OLLE L INDHOLM

THE VALUE OF EFFORT,

LEARNING AND HAVING FUN

SMARTER

GROWTH

T H E S M A R T E R E B O O K S E R I E S

SMARTER GROWTH: FREE SAMPLE

OLLE LINDHOLM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART 1: SMARTER GROWTH..........................................8

An inside-out approach to personal growth................................................................9

Make a promise you can keep.....................................................................................13

How do I convince myself I'm good enough?...........................................................21

What if I'm a total failure?............................................................................................26

Become friends with your fears...................................................................................33

The tortoise and the hare..............................................................................................38

Plant a seed, grow a legacy..........................................................................................46

The secret ingredient that turns your dreams into reality.......................................53

Branching out.................................................................................................................59

How to get the most important things done..............................................................65

Checklist for smarter growth.......................................................................................71

PART 2: SMARTER EFFORTS.......................................73

Why we get stuck..........................................................................................................74

Getting past your fears.................................................................................................75

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Mastering your expectations........................................................................................79

What to do about confusion and overwhelm............................................................81

Say hello to a smarter work process............................................................................84

Managing your time and energy.................................................................................89

Are you in flow?............................................................................................................92

How to deal with the bad days....................................................................................94

A smarter (and healthier) way to handle rejection....................................................97

Take 15 minutes to make a big difference................................................................101

Checklist for smarter efforts.......................................................................................104

PART 3: SMARTER YOU..............................................106

Kiss your bullshit excuses goodbye..........................................................................107

5 areas of focus.............................................................................................................113

Pick yourself.................................................................................................................119

How an ordinary Tuesday morning changed my life............................................122

25 T-day challenges to spice up your life.................................................................126

Keep investing in yourself..........................................................................................131

13 Timeless lessons from Walt Disney......................................................................137

A smarter feedback loop.............................................................................................147

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Write for the future, live for today............................................................................150

Skip the New Year's resolutions................................................................................155

How to become an awesome decision-maker..........................................................161

The journey is the reward...........................................................................................170

Checklist for a smarter you........................................................................................171

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS................................................173

RECOMMENDED READING.........................................175

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MY OVERNIGHT SUCCESS

Overnight success? Ha! You're adorable.

Let's make one thing clear: I did not write this ebook overnight. I blogged for six years, wrote eight journals and created a gazillion half-finished rough drafts. So much for my ”overnight success”.

So, what was different this time around? A few things:

✔ I had the time.

✔ I had the energy.

✔ I had the focus and motivation.

I accumulated my efforts over a five-year period. Iwrote this ebook because I am convinced that wehave to grow smarter if we are to overcome thechallenges of the future. But above all, I wrote it toremind us what we're capable of.

Let's grow smarter together,

Olle Lindholm

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BE A SMARTER READER

To get the most out of this book, I highly recommend you:

➢ Stay hydrated, rested and fed. ”The energy of the mind is the essence of life,” said Aristotle. Wise guy. Get yourself a cup of tea and start rolling.

➢ Ask yourself questions.

Be curious about what you're reading and always try to relate it to your own life. It's more fun and rewarding that way. Plus, it's a great way to improve your learning.

➢ Jump to the section that is most relevant to you. This isn't high school: you don't have to read this book from startto finish. There is no end of the year exam. Promise. Make the book work for you, not against you. That's how you become a smarter reader!

Enjoy reading!

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PART 1: SMARTER GROWTH

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

~Oliver Wendell Holmes

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AN INSIDE-OUT APPROACH TO PERSONAL GROWTH

If your computer dies and you don't remember anything, this one tip alone will set you apart from the rest.

The first step is simple, but not always easy. Begin with the end in mind. Ask yourself: "Why am I doing this?" The answer to this question will steer the direction of your life.

If you're not lucky enough to know what you want out of life, you'll have to use your imagination. What would your ideal life look like six months from now? A year from now? Five years from now?

If you're struggling with these questions, imagine you're attending your own funeral. Who is mourning you? How do you want to be remembered? Don't just keep these thoughts in your head – write them down. I know it's a morbid exercise, but it gives you valuable insight into the kind of person you want to be.

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In personal development jargon, you've just used a powerful visualisation technique to better understand who you want to be.

The Funeral Exercise reveals important values, people you hold dear, and can even shed light on your bigger mission. In short, you cut the fluff and get to know what actually matters.

I know it's not exactly uplifting to think about your death, but it's a good reminder to make sure you live your life to the fullest. Ironically,your mortality is your best productivity tool. It encourages you to acttoday rather than tomorrow. And if you want to live a fun and meaningful life, that's exactly what you have to do.

Of course, your dreams and goals may change as you get older. In fact, you can count on it. But without the end in mind, you don't knowwhat you're striving towards, and so you don't get where you want to go.

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COMPARE YOURSELF TO YOURSELF

You will be tempted to compare yourself to others, especially in the digital age we're in now. You'll look at them and make a snap judgment. And you'll have a verdict: they're either better or worse off than you. But your comparison is neither fair nor helpful.

Trying to compare yourself to others is a huge mistake. You won't get any happier (or smarter) from looking at other people's life edits. Social media is a great way to stay in touch with distant friends, but it’s not the place to go if you want to evaluate your life.

Fortunately, there is a smarter way to grow, and that means you SWITCH OFF your mobile phone and start to think for yourself.

Listen to your own voice – the one that whispers that you're capable and worthy – and act in accordance with your own conscience. It's much better to build your sense of worth from within. After all, no one can take that away from you but yourself. Get up right now and write up a Post-it for yourself:

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"Compare yourself to yourself."

Stick it on your computer, or maybe an extra copy or two around youroffice or someplace else where you'll see it often. It isn't always easy, but any of us can do it if we keep working at it, and you'll find that it transforms your life. After all, remember:

You were born an original. Don't die a copy.

~ John Mason.

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WANT TO GROW SMARTER?

This is only a small sample of the book. In the full version, you'll learn:

• How to better manage your time and energy, so you canwork smarter, not harder.

• New strategies to overcome your fears, so you can embarkon a path that will be more fulfilling and rewarding.

• How to better cope with rejection and get past those “baddays”, so you can muster the courage to put your work out

there.

• How to make better decisions, so you avoid regret and livethe life you deserve.

• … and much more.

To get the full 179-page ebook, including handy checklistsand bonus materials, click the red button below: