“I wish I knew how I could stop procrastinating!” One of my intern ninjas said to me. Do you ever wish you got more done?
I used to struggle with procrastination in highschool, but since I founded Plunder Ventures, I’ve had a little extra motivation to nip bad habits in the bud.
In every situation where you’re thinking of taking the easy way out, say by out taking a break, doing an easier (yet meaningless) alternative task, stoping for a while, getting mad or upset, discussing it with friends and family who have no constructive input to offer, or in any other way putting off a task off until the future.
Try to catch yourself making excuses. Ask yourself the following questions to see if there’s actually a case for procrastinating:
1. Will it take longer to do, or think about?
Longer to think about?JUST DO IT. Putting it off will only make it take longer, so if you really don’t want to do it, but it needs to be done, get it over with and you’ll greatly be better off in the long run.
Longer to do? Ask yourself question 2.
2. When is the next time you will have the opportunity to do it?
Soon? Maybe you should just get it over with and do something else next time. Or maybe it’s not as important as something else you’re procrastinating that you can’t do so frequently.
In a while? Some things are better done now (IN THE PRESENT), because you might not have another present opportunity to do it again for a long time. In this case, you’d better do it, because next time may not be for a while. And a while, is something that NOBODY has to waste.
I dunno? JUST DO IT. Who knows, this may be your last chance to EVER write that once in a life time idea down.
Never? JUST DO IT! This is probably your last chance, so don’t waste time regretting not doing it later (guys, that’s why you kiss the girl when you have the chance to)
3. Will you procrastinate next time too?
This is when you have to get honest with yourself. If yes, maybe you should JUST DO IT ALREADY!!!!
4. No? Why not…? Could I prove it to Tristan? Think back at the last 5 times you were in this situation. Did you put it off then? Do you wish you hadden’t?
There’s a saying- the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The next best time is today. Do it.
The same goes with setting a positive habit, kicking a bad one. Convinced that you’re not going to put it off next time?
5. And why is that any different than this time?
Ah, so there’s something else you have to do…
6. Are you actually going to do it?
If yes… GREAT! Go do it!
If no… GREAT! Go do that other thing you were putting off!
7. And if the first 6 didn’t stop you, ask yourself this for one final blow. Wouldn’t you rather be doing some else next time?
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I was having a conversation today with a friend of mine regarding his irrational relationship.
I told him that he was in a √2 type of situation. How successful you are in a relationship, has a lot to do with the people who are involved in it.
Numbers have more to do with the so called “soft” sciences than you might think. I’ll get back to √2 in a moment.
How we see ourselves and how we perceive ourselves determines how we determine our own self worth. Self-worth, often referred to as self-esteem, involves all the moments we have with ourselves that influence our perception of whether or not we are good at something or not.
In other words, as an individual, do you feel like a 1? Do you feel like a 10? Do you feel like a 0?
Well, if you feel like a 1, then you’re most like going to behave like a 1. If you feel like a 0, you’re going to act like a 0.
What’s important about numbers, is to remember that they don’t mean anything, unless we are describing something with it. So, when I describe the number of leprechauns in the room, 0 is a disappointing number to hear. A different interpretation occurs when describing sleeping as a 0 type of situation. What’s important to remember though, is that numbers behave the SAME across different mediums, which is why we can use them to describe even abstract concepts.
Now, in figuring out the outcome of the relationship, we may need more information. However, usually we don’t, since our instincts are pretty damn good about these sorts of things.
Root 2 is an infinite spiral down into nothingness.
1 + 1 = 2 – Rational Argument, but only when describing the number of people in the relationship. Does very little when looking at the overall costs & benefits of the relationship. In fact- 1 +1 =2 means that both people have decide what they are, and aren’t learning from each other.
5 Trillion ^2 *2 …
When considering the value of the relationship, it’s important to realize that every successful relationship must be designed for mutual self gain in order for both parties to reap the rewards of the relationship, and sustain the motivation to continue the effort involved in maintaining the relationship.
The cells in your body are a prime example of a case where the product of their interaction and inter-connectedness, the entire community becomes more successful. A cell on its own doesn’t do much, but as part of a human being, it can change the world.
Now, because some of those cells are specialized for processing electrical signals, and because some of those cells process signals into patterns call “thoughts” and because other cells can turn those thoughts into words, phrases, and ideas, there are far more combinations than there are cells. The interactions between the nodes in the network, creates and refines the information such that the total interactions can produce outcomes on unimaginable scales.
So ask yourself. Is your relationship existentially rational (1 + 1 = 2) but irrational in attitudes and outcomes?
Do you fall victim to conversations that consume your time and energy that keep you in circles?
Do you constantly search for a situation to resolve itself, but it never does?
If so, you’re in a √2 situation.
The fact that sometimes, things just spiral endlessly into nothingness, and that not all things can be neatly resolved, is evidenced mathematically, and in our day to day lives.
There are worse places to be than √2. At least you’re not in an abusive relationship. Hopefully, your partner is not stealing from you, neglecting you, mouching off you, consuming you, delaying you, distracting you or physically harming you. But you are in a spiral of nothingness, so get out! Now!
Find a partner who can build off your ideas. Find someone who’s close- not necessarily geographically- but in mindset, attitude, objectives – but not too close that you are the same. People who are too similar often end up in √2 situations, because they can’t build of each others ideas with new inputs, become complacent with the same old ideas, and even encourage each others’ weaknesses.
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Hey guys. I found this on StumbleUpon, and it really fascinated me. 5 minutes well spent.
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Good morning! I found this on facebook, and if you’re a Dr. Seuss fan, it’s a must-watch. A great ‘kick-me-up’ motivator. Dr. Seuss: what a genius.
Filed under Business Ideas, Productivity and Automation
I’m pleased to annonce another round of successful intern interviews for Plunder Ventures! If you are still interested in interviewing for any of our available intern positions, please email me your resumé/cover letter/portfolio and I’d be happy to interview you sometime in the next few weeks.
As Plunder Ventures grows, (and we are growing quite rapidly), we will need a constant supply of skills and talent. So keep up the good work, and send your applications to: tristan.parlette@gmail.com
Check out our recruitment packages online via the following links:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B8ahbFpdOpAuY2Y4N2Y1MzMtNjllOS00ZDA4LWE4MWYtNmQzYmZhMDI4Zjdl
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B8ahbFpdOpAuOGZkMGQ5NDktZmEyOS00M2I5LTkwODItNzhiOWE3YmI5Yzdm
We will be hiring 100+ positions in sales, marketing and other deparments over the course of 2012. In the case that we are all sucked into a giant black hole, due to events predicted centuries ago by Oompa-Loompas, all positions will be suspended.
Merry holidays! 😉
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Hey everyone. Your emails, phone calls and voice mails are important to me! Plunder Ventures is swamped with work! We are in the process of upgrading our database system to enhance our business modelling capabilities, reducing time it will take us to approve business transactions, as well as increasing our staff. It almost feels like I’m going to walk the plank with the impending rush on these deals. We should be able to process the backlog soon with the new systems soon.
Bare with me while we upgrade, and look out for the launch of PlunderVentures.com in 2012. And yes, humanity will change forever.
Thanks 🙂
– Tristan Parlette, Founder & CEO, Plunder Ventures
Filed under Business Ideas, Productivity and Automation
I’ve noticed an interesting quality about entrepreneurs, which is their ability to operate and control many different areas of focus, rather than specializing in one discipline. Unlike large companies, entrepreneurs don’t have the luxury of specializing personnel to specific disciplines. Rather, entrepreneurs must focus on a vast multitude of different skill areas. This diversity of knowledge, and practise (tasks, activities, projects) has profound implications. Entrepreneurs who master the following acts, will guide their firms to riches and dreams to reality.
Act 1. Entrepreneurs need to be able to operate at least a moderate skill within each discipline. While some disciplines are harder than others, the more complex and inherently difficult that discipline is to learn the more valuable it is. Entrepreneurs who posses and acquire valuable skills naturally become more successful. In a pinch, they can sell their skills. If they invest their skills in their enterprise, they stand to reap the full value of that skill, not simply the market value of the skill’s labour. While it is true that inherently valuable skills will save entrepreneurs from having to purchase those skills from others, the real benefit comes from reaping the rewards of adapting the skill towards a valuable purpose withing the business. This act alone does not guarantee success. Being too specialized means entrepreneurs run the risk of missing an important link, say, sales, or marketing, or distribution, which defeats the whole point.
Act 2. Successful entrepreneurs will devote time to the most valuable and meaningful activities, and delegate low-value activities to others. Any worker who earns the fruits of their labour independently, rather than as a staffer with a fixed wage in a company, inherently needs to invest time in order to reap the benefits of those investment.
Act 3. Entrepreneurs, and sales 
people (employee-entrepreneur hybrids) understand the value of their time, become highly conscious of it, and are motivated to conserve time. These self-employed individuals will invest time in planning. They may even invest time in inventing solutions that save them even more time (cough! longboard. Cough cough…)
Act 4. Successful entrepreneurs will
invest time reviewing the raw data, compiling that information and making an informed decision about the direction they take their business. They will invest their time in exploring the market, exploring relationships, networking, investigating opportunities and listening to proposals.
Act 5. A. Entrepreneurs will learn from others,
emulate the success of others by applying the same principles and lessons, listening to the wisdom of others, especially unique, obscure and isolated ideas that are not mainstream. They will combine ideas or expand on them. They will tinker, copy, create, draw, imagine, vision and ideate. Do you have a problem? Generating ideas about how to solve it (i.e brainstorming) is 
the fastest and most effective way to improving your situation. But this works if, and only if Act 5. B. is accomplished.
5. B. Successful entrepreneurs are actively doing something right now. Not vaguely sometime in the future. Not later, tomorrow or sometime. They are planning and acting on their goals actively, every day, 
every month of every year. It’s that simple. Work on your ideas. Get what you want. Act Now.
What happens when you get what you want? Let’s just say this is a never-ending story, because after all, success is relative. 
Do you see squiggly red lines under Canadian words like “colour” instead of American words like “color”?
I did. It bugged me, and, if you’re like most Canadians, it will bug the *hit out of you too. Most people solve this problem by simply asking Firefox to “add to dictionary” the Canadian spellings of the words that turn red. I’ve spent countless minutes, maybe even hours (in total) on adding Canadian words to dictionaries on my computer. That doesn’t solve the problem of the American words appearing as if they are spelled correctly, causing typos that you may not even catch.
No more!
There is a very easy solution for this! Go to: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/canadian-english-dictionary/ and download the Canadian dictionary. (It’s fast & free) 
Your flow will no longer be interrupted because your browser doesn’t speak Canadian!
Oh, and Chrome does not have an extension for a Canadian-English dictionary (or at least not on the first page of my search results). Too bad for you Chrome users.
Filed under Productivity and Automation
Ideas Plus Business 