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UPGRADE (Your Behaviour)

How do you want your future to look?

If you’re trying to take your life to the next level, you need to start by defining what the next version of your life should look like. Map it out. Envision it. Close your eyes and see it.

What does your life look like? Who are you surrounded by? How do you spend your time?

Now bring it back to your present. What is holding you back from future you? What attitudes, beliefs and behaviours need to change in order for you to evolve?

Many of us carry around old habits that no longer fit who we are aiming to be.

We are at a magical age where our behaviour is still flexible. In order to change our lives we must change our behaviour.

So take a close look at yourself and ask – what needs an upgrade? What behaviour is no longer benefitting me? What surroundings have I outgrown? Which people in my life don’t fit my future vision? What is holding me back?

Push yourself to UPGRADE. Upgrade the way you think about yourself. Upgrade the way you act towards others. Upgrade the standards you have for yourself and those around you.

Upgrade until your reality matches your vision. Then keep going. Here’s to the new you.

“As I let go of the old way, a new path is shown to me”

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Short Game

We live in a 140 character world. We're always encouraged to think big but we are living in the Era of small. It's not always thinking big that wins -- sometimes it pays to focus on your short game and think small. There is something so clean about small. Small is simple. Small is quick. Small forces you to remove complexity and clutter. Small is a killer one liner delivered with the perfect facial expression. Small is your waiter leaving you a handwritten note! Small is being able to explain your business idea in one line. Small is the little stuff which adds up to the whole experience. If you really want to be the best don't neglect your short game. It is the desire and ability to do the small really well that allows you to move on to bigger things. Don't be afraid to start small! It is infinitely better than not starting at all. In 15 On mobile

ROI

When we examine investments we look at more than just how much money — we look at how much you make relative to your initial investment.

Our daily lives are the same way. We all engage in activities everyday because we get something from them. We chat with our friends, we (sometimes) hit the gym, we go out at night. We do all of these because they serve some purpose for us. They provide us some sort of return on our time. But we don’t stop to think — how much are we getting out of this? Is there a better use of my time?

To move to the next level you need to be more selective. You need to be willing to let go of what is good in order to get to great. It could be a habit, it could be a pastime, it could be a person.

Time is your ultimate resource — you will never get it back. Your life will never change until you are willing to change. It’s easy enough to know you should cut out the bad. Everyone knows you’re supposed to stop smoking — that’s the low hanging fruit. But the real challenge is in giving up the mediocre to get to the cream.

It’s hard to move to a new city, even if you know it’s the right move. It’s tough to end a relationship that still has some good in it. It’s tough to cut someone out that once brought you joy.

When we were kids it was so simple — do the good, leave the bad. Now it gets more interesting: find a way to maximize the return on the time you’ve been given. It’s not easy, but it’s certainly rewarding.

287 in 13

Mobile

What's your purpose?

There are times I write and write and write and by the end I am not sure what I'm talking about. Then there are times when genuine inspiration sets in and a piece will write itself. I know exactly what I want to write about and I know why it matters to me. Life works the same way. Without a purpose, you can spend days, weeks, months just spinning your wheels but not getting anywhere. You lack direction. You lack purpose. Before you start, you need to ask why. Have a clear idea in your mind of what you want. This will give you a purpose. And having a purpose in life gives you focus. The very focus you need to shut out the noise and DO. Your purpose might be as simple as - I want to learn more about myself. Or I want to experience all I can in the next year. Or I want to work on building a useful skill I will use later in my life. It could be superficial -- if you want it to be about the money, let it be about the money. See what if feels like to cut your teeth trying to build a fortune. If it's about fame, LET IT BE. See where that goal gets you. See how that drive feels. Maybe your purpose is to enjoy a period in your life with few responsibilities. The why helps you get going. It gives you a reason to get up in the morning. It gives you the energy to work two jobs. Your purpose helps you get through the tough days. But that doesn't mean it's set in stone. Figuring out your life's purpose is no easy task. And it shouldn't be. Your life's purpose is figuring out your life's purpose. But don't overwhelm yourself. You don't need to have it all figured out at 20. Or 25. Or 45. Your life will change -- so will your purpose. That's OK. But just having one, however simple or superficial, is a good first step. ? In 20 On mobile

Book Your Ticket

You ever run into an old friend, have a great chat and then talk about "grabbing lunch sometime"? Then what happens? You both go on with your lives and forget all about meeting up. The more I think about this the more I realize it's part of a larger pattern of behaviour. There's so many things we want to do and never enough time. So many lofty plans -- places to go, skills to learn, people to meet -- but they never seem to materialize. Why? If the big picture stuff is so important, why does it never get done? Why does your time get eaten up by the urgent without letting you do the important? You will never have time until you make time. You will always be busy until you block off a chunk of time and make a real commitment to making it happen. You will never travel until you book your flight. It will always be on your want list until you put down the money. Once you make a commitment, the rest becomes clear. I know I have a flight in 4 weeks, so 3 weeks from now I will find the time to pack my bags. I never had time to figure out how to host my own show...until we had the date booked. Then the clock was ticking and I figured it out. Without commitment there is no urgency for completion. If there's no great pain associated with bailing, you will. I had a great meeting with a mentor of mine today and at the end we had that moment - we were out of time but had so much more to talk about. "Let's have lunch" he suggested as I was getting ready to leave. "Sure" I said casually, "Call me sometime. My office is right nearby". I put my coat on and went to leave but he stopped me. Phone in hand he opened his planner. "How about next Friday?" Boom. There it was. No vague "let's do lunch". A concrete date and time. Let's figure this out here and now and block the time off. The rest will sort itself out. Sure, you might have to adjust in case something comes up, but now the default setting is to meet up. Now it's gone from maybe, trying to find some time to talk to having that lunch meeting unless something comes up. And since no one likes to cancel, this lunch is very likely to happen. And that's the thing -- two people who are very willing to meet up might never do it only because they don't make a hard and fast plan for when and where. So it never happens. Just like your plans to travel. Or work out. Or write that book. Action comes from deadlines with real consequences. Force yourself to commit to your goals -- even if it's as small as organizing lunch. 485 in ~80 On Mobile

"What's stopping you?" / "Failure"

How comfortable are you with failure? Most of us can agree, logically, that failure is a key part of life.

You try, you screw up, you analyze where you went wrong and you go again. That's how you become good.

The problem is, that while that makes good sense logically, we're not comfortable handling the emotional pressures of failure.

So, failing is fine, but no one wants to be a failure. Failing is OK as long as you succeed afterwords.

No one cares that you dropped out of Harvard when you go on to become the CEO of Microsoft. Or Facebook. Or Apple.

Until then, we are under enormous pressure to be perceived as successful. It comes from our family, our friends, but mostly from ourselves. We need to feel as though everything is "good" all the time. We're craving validation that tells us we've made the right choices. We're going in the right direction. We're important.

But here's the issue with our perception preoccupation -- our obsession with appearing successful prevents us from getting there. If we're too scared of failing (and of everyone else seeing us fail) then we're too scared to take big risks.

To try something new is to be vulnerable. It is to stand in front of others and risk looking stupid. No one likes to be embarrassed...that's human nature. But failure is good for the soul -- it forces you to be more humble. It forces you to bear down and fight through. It forces you to learn new tricks in order to get to the other side.

Rejection, embarrassment, failure -- this is the price you pay to walk the bridge of achievement. You cannot get to where you dream of being if you don't sacrifice your ego.

The real judgement you face is self-inflicted. Next time you find yourself self-conscious about what others think, just remember -- no one is paying attention to you. They are too worried worrying about themselves.

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"Distractions" / "Airplane Mode"

I get a lot of writing done on airplanes. There's something about being in the air that lets you be so very productive.

Even a short flight allows me to write much more than a whole week on the ground. Why? Because being productive isn't just about the time you have...it's about how well you use that time.

If you want to make the most of your time, you need to learn how to operate at maximum efficiency.

You don't sit down and immediately crank out your best work. It takes time to get in the zone. Up in the air, there are far fewer distractions. People around you fall asleep, it gets quiet and most of all -- your cell phone doesn't work.

It's amazing how a device designed to increase our productivity often ends up killing it.The small interruption of receiving a text message is just enough to curb your momentum. To get good work done you need focus. Focus takes time to ramp up. You start off slowly and before long, you're in the zone.

Suddenly, your phone beeps. That girl you met last week wants to know what you're doing. Just like that your concentration is broken and your mind jumps to a dozen different thoughts.

Even if it only takes a few seconds to read it and reply, it takes much longer to rebuild your focus. And so these micro-disruptions ruin your ability to get things done.

And it's becoming an addiction -- how often do you find yourself checking your phone just because? Our phones have become the ultimate distraction, a tool for us to be continually entertained so we never feel a minute of boredom.

In the air, it all stops. For a few hours, peace and quiet for your mind.Do not disturb, this guy is busy working.

In the end, there's no stopping the technology -- it's up to us to take control.

Next time you want to get things done, eliminate the distractions. Let yourself get in the zone.Turn your phone (and mind) on Airplane Mode.

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Who Dares, Wins

There is a fallacy in our culture about success. We are raised to believe that winners win and losers lose. That's how it works. So it stands to reason that if you fail, you are a failure. Point blank. And if you fail publicly everyone will know that you're not good enough.

So if you're not the best, don't bother competing. If you're not the fastest, keep sitting on the bench. If you're not the smartest. don't put your hand up. If you're not the best, don't try because it will only show everyone else the extent of your incompetency.

The more I see of the world the more I realize how backwards this concept is. Talent is such a small part of the overall equation. Above all what you need to get ahead is experience. The world belongs to the hustlers. It belongs to those who bust their ass to make doors open. The same people who are willing to take chances, even if it means falling down along the way.

Every dream has a price. Are you willing to make the sacrifice? Time, money, your pride -- are you ready to pay what's necessary?

We are taught from an early edge to play it safe. Not rock the boat. Fit in. But there's a tremendous amount of risk to doing what everyone else wants. The truth is that one day you'll wake up and think of all the opportunities you watched pass by and ask yourself -- what was I so afraid of?

The world belongs to those who try.

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Thank You

This is a special thank you for that special person in your life who means the world to you. Sometimes you have to wonder how you got so lucky, to be blessed with such a wonderful human being in your life.

I’m talking about the woman who would wake you up, make your lunch and ensure you got to school on time. I’m talking about the woman who would take you to hockey practice, swimming lessons and baseball games. I’m talking about the one who you look up to, the one who pushes you to be more and the one who taught you about right and wrong.

I’m talking about you mom. And today, from the bottom of my heart, I’d like to say thank you.

Thank you for being there for us. Thank you for inspiring us. Thank you being someone we can look up to.

Thank you for believing in our talents. Thank you for supporting us. Thank you for being a role model.

Thank you for your undying love.

You are the strongest and most capable woman I know. You are the rock that keeps this family together. For all we go through, I do not know where we would be without you.

Happy mother’s day to the woman who gave us life and the woman we couldn't live without.

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Stop Faking it

I hear experts give advice on confidence all the time. It makes sense, since confidence is such a hot commodity. Both men and women rank it as the most attractive feature in a person. Employers look for it in interviews. Business schools are always hammering away the importance of appearing confident. But for all this emphasis on a single character trait, I never hear anyone ask – what is confidence?

Confidence is being comfortable with who you are, even if you’re still figuring that out. Confidence is having pride while understanding you’ve got a lot to learn. Confidence is standing up for what you believe in, especially when it’s difficult.

A lot of career help comes to the same conclusion: when it comes to confidence, just fake it ‘till you make it. That’s terrible advice. Faking it is like wearing a bad hair piece – everyone can tell something’s off. You’re covering up the symptoms without addressing the real issue.

Confidence doesn’t magically appear overnight. It is developed, day by day through new experiences. Your confidence builds, bit by bit until one day you’ve become who you wanted to be. But that won’t be enough anymore.

That’s the beauty of this process – it changes you. It changes the way you see yourself. It changes what you believe you are capable of doing.

You want to be confident?

Stand up straight, make eye contact and learn to project your voice.

Be honest – about what you like, what bothers you and what you want.

Try. When you see something you want, make a sincere effort to make it happen.

Put yourself out there: physically, mentally and emotionally.

That’s the secret to developing confidence naturally.

Yes, this is much harder than just “faking it”. That’s the point. True confidence comes from experience. True confidence comes from overcoming adversity. That’s why it’s so desirable – we’re all looking to team up with winners.

With the right mix of self-confidence and self-competence, there’s nothing you can’t do. What are you waiting for?

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#writing

Big Idea: MasterCard Budget Buddy

Note: The following is my creative submission for MasterCard Canada’s #InternsWanted contest.

My goal is to hit 100 Retweets to get their attention. Help me out!

Hey @mastercardca check out Manish Jain's big idea -- MasterCard Budget Buddy (ow.ly/jptIm) #internswanted #TeamJain

March 26, 2013

The Problem

Budgeting is an important life skill. The earlier you start, the easier it is.

In the ATM era, we can easily withdraw money when we need it, never thinking about where it’s all going. That’s the problem with cash – you spend it and forget it. The small purchases are the ones you’re most likely to forget about…but they add up.

What if there was an easy and convenient way to track your purchasing behaviour?

What if you could see exactly how much you spent this month and where it all went?

What if your phone could alert you when you’ve gone over your budget for this month?

The Solution

My idea is MasterCard Budget Buddy – a mobile application that tracks your monthly MasterCard expenses. This app will show your transactions, just like your monthly statement but in real time.

(image credit to Steven Ritchie)

Target Audience

Student and under 30 demographic interested in tracking their personal purchasing patterns.

Key Features:

- Add notes to expenses (eg. “Chris owes me $50 for this!”)

- Categorize expenses (eg. “Night Life”, “Food”, “Clothes”)

- Set budget limits by category

- Receive an alert once you’ve exceeded your limit

- Compare expenses month to month

- Search for past purchases by amount, store or date

Benefits:

- See where your money is going

- Learn why you’re going over budget

- Having digital proof of purchase on your phone (in case you lose your receipt)

- Report fraudulent transactions IMMEDIATELY

Results

The app encourages users to go cashless; the more you replace cash transactions with your card, the more effective the app is.

Just being able to look at your spending habits will help you get started on your budget. Now you can see where and when you’re spending too much and adjust accordingly. When you set your monthly limits, you’ll now be able to track how well you stuck to them.

Budget Buddy is a simple but effective way to start learning about budgeting. You’re happy because you gain insight on where your money is going. MasterCard is happy because they’ve increased client engagement.

Win-win.

Thanks for checking it out!

Manish

Honesty

Being honest isn’t always easy. That’s why it’s important. The hardest truths also happen to be the most important. The biggest lies are the ones you tell yourself.

If you can’t say it, you can’t deal with it. Before you tell a lie, you have to lie to yourself.

"This isn’t important."

"It’s not the right time."

"I, probably, maybe, don’t actually, feel this way."

Lying to yourself is the most dangerous habit I’ve ever encountered. Denial is how deep-seated issues start. Why is denial so powerful? Because there are some truths we’re not ready to hear. And in those select cases, we’d rather believe what could be over than what is.

There’s the issue. Everyone lies; everyday, in varying degrees. Maybe to spare someone’s feelings. Maybe to cover our own ass. But it’s a matter of habit. A dangerous one.

Dishonesty is a habit. And when you start lying to yourself…well, then you’re really in trouble.

Like any habit, it can be broken. Day by day. It can be small chunked. Deconstructed. Understood. Beaten.

The first step is acceptance. Don’t fight what is…accept that it is. Then get to work changing it. We can’t change the hand we’re dealt. But we can do a damn good job of playing the cards.

Try honesty. Just a bite at a time. It’s different. It’s refreshing. It’s easier than you think.

Honesty is pausing to think before answering. Honesty is telling a classmate how much you enjoy their music. Honesty is telling your friend she’s got spinach in her teeth.

Here’s the thing – we’re bombarded with these fake messages all day long.

Television Ads. Pop-ups. Spam mail.

Lies. Deception. Half-truths.

Honesty is so different from what we are used to hearing that it makes you stop. It makes you pay attention. When someone keeps it real with you, you notice. You might not like it, but you’re not forgetting it any time soon.

Habits. They start small. Then they build and build until they’re part of who you are.

So pick honesty. It might come as a shock to those who aren’t used to it, but that’s OK. The one’s who can handle it are mature. The ones who appreciate it are keepers.

You give what you get. Keep it real and your life gets a lot simpler.

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Moments

Every so often we have a special experience that speaks to us. It might span a few seconds or a few hours, but it has a way of sticking in our brains, changing the way we see the world.

A moment: A laugh. A kiss. A cry.

This is what we live for. We go through it all in search of these small moments that resonate with our very being. Attraction is not a choice; we like what we like, even when we don’t understand why.

Our friends, our relationships, our careers. We can’t help what we are drawn to.

These moments: Happiness. Inspiration. Bliss.

When they strike, we can’t help but notice. The troubles of our past, the worries of our future, they all fade to the background. We become fully present. Right here. Right now.

This moment. Ephemeral feelings we wish to capture, store in a glass jar and preserve forever. Keep them on a glass shelf, to revisit when we feel down. We want to categorize, label and compare. How does this stack up? Which was better?

But that’s not how it works. Times change. Venues change. We change.

Rotterdam, Bombay, Toronto.

Every experience is different. What matters is that it spoke to us. That it penetrated our perpetual busyness and gave us a moment where we felt alive.

We do it all for that feeling. The excitement. The rush. The satisfaction. The feeling of living life, instead of watching it pass by.

Our moment: Our chance to make a difference. Our opportunity to make an impact. Our time.

At the crossroads of immaturity and adulthood. Unlimited opportunity. Infinite uncertainty.

That’s where we are right now.

Young. Driven. Ambitious.

Creative. Passionate. Full of potential.

That’s who we are right now.

We spend so much time worry about what will be, we fail to deal with what is. But it’s these, these magical moments where we break through the haze to have a moment of clarity.

In this instance you can see what matters. Understanding who you are. Deciding what you want. Accepting what you need.

Choices. Mistakes made. Lessons learned.

Where we’ve been. How far we’ve come. Who we’ve become.

Fortune. Destiny. Fate.

These are snapshots. Mental images we store away for later. The little things your brain catches hold of.

Moments like this always end too soon. So when they come, experience them. Enjoy them for what they are. Appreciate what they show you. Be grateful for the experience. Then let go of them.

In the end it’s not where we were or what was said. It is always the people who made our experience so memorable. So we work to bridge the gaps of geography and lifestyle for the ones that matter…because time spent with the right people will always yield the moments we seek. Here’s to many more.

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Equality

Fear Itself

Fear is a powerful emotion. It exists only in our mind, yet it is the dominant motivating factor in our lives. When I travel, fear is useful. It protects me from theft, disease, danger. But when I’m home safe, my fears are intangible.

Fear of poverty makes us settle for jobs we do not want. Fear of loneliness keeps us in bad relationships. Fear of failure stops us from dreaming big, prevents us from pursuing what we truly desire.

What scares you?

Embarrassment? Rejection? Conflict?

There is nothing wrong with having these fears, just don’t let them run your life. When you identify with fear, you hold yourself back. It’s not a matter of talent – you only get as far as you let yourself. Plain and simple; you will never become who you’re meant to be until you learn to work past your fears.

We are at this point in life where we're growing into our future selves. We control who we become. We have to push, push ourselves to be better and try new things.

When you face your fears you take the eraser to your old identity...you get to redraw yourself a little more experienced. A little more confident. A little more mature.

We can’t help what scares us. We can only choose what happens next.

The key is to try. Try new things and try them often. Say yes to opportunities that scare you. Some will be awesome. Some will suck. But that's the beauty of trying -- it builds momentum.

One new experience leads to another. One new friend introduces you to several. Before you know it, you've completely redefined what it means to be you. You look back on who you were 4 years ago and laugh – look at how much you've changed.

To you, the progress is natural. You can't see that is was those small moments of saying yes to new experiences that shaped who you are today.

You’ll ask, “What was I so scared of?” It only takes one victory over fear to understand that you control it, it does not control you.

Don’t deny your fears, embrace them. Let them illuminate what needs to be done in order to move forward. Progress doesn’t happen by accident. Growth is not guaranteed.

Don't leave it to chance -- decide who you want to be. Dare yourself to redefine your comfort zone. One day there will be an obituary in the paper with your life's accomplishments. Give them something to write about.

Fedde

Project46

Baauer

Hardwell

More to come :)

You Got it Good

Sometimes I fall into the trap of forgetting just how good I have it. I have to see the struggles that others are going through to appreciate what I've been blessed with.

We are creatures of comparison. That is our nature. He’s got a new car? I need a bigger one. He's getting paid how much? Give me more. He's got the latest phone? I want it. It’s not our fault. This perpetual feeling of dissatisfaction is not by accident. It is meticulously engineered through advertising to make you feel like you're not good enough. You're not smart enough or attractive enough and everyone else can tell that you're not worthy...unless you buy our new product. Marketing 101. But so what? Just because we hear this message a hundred times a day doesn’t mean we should give in. When we forget what really matters to us we lose our anchor to reality.

Food, shelter, clean water and people who care about you. These are resources that we take for granted, a luxury many don't have. And I do not know you, or your story, but if you are able to read this then you among Earth’s luckiest. It seems hard to imagine, that access to clean water and an Internet connection places you in the world’s minority. But don't feel guilty for what you have. Don't feel pity for those without. Because I have been to these places. I have met these people. I have lived with them, eaten with them and heard their stories. Do not feel bad for them... Learn from them. See how they enjoy so much from the little they have. Let them teach you how to appreciate, because this is the key to happiness. Those who know to appreciate will always make do and those who don't will ever have enough. It is futile -- you are trying to fill a leaky bucket. There will never be enough. Until you learn to appreciate you will be a slave to fleeting moments of happiness, each which dash off quicker than before and become increasingly elusive. There will always be more for you to want. That is not the answer. You will have struggles. You will have bad days filled with obstacles to over come. Everyone has problems. But if you could see the physical, mental and emotional issues everyone else is dealing with, you'd be too glad to go back to your own. When you get down, when you feel out, when you're asking why, remind yourself that you got it pretty damn good. Now start acting like it.

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