If you’re looking for a way to increase your salary, get a raise, or get that promotion you’ve been eyeing, then upskilling should be on your radar. If it is, then this page is for you, as it covers the best upskilling platforms that can level up your earning power. Choosing the right one is crucial to maximizing your time and money, which is why’ve created this guide that ranks and reviews the best upskilling platforms for you.

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In this guide, we rank and review the 3 best upskilling platforms. Certainly, there are many additional platforms to consider; however, per our research, these are the best of the best.

We may add more to the list at a later date; but we wanted to save you time so that you can pick the best one for yourself, start upskilling.

That said, if you’re ready to learn more about the best upskilling platforms that will actually help you increase your income, let’s get started:

BEST UPSKILLING PLATFORMS

1. Coursera

Coursera is our top pick when it comes to upskilling platforms. One of the reasons we love their platform so much is because of the variety of courses they offer (over 5,800).

Another reason we love them is because of the learn for free option. With Coursera, you can take almost any course they offer for free.

Of course, there is a catch. If you go the free route, you get the skills but not the credentials.

So, you only have to pay if you want the certification or grading that comes with the program. The great news is the program is extremely affordable.

Coursera Pricing:

Speaking of affordability, let’s talk about Coursera’s pricing. They offer their students guided projects, which start at around $9.99.

Coursera also offers professional certificates which start at roughly $39.99 per month. If you plan to use their site heavily, you can opt for an entire year’s worth of courses for approximately $399, which is roughly $81 dollars cheaper if you used them for a whole year on their monthly plan.

One last thing on pricing is that they even offer degrees, which start at $9,000.

Here’s What People Are Saying About Coursera:

• “I have nothing but good things to say about my experience with Coursera. I have loved the learning I have been able to do and look forward to taking many more classes with them.” – Denise
• “Coursera is the best learning platform that offers high-quality courses. There are no deadlines or restrictions to finish the studies. You can learn from anywhere, at any time, on any device. We can access multiple courses at a time. We can catch up on material at our convenience.” – Nalli N.
• “I have been using coursera to learn R and data analysis skills. This has proven so helpful in learning this through step by step instructions and has given me some certificates that make strong additions to a resume.” – Andrew J.

Key Features:

Some of the key features I liked best about Coursera, is that they offer such a vast array of high demand skills to choose from. They offer data analytics, digital marketing, project management, cyber security, you name it.

Another key feature was that fact that they had partnerships with major Universities. This added credibility to their programs, and it instilled confidence that what I was learning was useful.

Currently, Coursera partners with over 300 different universities and companies, to create the high-quality courses they offers. Here’s a small sample, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg:

Overall Feeling:

Overall, I recommend the Coursera platform as my #1 choice for upskilling platforms. It’s affordable, credible, and can be done at your own pace.

I also love the fact that if you finish your courses early, you can actually save money when using the monthly plans.

Hands down, this platform can help you learn key skills that employers want. And it can help you gain the certifications and technical know-how to level up your income and salary.

2. Udacity

Udacity is a powerhouse when it comes to digital upskilling. They started out as a company that offered free AI classes back in 2011 via Sandford University.

The demand for their courses grew so fast, that they decided to pivot and create a platform that offered their transformative education to more people. Now, they’re a leader in the creation of job-ready digital skills that empower people all over the world.

Udacity Pricing:

Udacity offers a handful of programs to students free of charge. And they are high quality programs too.

But they also offer some high-powered courses and certification programs. Their flagship certifications are known as nanodegrees.

You can pay monthly as you move through their courses at your own pace for $399 per month.

Or you can opt to purchase three month’s worth of access to their platform for $1,017. Why three months? Because that’s how long it typically takes to complete their programs.

That said, some of their more advanced programs, like Data Science or Machine Learning offer 4 and 5 month packages, and charge $1,356 and $1,695, respectively.

Here’s What People Are Saying About Udacity:

• “Excellent Program! I was a bit hesitant in enrolling at first but I’m glad I did it. The content is well structured and the pace at which you take in new information is just right.” – Tamim N.
• “Excellent program so far. The exercise notebooks were good and demanding enough to require the learner to really internalize new concepts and look things up on their own as they would on the job.” – Tom
• “I am super satisfied with the program. The schedule is totally relatable and realistic, and the videos are well balanced between explaining what is necessary and not making it too basic.” – Elisa

Key Features:

Udacity offers up courses that provide its users with knowledge that is highly relevant in the marketplace. In fact, most of their programs strive to provide its students with the skills needed to achieve $100K+ tech careers. On top of that, their aim is to do it in as little as 3 months.

Another great feature of Udacity is that their programs are co-created with some of the world’s most innovative companies. This gives every graduate of their program a real advantage in the marketplace.

One last great feature is their mentorship program. Udacity provides 24/7 access to mentors who are typically on standby to help you with your work, should you get stuck.

Overall Feeling:

Udacity is a legit upskilling platform. It’s not a program for the uninitiated. It’s for serious seekers of knowledge, and money-making skills.

As such, my overall assessment of Udacity is high. The only reason I’d recommend Coursera over this program is because of the price point.

However, if you’re seeking to jump into a completely new career in the shortest amount of time possible, then this program is preferable. It’s also preferable if you’re looking to grow any ai, deep learning, or programming-related skillset rapidly.

That said, Udacity is worth trying out.

3. EdX

EdX has been around since 2012. It was founded by scientists from MIT and Harvard as an experiment to provide every single person the opportunity to acquire the world’s best education.

The organization’s aim these days is to transform ambition into impact by connect millions of people with affordable, career relevant opportunities.

EdX offers over 4,200 online courses, 300+ programs, and partners with educational heavyweights like Harvard, MIT, Boston University. They also partner with corporate heavyweights like Google, IBM, and Meta.

That said, edX is for serious learners who are looking to gain verifiable certifications, or have their courses count towards credit at more formal educational institutions like college or universities.

EdX Pricing:

Again, edX offers some serious educational and upskilling options. You can get a master’s degree through them with a starting point of around $10K, that can dip into the mid $20K range.

They also offer micromaster’s programs which are around $600 to $1500.

Then they have microbachelor’s programs which similarly priced to the micromaster’s program.

As mentioned earlier, edX also offers certification programs. And their price point starts as low as $150, but can get up into the $1000’s depending on the program.

If you’re looking for college credit, they offer a program called the Global Freshman Academey which charges around $200 per credit.

Here’s What People Are Saying About EdX:

• “Honestly edX is my favourite site to do these courses. The fee you pay for the certificates if you go that route are indefinite, so you can do the course as you please. Other sites you would have to pay monthly and depending if you don’t complete within the month you’ll only pay more. So, price wise really good.” – edX Learner
• “I have been a student since the early days of edX. I have learned so much from high-quality courses delivered on the edX platform, taught by top-notch universities and industry partners all over the world. In the COVID19 #stayhome season, edX gave more learning opportunities. I cannot recommend edX enough!” – David
• “The MIT courses were excellent. The same content as the university but broken into digestible chunks with concept checks along the way. I found the deadlines challenging but not overwhelming. Also, so much more convenient than commuting to a campus.” – edX Learner

Key Features:

EdX is easy to use, convenient, available on all platforms, and provides employer-recognized certifications. They also offer many free courses if you want to brush up on any subjects or skillsets that will help you be more valuable at work.

This upskilling platform does lean more towards higher education than the other programs; however, if you’re considering going back to school anyway, this platform makes sense to jump onto.

Here are just a handful of their high-caliber educational partners:

Overall Feeling:

Overall, you can’t go wrong with using edX, especially if you have goals to acquire a credential in the form of a degree. They’re affordable, well-known, a provide solid career-based courses, certifications, and degrees that can help you move up in the world.

That said, navigating through the portal and through your courses can seem “clunky” at times. Some students have also mentioned that their experience was slightly complicated.

All in all, however, they are worth giving a try, especially since they offer a 14 day free trial.

Upskilling Runners-Up

Here are some runners-up worthy of your consideration as-well. They are not our top three, but they are still solid upskilling platforms that you can leverage to level-up your skillsets.

One platform I want to call out about his list is SkillShare. They are geared towards improving your creative/design skills. So, if that’s a skill you want to improve upon, they are certainly worth looking into.

• SkillShare (get a free month)
• Udemy
• LinkedIn
• Grow With Google

Final Thoughts

If you’re serious about changing your life, or improving your financial situation, then it is imperative that you focus on upskilling. The only way an employer is going to pay you more money is if you put in more time with the company (which is slow upskilling), or you bring more to the table skill-wise by learning new skills.

When choosing a platform, consider the exact features you need, what your budget can handle, and what your overall end goal is before making your final decision.

“Your Success Will Always Be Measured By The Quality And Quantity Of Service You Render.” –

– Earl Nightingale –

That said, the platforms outlined here are some of the best. They are all relatively affordable, provide high quality learning, and offer certifications that most employers acknowledge and respect.

If you’re ready to increase your skills and potentially your salary, give one of these upskilling platforms a try.

Till you reach your aims,

STRIVE

We all make excuses from time to time. Some people make a whole lot of excuses, while others make little to none. And if you’ve found yourself hopping from one excuse to another more often than you’d like, then this article on how to stop making excuses is for you.

With that being said, if you’re ready to find out how it’s possible to make excuse-making a thing of the past, let’s dive in to find out.

HOW TO STOP MAKING EXCUSES

Do you find yourself saying No to your goals more often than you say Yes? Do you find that when you do follow through with something, you have to continuously make excuses as to why it took so long?

While excuses may seem harmless at first, they only hold you back from achieving your goals and dreams.

The sooner you eliminate them from your life, the sooner you can become the person that accomplishes everything they want in life.

I have good news and bad news… there comes a time in your life when you feel the need to make a shift from making excuses to taking responsibility. And it is never too late to make a change for the better!

Whatever age or phase of your life you may be in, when you stop making excuses, you start to grow exponentially as a person. You start to move from being reactive (nothing is happening in my life) to being proactive (I am capable and responsible to improve this thing in my life).

Yet, beware! Going from making excuses to taking responsibility is not automatic; baby steps & careful effort will get you there. Here are the fundamental tools that will help you change your life with this transition:

To Stop Making Excuses, Dive Deeper

Have you ever wondered why people make excuses? Is it entirely because everyone is too lazy or too irresponsible? Maybe! But here’s the catch: Often, making excuses is a superficial reaction to something deeper that is going on inside us.

We are complex beings and sometimes we hide a lot of our emotions, such as fear, anger, guilt, or stress, under the surface.

Figure out why you’re making an excuse. Write it down. See what you need to process that emotion in a healthy way.

Part of what allows us to make so many excuses is that we don’t always realize how much we use them. Think about your day and note five common reasons you didn’t complete a task or reach a goal. 

When you do it, you might notice something like you can’t work out today because you only had an hour, you didn’t go grocery shopping because you didn’t feel like it, or you couldn’t clean your house yesterday because your sister needed help with her homework. 

You can probably identify your own specific types of excuses after doing something similar for yourself.

By cutting out common excuses—I am too busy, I don’t have enough money, I deserve a break—we give ourselves permission to get things done. 

By setting new boundaries—I will work out at 6 p.m., If I get paid tomorrow then I am allowed to go buy groceries on Sunday morning—we demonstrate our commitment to being successful. 

Sometimes all it takes is recognizing that, instead of being too tired to exercise, maybe you are just not in a hurry right now. Recognizing these patterns in your behavior helps cut through the confusion and allows you to refocus your energy on getting things done right away.

Decide Where You Want to Go

Start with a problem that you want to solve or a goal that you want to achieve. Then ask yourself what you need in order to get there—goals, tools, skills?

Don’t hesitate to do a little research on how to set clear goals. Once you’ve done your research, get to work on making them happen. 

Break down your long-term objective into smaller steps and use your milestones as motivation along the way. You might find it helpful to keep a journal or start a milestone checklist of things you’ve accomplished so far and check off each item when it’s done. 

Celebrate your successes no matter how small!

Related: Lame Excuses That Kill Success

To Stop Making Excuses Take Action

Are you someone who finds yourself making excuses very frequently about something? Here’s a powerful way to stop doing that: Take action, and it doesn’t matter how small the action is. 

When you take that first step, that will help you stop making excuses. Small action steps on a daily basis are an effective way to eliminate those excuses.

Need to write something? Open the document or your notebook and write the first line. Starting a new fitness program? Do one exercise for one minute. Thinking about a change for the better in your career? Write down one reason why you want this.

Set Goals

Taking action is a gradual process. In order to get rid of the vicious cycle of making excuses, set small goals. These goals will act like benchmarks that will give you the necessary push & motivation to keep going. Small steps and small rewards will add up to great results.

So even if the results are too small to be visible right now, your results will be visible over time. I promise!

Embrace The Journey

The process to stop making excuses is one that asks you to challenge yourself to be a better person. It’s worth it so you can enjoy a better life! It is a step-up call that you’re planning to answer. Right?

Stepping out of your comfort zone is totally OK, just remind yourself to enjoy the adventure. And you don’t have to succeed the first time. But every time you try, you will be a step closer to success and closer to your results.

So, instead of being afraid of the changes, embrace the fear & emotions that come with them completely. In many cases, you can re-label the fear as excitement. And let go of any judgment.

Just observe & release. 

Related: No Excuses Quotes

Leverage Your Support Systems

Here’s the thing about making changes in life. Many times we assume (wrongly!) that we have to win all our battles alone. When it comes to stop making excuses, you will benefit from some objective feedback from a wise & neutral person.

This solves the stickiness and gets you into your new, improve habit patterns. If you feel like things are a bit too overwhelming for you right now, trust yourself to reach out.

Remember, all you need to stop making excuses is take that first step. Go make things happen!

Till next time,

STRIVE

Having a good work ethic is something that will aid you in getting further in life. There are countless success stories out there, from celebrities, athletes, and high-powered CEOs, who credit most, if not all of their success, to their strong work ethic. So, that’s what we aim to touch on in this article, how to develop a strong work ethic.

Before we dive into that however, let’s quickly cover the meaning of what having a strong work ethic is. So, here we go:

One’s work ethic is how one approaches and tackles tasks within one’s job and ultimately their career. Having a good work ethic sets apart those who reach the success they desire and those who fall short. Some attributes include punctuality, prioritizing, and professionalism. But by and large, having a good work ethic comes down to believing and that your extra efforts, and your hard work will lead to some form of benefit or reward.

With that being said, no matter which sphere you work in or what your profession may be, there is an emphasis placed on the need for a good work ethic in all working environments.

This is not merely to be found in employees, but is often something good employers and strong leaders should show through example. So, without further delay, let’s dive in and examine some of best steps you can take to develop a strong work ethic for yourself going forward:

HOW TO DEVELOP A STRONG WORK ETHIC

1. Punctuality And Good Time Management

Other things could be placed before this point, but the importance of showing up on time cannot be stressed enough. When it comes to arriving for work or attending meetings, it is of the utmost importance that you show up on time.

This is because it shows that you are invested in what you are doing, and that you are dependable. If you tend to arrive just on time or a few minutes late, be aware that others may translate this as your being lazy or having little desire for your job.

Thus we would recommend examining what is causing you to lack punctuality and then seeking out how to address the issue. This may be as simple as going to bed earlier and waking up half an hour earlier at the start of each day.

Good punctuality and good time management is part and parcel of having a good work ethic.

2. Prioritizing Of Work And Tasks

We know that we can sometimes get overwhelmed by the amount of work that one has before them, and often our instinct is to grab onto the first thing at hand. But, if you can fight off this urge, and aim to prioritize your work and tasks, your productivity will skyrocket.

This is something where not only will it make you more productive, but it will also make your life much easier as well as stress-free.

Your employer or boss will often inform you of what tasks are of higher priority, but this is not always the case. Therefore, it is up to you to create a strategic plan that outlines what is of most importance.

You know your work, and what it entails better than anyone else. So give your tasks some thought when prioritizing them, and then just tick off the work as you go.

This approach will also aid in organizing your life and create less hassle and confusion throughout your days. And trust us, your employer will noticed the difference in you and your work.

3. Taking Initiative

If you really want to know how to improve work ethic, pay attention to this tip about initiative. Here’s why, because in any line of work, the job is never truly done. There will always be more to do, and we can also continually improve and tweak the way we work.

Thus it is essential to be someone who does not merely sit back and wait to be told what to do. If you know that something is required, yet you have not been asked to do it, step out and offer to get started on the task.

If you have ideas on how productivity or general workflow can be improved or any other concepts that you feel may benefit your company and workplace, do not hesitate to approach your boss to make suggestions.

Leadership and good managers are always on the look out for the team member who shows initiative. So decide to be “that person” and you’ll become known for showing initiative as well as the person who has a strong work ethic.

Related: Ways to Take More Action

4. Set Goals For Yourself

To ensure the completion of tasks promptly and to a desirable quality, one needs to have goals set in place. These goals and objectives should be clear and precise, and not too vague.

Before starting on a task, be sure that you know what the requirements are, and if you are unsure, we advise you to query any aspects thereof.

You should have goals that are measurable in some way or form, even if it is merely the timeframe in which to complete them. Your goals should challenge you, but ought to be realistic. Once you know what you need to execute, then you are ready to get started.

5. Take Pride In Your Work

So you are on time, you have prioritized the work, taken initiative, and have clear goals in mind. Now it is time to knuckle down and get the job done. You do not merely want to do the work, but instead, you want to deliver a final product that you can be proud of and which will hopefully even gain you praise.

In other words, take ownership of what you do, and how you do it.

Even at times when you are having a bad day, giving your best at all times is a skill that is sometimes hard to implement consistently, but it can be done. So always be sure to give your best and know that what you offer is commendable.

6. Do Not Fear Making Mistakes

We all slip up and fail at some time in our lives, but that is not the issue. What we are concerned about is how we react to such stumbling blocks. Those with a good work ethic will take the fall with a pinch of salt, dust themselves off and get back on their feet, ready to move on.

If you look at individuals who have achieved greatness, they would be lying if they said they had not failed repeatedly. What sets them apart from others, though, is that they did not let it get to them. So, embrace your failures, learn the lesson and move on to the next task.

7. Professional Behavior And Presentation

Professionalism manifests itself in various ways, from how one carries themselves, appearance, communication with others, and overall conduct. You want to be someone who exudes discipline, trustworthiness, and loyalty, as well as a longing for self-betterment.

An excellent place to start is being respectful towards others and yourself and taking your job seriously. That is not to say that you cannot have fun and enjoy yourself in your work, but realize its importance and constantly strive for excellence.

8. Learn How To Work Well In A Team

A team player will shine in most working environments. There are few jobs out there where you will be working in isolation. So it is a good idea to harness your interpersonal skills and learn how to interact with people in a professional, courteous, and friendly manner.

Team players know how to reach compromises with others, and they realize that they are not the only ones who’s voice has merit. Professionalism really comes into play here as well, and so does learning how best to handle situations where conflict may arise.

So, if you’re serious about improving your work ethic, become obsessed with being a great team player.

9. Eliminate Distractions

In the hectic and fast-paced world in which we live and with the advent of things like social media and extensive means of communication, it’s no wonder there are so many distractions. When it comes to working, you need to focus on the job at hand, and you need to ensure that your personal life does not creep in and draw you from your work.

We are bombarded constantly with notifications and messages, including work-related ones. But, we need to bear the other points in mind our priorities. Why, because people with a good work ethic have their priorities straight. That, and they make sure they focus most of their time on the things that matter.

So set specific times when you will check your emails and such to maintain an uninterrupted workflow. If you can keep your distractions to a minimum, you can ensure your productivity is at its maximum.

10. Maintain A Positive State Of Mind

This one links up with some of the other points, such as not letting failures get to you. If something negative occurs at work, whether that be not meeting a deadline, having a dispute with a colleague, or dealing with a disgruntled boss, try to remain positive.

This is undoubtedly easier in theory, but it does make a massive difference in the end. Do not allow one negative incident set the tone for your whole day. Rather. work through it and then set it aside to tackle what comes next.

Related: Maintaining a Positive State of Mind

Conclusion

We do not all have jobs where we jump out of bed and cannot wait to start the day; this is true. However, by leveraging the work ethic related tips above, you can help yourself have a better experience within the workplace. Here are those tips again in summary to help you internalize them so you can actually improve your work ethic:

1. Be Punctual
2. Prioritize Your Tasks
3. Show Initiative
4. Set Goals For Yourself
5. Take Pride In Your Work
6. Take More Calculated Risks
7. Strive For Professionalism
8. Be a Good Team Player
9. Remove Distractions and Get Focused
10. Have a Positive Mindset

Without a doubt, you will be surprised at how much of a difference a good work ethic has, not only on your job, but on all aspects of your life.

With that being said, here are a handful of other work ethic resources you can use for encouragement and inspiration to level up your work ethic:

• Work Hard & You’ll Succeed
• Work Ethic and Success
• #1 Ingredient For Success
• 10 Characteristics of a Good Work Ethic

Lastly, you don’t have to work 80+ hours a week, and function off of only 5 hours of sleep every night just to prove you have a good work ethic. To develop a strong work ethic, all you have to do is practice a few of these simple steps daily.

And over time your work ethic will gradually improve. Others will soon take note of the changes, and you may just be pleasantly surprised with all the new opportunities that begin flowing your way.

Till next time,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed this article on how to develop a strong work ethic, then you’ll love these work ethic quotes.

Life’s too short to be a negative thinker. Negative thinking decreases the quality of your life, increases stress, and it actually shortens your lifespan._^[1] So, to help you kick that negative habit to the curb, we thought it would be a good idea to address a few advantages of positive thinking, in the hopes that you’ll choose to become one.

Of course, you probably already knew this, considering most of us have been told to stay positive and to think positively since we were kids. But then again, most of us also need from time to time a little reminder to keep us on track to do those things which are best for us.

So, that’s exactly what we intend to do with this article, help you remember the key advantages of positive thinking, so you’ll be more inclined to apply them to your life.

With that said, if you’re ready to strengthen your understanding of the primary benefits of positive thought, so you can get start enjoying them for yourself, then let’s dive right into these key advantages.

TOP 5 ADVANTAGES OF POSITIVE THINKING

1. Better Stress Management in Life

We all deal with stresses of some sort. Stress is after all a part of being human and is something that has to be accepted and dealt with. While it is not always possible to avoid stressors or even to control how much impact they have on our lives, we can control how we react and respond to them.

And believe it or not, striving to stay positive can minimize the negative effects stress has on our lives. Learning to maintain a positive outlook, even during stressful times, can help reduce the mental, emotional, and physical effects stress has.

A great deal of stress for many people comes from situations and events they cannot really do anything about. Therefore, responding to bad situations with a positive focus and intent can help those problems seem less severe and can help them have less impact on us day to day.

In short, staying positive can not only reduce your stress levels, but it can mitigate the negative side effects that stress typically has on our overall health and well-being in both the short and long-term.

2. Improved Levels of Mental Health

One of the key advantages of positive thinking is that it has been shown to directly impact our brains and how they work. Our moods, thought processes, habits, actions, and decisions are all partly based on chemical responses and signals from our brain.

On the other hand, negativity has been shown to cause imbalances with these chemicals, while positivity has been shown to have the opposite effect. It is easy to get swept up into a downward cycle of fear, depression, anxiety, fear, and worry.

One feeds into another and the deeper we sink, the more we feel upset and hopeless.

Thus, seeking out the good in things and events, no matter how small or minor they may seem at the time, can help keep you from sinking into a downward spiral of negative thought and its negative consequences.

3. Better Overall Physical Health

Aside from becoming happier and healthier due to keeping a positive outlook, one of the main benefits of positive thinking can be observed in the physical way a brighter outlook impacts us.

So much of our physical health has now been shown to be directly tied to our mental wellbeing and status.

Keeping your thoughts positive can also help you stay healthier in a very real sense. Stress has a huge impact on our physical bodies, and not in a good way! It can cause issues with blood pressure and blood sugar, it can affect the heart and the brain, and it can make us sick as it weakens the immune system over time.

Thus, keeping a positive outlook day in and day out makes it easier for us to stay healthy and physically fit, and which makes it much easier to live our best possible lives.

4. Improved Career and Job Performance

The advantages of positive thinking are vast and cover many aspects of life, including our career path and our jobs. The same positive effects that we can see when we maintain a positive outlook in our personal lives can also be experienced in our work life as well.

Positivity makes it easier for us to think and plan accordingly to deal with issues and problems that may arise. It can also help us better relate to others and work alongside our co-workers more efficiently.

The positive attitude we emulate can also rub off on others in the office or on the jobsite and make the entire work environment a little better and a bit more tolerable.

Related: State of Mind Poem

5. Better Social and Personal Life

The final example of the benefits of positive thinking that you can enjoy in your busy day-to-day life is an improved social reputation and greater sense of self-confidence. Think about those people in your life who you admire and respect.

Chances are, they are very positively minded people too- negative and depressed people usually aren’t very motivational or encouraging to be around.

Fostering a positive outlook and attitude can help draw people to you and make you more likable in your social circles. You can also benefit on a personal level as you enjoy a great sense of self-worth and have opportunity to be good to yourself at the same time.

Positivity attracts, negativity repels. So, if you want to improve your social life, be sure to leverage this last of the 5 advantages of positive thinking.

Bonus Advantage: Good Living

Here’s is one last advantage, but it is certainly not the least. In fact, it’s the ultimate reason we should all strive to improve how we think.

When you incorporate all 5 advantages of positive thinking it ultimately leads to a good life. That’s right, good living is the result of positive thinking.

Having less stress, better mental health, stronger physical health, a good career and a thriving social life equals good living. So, if living the good life is goal of of yours, then aiming to be a positive thinker should be a major goal of yours as well.

Final Thoughts on the Benefits of Positive Thinking

While there is always such as thing as too much of a good thing, positivity is something we all should strive for as much as possible. No, you shouldn’t be so blinded by positivity that you put yourself or others in danger, but a strong positive outlook on life can have surprising benefits.

If you’re still not convinced, be sure to check out these supporting resource about the benefits of positive attitude. It will certainly help.

That said, positive psychology has recently emerged as a new niche focus and area of study within the scientific field of human psychology. Sure, it can be difficult to get started at times, and no one person can maintain a totally positive outlook at all times.

But, when the positivity in your life outweighs the negativity, it can have a truly game-changing impact on your life.

Till you reach your aims,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed this article on the 5 advantages of positive thinking, then you’ll likely love these quotes related to the power of keeping a positive attitude.

Have you heard of mantras but you’re still not sure exactly what they are? Have you ever been curious as to how exactly you should go about using them, and which are the best to use? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this article will be helpful to you. Our goal is to answer these questions for you, and then inspire you to take up the practice of using mantras yourself. Why? Because we believe mantras can help you maintain a positive state of mind, help live your best life, and assist you in finding much more success in the process.

In addition to this, we also want to share with you some of the best mantras you can put to use that will aid you in seeing results quickly. So, with that being said, if you’re ready to learn more about exactly what mantras are, whether or not you should give them a shot, along with a few good mantras to live by, then let’s dive in:

What Are Mantras?

Mantras have been put to use for thousands of years by Yogis stemming from the Indo-Asian region of the world. The word itself, tells us exactly what a mantra is, and how it is to be used. Mantra is a Sankskrit word, that is derived from two different words. Manas in Sanksrit translates to mind, and tra translates to tool. Thus, the word itself translates to Mind Tool.

And that is exactly what a mantra is, it is a mind tool. It’s a mind tool that can help you essentially force your mind into focused attention. Using mantras can help you alter your mental state (in a positive way) by calming your mind, clearing out the distracting mental “noise” that we all experience.

However, in it’s simplest form, a mantra is essentially a statement or slogan that is repeated frequently. They can also be considered sacred and a form of prayer or meditation. Of course, when mantras are used properly, they can and do lead to powerful positive results.

Benefits of Mantras

As such, using mantras can lead to having a calmer demeanor that allows for us to better cope with all the stress that life inevitably throws our way. But more importantly, using mantras can help us quite our minds and get us to focus on the good in life, vs. the bad.

With that being said, here’s a more comprehensive list of the benefits of using mantras:

• Improved Sense of Calm

• Lowers Stress

• Increased Positivity

• More Compassion

• Higher Sense of Self-Awareness

• Improved Focus

• Improved Brain Health

You can gain a more in depth look on the vast science of sound and the science of mantras by reading this U.S. News article on The Science of Mantra or this Scientific Analysis of Mantra-Based Meditation.

Who Uses Mantras?

Mantras can be used by pretty much anyone in any walk of life. They tend to be used by people who are keen to bringing more balance to their life, as well as those who have a focus on living a low-stress life.

On top of this, mantras are used by many successful people. Of course successful people are not successful because they simply used mantras. Rather, they are successful because they employ tools and resources that help them be at their best in every way. And their use of mantras is no exception.

With that being said, one thing to note about why successful people use mantras, is because of their power to ensure a positive inner dialogue is maintained. In short, successful people typically use mantras to ensure they have positive inner dialogues.

BEST MANTRAS TO LIVE BY

Without a doubt, you don’t have to be a big believer in any new-age spiritual doctrines or esoteric philosophies to put the power of mantras to work for you. As mentioned above, many successful people from all walks of life have used mantras on their journey towards improving their lives and finding more success.

Mantras helped them improve their mindsets and effectively employ one of the greatest secrets of success – namely that “We become what we think about.”

With that being said, here is a list of some of the best mantras for beginners by subject area. Each subject area will include a few sample mantras to help you get started. But if you want access to a more comprehensive list of mantras, you’ll want to use the links provided at the end of each are to go deeper.

Good Mantras to Live By For Motivation & Success

First on our list are the best mantras for motivation and success. This set of mantras are extremely effective at helping people get motivated and take action on those tasks, events, and actions that they must do to move the needle forward on their goals.

Here’s are three great mantra samples related to success and motivation:

1. “Action Conquers Fear.”

2. “Work Harder.”

3. “I am Capable. I am Strong.”

4. “Wake Up. Kick Ass. Be Kind.”

5. “You Didn’t Come This Far To Only Come This Far.”

However, if you’re looking for a great set of mantras to increase your motivation and get you moving towards your dreams, then you’ll want to leverage the full set of these mantras, which can be found here: Best Mantras For Success

Best Mantras For Abundance & Prosperity

Our next best set of mantras that we recommend are mantras related to abundance and prosperity. These are truly good mantras to live by, because they will help you improve your mindset on abundance and get you feeling better about all that you have in life.

These mantras are a great starting point for anyone wanting to shift their mindset from one of lack, to one of appreciation and positivity for all the good you have in your life. They are also great at helping you open your mind to receiving more of the good that is bound to come your way.

Here are three great examples:

1. “I Claim My Abundance, Now.”

2. “I Am Open To Abundance.”

3. “Prosperity Flows to Me.”

4. “All I Need And More Is On It’s Way Now.”

5. “I am So Happy And Grateful That Abundance Flows To Me In Increasing Quantities Daily.”

With that being said, if you want to learn more about these specific mantras, and would like the full list, with explanations of each, go here: Best Mantras for Abundance

Good Mantras to Live By For Discipline

This next set of highly recommended mantras is related to self-discipline. These discipline mantras are actually affirmations; however, they can be used as mantras. All you have to do is pick the one that resonates most with you and then spend your meditation/mantra session repeating those specific words.

The main thing to remember when using one of these affirmations as a discipline mantra, is to be vigilant in repeating the phrase with absolute focus. Doing so will help you tap the power of sound to calm and focus your mind, while doubly serving you as a way to reprogram your mind to be more disciplined.

Here are three of the best mantras for discipline:

1. “I Am Disciplined.”

2. “I Am In Control.”

3. “I Am Persistent.”

4. “Discipline Is The Way.”

5. “I Don’t Stop When I am Tired, I Stop When I am Done.”

Finally, here is a complete list you can review to pick your discipline mantra from: Good Mantras to Live By for Discipline

Best Mantras For Money & Wealth

There are mantras that exist to help just about every aspect of our lives. And of course, one of the areas many people would love to be able to influence most is their money situation. As such, this set of affirmations will help you not just feel good about you prosperity levels, but they’ll help you get your mind right about growing your wealth.

One of the core ideas behind using wealth related mantras, is to get your vibe aligned with having excess money. As such, you’ll want to use a mantra that helps you focus on the feeling of being millionaire or billionaire rich.

Here are three great mantras related to weatlh:

1. “I Am Wealthy.”

2. “Fortune Flows To Me Freely”

3. “I Am Financially Free.”

4. “Large Sums Of Money Come To Me Quickly And Easily.”

5. “Financial Success Is My Birthright.”

For a larger sample of the best mantras for wealth you can go here: Best Mantras for Wealth

Good Mantras For Happiness & Positivity

Last on our list of really good mantras to live by, is related to that extremely elusive state; happiness. As mentioned above, mantras come in all shapes and sizes and can cover the gamut on just about every area of our lives. And of course, our list would not be complete if we didn’t include a list of mantras that would help you improve your focus around the subject of happiness.

These happiness mantras will help you get results when it comes to your happiness levels. On top of this, they’ll also help you focus your attention on feelings of joy and positivity in general.

Here’s a small sample:

1. “I Am Strong.”

2. “I Am Enough.”

3. “I Love Myself.”

4. “I Choose Happiness.”

5. ” I Embrace The Beauty Of Life.”

Again, for a more exhaustive list, give these mantras a shot: Best Mantras for Happiness

Final Thoughts

There you have it, some of the best mantras for beginners and seasoned mantras users alike. We’ve provided a handful of helpful insights on exactly what mantras are, how they can benefit you, why you should use them. But most importantly, we provided you with a list of the best mantras to use to get started.

Remember, neuroscience has proven that at the very least, mantras will improve your mental state and help you feel less-stressed. And if the law-of-attraction folks are correct, then there is much more to be gained from their use. So, if you’re still on the fence, give them a shot for at least a month. We have hunch you’ll be with the results you get.

Till then,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed our list of good mantras to live by, then you’ll certainly find value in this resource that can help you better understand how mantras are different from affirmations: What Are Affirmations?

When you woke up this morning, stumbled over to the mirror, and had a good long gander, what was the first thing you said to yourself? Did you give yourself a solid pep talk, remind yourself how awesome you are and think about all the ways you were going to crush it today? Probably not. You let that trash-talking peanut gallery in your head make you feel like you’re inadequate. Enough! If you’re going to take on the world and conquer it, you’ve got to know how to stop negative self-talk.

Negative self-talk is a symptom of something greater than just a lack of self-confidence. It can stem from years of not feeling support, an unending string of what we perceive to be failure, and an inability to see our potential. The roots of pervasive negativity can go all the way back to our childhood and manifest because we have unfinished business there, or it can be because we never developed a sense of resilience.

Overcoming negative self-talk isn’t merely an exercise in changing our mindset (although, that is a vital component for transformation), but a process which we have to be open to, so we can realize that on the other side of “I can’t” is an infinite world of “I absolutely can!”

You know that ol’ adage, “If we don’t respect ourselves, how can we expect anyone else to respect us?” The same goes for negative self-talk. We can’t lean on others to believe in us if we’re sitting in the back row doing an audit on our life instead of realizing that we are exceptional. So let’s dive in and learn some strategies to change our inner conversations and overcome negative self-talk for good.

HOW TO STOP NEGATIVE SELF-TALK

1. Call Your Critic By Name

Don’t roll your eyes, hear me out. You have been throwing shade at yourself for so long, you probably don’t even recognize when you’re being negative. That inner critic has latched onto you like a parasite and it’s time to set it free.

Give that critic a name, something funny. And every time you hear or catch yourself thinking something negative or critical, talk to your inner critic as if it were a person. Let it know it’s gunning for a break-up, and it’s just a matter of time.

If you feel comfortable enough, share the name of your inner critic with your friends and family so when they recognize you being negative, they can keep you accountable.

2. Talk it Out to Overcome Negative Self-Talk

Keeping with the theme of reaching out to friends and family, overcoming negative self-talk is a journey. It doesn’t happen overnight. And chances are, the ones closest to you (including your boss) have suffered alongside you. They are just as invested in your becoming a happier, more positive person as you are.

So when you feel yourself slipping into the doldrums, shoot a text to a trusted confidant and run those thoughts by them. If you’re mid-rant, telling yourself how useless you are, wouldn’t it be liberating to have someone chime in to tell you how smart, hardworking and kind you are?

Of course. It’s going to take a few battles to win the war, don’t be afraid to enlist the help of trusty troops.

3. If You Can’t Get Positive, Go Neutral

There is no pill for overcoming negative self-talk (though some may disagree). It takes work. Placing pressure on yourself to be all rainbows and sunshine right out of the gate only sets you up for failure, putting you in a headspace where negativity begets negativity.

Take baby steps. Start with very simple language changes. Swap out sentences like, “I can’t do this” or “this will never,” with phrases like, “I just need more time” and “maybe this can.”

This may seem trivial and ridiculous, but we’re talking about the power of language. Think about how destructive your language has been to you and your life. If you’re not ready to fully commit to complete transformation, let’s at least crack the door open, and explore some possibilities.

4. Stay in the Moment

Whew! This is a tough one, especially when one of your favourite things to do (subconsciously) is to focus on the absolute worst case scenario of everything in life. But unless you’ve discovered time travel, you have absolutely no idea what is going to happen.

Stop focusing on the “what if” and get your head in the game by being comfortable with the “right now.”

5. Get Off the Guilt Trip

Avid negative self-talkers love to pack their bags and head out on the most epic guilt trips. Guilt tripping lets you take inventory of every single minute thing that you didn’t get done, and then you get to revel in your failure to complete things. What about focusing on all the things you accomplished instead?

If you want to overcome negative self-talk, take 15 minutes out of your day every day and write down everything you accomplished. No detail is too small. From brushing your teeth, to closing a sale, to doing a load of laundry. You’re getting stuff done; you’re just too focused on what you feel like you should be doing.

6. Stop Pretending to Read Minds

Unless you’ve been side-gigging as a psychic, you have absolutely no idea what’s going on in someone else’s head. Read that again. If they haven’t told you, you have no idea what someone else is thinking.

So why are you creating negative dialogues about what they might be thinking about you? You need to stop attaching meaning to everything someone says to you, and stop fabricating stories that say bad things about you.

7. Surround Yourself With Positive People

Sure, opposites attract, but rarely do individuals who regularly engage in negative self-talk attract happy, positive people, and there’s good reason for that; happy people like to surround themselves with other happy people. If you exist in a circle of negativity outside of yourself, what hope do you have of making a transformation?

Make some social adjustments. If you’ve got family members who are enabling you or engage in negative self-talk, take a step back. Tell them you love them, but you need to make some changes for your mental well being.

8. Shift Your Perspective to Stop Negative Self-Talk

Pffft! Easier said than done, right? Sure, but totally worth a try. Take an inventory of your fears, your concerns, your challenges. Write them out, and read them back to yourself. Now write down why you think you’re incapable of overcoming these things.

Are they really so difficult? Are you asking yourself to climb Everest with no equipment next weekend? Are you being asked to solve world hunger by 2023? How dire are these issues you’re facing? You can absolutely push through whatever is holding you back from unleashing your potential. 

9. Simplify Your Social Media Influences

Don’t panic, I’m not telling you to get off social media…completely. What I am asking you to do is to take a deep dive on who and what you are letting influence your inner dialogue on the social media landscape.

Are you following positive people and brands? Do you spend hours and hours disappearing down social media rabbit holes, only to come up for air feeling even less adequate than when you swiped into the app? Clear the decks! If you’re not following accounts that make you feel like a rock star, or share positive narratives, you do not need them in your life right now.

10. Become Someone Else’s Hype Person

Helping others makes us feel good. It gets those endorphins pumping. But it also has a sneaky way of making us feel better about ourselves, and we tend to hold our chins a little higher. Consider taking on a mentorship role to someone in your life.

It could be a friend starting a business or a colleague who needs some support in getting that next promotion. Engaging in supportive dialogue with someone we care about can retrain our brains into quieting our own inner critics.

Final Thoughts on Negative Self-Talk

Negative self-talk is akin to cancer. It can permeate every aspect of our life, impacting our career aspirations, family and friend dynamics, and relationships. The great news is, it’s not a permanent state of being, it’s a choice.

Like everything in life, anything worth having requires time, effort and dedication, but once you cross that threshold into living a more positive existence, everything gets easier from there on out. So, if you’re ready to overcome negative self-talk for good, put these tips to good use daily.

Till then,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed this article on how to stop negative self-talk, then you’ll enjoy this read on how changing your mindset can can change your life, and you may even find value in these powerful affirmations for confidence.

Peter Drucker was one of the most influential thinkers of the modern business world. Many still consider as the father of modern management; considering his ideas impacted countless leaders and executives, many of whom have gone on to become high-powered executives and Titan’s of industry. With that being said, Drucker’s ideas are powerful, and should be known by all, not just those destined for the C-suite.

So, to ensure Peter Drucker’s legacy persists, and to help his ideas continue to inform and educate aspiring executives; from the homemaker to the solopreneur, all the way to the high powered corporate executive, we’ve pulled together some of his most insightful quotes on execution, effective management, and getting things done.

So, if you’re ready to dive into some Peter Drucker quotes that can help you start executing like a Rockstar CEO, then let’s get to it.

BEST PETER DRUCKER QUOTES

1. “To be effective is the job of the executive. “To effect” and “to execute” are, after all, near synonyms. Whether he works in a business or in a hospital, in a government agency or in a labor union, in a university or in the army, the executive is, first of all, expected to get the right things done.” – Peter Drucker

2. “Brilliant men are often strikingly ineffectual; they fail to realize that the brilliant insight is not by itself achievement. They never have learned that insights become effectiveness only through hard systematic work.” – Peter Drucker

3. “Don’t think or say “I”. Think and say “we.” Effective executives know that they have ultimate responsibility, which can be neither shared nor delegated.” – Peter Drucker

4. “The greatest wisdom not applied to action and behavior is meaningless data.” – Peter Drucker

5. “There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.” – Peter Drucker

6. “Entrepreneurship is neither a science nor an art. It is a practice.” – Peter Drucker

7. “Innovation is the specific instrument of entrepreneurship. The act that endows resources with a new capacity to create wealth.” – Peter Drucker

8. “Every knowledge worker in modern organization is an “executive” if, by virtue of his position or knowledge, he is responsible for a contribution that materially affects the capacity of the organization to perform and to obtain results.” – Peter Drucker

9. “An organization is an organ of society and fulfills itself by the contribution it makes to the outside environment.” – Peter Drucker

10. “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” – Peter Drucker

11. “Time is totally irreplaceable. Within limits we can substitute one resource for another, copper for aluminum, for instance. We can substitute capital for human labor. We can use more knowledge or more brawn. But there is no substitute for time.” – Peter Drucker

12. “The effective executive therefore knows that to manage his time, he first has to know where it actually goes.” – Peter Drucker

13. “The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said.”

14. “The man who asks of himself, “What is the most important contribution I can make to the performance of this organization?” asks in effect, “What self-development do I need?” – Peter Drucker

15. “Commitment to contribution is commitment to responsible effectiveness.” – Peter Drucker

16. “Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.” – Peter Drucker

17. “People in general, and knowledge workers in particular, grow according to the demands they make on themselves. They grow according to what they consider achievement and attainment. If they demand little of themselves, they will remain stunted. If they demand a good deal of themselves, they will grow to giant stature – without anymore effort than is expended by the nonachievers.” – Peter Drucker

18. “If there is one “secret” of effectiveness, it is concentration. Effective executives do first things first and they do one thing at a time.” – Peter Drucker

19. “Effectiveness is, after all, not a “subject”, but a self-discipline.” – Peter Drucker

20. “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Peter Drucker

21. “Self-development of the effective executive is central to the development of the organization, whether it be a business, a government agency, a research laboratory, a hospital, or a military service. It is the way toward performance of the organization. As executives work toward becoming effective, they raise the performance of the organization.” – Peter Drucker

22. “Executive effectiveness is our one best hope to make modern society productive economically and viable socially.” – Peter Drucker

23. “Intelligence, imagination, and knowledge are essential resources, but only effectiveness converts them into results.” – Peter Drucker

24. “Time is the scarcest resource and unless it is managed nothing else can be managed.” – Peter Drucker

25. “Efficiency is doing the thing right. Effectiveness is doing the right thing.” – Peter Drucker

26. “Knowledge has to be improved, challenged, and increased constantly, or it vanishes.” – Peter Drucker

27. “What’s measured improves” – Peter Drucker

28. “People who don’t take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year. People who do take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year.” – Peter Drucker

29. “Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.” – Peter Drucker

30. “If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old.” – Peter Drucker

31. “Never mind your happiness; do your duty.” – Peter Drucker

32. “Every enterprise requires commitment to common goals and shared values. Without such commitment there is no enterprise; there is only a mob.” – Peter Drucker

33. “Meetings are by definition a concession to deficient organization For one either meets or one works. One cannot do both at the same time.” – Peter Drucker

34. “Until we can manage time, we can manage nothing else.” – Peter Drucker

35. “Effectiveness must be learned.” – Peter Drucker

Bonus Peter Drucker Quote

Bonus: Alright, here is our final Peter Drucker quote. We listed as a bonus, because it so effectively summarizes the importance of execution, and while all leaders should focus on getting better at it.

“Strategy Is A Commodity, Execution Is An Art.”

– Peter Drucker –

Final Thoughts

Alright, there you have it, the most effective Peter Drucker quotes to help you hunker down and start taking care of business like a true CEO.

We hope they inspire you and help you realize that you don’t have to be a CEO of some multinational corporation to become an effective executive. You can become one as you are, where you are.

Till next time,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed these Peter Drucker Quotes, then you’ll love these Robin Sharma Quotes, and you may even enjoy these Price Pritchett Quotes.