I was inspired by Seth Godin’s daily blog. He started his blog in 2003 and he almost never missed a day of blog post since then.
This is also something I learned about consistency from the story of Jerry Seinfield. He is a comedian who is estimated to have a $950 Million of net worth. His habit is to write a joke every single day.
I am starting this personal challenge of writing and posting a blog every day. Here are some of the rules I set for myself:
Keep everything simple.
My deadline is 9pm everynight
If I have no access on the internet, (i.e. I am in the farm of my grandparents) I will just write my blog post in my journal and post it online once the internet is available.
No to perfection. I will just publish a blog every day.
The benefit of being consistent in one thing is that it will also help you to be consistent in other area of your life.
If you want to join or follow me in this challenge, join me in my newsletter at kevinumali.com/free
I was documenting my learning journey in stock market investing. I love the process of learning and teaching the lessons I encountered in my stock market journey. The sense of accountability also helps me a lot in improving. With that, I decided to also improve my health and will also be documenting the journey.
Intermittent Fasting Experience
On last week of July 2021, I decided to start with intermittent fasting (IF). I start with the 16:8 fast by skipping my breakfast. I like the positive effects of fasting based on studies. However, on my first week I felt so uncomfortable with the effect so I decided to stop. But on that short period of trying IF, one of the key take way is that it helps me to be mindful. Whenever I felt the urge to get some food, I am reminded that I am on fast and it help me to just surf the urge. Then I realized that, I get and eat food not because I am hungry but because of the urge to eating/snacking as I used to.
Weight Training
On 4th of August, I joined my younger brother in his weight training in a local gym here in the province. His Coach offered me to try working out with his plan and I liked it. After that, I decided to subscribe to his work out plan. After two weeks, today is 13th of August, here are the key take ways on having fitness coach.
Accountability
Since me and my brother have regular schedule, it help us to be consistent and build the habit. It become part of my body clock, waking up early and going to gym.
2. Pushed beyond my limits
Having a coach helps me to push beyond my limits. Setting heavier weights beyond what I used to and completing the reps even if my mind is telling me that its enough.
3. Shortcut
A coach or mentor helps us to shorten the process as they already know what works and what is not working. BTW, I started a book club and mentor tips newsletter wherein I share exclusive contents such as curated contents from top mentors to help us live life to the fullest. You can join for free, just visit kevinumali.com
4. Slow down
I have a tendency to rush things, having a coach, I am guided to take a proper pace. Having days for proper recovery and rest in between work outs.
Result
After two weeks of working out, since Im an Accountant, lets look at the numbers to check the improvement.
Body fat percentage down by 1.8% from 24.5% to 22.7%
Muscle increased by .45 kg from 52.91kg to 53.36 kg.
In this content, I will be sharing with you the best pandemic proof investment you can make.
https://youtu.be/IrWhmBSYXxo
The best investment is on self-education. I am not talking about the formal education, not the college or graduate schools. Growing up, we often hear that the best gift that our parents can give us is education. I could not agree more. However, most of us stop learning when we graduated from school. Let me share an inspiring quote from Jim Rohn.
“Formal education will make you a living. Self-education will make you a fortune.”
– Jim Rohn
How about the return of investment?
Let me give you an example, I started the month by buying three books on stock market investing, it cost me PHP 3,000 or $60. Those books are Think and Trade Like a Champion, Trading Mentors and The Trading Code. I haven’t finished those books yet; I’ve applied the lessons I learned so far and at the end of the month I earned net realized profit of PHP 103,440.42 or $2,000.
I am not saying that the PHP 100,000 profit in one month only came from those 3 books. The lessons learned from these books were added to my previous knowledge and provided better return. The knowledge just like investing it is compounding and gives exponential return.
Snowball Effect
The return from self-education is never ending as long as I apply it to my career, relationship, health business and investments. In other words, once you have applied your learnings, it is not diminished rather it is enhanced. It has a snowball effect. I would like to share with you a quote from one of the richest men in the world, Warren Buffet:
“Read 500 pages every day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up like compound interest.”
– Warren Buffet
How it all started?
I hate reading. It is so boring for me. My mother, when we are still young, she kept on telling us that we should read books. In fairness to my mother, she is a single mother and working as a public-school teacher with a very small salary but she borrowed money and bought Encyclopedia. We did not have access to the internet and google at that time. Indeed, mother knows best. Did you know Elon Musk read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica at age nine? Of course, I have not read the entire encyclopedia because if I have read that, maybe I am the next Elon Musk. Just kidding.
After graduating and passing the board exam, I have free time and I try what my mother is telling me to just read books. I bought my first books, Rich Dad Poor Dad and 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. After applying what I learned from those books and it gave a good result in my career and finances. I keep on buying more books. Just a trivia, do you know what is common to big mansions or houses of truly rich and successful people? It is not entertainment room, but a personal library.
How much I invested?
After graduation up to this date, I have purchased over 500 books. This includes physical books, audio books and e-books like kindle copies. The cost of each book ranges from PHP 500 to PHP 1,500. As a rough estimate, assuming that the average cost is PHP 700, I’ve spent PHP350,000 ($7,000) for books. Moreover, I also paid for seminars, workshops and online courses. Those seminars and courses range from PHP 2,000 pesos up to PHP 100,000. My recent online course is consulting accelerator which is PHP 100,000 or $2,000. I can say it is the best online course I have taken and if you want to start it you can get it with $500 off by clicking on the affiliate link here. As an estimate I’ve spent over PHP 500,000 pesos or over $10,000 in self-education.
Shortcut to learning
If you have enough time for self-education or reading and learning is boring for you, do not worry as I have created a mentor tips newsletter and book club. If you subscribe to my newsletter, you will be receiving book reviews and summarized tips from top mentors that are easy to read or watch. Subscribing to my newsletter and book club is FREE by clicking HERE. Just visit KevinUmali.com/free
Why I am giving this for free, it is my passion and I’ve found purpose and meaning in doing this. As Charlie Munger said “The best thing a human being can do is to help another human being know more.”
“The best thing a human being can do is to help another human being know more.”
– Charlie Munger
The Dark Side
The more you learn, the more you wanted to learn. It may cause analysis paralysis. Do not procrastinate. It is about what you do with what you know. As they say, “knowledge is power” but the truth is, “Knowledge has potential power”. It will bring you no good until you put it into action.
This strategy came from Jerry Seinfeld. He is a very successful American comedian. According to Inc., his net worth is estimated to be $950 million.
The Secret
In one of the interviews, he told that he got a large wall calendar. Every day he wrote a new joke and marked a red X over the date. With that, he said that you will be building a chain. And as day goes by, it grew longer and your job is to not break it.
It seems to be simple but very powerful strategy. One thing common about the experts and masters is that they are all consistent. So, start making that chain of consistency today. Look for some task that have massive impact but keep the process very simple as complexity ruins the habit of consistency.
If this blog has added value to you, you may subscribe and be part of my book club for free. Just CLICK HERE.
I revisited the book Millionaire Fastlane and learned about the meaning of true wealth. It is basically founded on 3 F’s.
Family – It is about relationships with people. Richest moments are those shared with loved ones.
Fitness – It is about your health. How can you enjoy anything you acquired if you are ill?
Freedom – It is about choice. Each and everyone is different. We have different preferences. True wealth is when you have a choice to live how you want to live, where, when and with whom.
The true meaning of wealth has been poisoned by the society’s definition of wealth such as bigger houses and faster cars. If acquiring big houses that you can’t really afford will tie you up into spending more time in your work for overtime pay and it will make you so stressed, then will that give you less time to spend with your family? Will that stress makes you sick?
Have the proper mind set on true wealth. There is so much more lessons in the book Millionaire Fastlane, I recommend having the copy of this book. You can get it here.
If this blog has added value to you, you may subscribe and be part of my book club for free. Just CLICK HERE.
This is a minimalist blog on minimalist way to lose weight and
get healthier. The concept is about getting more by subtraction. The media were
influencing us to get more into fad diets, complex exercise programs, technologies
and machines, but in reality, we only need four things to get sexier and healthier.
Just remember the acronym SEEK.
Sleep at least 8 hours every night.
Exercise at least five times a week.
Eat healthy food. Try to eat whole food and avoid processed food as much as possible.
Keep hydrated.
And if you want to elevate your holistic approach to good health then include meditation. Then just remember MEEKS.
Getting sexier will just be the by-product of following these simple and minimalist activities. Before you buy your fancy gym shoes, try to focus first on complying on these basic routines. This guide will help you to maintain the minimalist way to lose weight and get healthier.
How not to fail at life. These are the top three reasons why most people fail and what to do about it to be successful. These learning came from the Consulting Accelerator of Sam Ovens. You may get a free trial on this course and if you opted to continue you will get $500 through this link. CLICK HERE.
Knowledge
Most people think that the learning stops after finishing
school and worst, most believe that they know it all. We are where we are right
now because of the things that we know. But this same knowledge will not bring
us to where we want to go.
Action: Always be learning
2. Memory
We are defined by the belief and stories that we tell to ourselves.
Most people think that memory is a fact and it cannot be changed. But the truth
is, it can be misinterpreted and can be changed.
Action: Work on acknowledging belief system and change it with the new paradigm.
3. Time
Every result and experiences we have were caused by something
we did and chosen before. No result happened only by chance. It explains the natural
law of cause and effect. Most people tend to forget the causes that are
responsible for the effect as these two were separated by time.
Action: Stick to the process and take consistent action, even if you have no feedback immediately and never forget the causes that brought the results you wanted.
There is so much more in the Consulting Accelerator. This course is really mind opening. You may get a free trial and a get a $500 off when you opted to continue. You may try it here for free: CLICK HERE
Also, if you want to be updated to my blog and sharing. You may subscribe for free CLICK HERE.
How to start a consulting business even if I have no experience was the main key learning today in my review of consulting accelerator.
Here are the top personal notes on the foundation of starting a consulting business in my first day of going thru the Consulting Accelerator Course of Sam Ovens.
1. Take Full Responsibility
Successful people
never blame anyone and never complain. They always take full responsibility.
Remember that we are where we are right now because of the decision we took
before.
2. Embrace Resistance
Resistance and
discomforts are normal when you are on the right track and experiencing growth.
Embrace resistance and accept it is as a requirement on the new level of life.
3. Common Causes of Failure
The most common
causes of failure are;
a. When you feel you know everything and you are close minded you miss to learn and grow
b. Talking to people and building relationships before gaining success
c. Playing victim and blaming others
4. Focus on the work
There will be
temptations to do trivial tasks so we need to focus on doing the work
consistently. Keep on taking massive action and accept that it won’t never be
perfect. Just do the work.
5. It is Possible
There are students who earned a lot in just 90 days. Some made USD 100,000, some made USD 120,000 and even recurring income of USD 200,000 per month in just 90 days of starting the program. You may also get free trial to the said Consulting Accelerator by Sam Ovens plus a discount of $500 when you register in this link: CLICK HERE.
To sum it up, the first day of Consulting Accelerator gives you the solid foundation in starting a consulting business. There is no hype but purely ethical and honest content.
If you learn something in today’s sharing, you may also want to subscribe in my daily notes, get my free gift to you and be part of my book club for free: just click here
I was clueless and felt lost after I graduated from college and started working. This must be what they call “the real life”. There is no more curriculum and manual to follow, you are on your own. This might be terrifying, but on the brighter side, you are the captain and architect of your own life. You may set dreams/goals and freely choose what to learn in order to make it a reality. These 7 habits to be a better person and be happy is a good foundation.
7 Habits to be a Better Person and Be Happy
To start, I wanted to improve my life and my career so I searched online and found this book as highly recommended. I also saw this book on the desk of managers in the company I am working with. I learned that it was part of a training only offered to managers. It is an affirmation how good is this book so I bought a copy. And by the way, it has sold over 25 million copies.You may also get a copy of the book here.
I can say that the lessons from this book has helped me positively in life and career significantly. This book is over 350 pages so I have summarized it for you in simple and practical tips.You may also get an audio book of this Seven Habits of Highly Effective People here.
Habit 1: Be proactive
There were times I came late in a meeting and the first thing that came to my mind is to blame the traffic. Traffic is really within the circle of my concern, but I cannot do something about it. So will traffic justify being late? Of course not, I could have anticipated that and have worked on things that are within my circle of influence such as sleeping early the night before so I can wake up earlier and be on time.
To sum it up, being proactive is being able to respond or being responsible. The act of being proactive can be done by focusing on the circle of influence rather than on the circle of concern.
To explain well the habit of being proactive, it is good to learn the opposite of it which is being reactive. Being reactive is taking a passive stance that everything is happening to us like we are a victim and as if we cannot do something about it.
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
I took a certification exam and it is under time pressure. There were problem solving which will take me so much time just reading the scenario. But when I got into the question part, I realized I can answer it without fully reading the scenario. Knowing the question or requirement first will save us time and resources. Same with real life, we might find ourselves being caught up in busyness realizing it will not lead to the goal that we want.
It is about having clarity on what you really want to achieve. Every task and efforts should be evaluated if it is contributing to the objective you want to achieve. This may be a simple principle, but a lot of people are neglecting this.
Habit 3: Put First Things First
Most of the time, it is really hard to wake up early and exercise. Well, we may opt not to exercise for the meantime, even though it is important for us to be healthy because it is not urgent.
Putting first things first is not only about focusing on what is urgent, but it is about focusing on what is important. The main goal is not just about disposing urgent matters, but to avoid important things to become urgent. It means, managing important things even if it is not yet due. Do not neglect the importance of exercising, we don’t want it to be an urgent matter when there is a disease already.
That’s 3 out of 7 habits to be a better person and be happy. The first three habits will move you from dependence to independence.
Habit 4: Think Win Win
Many people think that a good negotiator will win in an agreement without considering the other parties. Both parties should be winning or in a mutually beneficial side of any transaction or there should be no deal at all.
Habit 5: Seek first to understand, then to be understood
Have you caught up yourself that you were rehearsing in your mind what to say and neglected to listen intently when someone is talking?
I believe the preceding habit can only be done through this habit. Avoid listening to reply and start listening to understand. Start by listening rooted in empathy. Seeking to be understood first may let you win, but listening to understand first will also let the other party win.
Habit 4 and 5 of 7 habits to be a better person and be happy will engage you to interdependence.
Habit 6: Synergize
There are people that are good at numbers while some are artistically creative.
People have different skills, talents, perspectives and values, but anchoring on those differences will give new opportunities and possibilities. If we let the two work together, they may complement and cover what the other parties weaknesses through their own strength. A good example, my sister is good at cooking while I am good at eating. Okay, just kidding.
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
It is about preserving, enhancing and growing our greatest asset, ourselves. All other habits will only be possible if we take care of ourselves. It is helpful that the author have categorized the areas that we should focus on, namely, physical, spiritual, mental and social.
Learning or sharpening the saw is a lifelong journey. You have a good start as you know these 7 habits to be a better person and be happy. If you have found this book review helpful and valuable, join me in my book club for free. You will receive book reviews and other articles exclusive to book club members by clicking here or by visiting kevinumali.com/free.
Together, let us learn how to live life to the fullest.
Most of the time,
people will only leave a review/comment on their purchases if there is
something negative to say. Human beings normally focus on negativity. We tend
to focus on what could go wrong or what went wrong so we can adapt because we
are designed to survive.
If we can spot
negativity, of course, we can also spot positivity and abundance. What we focus
on grows. When we focus on negativity, everything follows, such as we feel sad
or angry which are both negative feelings which will direct to negative
actions. Thoughts direct emotions that turn to actions. Focus on gratefulness
and abundance.
I am not saying we
should be contented and be complacent. It is not about being unrealistic and
denial. It is about controlling what we can control and that is our focus.
We may be grateful with the healthy dose of unsatisfaction so we can strive for more. We should have a dose of gratefulness to fully experience every moment and feel that you are living your life.
