer to it for learning the shortcut keys.

Don’t Be Afraid to Explore

Last but certainly not least.  You must not be afraid to explore in an application.  You will never learn how to use it, if you don’t use it and the more you explore and learn about the application, the more likely it is that you will know that tool or feature when you really need it and can then immediately be useful with it.  Often there are multiple ways of doing things and if you explore an application, you can often find quicker alternatives to complete the same task.  The last thing you want is to be repeating a task using some difficult slow process just because you don’t know how to use the application.  I see this everyday with common applications like excel and word where people struggle with formatting options and simple features just because they have never taken the time to learn a few features that are designed to help in those areas.

Watching an others use an application is often useful as well since you can see how they use it or what features they use that you can learn from.  I love it when I notice someone do something in an application that I didn’t know was possible and then can ask them and quickly adopt that method myself.

So, I hope these techniques will help you to master an application and ultimately, be more productive with it.

Posted by Mike King under Learning | 4 Comments »