Tag: leadership

Frequency helps with improvement

Anna PengLeave a comment

The other day I found myself making jelly for the first time with agar agar. 

The results were a little different from what I expected. 

It was too soft for a jelly, and broke down into tiny pieces that made up a jelly-like slush.

Eventually I found out that I didn’t add enough agar agar. 

But the point of this post isn’t about jelly desserts.

Instead, it’s this.

The trick with frequency is that the more times you try something, the better you’ll get at recognizing patterns.

You’ll learn to see what works, and what doesn’t. 

Alternatively, whatever you don’t try you’ll never learn from.

Your creativity in 2023 will change if you do this

Anna PengLeave a comment

Everyone has the potential to be creative. 

What sets creative people apart from the non-creative is the fact that creative people use their creative skills on a daily basis. 

In other words, they practice it. 

Intentionally.

Regularly. 

Because it’s a part of their routine. 

If you want to become a better writer, a better leader, a better business owner, then you’ve got to start practicing. 

Decisions

Anna PengLeave a comment

Do I start my business today when I know nothing, or do I wait until I have enough experience?

Should I send those DMs or should I engage in comments instead?

Should I go back to school or spend time working?

Real estate or bitcoin?

Coffee or tea? 

How do you know whether or not you’ve made a good choice? 

The answer is straightforward. 

You’ll only know after you’ve acted on your decision. 

I’m turning 25 next month

Anna PengLeave a comment

Here are 25 bite-sized lessons I’ve learned in my 25 years. 

  1. You can do anything you want
  2. You can’t *really* do anything you want, but you’d be surprised at the amount you can accomplish while at a young age
  3. Education is important
  4. School isn’t everything
  5. Be grateful of the most basics things you have and are capable of doing. That way, you will have an unparalleled perspective on life
  6. Always make time for personal creativity. It’s 100% worth pursuing
  7. Great friends can be hard to come by
  8. Not everyone has to understand your world through your own lens and opinions
  9. It is imperative to be smart with your money
  10. Consistency is a winning strategy
  11. If you choose to take a path less travelled, you’ll often feel like you’re all alone because most of your friends won’t understand
  12. Learn to differentiate between your own critic and your intended audience
  13. Do things you enjoy doing
  14. Time is precious
  15. Relationships are important
  16. Understand that you will have your entire lifespan 3 more times over in front of you
  17.  Doing > Thinking
  18. Stop stressing over things you cannot control
  19. Most things just aren’t *that* important. If it were, they would call
  20. Leading is hard
  21. Reading is fun
  22. You can follow your passions, work a full time job, and feel fulfilled at the same time
  23. The Pareto Principle: 20% of causes generates 80% of outcomes
  24. The chained elephant—be wary.
  25. Adults are people too 

“I want to start writing” 

Anna PengLeave a comment

Here are 2 simple things I did that helped me kickstart my writing journey almost 3 years ago.

  1. Schedule a non-negotiable time and place out of my day to write. Keep it short, up to 30 minutes. Mine is at night, by my desk, right before I head to sleep.
  2. Once your fingers start typing away, DO NOT EDIT. Resist every single urge in your body to use the backspace button until you are done your entire first draft. Works wonders. 

Do these 2 things when you write and you will enjoy the process for the long term.

Writing has helped me improve my communication skills drastically (which is why I’m a huge fan of it and am willing to help others get on board too)

You Don’t Need A Fancy Title To Do Important Things

Anna PengLeave a comment

Important things include but are not limited to:

  • Reaching out and connecting with people in your life
  • Working on your soft skills
  • Sending a life-changing email/DM
  • Starting a charity, startup, business
  • Making other people feel heard

Turns out, there aren’t any prerequisites to do any of these things. 

You simply have to do them. 

It Feels Good to be Recognized

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Yesterday I found out that OCAD gave our business at The Habit Factory a shoutout. It wasn’t anything big, but it made me feel good about what we were doing. It gave me affirmation that what we were working on was worthwhile. 

From that anecdote, the bottom line is this: No matter how small the gesture, it feels good to be recognized. 

Knowing this piece of information above and how it can immediately impact the people we surround ourselves with, who else in our communities can we recognize?