How to Hack Your Morning Routine

I love me a good life hack, and a couple years ago I stumbled upon what has proved - for me - the most effective life hack of them all.

Hacking my morning routine.

I start my mornings with a 7-step process I have come to call The Present Principle. It’s a simple routine built around a simple acronym — P.R.E.S.E.N.T. — that helps guide me to remember to implement the seven most important things I need to do each and every day to keep me present -- and to do those things in the mornings.

Over time, I’ve started to share this process with others, in the hopes that it might help folks to best think about how their morning routines can work for them.

Here’s an overview of how my routine. Remember that this is what works for me -- and that you may not like all the steps at hand. Just ignore what doesn't work for you, and always work towards the goal of finding something that sets your day up for success.

The 7 Steps in My Morning Routine   ("The Present Principle"):

P — PRAY (or PAUSE)

I start my days with a steaming cup of tea and a prayer of guidance, thanks, and direction. If prayer isn’t your thing, then just take a moment to PAUSE and do nothing. Breathe in life, and clear your mind.

R — READ

After praying (or pausing) I dive into reading something inspirational and motivational. I generally work through one particular devotional for a few months, and sometimes have a few going at a time. Find one that works best for you - and if you aren't into the idea of something inspirational or spiritual, think about a good read on business, leadership, or productivity that you can slowly work through day by day.

E — EXPRESS

After reading, I then take my own thoughts to paper. I use a Moleskine journal, but a post-it note will do;) The key is just to get your feelings out there. Worries, thoughts, thanks, everything.

S — SCHEDULE

Now’s the time to do an overview of your day, and to do a check-in on your week. I typically spend 5-10 minutes drafting my day’s schedule and checking in on the week at large. I do this on paper, with the goal of this entire routine being offline, but you may find it works best to use your computer or an app you love.

E — EXERCISE

I try to get in exercise of some sort every day, and I find that doing it in the morning is the most effective. Experts say this is also smartest when habit-forming. Move, and you'll feel better.

N — NOURISH

Each day, do one thing that truly nourishes you. Take a walk. Take a bubble bath. Read a novel. Do something for you. It's fun to do this in the morning straight away, but if not, put this off until later as a reward for getting your big tasks of the day done.

T — TRACK

At the day's end, look back at how many of the seven steps you were able to accomplish? Can you do better tomorrow? Track your progress, and think about what is working, and what isn't.

Shikhar Dhawan slams double ton for India A against South Africa A

India A batsman Shikhar Dhawan slammed a quickfire double century against South Africa A in their tri-series tournament match at the LC de Villiers Oval in Pretoria on Monday.

The left-handed dashing batsman clobbered four sixes and 24 boundaries to reach an unbeaten 200 off just  132 balls.

According to statistician Mohandas Menon, Dhawan's knock is now the highest for any country A team. Dhawan surpassed the previous best of 173 not out by Upul Tharanga for Sri Lanka A against the same opposition at East London in September 2008. 

Maula Mere Maula and Pink Floyd Mix

Official Bill Gates Site.

http://www.thegatesnotes.com/

Three Things I’ve Learned From Warren Buffett (from Bill Gates LinkedIn Article)

I’m looking forward to sharing posts from time to time about things I've learned in my career at Microsoft and the Gates Foundation. (I also post frequently on my blog.)

Last month, I went to Omaha for the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting. It’s always a lot of fun, and not just because of the ping-pong matches and the newspaper-throwing contest I have with Warren Buffett. It’s also fun because I get to learn from Warren and gain insight into how he thinks.

Here are three things I’ve learned from Warren over the years:

1. It’s not just about investing.

The first thing people learn from Warren, of course, is how to think about investing. That’s natural, given his amazing track record. Unfortunately, that’s where a lot of people stop, and they miss out on the fact that he has a whole framework for business thinking that is very powerful. For example, he talks about looking for a company’s moat—its competitive advantage—and whether the moat is shrinking or growing. He says a shareholder has to act as if he owns the entire business, looking at the future profit stream and deciding what it’s worth. And you have to be willing to ignore the market rather than follow it, because you want to take advantage of the market’s mistakes—the companies that have been underpriced.

I have to admit, when I first met Warren, the fact that he had this framework was a real surprise to me. I met him at a dinner my mother had put together. On my way there, I thought, “Why would I want to meet this guy who picks stocks?” I thought he just used various market-related things—like volume, or how the price had changed over time—to make his decisions. But when we started talking that day, he didn’t ask me about any of those things. Instead he started asking big questions about the fundamentals of our business. “Why can’t IBM do what Microsoft does? Why has Microsoft been so profitable?” That’s when I realized he thought about business in a much more profound way than I’d given him credit for.

2. Use your platform.

A lot of business leaders write letters to their shareholders, but Warren is justly famous for his. Partly that’s because his natural good humor shines through. Partly it’s because people think it will help them invest better (and they’re right). But it’s also because he’s been willing to speak frankly and criticize things like stock options and financial derivatives. He’s not afraid to take positions, like his stand on raising taxes on the rich, that run counter to his self-interest. Warren inspired me to start writing my own annual letter about the foundation’s work. I still have a ways to go before mine is as good as Warren’s, but it’s been helpful to sit down once a year and explain the results we’re seeing, both good and bad.

3. Know how valuable your time is.

No matter how much money you have, you can’t buy more time. There are only 24 hours in everyone’s day. Warren has a keen sense of this. He doesn’t let his calendar get filled up with useless meetings. On the other hand, he’s very generous with his time for the people he trusts. He gives his close advisers at Berkshire his phone number, and they can just call him up and he’ll answer the phone.

Although Warren makes a point of meeting with dozens of university classes every year, not many people get to ask him for advice on a regular basis. I feel very lucky in that regard: The dialogue has been invaluable to me, and not only at Microsoft. When Melinda and I started our foundation, I turned to him for advice. We talked a lot about the idea that philanthropy could be just as impactful in its own way as software had been. It turns out that Warren’s brilliant way of looking at the world is just as useful in attacking poverty and disease as it is in building a business. He’s one of a kind.

Courtesy : Bill Gates via LinkedIn 

How Even a Small Gesture Can Make a Difference

Last week, we received a package at Mashable HQ from Jacob Hughes, an 11-year-old boy from Tennessee. The package contained all of his Halloween candy, which he asked us to deliver to kids affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Amanda Wills, one of Mashable's editors, is from Jacob's home of Knoxville -- her mother received the package and promised to send it along to us. Many members of our staff have been active in helping out with Sandy relief, as our New York City home continues to be affected by the storm.

This weekend, Mashable's Sharon Feder took Jacob's gift to the Rockaways, where it will be enjoyed by those children who missed Halloween due to the storm.

Below, see the letter that Jacob sent with the candy. His is an inspiring story that encourages us all to make a difference. Thank you, Jacob.

300: Rise of an Empire - Official Trailer

First Ranking Of Top 30 CEOs On Social Media

This is the first global ranking of CEOs on social media. These CEOs are the pioneers and early adopters. Their impact is prompting other CEOs to rethink whether they should be involved in social media.

How Did We Create The CEO Social Media Ranking?

A few bloggers have created their own "who to follow lists" but these are not based on any ranking methodology. At the moment Klout offers the most well recognized of the metric-based measures, looking at followers and engagement across multiple social networks, but its single “score” out of 100 is mainly quantitatively based and therefore a bit raw.

Our goal was to combine the best of both approaches, taking into account both quantitative and qualitative measures to determine the top 30 CEOs on social media.

We have monitored Twitter, LinkedIn and the blogging activities of all CEOs from the Fortune 500 Global to Silicon Valley. We took into account their Klout score and looked at a range of qualitative measures around who creates true “value-added content”, as determined by users.

Value added was measured in terms of originality and positive impact on the corporate world, their industry, and application to their own company. We favored CEOs who had actively contributed to the leadership agenda. We reduced their score if it was seen as too obviously self-promoting or if we believe they have no direct involvement in social media content. We favored CEOs who had consistently contributed over time.

So Here Are The Top 30 CEOs:

 

Is your CEO in this list?? If not, feel free to refer to them.

What Not to Say When Negotiating Your Salary

When you think back to your last job offer, were you happy with the result? I'm not proud to admit the number of jobs I accepted without attempting to negotiate anything, only to be discouraged about the outcome later (thankfully, I've learned my lesson).

Which is why I'm grateful there are people in the world like negotiation expert Victoria Pynchonwho help people — especially women — learn how to navigate the world of money and power. If only I had discovered her sooner.

[For even more advice from Pynchon, check out my follow-up post here.]

Victoria is an author, attorney, mediator, arbitrator and negotiation trainer and consultant. She is also the co-founder of She Negotiates Consulting and Training and the She Negotiates blog on Forbes. Although Victoria's focus is now on closing the wage and income gap for women, she has been training lawyers and business people of both genders in mutual benefit negotiation strategies since 2005.

Here's Victoria's advice for what you should avoid saying when negotiating your salary or asking for a raise:

• "I’m sorry." Women tend to apologize for things they shouldn’t. I've been known to reflexively apologize to the furniture when I run into it. Apologizing in the negotiating room lessens the weight of your argument. Stay away from saying things like, "I’m sorry to ask for this, but I feel that I deserve a raise."
  
• "My market value is $90K/year but I'll take $70K." Don't discount your worth right out of the gate with language like, "My rate is $5,000, but I'll take $10." You are already being valued less than you're worth because you are a woman. Practice with a friend until you sound confident if you can't actually BE confident. (Fake it until you make it.)

• "Yes" (to the first offer). If you aren't in a position to make the first offer (and make it more than you're willing to take) then at least don't agree to the first offer given to you.Your employer expects you to negotiate and has more authority than the first offer made. Say, "I appreciate your proposal. I did a little research on my current market value [handing the proposal over] and it's 10 percent (or 20 or 30) more than that."

• "No" (if you believe you've reached impasse). The point of a negotiation is to drive the conversation to an agreement. Saying "no" closes off the conversation and makes it difficult to start back up. If your hourly fee is $350 but a potential client tells you he can only pay $200 per hour, instead of saying no, ask "What stands in the way of paying my fee?" Feel free to offer accommodations like payment over time or consider bartering services if that's possible. Always be moving toward getting the deal you want.

• Question marks (upswing) at the end of your statements. This tends to be a generational tick that Gen-Y women continue to misuse in business. "Like, I said to him 'I need a raise?' and he was all like 'You're lucky to have a job' and then... "
  
  No, no, no, no. Do not use teen slang in business.
  
  Not only does it tend to make you appear to be immature, it destroys any attempt to project an image of authority. The person with the greatest negotiation power is the person who appears to have the ability to walk away from the deal. I put the emphasis on "appears" because thousands of in-house and private firm lawyers - both men and women - answer the question "Are you in a weak bargaining position?" in the affirmative. Eighty percent of movie studio lawyers said they lacked bargaining power as did corporate executives, mid-level managers, high level consultants, and professionals of every stripe.
  
  Once again, if you don't yet possess confidence, fake it. Eventually you'll grow into your own power without having sacrificed raises and promotions along the way.

What have you learned about the negotiation process during your career? Has anything made it easier for you?

I learned so much from Victoria in this interview. If you have questions about negotiating, make sure to join us in Connect: Professional Women's Network on Wednesday, July 31, when Victoria will be answering questions in the group.

For more advice on what women need to know about money, check out social entrepreneur Rachel Sklar's advice on knowing your worth and becoming comfortable with your finances. I love her honesty and refreshing perspective and hope her insights resonate with you as well.

This One Tweet Reveals What's Wrong With American Business

If you watch TV, you'll be led to believe that the problem with the U.S. economy is that one political team or the other is ruining the country.

A sharp drop in government spending this year is, in fact, temporarily hurting economic growth, but that's not the real problem.

The real problem is that American corporations, which are richer and more profitable than they have ever been in history (see chart below), have become so obsessed with "maximizing short-term profits" that they are no longer investing in their future, their people, and the country.

This short-term greed can be seen in many aspects of corporate behavior, from scrimping on investment to obsessing about quarterly earnings to fretting about daily fluctuations in stock prices. But it is most visible in the general cultural attitude toward average employees.

Employees are human beings. They devote their lives to creating value for customers, shareholders, and colleagues. And, in return, at least in theory, they share in the rewards of the value created by their team.

In theory.

In practice, American business culture has become so obsessed with maximizing short-term profits that employees aren't regarded as people who are members of a team.

Rather, they are regarded as "costs."

And "costs," as we all know, are supposed to be reduced as much as is humanly possible (except the "costs" of the salaries of senior management and investors--those are supposed to be increased).

This view of employees was expressed succinctly yesterday by a Twitter user named Daryl Tremblay, who was appalled by the suggestion that McDonald's should increase the wages of its restaurant workers and pay for this by making a bit less money. (I was arguing that McDonald's employees should not be treated as "costs," but instead as valuable members of a successful team who shouldn't have to work that hard and still live in poverty.)

Here was Daryl's response:

Now, Daryl is hardly alone in this view. Most senior managers and owners of big American corporations think this way these days. They regard the human beings they work with--the human beings who create the value that pays their salaries--as "costs" to be reduced to create "maximized earnings." Because "maximized earnings," it is now frequently said, is the only thing that any business owner or manager should care about.

Whenever you suggest to folks like Daryl that it doesn't have to be this way, that some companies can and do balance the interests of shareholders with the interests of customers and employees--and, in so doing, create a symbiotic relationship that supports all of these constituencies--folks like Daryl call you a "socialist."

This is a strange insult, because the government has nothing to do with this. But, nevertheless, "socialist" is the label you get branded with if you suggest that the senior managers and owners of America's corporations should share more of their vast wealth with the employees who create it.

This view of capitalism is that it is a sort of Lord-Of-The-Flies economic system in which the only consideration should be "every man for himself." In this style of capitalism, leaders do not manage teams and organizations in a way that creates value for everyone--customers, shareholders, and employees. Rather, in this style of capitalism, a handful of winners extract as much value as they can from hapless losers who don't have the skills, knowledge, or time necessary to "demand a raise" or "go get a better job."

It doesn't have to be this way.

There is no capitalist law that says companies have to view employees as "costs" and pay them as little as possible.

Senior managers and owners can choose to share more of a company's wealth with the people who generate it. They can choose to make only reasonable profits, while still generating compelling financial returns. And they can choose to pay their team-mates living wages instead of viewing them as "costs" and extracting every penny of possible value from them.

If American corporations were struggling to earn money these days, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

But they aren't.

As the chart above shows, American corporations have the highest profits and profit margins in history.

American corporations can afford to pay their employees better, hire more employees, and invest more in their future and the country's future.

But American corporations aren't doing that.

Instead, American corporations are choosing to divert as much of their value as possible to their owners and senior managers.

Doing this is not a law of capitalism.

It's a choice.

And it is a choice, unfortunately, that is destroying America's middle class, robbing American consumers (a.k.a., "employees") of spending power, and, ironically, hurting the growth of the same corporations that are making this choice.

If your customers are strapped, your company can't grow.

And, right now, American companies are choosing to impoverish their customers (employees), while skimming off as much wealth as possible for themselves.