Self-Improvement Archives

Focus on Your Strengths, Not Your Weaknesses

Do you work hard to overcome your weak points? What if you focused on your strong points instead? An accompaniment to Gallup’s popular online strengths test, StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath helps you understand and implement your test results to maximize your potential. Both the test and book are based on the idea that you shouldn’t try to correct your weaknesses—as most schools and workplaces have you do—but should rather build upon your strongest innate abilities. Doing this gives you the greatest chance of succeeding in whatever you pursue. Here’s more on why you should focus on your strengths, not

What Are Process Goals? The Key to Creativity

What are process goals? Why do process goals help stimulate creativity? In Keep Going, artist Austin Kleon says that creative people benefit from creating process goals. While outcome goals make creating work a means to an end, process goals make creating work an exciting and joyful experience. Check out how to pursue process goals to embrace your creative side.

3 Motivation Tips for Struggling Artists

Are you an artist struggling with motivation? What advice does artist Austin Kleon give on persevering through hard times? In Show Your Work!, Austin Kleon emphasizes that being an artist isn’t easy. However, he offers three tips to help you stay motivated: maintain momentum, refresh and recharge, and reframe your past work. Keep reading to learn artist motivation tips from Show Your Work!.

What Is the Law of Karma? Gary Zukav Explains

What is the law of karma? What impact does it have on your life? How can you balance your karmic debt? The Seat of the Soul is Gary Zukav’s best-selling exploration of the soul’s evolutionary journey through the material realm. He explains what karma is and discusses the power it has in your life—and what power you have to affect it. He also talks about how to balance your soul’s karmic debt. Read more to learn about Zukav’s understanding of karma.

How to Cultivate Creativity: 4 Tips for Creative Freedom

Is your creativity getting you anywhere? What’s getting in your way on your path toward creative power and independence? In the book Mastery, Robert Greene identifies creative independence as the second stage of mastery. It comes after you’ve established a foundation of skills and knowledge—when you’ve come to a point where you can apply these in your own way. He offers four tips on how to cultivate creativity: commit to a creative project, keep your mind flexible, create a major insight, and overcome emotional obstacles. Keep reading for details on these recommendations.

StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath: Overview & Exercise

What’s the problem with modern self-improvement? How does the StrengthsFinder 2.0 assessment address this shortcoming? StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath is a companion book to Gallup’s widely-used online strengths test—formerly called StrengthsFinder 2.0 and now called CliftonStrengths. This isn’t your average personality test: Rather than helping you pinpoint your weak spots, the Strengths Test helps you find your greatest strengths. Tom Rath, who’s written several bestselling self-help books (including How Full Is Your Bucket?), argues that, to be truly successful, you must channel your energy toward capitalizing on existing talents rather than working to eliminate weaknesses. Here’s our overview of

2 Ways to Disconnect From the World to Be Creative

Are you constantly distracted? Do you need a place to air out your creativity? In Keep Going, artist Austin Kleon advises disconnecting from the world to be your most creative self. To disconnect, he says to make a creative space and slow down your life. Here’s how to disconnect from the world and connect with your inner artist.

3 Benefits of Having a Mentor: Accelerate Your Learning

Do you want to enrich your growth? Have you considered finding a mentor? While self-directed learning can take you far, Robert Greene asserts that finding a mentor will accelerate and enrich your learning. He identifies three benefits of having a mentor, explains how you should go about finding one, and discusses when it’s time to move on from that relationship. Keep reading for more on mentorship.

Keep Going by Austin Kleon: Overview and Takeaways

What is Keep Going by Austin Kleon about? What are the main takeaways of the book? In Keep Going, Austin Kleon provides methods for overcoming emotional obstacles to creativity. He suggests an approach to creativity that finds joy in the process of making art, rather than the external rewards it might bring you. Keep reading for a brief overview of Keep Going.

Outcome Goals: Examples + Why They’re Harmful

What are examples of outcome goals? Why should you avoid pursuing outcome goals? According to Austin Kleon in his book Keep Going, outcome goals are unhealthy because they focus more on the result and less on the process. This especially applies to people working on a creative project. Here are two outcome goals examples and why Kleon says you should avoid them.