TIPS TO EXPERIENCE WHATEVER KIND OF SUCCESS YOU DESIRE

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Most people say that they want to experience success. Whether it’s career, relationship, a hobby, or something else, enjoying the fruits of our labor just feels good. However, not everyone understands what it takes to enjoy success at varying levels. Or, they may not really even have a clear idea of what success really means.

What Is Success?

People define success in different ways.  Success for one person could mean getting their desired job in sales and purchasing a home. Success for another person may mean making $100K per year and living each day happy and free. Yet for another person, it could be being a stay-at-home mother who is present for her children.

Success is largely defined as accomplishing a defined goal, so it’s quite individualistic. As such, success is whatever you want it to be physically, mentally, socially, and religiously or spiritually.

Regardless of what your definition of success is, there are some helpful characteristics or traits that can help you achieve it.

Most people want to enjoy success, but not everyone is willing to do what it takes, such as creating a strategic plan to help you achieve your goals. If you will take the time and make the effort to learn success principles, you’ll be much more inclined to enjoy success in every area of your life.

Creating Goals & Action Plans

Successful people have several things in common.  Creating goals and an action plan are two characteristics that will help you to be successful in the various areas of your life.  It really is important to actually sit down and write out your goals and then create a plan on how you will work toward accomplishing those goals.

Even if your action plan doesn’t pan out exactly as you desire, it’s alright. You may hit some bumps along the journey or you may experience a setback or two. Learn from them and keep going.  You may have to adjust your goals, your plan, or both – and that’s alright.

If you haven’t actually sat down to write your goals, do this today.  If you just think about your goals and success in your head, you’re less likely to see them fulfilled.

For example, the owner of Starbucks didn’t just have success fall in his lap.  He had a vision, created goals, and an action plan. Year after year he made forward progress toward his goals and little by little, he became successful.  He stayed on the course, even when setbacks came. He learned how to persevere and work smart and hard.  This is success played out over time.

Work Hard & Smart

If you want to activate success in every area of your life, along with creating goals and an action plan, learn the art of a solid work ethic.  Successful people don’t just work when they feel like it or simply work just enough to get by. They work hard. When they are on the clock, they are focusing on whatever their tasks are for that time frame. They’re not texting their friends, mindlessly scrolling social media, or simply wasting time.

There is a threshold that they get beyond, where many others give up because they don’t have a good work ethic.  If you want to be successful, commit to working hard and be dedicated and committed to your goals. Persevere through hard times or failures and stick to your vision through thick and thin.  This firm resolve to do what it takes to have success will surely get momentum moving quickly so that you will surely experience varying degrees of success.

Be Optimistic

Many successful people are optimistic. They believe in themselves and they believe that they are supported by the universe (or their higher power).  How optimistic are you? Do you tend to have more positive or negative thoughts going on in your life? When is the last time you observed your thought life?

Optimism, or positive thinking can be quite valuable in creating the kind of life you truly desire. If you need help in this area, there are a plethora of free online teachings and videos on the topic.  It takes time and practice, but you can learn to go from primarily negative thinking to positive thinking. Repetition helps.

Why Does Success Matter?

Some people get hung up on the term “success”.  They think that if they aren’t doing this or that, or have this or that, then they’re not successful. Here in the West, we tend to get hung up on the idea that success equals having a lot of things and beaucoup bucks. However, having material objects doesn’t mean you’re successful.

I’ve always been fond of Deepak Chopra’s definition of success:

“Success in life could be defined as the continued expansion of happiness and the progressive realization of worthy goals.”

I like this definition because it equates success with a state of feeling rather than accomplishing concrete goals.  The “expansion of happiness” – don’t we all desire that?  The “progressive realization of worthy goals” – by realizing that we are indeed making headway toward “worthy” goals, we enjoy more peace and joy.

And that feels good!

Dream Up A Good Life

Dream up some worthy goals today in any area of your life.  From career to family to being more generous to eating healthier – enjoy as best as you can your journey toward realizing your goals.

At the same time, embrace where you are along your journey. Maybe your goal is to rest and stop doing so much. Maybe you’re burned out and need a nice, long retreat. Allow yourself to enjoy that.

Maybe you’re not sure what success means to you. That’s alright too. Start contemplating what you want your life to look like in the near and far future. Ask yourself, “What does success mean to me?”, then, write it down.  Keep a journal to track your journey, celebrating milestones along the way.

SEVEN ESSENTIAL FOUNDER TRAITS

Google is famous for its love of data, not just when it comes to designing its products, but also when it comes to designing its business. The company has conducted much-discussed internal research into what makes for a successful manager, a successful team, and even a successful job interview process. 

Now Google for Startups, the arm of the search behemoth dedicated to supporting high-growth startups, has turned its attention to founders. Given that more than half of startups fail because of people problems, Google wanted to know what makes for an effective startup leader. 

To figure this out the company's researchers talked to more than 900 startup leaders in more than 40 countries. The results of the massive data gathering effort are now out in the form of Google for Startups' new Effective Founders Project report. The in-depth document is well worth a read in full, but the essential takeaway is that all successful startup leaders share seven essential traits. 

1. They treat people like volunteers.

If you want to attract and retain the best talent, rely on mission rather than compensation or perks alone, the report suggests. "Whether they're fresh graduates or experienced, world-class talent, the best people want to do great work for a challenging, meaningful mission," claims Google in a blog post summing up the findings. "For example, many talented engineers want a unique challenge, rather than another old project that just wants to crowd out the market."

2. They protect the team from distractions.

Is finding your focus easy in the wide open, rapidly changing world of startups? Absolutely not, but Google insists that if leaders want to be effective, it's a skill they have to learn. "While CEOs are often seen as distracted by new ideas, the best ones create focus and clarity on what really matters," says Google. "Set clear goals and priorities to build momentum for your team. This in turn fuels better performance and morale."

3. They minimize unnecessary micromanagement.

It's no shock that micromanagement isn't good management in a great many contexts, but Google's new research underlines the point: "Our data suggests micromanaging can be a major derailer, especially for CEOs. Recognize which teammates need to be closely supervised, and which you can empower to make good decisions and operate independently."

4. They invite disagreement.

On this point Google is in alignment with a whole host of super successful founders. "Our data suggests founders consistently undervalue inviting opinions that are different from their own, while co-founders and teammates rate it highly," Google notes, highlighting that "disagreement among diverse teams actually leads to more effective outcomes." 

5. They preserve interpersonal equity.

Successful co-founder relationships, like successful marriages, are built on open, clear communication, so make sure you discuss expectations in advance with your co-founders and stick to whatever you've agreed on. 

"Violated expectations are the main source of conflict among co-founders," Google cautions. "Our data suggests many founders keep track of their co-founder's duties, but unknowingly define expectations for themselves more minimally." Ensure you check in regularly with each other to make sure you feel your duties and rewards are balanced. 

6. They keep pace with expertise.

People skills are essential for success, but don't be lulled into thinking technical chops don't matter. Google found they do. A lot. "Ninety-three percent of the most effective founders have the technical expertise to effectively manage the work, and make time to stay ahead of their industry," the research found. 

7. They overcome discouragement.

Good news for aspiring founders who fear they don't have the self-confidence to make it in the startup game: The most successful founders feel the exact same way. Everyone (who is not delusional or wildly misinformed) struggles with self-doubt. The best founders just use their self-doubt as a prompt to learn and try more. 

"Our data suggests the most effective founders are not nearly as confident as the least effective founders are," Google says. "This observation aligns with what is known as the Dunning-Kruger effect, where overconfidence at the start of the journey helps founders get started, but discouragement and self-doubt set in soon after. That in turn can give you the inner challenge you need to reach further." 

What do these findings boil down to? A quote from VC and former Google SVP Bill Coughran in the report sums it up nicely: "Engineering is easy. People are hard." 

This new Google research reaffirms just how important so-called soft skills are to startup success. Founders should master those above unless they want to see their company among the half of startups that fail due to "people problems."

SEVEN DISCIPLINES FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE

There are 7 disciplines you must develop if you want to achieve all that is possible for you. You can learn these disciplines through practice and repetition until they become automatic. 

Goal Setting
Every morning, take 3 to 5 minutes to write out your top goals in the present tense. Get a spiral notebook for this purpose. By writing out your 10 goals at the beginning of each day, you will program them deep into your subconscious mind. 

This daily goal writing will activate your mental powers. It will stimulate your mind and make you more alert. Throughout the day, you will see opportunities and possibilities to move more rapidly toward your goals. 

Planning and Organizing
Take a few minutes, preferably the night before, to plan out every activity of the coming day. Always work from a list. Always think on paper. This is one of the most powerful and important disciplines of all for high performance. 

Priority Setting
The essence of all time management, personal management, and life management is contained in your ability to set proper priorities and use of your time. This is essential for high performance.

Concentration on your Highest-Value Activities
Your ability to work single-mindedly on your most important task will contribute as much to your success as any other discipline you can develop. 

Exercise and Proper Nutrition
Your health is more important than anything else. By disciplining yourself to exercise regularly and to eat carefully, you will promote the highest possible levels of health and fitness throughout your life. 

Learning and Growth
Your mind is like a muscle. If you don’t use it, you lose it. Continuous learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field. 

Time for Important People in your Life
Relationships are everything. Be sure that in climbing the ladder of success, you do not find it leaning against the wrong building. Make time for your relationships every day, no matter how busy you get. 

Action Exercise
These 7 disciplines will ensure that you perform at the highest level and get the greatest satisfaction and results from everything you do. Study these 7 disciplines and then make a plan for how you can incorporate each of them into your daily life. 

YOU NEED TO MONITOR FOR TOXIC CONTENT ON YOUR WEBSITE. A.I. CAN HELP

Toxic content is pervasive across the internet, and businesses that implement user generated content run the risk of playing host to scams, bigotry, and misinformation. Platforming this toxic content can be damaging to your brand's image and can harm consumer sentiment if not taken care of promptly and at scale.

Hiring moderators to sift through every livestream, podcast, post, and gif, however, could put your company out of business. There's simply too much content for humans to clean it all up. Another problem is that sifting through the worst of the internet can have adverse effects on your employees' health. In 2021, a judge awarded a group of more than 10,000 former Facebook moderators an $85 million settlement after the moderators developed PTSD on the job.

Enter the content moderation solutions market, which, by utilizing A.I. or pairing it with humans, is helping to turn the tide in the war against toxic content on the internet.

Kevin Guo, co-founder and CEO of A.I.-powered content moderation company Hive, first saw a potential business in automated content moderation when he and his co-founder Dmitriy Karpman were students at Stanford University. Guo and Karpman had created Kiwi, a video chat app that would randomly pair users with strangers from around the world.

Quickly, Guo found himself dealing with what he coined the "hot dog problem," which would later be parodied in the HBO comedy Silicon Valley. Put simply: men were using the app to expose themselves on camera to an unwilling public.

After determining that a solution to his problem did not exist, Guo decided to build a machine learning model that could identify and flag "hot dogs" himself. "I hand-labeled that set of images myself and it could really only do one thing, which was telling if something was a 'hot dog' or not."

Guo began selling his "hot dog" model on the side, but quickly realized that there were more applications for a learning model that could identify and label objects in images and video than just nudity detection, so in 2017 he and Karpman shut down their apps to focus entirely on enterprise business.

Now, Hive offers automated content moderation services of all kinds, with models that can be trained to detect toxic content within text and audio in addition to images. These models are used by companies including Reddit, Giphy, and Vevo to detect and shut down violence, hate speech, spam, bullying, self-harm, and other behaviors you'd rather not see on your website or app.

One of Guo's earliest successes in content moderation came when live video chat services Omegle and Chatroulette approached Hive to assist in cleaning up their content. Both companies became infamous in the early 2010s for their inability to deal with problems similar to the "hot dog" situation, so when they heard that Guo had cracked the code, they were intrigued.

"Now," Guo says, "those platforms are 100 percent clean. We sample every video chat, and we can flag it the moment something comes up." According to a case study, Hive closes over 1.5 million Chatroulette streams per month.

Guo says his models are designed to be used without any human assistance or input, a particularly attractive aspect for big businesses that need highly scalable solutions. 

In October 2021, Microsoft announced that it had acquired Two Hat, a content moderation provider focused on the online gaming industry. Like Hive, most of Two Hat's content moderation services work without human interaction. In a blog post announcing the acquisition, Xbox Product Services corporate vice president Dave McCarthy said that Two Hat's tech has helped to make global communities in Xbox, Minecraft and MSN safer for users via a highly configurable approach that allows the user to decide what they are and aren't comfortable with.

Other content moderation professionals, however, feel that the true solution lies in combining what A.I. does well with human decision-making. Twitch, the global livestreaming service for gaming, music, and entertainment, is creating internal programs that use machine learning partnered with humans to flag suspicious and harmful content. While some content is banned platform-wide, such as nudity and violence, Twitch also allows streamers to customize content moderation specifically for their own channel.

A primary example of this customization, according to Twitch community health product director Alison Huffman, comes in the form of a recently released tool called Suspicious User Detection. The tool uses machine learning to identify users who have created a new account in order to get around being banned from a specific channel. The tool flags potential ban evaders and then lets creators make their own decision on how to proceed.

"We're trying to combine the best of machine learning, which is scalable and efficient but imperfect at detecting nuance, with human review, which is less efficient but more nuanced and personal," says Huffman.

"This way, we're using machine learning to give creators information that helps them make better, faster safety decisions--while still leaving that final decision in their hands."