Category Archives: Education

Educational tips, techniques and tricks. Includes topics as speed reading, goal setting, math and just about anything else related to learning.

3 Steps to Build a Habit in Less Than 21 Days

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Why does it have to take 21 days to build a habit?  Has anyone else heard about this “rule?”   Who came up with the ideas that any new habit takes 21 days to develop?  Where exactly did this rumor start?  Why 21 days?  My researched tracked the start to the book ‘Psycho-Cybernetics’, by Dr. Maxwell Maltz.  I’ve read this book (which has since been updated as ‘New Psycho-Cybernetics‘.)

In his research, Dr. Maltz discovered that patients would adhere to new beliefs, attitudes or actions after a period of about 21 days.  I’m just not convinced.  There are too many examples of others doing it faster.

Anyone know of anyone who stopped smoking cold turkey?  How about someone who quit drinking?  Became a vegetarian?  Maybe someone who took a free speed reading video course to learn to read faster? (Sorry, couldn’t resist!)

The point is, change didn’t happen because of 21 days of practice.  Change happened because of a single decision… a single moment.

So how do we make a powerful change?

For sake of example, I’m going to use speed reading.  I’m using this example for 2 reasons.

  • I offer a free speed reading video course!
  • It’s not as dramatic as quitting smoking or going to the gym… I think the small changes are harder to make.

Think about this for a minute… the small changes are harder to make.

Why?

With large decisions, like quitting smoking, if you don’t quit… there could be horrible consequences on your health. Making a decision to continue smoking could not only impact your health, but your finances… your family.  Small changes are harder to make precisely because they are small changes.  If you don’t change, there really isn’t a horrible downside.

In my example, if you don’t learn to speed read, so what?  Your life really isn’t going to change that much.  If you don’t follow through… it’s kinda OK.

So how does one develop a new habit in less than 21 days?  Here are the 3 steps… Continue reading →

3 Ways to Quickly Beat Writer’s Block

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You’ve been blogging for a few weeks, maybe months, then it hits you… you’re tapped out!  You started the blog with great intentions… to express yourself… to give voice to your thoughts! 

Now everything is spent.  Those voices are silent.  They have been given wings and they have left you.

You have writers block.  (Or is it bloggers block)?

Here are 3 ways to jump-start that brain of yours and get back to blogging… Continue reading →

Action vs. “Perfaction”

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How do you get yourself to take action? 

Is perfection a bad thing? 

Isn’t a good plan worth working on?

These are just some of the things I’ve been asking myself this week.  Mostly because I have  great ideas rolling around in my head and STILL haven’t taken the action that I envisioned I would have by now.  WHY IS THAT?

I thought, “Maybe it’s because I’ve gotten caught up in ‘paralysis by analysis.’”  Yet, I didn’t feel paralyzed.  I felt energized when I worked on my “plan.”  This week I’ve taken time to research something new, updated a goal and written down a few new ideas… all creating a sense of energy… a sense of movement… all were taking action.  

And here I am.  Without the videos I wanted to record.  Without the videos I have already recorded being edited.  Without the blog posts I wanted to write and have posted before now.  Without the comments on others blogs.  Without ANYTHING I really KNOW I need to have to do to build this blog… to provide content worth having YOU come back for! :)  

In essence, though I’ve taken some action… it wasn’t the action I know I really need to take and I don’t “feel” successful.

Then I realized something.  I realized what happened… Continue reading →

The power of play…

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If you’ve taken my free speed reading course (or ever tried to improve anything for that matter), you’ve probably asked yourself… what’s the best way to stay motivated?  More importantly, how can you make sure you are constantly taking action toward your goals?  After all, without motivation… there is no action… without action… it’s tough to get motivated!  (I have heard that motivation really is “motive in action.”  I like that.)

When we start something new, it’s an experience… something we haven’t known before.  However, most real growth doesn’t happen in the beginning.  Most growth happens in the middle.  Most growth, physical, emotional, spiritual… happens with consistent practice.  Repetition brings mastery.

It’s been my experience that getting started isn’t the hard part… Continue reading →

The Law of Attraction 2.0

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Whenever I start to build a new course, you’ll know.  You’ll know because the blog posts will be all about whatever the course covers!

This will be a poweful course… once it’s done.  I’m still in the research phase and happened to come across another blog that I thought had some pretty interesting insights into the Law of Attraction.

For those who aren’t yet familiar, in a nutshell, we bring about what we think about.  There is obviously more to it… Continue reading →