Procrastination Thumbscrews – Know Your Procrastinating and Time Wasting Weaknesses

Our thumbscrews are our weaknesses. In Robert Greene’s 48 Law’s of Power, Law 33 states:

“Discover Each Man’s Thumbscrew. Everyone has a weakness, a gap in the castle wall. That weakness […], once found, is a thumbscrew you can turn to your advantage.”

I often review where I am in my life, and specific strengths and weaknesses I have. Many of my articles come out of weaknesses that I have overcome, or that I am still struggling with.

With that, here are some of the specific items that I have to keep in check – ways in which I procrastinate, thumbscrews that hold me back from being my best.

If I have solutions to specific items on the list, I will list those as well – but I know that not all my solutions are ideal, so I could use some help. Feel free to jump in if you have any ideas.

20 Places Inspiration Strikes – Where I Go To Get Inspired

“Some creative types suggest getting inspired by taking long walks in the countryside, or soaking in candlelit baths[…]
Inspiration doesn’t always come when you’re sitting at the computer.”
– Staff Blogging Course by Ali Hale, Unit 6
Whether I’m working on professional endeavors or personal projects, I often get stuck and need to find a new source of inspiration.  These are my favorite (and sometimes, unexpected) places that inspiration has struck.

My Favorite Free Online Personality Type Tests and Psychology Tests

I remember being fascinated by personality tests as a kid. I think it all started when I took a test in elementary school about what career I should be in, and from then I was hooked. I discovered other tests that told me about myself based on my favorite color, tests which described my personality based on my food choices, etc. It didn’t matter that I didn’t know anything about mental bias and the Forer effect, it all sounded true to me at the time.

Since then I’ve learned much more about psychology, my personality and various validated psychological tests to determine facets of my personality type.

I always felt like there was something missing from the standard ones I took though, even though they were largely accurate. I’ve recently discovered a test that cleared up some of my personal confusion, and wanted to share it with you – along with some of my other favorite free online personality tests.

Strategies for Nurturing Your Professional Network and Professional Relationships

“It isn’t just what you know, and it isn’t just who you know. It’s actually who you know, who knows you, and what you do for a living.”
– Bob Burg (Author of the Go-Giver)

In this guest article, Alpesh Shah discusses a fascinating study that shows how most people acquire their jobs – via their networks.  He then discusses how he applied this to his life, and provides tips you can use to nurture your own professional network.

Speaking in Public: A Step-By-Step Guide to Overcome Public Speaking Anxiety

I had an interesting discussion with a friend recently about how even people with great interpersonal skills may struggle with speaking in public.  As someone who was once relatively shy, and now speaks on panels and to large groups, I felt it would be useful to share some of the strategies I personally used.

In this article I discuss five steps I took to increase my own public speaking abilities, and also discuss how I overcame my stage fright.

What Is Life? Favorite Inspirational Quotes About Life

For years ago I have collected quotes that have in some way affected me and changed my life.  I collect them in random places – a professor opening a lecture with one, books and those irritating spam forwards from friends.  I have literally kept some scraps for years in physical folders – clipping from magazines and printed copies.

I have now realized that six months have gone by, and due to my hardly using quotes in my writing, I have not shared many of these inspirational quotes about life.  I do not know when the right time will be for many of my favorite quotes.  If I find an appropriate article I will reuse the quotes to illustrate a apoint – but even if I can’t, I still want to share them, else I do a great disservice to you, my readers.

Enjoy, and there will be more to come, perhaps once every couple weeks.