Dragons Nest with Gold eggs

[Phoenix]

Listening Schedule

Dragon Reborn RED Multistage Stage 1
15 mins, Sunday, 7 days break after 21 days

As I have observed I learned to recognize and respond to opportunities and challenges. I think I finally grasp the essentials of what it takes to be successful. This is a normal part of my growth process, but it certainly isn’t an easy one.

I’m grateful for those who mentored me through these transitions. My mom is a measuring device. She keep updating me for the change-person that I am now. Beside my workers, relatives would tell me subtler metrics that can be useful as well, and sales figures or survey results are the best form of measurements. After all, we will never move ahead if we’re not keeping track of where we are and where we’ve been.

I still don’t have a third party to market my business, but I’ve looking into how many of my current customers - I’m positive they are the ones who recommends my company. One of my girl friends had recently given the results of a survey whether or not they’re continuing to recommend me.

Her examination was beyond the expected metric of sales numbers and into the somewhat foggier realm of customer satisfaction, something that I’ve seen many struggle to define, interpret and improve upon. Precisely because it is such a nuanced component for any business, it takes training and mentorship to recognize its existence and potential – but once you see it you can’t help but use it as a measuring stick for your personal and professional achievement.

Once a pattern like this has been imprinted on the way I operate, reactions, once slow and clumsy, become immediate(innate), making me faster on my feet in making intelligent business decisions that can put me on a shorter path to success.

Yes, business is about development – of myself, techniques, my company, others and opportunities. But I believe it is also about legacy. Mom always spoke that word a million times.

Have you ever thought about what you will leave behind? Will you look back with pride on your achievements – and are you a more developed person for it?

I believe there’s scope for legacy beyond the obvious, and that comes in the form of mentorship opportunities to my future kids. I think that all of us have the obligation to share our lessons with less experienced members of our family who are eager to learn and have the potential to take not only our companies further, but also the wider business world.

It’s clear that the climate of this world is changing (and ti’s always challenging), and what we do today – not only in terms of the deals we make and the ideas we bring to reality, but also the people we educate and the talent we encourage – will go a long way to directing that future. I believe there are few better ways to measure success; after all, helping others grow is how we move forward.

[Phoenix]

Listening Schedule

Dragon Reborn RED Multistage Stage 1
15 mins, Sunday, 7 days break after 21 days

It was very nice for @RVconsultant to suggest the The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson. There is no real shortcuts to becoming an effective manager, but this book can help point in the right direction.

I was looking for more action and less reading books but obviously I become more too much in-love with books, especially the hard bound ones. I like to have a simple checklist on running things, and this One Minute Manager gives me the answer.

My dad used to tell me that when I can take good care of my employees, they will eventually will take good care of me, stayed with me even on hard times. But I need to be an effective manager, not a busy person with a coffee mug, giving assignments and yelling at them.

The book described some managers as “profit-minded” and “realistic”; these were autocratic leaders, interested in results. Others said they were “humanistic” and “participative”; these were democrats, interested in people. However, both autocratic and democratic leaders were only partially effective – because focusing only on people or results, they were just half-managers.

How often did I held meeting with my workers? Not once a week but almost every working days. And in those meetings(toolbox meetings just like in the company I worked for), I discussed what they had accomplished the previous week, what issues they had, and what still needed to be done.

Unlike the One-Minute Manager, I would participate in the decision-making process but I empower my leaders (sub-assistants) and it was totally up to them, and emphasized that the goal of my company was efficiency.

Was I result-oriented?
I was not the best to assess myself. In the One-Minute manager it was explained that people work best when they feel good about themselves:

People who feel good about themselves produce good results.

One Minute Manager – a person who gets things done without spending too much time.

One Minute Goals

One Minute Management is the philosophy of no surprises. Everyone knows what they’re supposed to do from the very beginning, each person in their organization had to write their goals down, together with their performance standards. For each goal and its standards. Typically, every person had one goal in his or her area of responsibility. Everyone was supposed to read and glance their goals every once in a while. I applied what I learned from my military trainings, I give them small mission (tasks) but without yelling, they can if they find a task/s hard for them to do, call anyone’s attention to help him or her finish the job.

One Minute Praising s

Usually managers try to catch people doing something wrong. In One Minute Manager it took the opposite approach – instead catching people doing something right. And right after a person has done something right, he or she will be told what exactly it was. This way, a person didn’t have to wait the whole year to hear appraisals.

Help people reach their full potential - catch them doing something right

It should be done at the beginning when the person would struggle with a new project or responsibility. And the appraisals must be consistent.

This is why it’s so important to catch people doing something right. Instead, a typical leadership style involves punishing inexperienced people for doing something wrong, and that’s not effective at all. So if a person with a lack of confidence and experience doesn’t perform well, a manager shouldn’t yell – he needs to go back to the One Minute Goal Setting and make sure the person knows what is expected.

One Minute Reprimands

As soon as the One Minute Manager would learn about someone’s mistake, he would come to that person and let him or her to know about it. He would express anger, frustration, or any other negative emotion – but that emotion was always directed at the action that person had done. It was not about blaming the person themselves.

One Minute Reprimand is given immediately after a person makes a mistake, and that’s a huge advantage, because a person gets a chance to correct the mistake – or learn how to correct it in the future.

It’s important to finish a reprimand with a praising; and importantly, you have to see the wrong behavior with your own eyes, and not rely on what people say; and it’s also important to tell the person how you feel about his wrong behavior.

“We are not just our behavior. We are the person managing our behavior.”

Reprimands were I had all wrong. Noted.

“Goals begin behaviors. Consequences maintain behaviors.”

We could laugh at our mistakes. To learn that wasn’t hard; they would see the One Minute Manager do it, and learnt from his example.

It also means management doesn’t have to take much time for the manager; however, very often it really takes one minute - that’s why it is called the One Minute Manager.

I spent a lot of time training and upgrading my workers skills.

“The best minute I spend is the one I invest in people.”

Why One Minute Goals Work

“Feedback is the breakfast of champions”

Some managers don’t fully communicate effectively their expectations, but then yell at them when something goes wrong, totally true for me (but sometimes). And this happens because they want to look good.

The One Minute Manager explained: typically, in a company, there are a few winners, a few losers, and many people in the middle.

“Everyone is a potential winner. Some people are disguised as losers. Don’t let the appearances fool you.”

Take a minute. Look at your performance. See if your behavior matches your goals.

Being effective manager has nothing to do with spending days and nights at the office.

The book had taught me that it’s enough to let people know what you want from them, and give them immediate feedback. You don’t have to choose between achieving results and staying human - these are actually two sides of the same coin. And sometimes, being effective takes literally only one minute.

Thanks @RVconsultant .

[Phoenix]

Listening Schedule

Dragon Reborn RED Multistage Stage 1
15 mins, Sunday, 7 days break after 21 days

I caught an eye of this wonderful woman who sells fruits for a living. The idea of buying fruits from different places gives you the idea of it’s quality and a hints of health of it’s soil.

I was always unlucky when choosing the right fruit and sharing it to my family, I always bring the wrong ones. So I told this woman on my wrong pickings, then while preparing the purchased items, she started sharing stories with a small group of people, she was lucky to build her business but her children wherein so lucky in choosing their husband and wives.

There was a study that shows that poverty is passed from parents to children. But of course, it’s not about genetics. Even for opportunities, equality is not enough to break the cycle of poverty. An access to best school, great school, privilege education doesn’t solve the problem either. Though social circle strongly influences people.

If someone’s was comfortable and reacts to negative situations, like crimes, drugs or negative worldview, that is where their energy goes and that’s what they always gets. The belief that the rich have divided the country or that someone had made you poor, you will always remain poor.

That’s the problem with the term “rich”, rich person isn’t someone who has a lot of money, but someone who can create a lot of money. A rich person is self-motivated, constantly learns, envisions opportunities, and works hard(or maybe not). But this is not enough to be wealthy.

Luck favored a talented individual. Actually we can create our own luck, just tune-in to things you wanted to be into your life.

So, if a person is educated, hard-working, remains positive, and doesn’t stays in their comfort zone, they definitely won’t be poor.

We have the choice to change our situation, even if science proves it unfairly for many people. Recognize that there are wonders beyond our abilities.

[Phoenix]

Listening Schedule

Dragon Reborn RED Multistage Stage 1
15 mins, Sunday, 7 days break after 21 days

Love and forgiveness, death and transition. Waiting to express yourself merely delays the inevitable, we should take this very seriously. We’re living in a world where love and forgiveness have become meaningless, outdated platitudes. They’re words people have learned to laugh at.

We shall use these words, not as empty clichés. Imbue them with real meaning. Do it our way, whatever our way is."

Each of the phrases offers an important lesson for leading a fulfilling and successful life.
The phrases are:

• I want to tell you that I love you.
• I want to tell you that I forgive you.
• Would you tell me that you love me?
• Would you give me your forgiveness?

People who know they’re dying often express some variation of one of those four themes — indicating that they waited until it was late to show their appreciation for others or right their interpersonal wrongs, Instead, they harbored grudges, lived with unresolved guilt or spent years being too afraid to be vulnerable.

The ensuing remorse, stress, poor mental health and even hormonal and immune imbalances can stunt your personal and professional growth,

Coming to terms with the fact that you’ve wronged or hurt someone can be difficult.
Everyone’s life is different — yet most people still utter one of those four common phrases.

Action I have made after each session with Dragon Reborn:

• Take responsibility for your actions.
• Allow yourself to experience negative feelings, like remorse and guilt.
• Give a sincere apology and try to make amends.
• Learn from the experience and move on.

It’s uncomfortable to admit you’ve done something wrong, and it’s natural to protect one’s self-esteem by dismissing what happened or making excuses for your behavior.

But it can free you from your past mistakes and help you live more fully in the here and now. You might be surprised how much better you feel if you can work through the process of forgiving yourself.

You can also show appreciation for people by speaking their love language.

I surprise my mom with flowers, including my girl friends. I usually spent my time with the people on the streets, offering them training, not exactly instant jobs. I would spent occasional socials with my friends or give someone a hug. Simply say, “I love you” or “I appreciate you.”

Just make sure you actually mean words like “love” and “forgiveness” when you use them.

[Phoenix]

Listening Schedule

Dragon Reborn RED Multistage Stage 1
15 mins, Sunday, 7 days break after 21 days

I thought it was bad news, my friend of mine was just brought to the hospital a few hours ago, fainted while having a brisk walk with his wife.

He was diabetic and a good fan of Intermittent fasting. I have memorize what he told me, “really simple rule: Eat or don’t eat”.

I want to warn him when I get home so I made a search of this topic.

Intermittent fasting is a meal strategy where people switch between fasting and eating on a regular schedule, defined as at least 14 hours with no food, Peterson said. That can mean variations such as eating every other day, eating five days a week and then fasting for two days or limiting daily eating to certain hours.

Time-restricted eating, where people condense all of their eating into a daily window of 10 hours or less, is the most popular form of intermittent fasting. Diners will delay breakfast until 10 a.m. or noon and then eat dinner by 6 p.m. or 8 p.m., forgoing food the rest of the time.

As weight-loss plans go becomes popular, it’s easy to get the sense of intermittent fasting: Eat what you want, but only during certain windows of time — often just eight hours a day.

Instead of counting calories or measuring portions, dieters just have to pay attention to the clock.

The theory behind time-restricted eating is that it supports the circadian rhythm, or the body’s internal clock. Spending more time in a fasting state may boost the body’s processes that govern blood sugar and fat metabolism.

Research has shown that people on time-restricted eating plans tend to eat fewer calories, which could explain weight loss.

But a larger study of people observed over a longer period of time showed that the time restrictions alone might not matter.

An American Heart Association scientific session suggested that people following an 8-hour time-restricted diet had a much higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease than those who ate over 12 to 16 hours.

Longstanding evidence suggests that skipping breakfast may be linked to cardiovascular disease and death.

I can observed from the last time we met that my friend was losing weight and looking good. It could be some means.

[Phoenix]

Listening Schedule

Dragon Reborn RED Multistage Stage 1
15 mins, Sunday, 7 days break after 21 days

I noticed some people when they order food or other paid services they usually used an alias or we can call it a celebrity name. Well, for privacy sake it was a good idea. I wonder how and why we should separate our identity from work.

When someone asks you who you are, what do you say?
Most people respond with what they do as a job.

Having passion for what you do is good, but it’s all too easy in a ever-changing society to combine your self-worth with the way in which you make money. It can be hair raising to attach your identity to your job for numerous reasons, however, and it can actually be hurting your career as opposed to helping it.

Workism as the “belief that work is not only necessary to economic production, but also the centerpiece of one’s identity and life’s purpose; and the belief that any policy to promote human welfare must always encourage more work.”

Professions used to be passed down through families which is still is but only few ever did that now, its common for people to go to school and choose a career path of their own, so we started to take jobs as markers of identity.

The common questions asked when we were kids: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

When we meet people the first thing we do is ask: “So, what do you do?”
We center jobs in conversation as some sort of identifier about who we are.

Love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life
It’s good to enjoy the thing that takes up countless hours of your week, this can quickly become dangerous as it so closely links your job with your identity.

Instead asking yourself reflective questions can help identify whether your personality is being affected by your job.

Questions like, “Will getting this promotion make me happier in my workplace?” or “Am I able to be my [true self when I’m in the office] are good places to start?”.

Numbers don’t lie!
Take note of how many hours you work versus how many hours you spend with your loved ones or on self-care (running errands and doing chores doesn’t count).
We think everyone else is working harder

In the age of social media, we see curated versions of our peers online, which often just show the highlights of how hard they’re working, and we feel like we have to compete. But this comparison has been shown to be terrible for our mental health—not to mention our work-life balance.
We are working overtime

In the age of ‘hustle’ culture, people wear their extra work like a badge of honor, as if who gets up the earliest and works the latest is somehow going to automatically get ahead of everyone else.

Overworking is actually under-productive.

When you’re overworked, you are actually less productive because you’re likely sacrificing the restfulness that contributes to clearer thinking, better solutions, and more efficient work.

Working less hours might be the solution.

The average number of hours in an eight-hour day that are actually productive is just under three!
With more and more countries trying out four-day work weeks.
You risk getting stuck in the hamster wheel

The danger of your self-worth being dependent on your work is the fragility it introduces to your well-being.

How you feel about yourself becomes contingent on the success of your work—‘as long as I am seen as competent, receiving approval, and comparing favorably to others THEN I will feel good.’
You start to confuse external approval with inherent value.

This is also one of the fastest ways to burn out, since people will push themselves to greater lengths because their identity depends on proving themselves to others.
You compromise your health.

Consistently striving for external validation results in stress, burnout, and exhaustion, which impacts both physical and mental health, and can lead to detachment from work—which then feels like detachment from your own identity.
Which lead to depression and anxiety

When you don’t have an identity separate from work, you’re more susceptible to depressive or anxious symptoms when work inevitably has its off days.

What to do?

Nurture other loves
It’s important to find other loves in our lives outside of our career, and to nurture them equally.
Identity should have many pillars.

Think of it like a building: you can’t rest the whole structure on just one pillar or else it will tumble. You should establish and fortify several other pillars, including the following.

Relationships
Even if you’re single, this still applies! Having meaningful relationships with friends, partners, and family members can actually make up several pillars of your identity.

Activities
Schedule time into your week to do something you enjoy doing.

Relaxation
Giving yourself the time for genuine relaxation can be a chance for you to reintroduce yourself to yourself.

Health
Health is wealth.

---

Identify your own purpose
It’s what you want to feel you’ve achieved at the end of your life, and it will center you and keep you focused on your true identity.

Learn to set boundaries
Make your work hours known and be strict about clocking out.

Put tech away
Turn your computer and phone off or lock them away after your hours are up.

Your work will benefit
When we are healthy, have good self-esteem, and are enjoying our lives, we naturally perform better.
We don’t need to indulge in distractions, we don’t need so many sick days, and we can focus better in shorter amounts of time.

You’ll build resilience

Resilient people have an inherent sense of trust in themselves, and are able to take a broader perspective of their lives.

This form of psychological flexibility cannot be attained through narrowly placing your worth on an external part of your life.

Change the conversation
Be the difference you want to see in the world and when starting a conversation with someone, ask them what their hobbies are or what the last film they really enjoyed was instead of what they do for a job.

You are not your work
Your work is a part of you, but it is not wholly representative of who you are or what you’re worth.

Start separating them now so that any future changes to work won’t lead to an identity crisis.

[Phoenix]

Listening Schedule

Dragon Reborn RED Multistage Stage 1
15 mins, Sunday, 7 days break after 21 days

I was invited to a fiesta celebration, an opportunity I cannot turn down, to see new beautiful faces. While in there I was toured by someone that I just met at the fiesta, I accept the offer since I was also looking to expand my hydroponics into the hinterlands were I can shared my business knowledge with the local farmers.

I caught the locals eating something at their lunch, they had just rice and a small plastic container with a hole at the center. I asked what’s on the container, and they told me it’s salt. The hole was intended so that they could dip their pointing finger into it and that serves their dish. I was quite move by their situation, I urge them to attend trainings at our community center, all free for them so they could have their own hydroponics business.

In our country it is illegal to give alms to the poor. It was explain to me…

If your intention was to give them something so that they will become dependent on you, your not actually helping them, your hurting them.

I will never give them crumbs or fish, I rather teach them how to create their own wealth.

I schedule a bus to fetch them at the nearest road, it will take about 3 hours hiking to reach the area if it isn’t raining. One day of training will to the job, and on-site supervision will follow afterwards.

[Phoenix]

Listening Schedule

Dragon Reborn RED Multistage Stage 1
15 mins, Sunday, 7 days break after 21 days

Understanding Qi (chi)
Qi (or chi) is the energy of the universe. That sense of vitality you feel flowing through yourself moves through all living beings, and is what is considered to connect us physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

If you feel low, unmotivated, or a lack of energy, it can mean there is a blockage somewhere in the body.

Our chi is our “essence,” and when it cannot flow freely, we feel the lack of an animating force in our life. You may become stagnant or sluggish, and find normal activities more difficult.

Chi is the vital life force energy that runs through all living things. It’s invisible; the way we make contact with it is through its influence on our energy, other living beings, and physical forms.

Chi is a power, not a substance. It can be thought of similarly to the energy that lights a light bulb. Although we cannot physically see it, it’s in us and we are surrounded by it.

A magnet demonstrates how chi operates. When opposing forces (yin and yang/north and south) come together, they push and pull. But spun together, they generate electricity.

In Chinese medicine, the body has its own energy pathway for chi to flow through, called meridians. It’s believed that all vital functions occur due to the movement of chi and any changes that occur to the four different types of chi.

If chi doesn’t flow, according to the concept, there would be no life. Therefore, it’s believed that in order to attain true health and wellness the chi must flow freely within.

According to Chinese medicine, “Where there is free flow, no pain. Where there is pain, no free flow.” Freely moving blood and chi are essential to pain-free health and vitality.

As chi animates physical forms, it’s important that our living space also has free-flowing energy (feng shui), as this affects our own flow of chi. I don’t really believe on this.

Chi is present in nature, and we can use nature to harness greater chi, particularly if we need a boost. Meditative and mind-body practices help us get back in tune with the energy of the universe.

Eating locally, sleeping when it’s dark and waking when it’s light, and living in rhythm with the seasons are ways to harness chi from nature.

Living in a way that’s aligned with these principles, in balance of yin and yang energy, is known as the Dao or “Way of Life.”

According to this philosophy, we are born with a set amount of chi that has to last us a lifetime. This chi is called jing (pre-natal chi).

Activities that cause stress, overworking, and things we do that abuse the body burn our essence, making our life span shorter.

Living in fight-or-flight mode, over time, taps our rest-and-digest state, making it slower. This slows down the movement of chi in the body.

When chi stagnation occurs, the entire body feels stiff and can be swollen, too. There are many signs your chi is out of balance.

You might stay up late and not sleep well, reaching for food that’s convenient or alcohol to relax. If you work too much, not giving your body the time to heal and rest, your chi can easily get out of balance.

Feelings of emotional irritability and anger, a sense of being burned out, low energy and fatigue, irregular menstrual cycles, and body aches and pains are all signs your chi is out of balance.

Breathing, stretching, massage, and keeping regular mealtimes, with a low-stress lifestyle, are all ways to keep your chi in check.

Acupuncture is an ancient way to help encourage the distribution of energy along the body’s meridian lines. A session might be helpful if you feel your chi has become stagnant.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM, herbs are prescribed to restore the balance between the ying and yang forces in the body. These herbs are powerful, and the same amount of precaution should be exercised when taking them as with pharmaceutical drugs.

Massage opens up the energy pathways (meridians) to movement, allowing both the chi and the blood to flow more freely in the body.

Foods that are in season, and have traveled the least amount of distance to reach you, are higher in nutritive chi than others. Choosing to eat these can help to restore your chi.

Exercise promotes healthy blood quality, to nourish the organs. This makes us healthy and strong. In particular, tai chi and qigong will connect us to chi energy.

When we inhale more air (chi), we strengthen the mind-body connection. This air breathes life into our bodies, transporting life force to the organs and cells inside.

Astrology and divination can help bring awareness to our energetic patterns and blocks, so we can process and find healthy ways to move through them.

When there is a free flow of energy in your home or work space, creativity is enhanced. Without proper energetic balance in your spaces, chi becomes imbalanced and stress will follow.

Having a strong energy field helps us bounce back faster from stressful or unforeseen situations.

If you want to live your life with greater positivity, focus, and calm, be attentive to the state of your chi and take steps to balance and boost it each day.

[Phoenix]

Listening Schedule

Dragon Reborn RED Multistage Stage 1
15 mins, Sunday, 7 days break after 21 days

Am I an introvert, extrovert, or ambivert?

Introversion is often associated with shyness, while we imagine that an extroverted person is always talkative and looking for attention.

Introverted people draw energy from their inner world by spending time alone, while extroverted people draw power from the outer world by being around others.

Introverts feel a need for quiet and solitude to recharge their batteries. Observant, they take the time to analyze the situation and think before engaging in social interactions. Thus, they favor the quality of exchanges over quantity.

Introverts enjoy solitary activities such as writing, reading, or painting, which allow them to feed their creativity in a quiet environment.

In their professional lives, they are often most productive when working independently, but they are also valuable collaborators in teams, thanks to their attentive listening and ability to reflect.

On the other hand, extroverts are easily able to build relationships and are naturally comfortable in new social interactions, even with strangers. They also do not hesitate to speak publicly, carried by their natural charisma.

Extroverts tend to enjoy stimulating activities that involve social interaction, such as parties, concerts, or team sports. At work, their contagious energy and natural enthusiasm can motivate their colleagues and thus energize a team.

Ambiverts oscillate between extroversion and introversion. They are flexible. Depending on their state of mind, they may seek the company of others or need moments of solitude to recharge their batteries. They generally prefer small groups.

Ambiverts quickly adapt to various contexts. They know when to actively engage in a conversation and when to step back. The ideal job for an ambivert is one where they can alternate between days in the office and teleworking.

There is no such thing as a pure introvert or a pure extrovert. Such a man would be condemned to live in an asylum.

So nobody can be described as hundred percent the personality type, as mentioned earlier.

[Phoenix]

Listening Schedule

Dragon Reborn RED Multistage Stage 1
15 mins, Sunday, 7 days break after 21 days

Do positive affirmation work?

Understanding how and why positive affirmations work, and the neuroscience behind the practice, which numerous people claim has changed their lives. At its simplest, it’s a positive phrase or statement said aloud or in your mind to combat negative thoughts.

I’ve been doing this while listening the titles and it motivate me to do something productive.

Practicing positive affirmations can be extremely simple–all you need to do is pick a phrase and repeat it to yourself. Regular practice is necessary if you want to make a lasting impact on how you think and feel.

You can use positive affirmations to motivate yourself, encourage positive changes in your life, boost your self-esteem, or alter negative thought patterns.

Positive affirmations are based on widely accepted and well-established psychological theory—largely the “self-affirmation theory.” It has been proven that we can maintain our sense of self-integrity by affirming what we believe in positive ways.

Self-integrity relates to humans’ ability to protect our essential being from threats. It’s our perceived ability to control moral outcomes, make healthy choices, and respond flexibly to challenges. Maintaining our self-integrity is vital to living successfully!

There are three key ideas in the self-affirmation theory. The first is establishing a self-identity, which is not in fixed categories like “mother” or “employee,” but rather a more flexible idea centered on your values, one through which we can adapt to situations much better.

The second key idea is that maintaining your self-identity is not about being perfect. Rather, it’s about working on areas that we personally value in order to be moral, flexible, and good.

The last key idea is that we can only maintain self-integrity by affirming that which we are taking actions to deserve. You can’t just say “I am a good parent” because you want praise.

Your positive affirmations must necessarily lead you to act in ways that are consistent with that value.

There is MRI evidence suggesting that certain neural pathways, specifically the part involved in positive valuation and self-related information processing, are more active when people practice self-affirmation.

Research indicates that, much like exercise, affirmations raise the level of feel-good hormones in our brains, and they push our brains to form new clusters of “positive thought” neurons.

High stress levels can be extremely detrimental to our health, and self-affirmations have been shown to decrease harmful stress.

Intervention studies have shown that self-affirmations have led people to increase their physical behavior. There are also “healing affirmations,” which are based on the idea that your thoughts can influence your health for the better, sometimes practiced by those with serious illness conditions.

Positive affirmations can help us react with less resistance and defensiveness to “threatening” information or messages.

Positive affirmations can be used by anyone in any walk of life, and they have been linked to increased academic achievement in students.

Self-affirmation has been shown to reduce overthinking as well. As you focus on positive thoughts, the power of optimism helps override the flow of bad thoughts.

We can become more resilient to difficulties when they arise and in whatever form—whether it’s social pressures, health information, or feelings of exclusion—and construct a better narrative.

The goal: an adaptive, broad sense of self

Bridge statements
If you struggle badly with body image, then instead of making the drastic leap from “I’m ugly” to “I’m gorgeous,” starting with something more akin to, “It’s possible that I’m overreacting. I am not as ugly as I think I am.” It’s about opening up space for another possibility.

Stay away on contents that makes you to feel bad about yourself, like in social media. Sometimes it can be believably affirm that our own happiness in comparison with others.

First acknowledge that while thoughts shape your identity, you are not your thoughts. Thoughts gain power when they’re given words, but they ultimately manifest in actions. Negative thoughts may persist, but giving words only to the positive ones will help cut off their power.

There are no strict rules, but daily practice is proven to be most effective. Some psychotherapists encourage three to five times daily.

To effectively impact your self-esteem, your affirmations should be positively targeted at things you consider important to you. It can be targeted at body image, work life, anxiety, pregnancy, marriage, etc.

Some people use the terms positive affirmation and mantra interchangeably, but mantras are sacred words, sounds, or verses that are more spiritual, whereas affirmations hold no spiritual or religious meaning in the traditional sense.

“I am confident and capable at what I do.” “Nobody but me decides how I feel.” “My body is amazing just the way it is, and I accept myself this way.” “I am enough.” “I am loved.”

While practicing affirmations, take deep, slow breaths to center you in the moment and the words you’re saying. The more you practice, the more natural it will feel.

You can write them in a journal or on cards that you can carry with you all day as a useful reminder when you’re on the go.

Mornings are often cited as the best time to practice positive affirmations, specifically when you take your first look at yourself in the mirror. You can shape how the rest of your day goes and boost your self-esteem. Try, “Today, I am brimming with energy and overflowing with joy.”

You can use a guided meditation that helps you with your positive affirmations while also easing you into a relaxed state that makes you more receptive to them.

I did saw this one on a public toilet, “My body is amazing just the way it is, and I accept myself this way.” so I decided to have it written on, on our company’s toilet as well.

[Phoenix]

Listening Schedule

Dragon Reborn RED Multistage Stage 1
15 mins, Sunday, 7 days break after 21 days

A business models important term, from “value proposition” to “value architecture,” this one plays a critical role in shaping how businesses create, deliver and capture value. they are foundational ideas that help us understand how companies strategize, innovate and thrive in a competitive landscape. By becoming familiar with these concepts, you’ll gain valuable insights into the mechanics of business success and the strategies that drive growth and efficiency.

1. Business model: A plan for how a company makes money and provides value to customers, including what it sells, how it sells it and who buys it

2. Business model innovation: Creating new ways for a company to do business or make money by altering its existing model

3. Business model disruption: When a new business model transforms the way business is conducted by making existing models obsolete or significantly less competitive

4. Business model archetypes: Common patterns of how companies operate, like subscription services or marketplaces

5. Value creation: Making something valuable for customers by meeting their needs or solving their problems, and adding worth through features

6. Value delivery: How a company arranges its operations to provide its products or services to customers, ensuring they receive what was promised and in a way that meets their needs

7. Value capture: The way a company keeps some of the value it creates, often through strategies like pricing, cost advantage, or competitive differentiation

8. Value architecture: The internal structured organization of a company’s value chain, key resources and key processes to effectively deliver value to its customers and stakeholders, thereby creating and sustaining a competitive advantage

9. Value migration: When the value or profit in an industry shifts from one company or area to another due to changes in technology or customer preferences, like migrating from cash to digital payments

10. Value proposition: The main benefit or reason why customers would choose a company’s product or service over others

11. Target market: A specific group of people that a company aims to reach with its products or services; the customers who are most likely to buy what the company is selling

12. Channels: The ways a company gets its products or services to customers, such as online, in stores, or through direct sales

13. Customer bonding strategy: A plan used by companies to build a strong connection with their customers, involving strategies designed to get customers to learn about the product, try it out and then buy it repeatedly

14. Revenue model: The specific way a company makes money from its customers, such as through one-time purchases or ongoing subscriptions

15. Value chain: The steps a company takes to create and deliver a product or service, from production to delivery, including both primary activities (such as production, marketing and distribution) and support activities (such as procurement, technology development and human resources) within the organization

16. Key processes: The main tasks that a company performs routinely and regularly to achieve its objectives and deliver value to customers

17. Key resources: Important assets a company needs to run its business, like money, staff, knowledge or technology

18. Key commentators: Collaborations with external entities that help a company achieve its goals

19. Reconfiguration for innovation: The dual aspect of initiating new approaches while eliminating those that are no longer relevant

20. Cost structure: The costs a company has to pay to operate, including both fixed costs (like rent) and variable costs (like raw materials)

21. Strategic alliances: Partnerships between companies to work together on certain projects or goals

22. Strategic intent: A clear and focused long-term goal that guides a company’s actions and decisions

23. Strategic fit: How well resources and strategy match the needs and changes in the market

24. Strategic drift: When a strategy slowly becomes outdated because it doesn’t adjust to changes in the market

25. Strategic flexibility: The ability of a company to change its strategies and operations quickly in response to new challenges

26. Dynamic capabilities: The ability to adapt and change quickly in response to new challenges or opportunities by sensing emerging trends, seizing opportunities and transforming processes or strategies accordingly

27. Resource-based view: A way of thinking that focuses on using a company’s unique resources to gain an advantage over competitors

28. Scenario planning: Preparing for different future possibilities by creating plans for various potential outcomes

29. Market-driven strategy: A strategy focused on identifying and satisfying the needs, preferences and behaviors of customers in the served market to maintain competitiveness

30. Market-driving strategy: A strategy focused on identifying and targeting new or under-served markets, rather than competing in crowded or saturated markets

31. Blue ocean strategy: A type of market-driving strategy focusing on creating new market space while simultaneously pursuing differentiation and low cost

32. Innovation: Comprising two essential elements —new value and commercial success. New value must be pioneering within the industry, not merely being a company’s first attempt

33. Disruptive innovation: A negative-sum approach to innovation and growth that involves new technologies or ideas that change how things are done in an industry, replacing older methods or established companies

34. Non-disruptive creation: A positive-sum approach to innovation and growth that involves creation of a brand-new market outside or beyond the boundaries of existing industries (without disruption or destruction)

35. Sustaining innovation: Making gradual improvements to existing products, services, or processes within a current market

36. Open innovation: Using ideas and technologies from outside the company to improve its own products and processes

37. Reverse innovation: Developing new products in emerging markets and then bringing them to developed markets

38. Innovation ecosystem: A network of companies, researchers and other groups that work together to create new ideas and technologies

39. Differentiation strategy: Offering unique products or services that stand out from competitors, allowing the company to charge higher prices

40. Cost leadership: A strategy where a company aims to be the lowest-cost producer in its industry, allowing it to offer lower prices

41. Network effects: When a product or service becomes more valuable as more people use it, like social media platforms

42. Disintermediation: Cutting out the middlemen in a process; for example, instead of buying a product through a retailer, buying it directly from the manufacturer

43. Razor blade model: When a company sells a main product at a low price but makes money from selling related items that are needed to use the main product, like selling a cheap razor but charging more for replacement blades

44. Freemium model: A way of pricing where you can use a basic version of a service for free, but if you want extra features or more advanced options, you have to pay for them, like using Spotify and Dropbox

45. Subscription model: A way of paying for a service or product where you make regular payments, like monthly or yearly, instead of buying it all at once (for example, Netflix and Converge Fiber)

46. Platform business model: A system where a company provides a space for others to connect and interact, like online marketplaces or social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn

47. Consumer-to-manufacturer model: Consumers are allowed to give their ideas or requests directly to manufacturers, so that the latter can make products that better match what customers want (examples: Dell and Nike by You)

48. Peer-to-peer model: This model allows people to buy and sell directly from each other, without a middleman, like renting a room or a car using an app like Airbnb and Grab.

49. Consumer-to-consumer model: Also known as the marketplace model, this is when people sell products or services to other people, like using websites or apps where individuals can buy and sell items directly to one another

50. Business-to-consumer model: Businesses selling products or services straight to individual customers

My ongoing journey of discovery and growth! - I love to read a lot of articles.

[Phoenix]

Listening Schedule

Dragon Reborn RED Multistage Stage 1
15 mins, Sunday, 7 days break after 21 days

Having an open mind is generally considered a good character trait. We are generally attracted to people who are willing and able to acknowledge different perspectives and points of view. But while we may think we’re open-minded, we all have our own preconceived notions.

To be more open-minded, a good place to start is to embrace something entirely foreign to you. It needn’t be anything particularly daunting.

It can be something as simple as reading a book you’ve never heard of, or signing up to a new exercise class at the gym.

A common trait of close-minded people is that they tend to form negative opinions on things they know nothing about.

Next time you find yourself taking a negative stance on something, ask yourself what facts you have to back your opinion up. This should help you stay open to new things. A good policy is to say yes to more invitations. You don’t have to accept everything, but try to go for at least 50%.

If possible, try and accept invitations to a wide variety of events (not just parties), as this is the best way to broaden your horizons. Yes, being sociable. An important step is to acknowledge other people’s opinions. This applies to all areas of life, from religion to diet.

Acknowledging other people’s opinions does not mean that you have to change your own, it simply requires you to see things from and respect another person’s perspective.

Another common trait of close-minded people is to focus on the negatives. Try and counter this by focusing on the good that can be found in each situation.

Mixing up your routine is a simple way to open up your mind and remind yourself that there is more than one way of living your life. Again, it needn’t be anything big. Try to read a variety of different media, from books to magazines and blogs.

This one is perhaps a little trickier since it involves money, but it is a good idea to travel if you can. Visiting another country is a great way to explore different cultures.

If you have a limited budget, why not travel to a location just a few hours away from where you live? You’ll still be able to have fun and hopefully learn something new.

It is very important that we all get out of our comfort zone once in a while. Choose something that makes you uncomfortable, and run towards it.

Make a list of five things that make you uncomfortable and try to tick them all off.

Judging someone before you get to know them is closed-minded behavior and should be avoided at all costs. Try always to chat with a person before forming any sort of opinion.

By giving everyone a chance, you’ll open yourself up to the possibility of more valuable relationships that will enrich your life.

Remember that you can learn something new from every person you speak to. Whether it’s an old friend or a brand new colleague, make sure to ask them a question.

A good way to broaden your horizons is to make friends with people from all different walks of life. You can of course keep your old friends too, but it can’t hurt to branch out.

Why not strike up a conversation with someone at your yoga class, or approach a colleague you’ve not spoken to before? You’ll be surprised how it can enrich your life.

Dragons Nest with Gold eggs

Listening Schedule

Dragon Reborn RED Multistage Stage 1 15 mins, Sunday, 7 days break after 21 days

I noticed some people when they order food or other paid services they usually used an alias or we can call it a celebrity name. Well, for privacy sake it was a good idea. I wonder how and why we should separate our identity from work. When someone asks you who you are, what do you say? Most people respond with what they do as a job. Having passion for what you do is good, but it’s all too easy…

This one is related to not knocking something before you’ve tried it. It is a good idea when you hear something you don’t agree with to give yourself a moment.

Use that moment (or few moments) to consider all the arguments carefully and hopefully come to a more deliberated opinion.

Even if you think you are an expert on a given topic, it is a good idea to practice intellectual humility. This is about recognizing that the brain is imperfect and we all have things to learn.

Everyone you will ever meet knows something that you don’t.

There are things you can do to encourage open-mindedness in other people, too. If you want to do this, try to avoid arguing with people and always be respectful.

If you avoid arguing, people are less likely to feel attacked, and they will therefore have the space and willingness to adopt an open frame of mind.

[Phoenix]

Listening Schedule

Dragon Reborn RED Multistage Stage 1
15 mins, Sunday, 7 days break after 21 days

Birds of same feather, flock together

The phrase originally “birds of a feather flock together” refers to the natural phenomena of a single bird species flying in groups or flocks. These flocks, or called murmurations, can become quite dense as thousands of birds join in together. The reasoning behind this, is that there is safety in numbers. Together, the birds are stronger and safer from predators than they are separately.

People usually join together with those they feel had similar interests to them, and together, they can face what comes as a group. Similarly after an exposure with Emperor, I tend to be alone, working alone, but I often decide to socialize when I’m ready to f*ck.

I don’t choose to what type of people to mingle around but I often noticed I always end up with people having the same interest as I do, and people that I used to have some time before are less interested on me.

On social media I have a lot of followers even though I seldom posts, or interact with what people are sharing. And my likes are very different too, one of my closed friends had told me that I loved liking babies at social media.

Usually I would block bad news, wars, corruptions and the likes. I don’t participate on minor inconvenience.

A Theory of Human Motivation | Abraham Maslow
He pitched that humans needs/motivation generally move in five stages.

• Physiological (food, water, warmth, rest)
• Safety (Security, safety)
• Belonging & love (relationships, friends)
• Esteem (prestige, the feeling of accomplishment)
• Self-Actualization (achieving one’s full potential)

The first three stages are common for us all. It’s the last two stages that talk about accomplishment, achieving potential where we differ from them.

These are the stages that define our professional life and we love to work with people who have similar tastes, interests but we are also easily adaptable if interests differ.

If you are doing where your passion resides meeting of interests and tastes with your colleagues doesn’t matter, we adapt, we flock, or f*ck.

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Byrdes of on kynde and color flok and flye together.

[RVconsultant]

Stephen Covey also has books that might help with management.

[Phoenix]

Listening Schedule

Dragon Reborn RED Multistage Stage 1
15 mins, Sunday, 7 days break after 21 days

There are Four Types of Intelligence

Each of these types of quotients (or intelligence) are needed by entrepreneurs.
I only know two of them, IQ and EQ.

Preparation | intelligence quotient (IQ), the capacity to think and reason;
Marketing | creativity quotient (CQ), the capacity to innovate;
Execution | emotional quotient (EQ), the capacity to sense and empathize; and
Self-leadership | adversity quotient (AQ), the capacity to recover and make progress.

In the entrepreneurial landscape, success relies on a delicate interplay of four essential quotients.

It does not mean that IQ is only needed at the preparation gate or CQ is only needed during the marketing gate, though it may be that these specific capacities will be needed most during a particular gate.

The same goes with EQ and AQ. For bigger business ventures, one way of solving lack of capacity is to get business partners who can oversee some functions. For instance, one can oversee finance, another can be in marketing and another in execution or operations. It is rare that one person possesses all the capacities.

[Phoenix]

Listening Schedule

Dragon Reborn RED Multistage Stage 1
15 mins, Sunday, 7 days break after 21 days

The Four Areas of Negligence

A failure in self-leadership is typically associated with the failure to learn, lead and love, and this includes not just love for others but also for one’s self. Instead of evaluating and redirecting until things are done right, there are people who limit themselves and their own potential.

A failure in preparation is typically associated with the failure to source, to sense and to socialize. Instead of careful deliberation, focused reflections and purposeful networking and relationship building that could be powerful sources of information, assumptions are substituted and unchallenged, and fatal shortcuts are resorted to.

A failure in marketing is typically associated with the failure to converse, to differentiate and to communicate. Instead of being customer-centered, personal preferences and uninspired works are promoted. Standard testing of concepts and messages is not done, perhaps due to the proponent blindly falling in love with his or her own idea too much.

A failure in execution is typically associated with the failure to organize, systematize and humanize. Instead of increasing needed capabilities and reducing uncertainties, relevant data (especially when not readily available) is not sought or pursued.

When implementation is left to inexperienced people, when there are delays due to analysis paralysis, or when stakeholders are constantly treated in transactional mode, instead of building relationships—expect that the strategy will fail because of poor implementation.

While starting to be an entrepreneur may be easy, succeeding as one is not.

It is not enough to learn about the key factors for business success.

Entrepreneurs need to be aware of possible negligence in certain areas that can be barriers to sustainable progress in their businesses.

[Phoenix]

Listening Schedule

Dragon Reborn RED Multistage Stage 1
15 mins, Sunday, 7 days break after 21 days

The Four-Gate Model of Entrepreneurship

In order that the promise of financial independence, personal freedom and the realization of their deepest desires, entrepreneurs must sustain passing through four gates leading to the “House of Prosperity”.

Preparation (Gate 1) should be complemented by execution (Gate 3).

Without an action orientation (or sometimes being too much of a perfectionist) to implement, there will be inertia and therefore, many missed opportunities.

Even if entrepreneurs have passed through the first gate, they must navigate subsequent gates for sustained success.

For instance, a well-prepared plan (Gate 1) that is poorly or inadequately executed (Gate 3) can result in disastrous consequences.

Failing to progress through any gate disrupts momentum, underscoring the significance of self-leadership or the final gate, which is dependent on personal discipline.

Investors often scrutinize entrepreneurs’ personal qualities to gauge their emotional and adversity quotients. The ability to execute and bounce back from challenges is a crucial trait observed among successful entrepreneurs.

In between preparation and execution is marketing (Gate 2). Without good marketing, businesses will struggle to connect with their target audience, unable to differentiate their offering or incapable of effectively communicating their value proposition—all impacting their ability to attract and retain customers.

Self-leadership (Gate 4) becomes particularly evident during a crisis.

Without self-leadership, individuals will struggle in dealing with challenges effectively.

Leaders should remain resilient and agile amidst obstacles and in constantly changing environments.

The Gatekeepers

On each gate, there are gatekeepers with different interests and expectations. “CEO” is sometimes an acronym for (managing) customers, employees and owners. The entrepreneur-CEO needs to find a good balance based on what is valuable to each party.

Preparation | Owners and stockholders interested in profit and dividend.
Marketing | Customers interested in quality and good price.
Execution | Employees interested in high pay and work-life balance.
Self-leadership | One’s self interested in fulfillment.

Going into the gates, is not always linear. It stands as the embodiment of the goals and symbols of business and personal success for every aspiring entrepreneur.

This model eluded most entrepreneurs because of lack of balance and foresight, and must be emphasized early for the awareness of entrepreneurs to become better.

[Phoenix]

Listening Schedule

Dragon Reborn RED Multistage Stage 1
15 mins, Sunday, 7 days break after 21 days

The PMESs to a successful entrepreneurship

Preparation

• Money. The cash (or equivalent) component that creates the cycle of wealth conversion and prosperity.
• Model. The business model or the big-picture plan to generate sales revenues, profit, cash flow and growth, as well as the blueprint on how to scale up.
• Mentors. The experienced advisers who can add value to the entrepreneur by giving sound guidance to increase competency, lessen risks and help open more opportunities for the entrepreneur to succeed.

Marketing

• Mindset. It is about beliefs—that innovation is better than commoditization, is better than being just an entrepreneur.
• Market. The set of buyers that an entrepreneur focuses attention on, starting from a beachhead market in the beginning, and then adjacent markets for future expansion.
• Message. The brand positioning that will be communicated to persuade the target customers to buy.

Execution

• Machinery. An organization structure that can deliver the value planned.
• Methods. Systems and processes that provide the entrepreneur information and control.
• Management skills. The ability to carry out the plans through people, rewards and leadership.

Self-leadership

• Moving forward. Having the grit to continue the business despite obstacles.
• Mission. The purpose or the reason why the business exists beyond making profit.
• Mastery. Building capabilities, knowing the nuts and bolts of the business well and eliminating gaps in the know-how.

[Phoenix]

Listening Schedule

Dragon Reborn RED Multistage Stage 1
15 mins, Sunday, 7 days break after 21 days

I become a voracious reader, I can’t leave home without carrying any books and I always carry a notebook and pen with me. I crave for peanuts and chocolate a lot. I will be switching to stage 2 after a washout.

A few days ago @RVconsultant suggest Stephen R. Covey and I took some time searching, he got old books but very valuable ones. I bought the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Again thank you so much for this suggestion @RVconsultant.

Habit 1 | Be Pro-active
Assume responsibility and focus on the things that can be influenced rather than what can’t.

Between stimulus and response lies your ability to choose

How to react, and that nothing can hurt a person without the person’s consent.

Recognizing one’s circle of influence and circle of concern.
To focus one’s responses and focusing on the center of one’s influence.

Habit 2 | Begin With the End in Mind
Define clear measures for success and create a plan to achieve them—in the next few hours, over the next few months, or across a lifetime.

To be effective one needs to act based on principles and constantly review one’s mission statements.

Habit 3 | Put First Things First
Prioritize and spend time on achieving the most important goals.

What is important versus what is urgent

Quadrant I. Urgent and important (Do) – important deadlines and crises
Quadrant II. Not urgent but important (Plan) – long-term development
Quadrant III. Urgent but not important (Delegate) – distractions with deadlines
Quadrant IV. Not urgent and not important (Eliminate) – frivolous distractions

Habit 4 | Think Win-Win
Approach each situation looking for ways everyone can win.

Valuing and respecting people by seeking a “win” for all is ultimately a better long-term resolution than if only one person in the situation gets their way.

Habit 5 | Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
Listen, understand, and honor others’ perspectives, and have the courage to express thoughts and feelings respectfully.

Habit 6 | Synergize
Leverage diverse perspectives to solve problems, innovate, and achieve more than any one individual alone.

Use empathetic listening to genuinely understand a person, which compels them to reciprocate the listening and take an open mind to be influenced.

Habit 7 | Sharpen the Saw
Increase motivation, energy, and vitality by making time for renewal activities.

One should balance and renew one’s resources, energy, and health to create a sustainable, long-term, effective lifestyle. one must continue consistently educating the conscience with increasing levels in order to grow and develop on the upward spiral.

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This is a self-improvement book. He believe that the way we see the world is entirely based on our own perceptions. In order to change a given situation, we must change ourselves, and in order to change ourselves, we must be able to change our perceptions.

True success is more than just achieving wealth or fame. Instead, it necessitates personal growth and fulfillment.

A paradigm shift is necessary to cultivate effective habits. These models for perception and understanding shape how we view and interact with the world. Principles as fundamental truths you must live and internalize to achieve lasting success. Principles, such as integrity, humility, and continuous learning, essential for personal effectiveness.

Many seek quick solutions to problems through shortcuts and techniques from successful individuals or organizations.

However, shortcuts often fail to address the root cause of the problem. Instead, the problem lies in how you perceive it. To bring about genuine and lasting change, you need to undergo a paradigm shift. That means changing your fundamental beliefs, assumptions, and values.

[Phoenix]

Listening Schedule

Dragon Reborn RED Multistage Stage 1
15 mins, Sunday, 7 days break after 21 days

Experienced during washout | There are always a strong urge to do productive things.

Differences among market, market segmentation and target market

It’s important to define the target market accurately, as it directly impacts the value proposition and pricing strategy. An erroneous target market definition can detrimentally affect product/service offerings and financial sustainability.

• Understand the perspectives and needs of all stakeholders, including both end-users and channels/merchants.

What is good for the consumers may not be good for the channel.

The merchants value brand loyalty and control over rewards redemption.

• Potential market is one where you can best satisfy their needs continuously, so a target market should offer mutual benefits and support the overall business strategy.

Avoid buyer’s remorse.

Correcting missteps is essential for business resilience and growth. One must recognized the ineffectiveness of its initial target market strategy and promptly pivoted its business model to address merchant concerns. The promptness of this pivot enabled its revenue to soar.

Market segmentation
Market segmentation is the act of dividing a market into smaller markets, each different from another but each sharing commonality within. Market segments help the firm analyze the market needs better.

Target market is a homogeneous group of people who are most likely to appreciate and benefit from what the business offers. Identifying the target market is the step following market segmentation, after which a positioning message is crafted.

Culture and traditions can be fundamental aspects of societal practices, yet they are influenced by laws, trends, complementary products, discretionary income, price and education— all of which shape consumer preferences and expectations.

With more awareness on health and the implementation of government bans on public smoking, cigarettes have been removed from this tradition.

Concerns about animal cruelty have led to the removal of the dove ritual.

Due to evolving ethical and environmental concerns, many progressive hotels and restaurants have removed shark fin from their menu.

Choosing target market
There are four key criteria to choose the target market.

F.A.S.T.: fit, accessible, scalable and triumphal/winnable.

• Fit | The value of the solution to the target market. The “fit” either solves their current pain points or makes them want to avoid the pain points, or embrace the pleasure point in the future by buying the offer.

• Accessible | It means your target market can be identified and quantified, and there are ways to connect with them. Consider your sales model when you start identifying your target market.

• Scalable | It is about growing an attractive market. A scalable business model cannot happen if you don’t have a scalable target market. One way is to do a “benefit segmentation” that combines different market segments with common needs.

• Triumphal | It is about winning in the marketplace: winning against competitors and substitutes alike, and winning for profit sustainably as well. To win, identify a market where there is a reasonable time to close a sale, even better if the market has the urgency to buy, and is willing to pay your price and pay promptly. This can ensure both your profitability and cash flow.

Depending on your resources, it is possible to start in a much smaller but winnable beachhead market before entering the target market.

Choosing a profitable target market is often wiser than going after high sales in a fiercely competitive space. Steer away from the “red ocean,” where everyone competes on price or promotions, but makes little or no profit. It is a zero-sum game where nobody wins. So, avoid the following actions as much as possible unless you have the resources and can benefit from it the most:

• Enter a market that is price or promo-driven.

• Launch a price or promo war.

Give more weight to financial and value soundness, which are essential ingredients for long-term success because you offer a different but legitimate customer value.

Do not use good money to run after bad money.