Growing obesity and higher levels of personal debt are 2 different modern phenomenon. There is no obvious connection between the two, but both problems share many similarities. These ideas suggest that the solution to many of our problems share certain key characteristics.

Whatever we wish to achieve, the solution is rarely gained through looking for some miracle product. The solution invariably lies through a change in our attitude and frame of mind.

The Road is Paved with Good Intentions

It is good to have a hope for achieving our targets. But, to be successful, we need more than half-hearted good intentions. To make significant changes in our life we need to be focused and fully committed. Alas, we cannot reduce weight by talking about how desirable it would be. Nor can we reduce our debt through wishful thinking; it requires determination and continued commitment. Click here to continue »

Tuition costs are rising. Textbooks might as well be printed on gold. You’re contemplating selling a kidney on the black market to pay off your student-debt. Does learning have to cost that much?

Saving Money at School

Here’s some tips for keeping costs down at school:

Know your purpose before applying. Costs vary dramatically in tuition. Education quality also varies, but I believe it doesn’t usually match the cost. If your ambitions are entrepreneurial, picking the most expensive school might not be useful if the education is rated the same. Know why you want to go to school or the money will be wasted.

Used, New or Not at All? Ask past students of a course whether the textbook is necessary to learn or understand. Some classes teach almost entirely through lectures, while others come straight from the textbook. I’ve avoided buying some fairly expensive packages because I learned they weren’t necessary. Click here to continue »

Procrastination: To delay, stall, hesitate, put off, or lag.

We’ve all suffered from procrastination at one time or another. Probably the worst part about procrastination is its uncanny ability to rob of us time, while simultaneously making us feel miserable about it. As much as we may dread the task we’re avoiding, putting it off rarely provides much relief. We know we’re just delaying the inevitable – sometimes with serious consequences.

If you doubt this, let me refer you to a good friend of mine who kept putting off scheduling his vasectomy. It wasn’t until his family grew by “one more bundle of joy” that he finally had the guts (aren’t you glad I didn’t say balls) to schedule the procedure. Of course my friend loves his kids and wouldn’t change a thing. But now, more than ever, he understands that delaying action can sometimes have sobering outcomes.

One of the major challenges with overcoming procrastination is that there’s no single cause, and therefore no single solution. The key to moving beyond procrastination is learning how to clearly identify what particular type of procrastination is plaguing you. That way you can focus on the appropriate remedy.

Below I have listed 5 common causes of procrastination and strategies for conquering them: Click here to continue »

The statement, “You can do anything you put your mind to,” leads us to believe that all you must do is imagine what you’d like to accomplish, set your mind to the task, and wait for success.

To a certain degree this is true. Focused intention combined with action is a powerful force. But the statement is misleading because it fails to mention the difficulty and necessity of focusing your mind on a specific goal.

Most of us don’t know what we want. We think we do, but we really don’t. We only know what we don’t want. We don’t want a boring job. We don’t want to be poor. We don’t want to disappoint our loved ones. Click here to continue »