On Growth Track

when you want to make a behavioral change you have to do it repeatedly for a lot of days till it becomes a habit. Once it becomes a habit, it remains with you.

 Starting and getting to the point it becomes a habit is most vulnerable part of it.  As Jerry Seinfeld puts it Skipping one day makes it easier to skip the next. So one must use a Bold visual remainder to see if one is on the track every day doing the tough task of undergoing the change.

The most important thing is to focus on one. We all have limited resources to invest, its important to invest more than the critical amount and not dilute the efforts we want to put in for change. So pick one change you want to implement and focus on it every single day. Once we have done one change it will have a slow ball effect on the future change we want to make and change will become easier for us.

These can be very simple things like going out for a walk, exercise, eating the right meal, packing lunch for work the next day etc.

  Another important thing is to do it regardless of the outcome. Change does not happen overnight and its no use measuring the outcome before change happens. It will just make us worry more if its working and keep it away from making the change happen. 

With focus, practice and visual feedback on how are we on track we can change for good.

Believe it or not, high IQ does not translate into a lot of wealth. This is a finding from research at Ohio State University. Each additional point in IQ means $200.00 more income every year, on an average.

So why does high IQ not mean higher wealth?

Its all about habit of saving and not about income. And the good news is any one can save by using simple rules and doing so regularly. Buying what’s appropriate, living in ones means are the basic. IRA, Roth IRA, 401K, must be a part of every one’s saving scheme, if applicable. High yield bank saving accounts, low expense index mutual funds and low cost index ETF’s do not require a lot of research and are good vehicles to start ones personal research for investment.

Consistency is more important in the long run and not the brilliance of moment. Overconfidence and arrogance associated with IQ can lead one to make mistakes while being humble and learning from mistakes of ones and others and following simple rules consistently can lead to growth of investment.  Growth habits keeps one ongrothtrack.

PN

please follow these kinks for the more information on this interesting research

http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/divwlth.htm

http://biz.yahoo.com/fool/070518/117949647104.html?.v=1

Time and money are the most valuable resources one can have. There will be a series of articles as I get more clarity on these to manage these things better.

The key to best utilization of time and money is being effective. Effective to get the things done in the right way with the minimum of resources.

What does it take to be effective?

We will come to the answer if we understand that all things are created at-least twice. This is really a powerful idea.

First they are created in the playground or the sketchpad of mind, they undergo easy modifications as we muse on. Then takes place the action to actually create it. This is similar to how some advertisements work on us, so there is no doubt its effective.

The good news is that it works, so we can use it effectively for us. This is how we can do it. When we are musing about something desirable we step back a little in time in our mind to trace how we are making it happen. In other words we are going through the stages to make it happen. A lot of stages may not be clear at this time. This unclarity, confusion is a blessing in disguise (more below).

As we go through the steps more to see the details we understand the following:

• What are the steps, what are the different possible correct order of events
• what is absolutely essential, regulations
• what will take the most resources, time / money, getting an estimate if them
• what will take special ability, where we will need help.

But, such helpful thoughts can happen if we allow them to happen, some things are helpful in this regard.

• We have to allow ourselves to be in solitude and not be busy all the time.
• Record our thoughts, this is similar to saving money. We need to benefit from all the good thoughts that come to us at some point later.
• Be comfortable with uncertainty and deal with it. Uncertainty can be uncomfortable, but that does not mean we should avoid it. We must first admit the uncertainty, try to think in different directions, or get inputs from other sources to deal with it better.
• Observing without a reason. If we do everything with a reason, we miss ideas that are not aligned with out reason. To clear out mind, remain nimble and thoughtful we need to look/listen/feel different things without any overbearing thought at leisure and enjoy the experience.

When we have helpful thoughts, we are able to deal with uncertainty. We become more understanding and become more honest with us to make better choices. Making thoughtful choices keeps us ongrowthtrack.

-PN