Why It’s Important to Be Able to Debate

When you think of the word debate, you probably think of a somewhat nerdy after-school activity offered in some high schools. But debating isn't just for sport, as it is also known as "arguing." And clearly, arguments have a place in our everyday lives. No matter what you call it, though, it is an important life skill to have for several different reasons. 

 

Debating Helps You Form Your Own Opinion

 

If you've never debated a topic, chances are your feelings about the topic aren't fully formed. When you debate something, it challenges you to think about the topic at a deeper level. And when you think about the topic at a deeper level, it helps you solidify your emotions about the topic. 

 

Debate Helps You Learn

 

Besides just solidifying your emotions about a particular topic, the debate also allows you to learn more about a topic you may be passionate about. Your opponent may make a point that you had never heard of before. However, for this to hold true, you need to make sure you listen when the other person(s) are speaking instead of just preparing your answer while they speak. 

 

Debate Activates Your Brain

 

While debate isn't the only way to activate your brain, it activates a part of your brain that you don't often use. This part of the brain deals with problem-solving and the art of persuasion. When you debate with someone, you exercise both of these skills, crucial to survival as an adult. Even most schools recognize this, so several colleges such as Oxford recommend debate classes for all of their students. 

 

Debate Solves Problems

 

If you have an opinion and never share it with anyone in your life, problems could arise because you haven't made your opinions clear. Debating a topic helps bring everyone's opinions to the forefront in an environment where they are respected. Just make sure you never attack someone else for their beliefs. Only attack the topic at hand so that it doesn’t become personal.

 

These are just a few of the many reasons that it's important to learn to debate. Without knowing how to debate, it's likely an individual will go through life being misunderstood by others and even by themselves, as they may not understand their stance on certain issues. So, if you think this describes you, it’s time to learn how to debate today!

 

6 Ways Being Authentic Spurs Success

Everyone wants to succeed. It’s normal to want to achieve things in life. The question is, how do you want to go about it? You’ve got goals, but what traits do you need to get where you want to go?

 

There are a lot of the standard answers, such as having grit, integrity, a lot of confidence, and a creative spark. But have you considered how being authentic takes you into the new success of the modern world?

 

Think about these things:

 

Simplified Decision-making

 

Being authentic means, you stay true to yourself. By extension, you remain true to your goals as well. Authenticity makes it easier to choose your next steps, as everything you do will reflect your values and where you want to go. 

 

You Protect Yourself from Less Than Favorable Influences

 

If you’re authentic, people who aren’t as open or truthful in their own lives will tend to shy away from you. Even when they don’t, your inherent honesty is going to make it easier for you to spot people who aren’t as authentic as you are. 

 

People Want to Be Around You

 

When you’re authentic, people know they can trust you; they want to be around you. Looking for people to work with on a project? You’ll have plenty of volunteers. Even in social situations, you’re going to find yourself the center of attention more often. You’ll make better connections with people who are interested in helping you on the road to success.

You’re Quick to Learn New Things

 

Being authentic means you’re not going to waste time lying to yourself. If you’re stuck or don’t know what to do next, you’re more likely to look for solutions and find them, leading to more successful outcomes.

 

No Regrets

 

How many times has your gut tried to tell you something was wrong, or that you were heading off on a tangent? Authentic people tend to pay more attention to these feelings. Paying attention to your gut feelings will stand you in good stead because, more often than not, your intuition is right. When it comes to making other decisions, authenticity will guide you to do what you really want to do, over what you ‘should’ do. Listen to your intuition, and you’ll find you have fewer regrets and more achievements.

 

You’re Seen as Having Integrity

 

Reputation matters. It is perhaps the most significant help in achieving success. If people see you as being ‘real,’ they’re going to support you in whatever you do. Success comes naturally from here.

 

Top Benefits of Being Your Authentic Self

Being your authentic self sounds wise, yes? But did you know that being true to yourself has a range of benefits? Studies have shown that authenticity is more than a feel-good way of life, it is good for your health, relationships, even your career!

 

Here are some of the top benefits of living an authentic life.

 

Greater self-confidence

 

To live an authentic life has a significant effect on your self-confidence. You like yourself more, you trust your judgment, you acknowledge and work with your own unique set of skills and talents, and you make better choices that align with how you want to be.

 

More respect

 

As your confidence grows, you’ll inspire respect in others as they see you living in your truth. Everyone wants someone to look up to, and people recognize and respect authenticity. You’ll find yourself being a role model for others.

 

Greater trust

 

When people see you living in alignment with your values, see you being straightforwardly yourself, their trust in you will soar. And trustworthy people make great leaders. If you become known for being honest and trustworthy, you’re more likely to be promoted or given opportunities. 

 

Better health

 

Living in alignment means you’re much more likely to take care of yourself, you’ll prioritize self-care, rest and balance. Researchers found that people committed to living an authentic life were more likely to eat healthy foods, exercise and get regular physical exams. Being your authentic self also sets you up for better mental health as you are calmer, less conflicted and are generally all around happier! 

 

Greater resilience

 

People who are at peace with their true selves are much more resilient when it comes to dealing with life’s ups and downs. They deal better with stress, which in turn has great benefits for their physical health. They don’t spend their lives in the cortisol soup that comes from being highly stressed. 

 

Better relationships

 

Being authentic leads to better relationships because you’re not pretending to be someone else. You can be honest and straightforward about who you are and what you value, without fear of being judged. You’re also better at managing boundaries and less judgmental of your partner.

 

And ultimately, living an authentic life means that when you come to the end of your natural life, there shouldn’t be any regrets! You’ve probably seen those lists of top regrets of the dying and resolved not to be one of those people. Start now by choosing to live authentically. Choose to be authentic and choose to be happy!

 

What To Chat About With Your Accountability Partner

If you’ve never had an accountability partner and are new to the idea, you may wonder how to handle this new relationship and what to discuss. Don’t fret – here’s how to get started with your accountability relationship. 

 

Decide How & When You’ll Meet

 

You need to be having regular meetings with your accountability partner. These sessions might be in person at a local coffee shop or if you’re virtual accountability partners, then these meetings might be held on Skype or Google Hangouts. It doesn’t matter if you use technology to meet up or not, you need to have a regular meeting place. 

 

How often you meet should come down to what works for you. It can be helpful to start meeting two to four times a month. This allows you both time to report on progress or setbacks as you encounter them. 

 

But keep in mind that it’s OK to change your meeting place or time, depending on what’s going on in your life or your accountability partner’s life. For example, if you become accountability partners with another solopreneur during the summer months, then you may find that you need to adjust your meetings during the school year so that you can spend more time with your kids. 

 

This is a normal part of a partnership. So don’t be afraid to periodically review your schedules to see if another time slot would work better for both you and your accountability partner. 

 

Talk About Your Goals

 

During your first session, you’ll want to talk about your values and goals with your partner. You’ll probably have a mix of short-term and long-term goals for your business or your life. 

 

Your accountability partner can help you break down your long-term goals into easy, manageable steps. For example, if your long-term goal is to publish a Kindle book on your niche, then your short-term action steps would be items like ‘outline my Kindle book’ or ‘contact a designer to create my book cover’. 

 

Follow Up with Your Partner

 

In follow up meetings, you’ll want to talk about what steps you took since your last session together. Did you complete all your action steps? Did you forget something or run into a problem that prevented you from completing one of your action steps? Can your accountability partner come up with ways to try to overcome this roadblock?

 

Don’t just talk about the hard stuff either. Be sure to celebrate when either one of you meets a milestone or accomplishes a goal. Celebrating accomplishments can be simple—like going out for dessert together or if you’re virtual accountability partners, send your friend a small Starbucks card. By celebrating your success together, you make it more likely that you’ll achieve even bigger goals.

 

Be patient with yourself and your new accountability partner as you learn how to navigate this new partnership. If something isn’t working for you, don’t be afraid to speak up and ask for what you need. 

 

Reach More Goals With An Accountability Partner

You’re not where you want to be in your business or your life. You have goals, but you’re inching toward them. It feels like every step is a struggle and you’re just not seeing the results you want. You don’t feel motivated. You feel stuck and helpless to change. 

 

You’re not alone in this feeling. Many people experience feelings of being stuck with their goals. You probably started out with plenty of energy but within a few days or a few weeks, your energy fizzled out. Weeks and maybe even months have passed and you’re not any closer to achieving your goals. 

 

An Accountability Partner Might Be The Answer for You

 

An accountability relationship is a simple way to get back into gear and start moving toward your goals. It’s easy to set a goal and make no progress when no one is looking over your shoulder. But when you have an accountability partner slacking off is much harder. This is because we usually work harder to honor commitments we made to other people than we do the commitments we make to ourselves.

 

Think of Weight Watchers. It’s a weight loss program with accountability built right in. From the weigh ins to the weekly meetings, members are accountable to each other. The meetings are filled with people that support each other in the goal to better their health and fitness. 

 

An Accountability Partner Will Help You Shape Your Goals

 

An accountability partner can help you shape your goals so you set ones that are achievable. For example, you could set goals to go back to school for your degree, start a side business, and spend more time with loved ones. An accountability partner would gently point out that those are good goals but will be difficult to achieve at the same time.

 

An Accountability Partner Will Help You Breakdown Your Goals

 

It’s good to set ambitious goals, ones that force you out of your comfort zone and make you grow. But ambitious goals have to be broken down into smaller steps. That’s where an accountability partner comes in. A smart partner can help you focus on taking one step at a time until you reach your big goals.

 

An Accountability Partner Will Help You Deal with Roadblocks

 

Everyone encounters roadblocks at some point when they go after their goals. But an accountability partner can help you brainstorm ways to get around your obstacles and find success. For example, if your goal is to launch an online business but the tech stuff has you feeling confused, then your partner could offer both moral support and fresh solutions. 

 

With the support of an accountability partner, you’ll be able to escape the rut you’re in. You’ll also feel more energize and be able to tackle your goals once again. 

 

Finding The “Right” Accountability Partner

As a solopreneur looking for an accountability partner, you might be worried that you won’t find someone. While it’s true that solopreneurs are a rare breed, there are plenty of other solopreneurs looking for accountability partners, too. You’re not alone in your search and it can be helpful to have someone who understands what it is like to work from home and juggle both home and business responsibilities. 

 

Make a List

 

The first thing you want to do when looking for an accountability partners is to make a list of people you already know that might be a good match. You can start by thinking of solopreneurs or small business owners that offer similar services to a different audience. 

 

You should also think about any networking groups that you participate in. Is there anyone there that you connected with and feel might be a good business match?

 

Of course, you don’t have to limit your search to offline networking groups. You can also look for a virtual accountability partner if you like. Make a post in Facebook or LinkedIn groups about your search. Let people you meet know you are looking for one, and what your needs are. You may get a response from someone that would love to work with you.

 

Look for Matching Values

 

Carefully consider your potential accountability partner. You want someone in your corner that shares your values. If you have conflicting values, neither of you will get the most from your accountability sessions. For example, if you value serving customers above all else, but your partner values making a buck, even at the expense of her customers then you aren’t going to enjoy your partnership very much. You can’t be supportive of each other because your values are not in alignment.

 

Before you agree to jump into an accountability partnership with someone, take time to do your research. Look at their blog, website, and social media posts. Are they always complaining about their customers? Do they share negative news constantly? Do you cringe when their name shows up in your news feed? These are all warning signs that you may not be a good match with this other solopreneur.

 

Keep It Short Term in the Beginning

 

When you find someone that you think might make a good accountability partner, make sure to keep things casual at first. You want to agree to a limited trial time of six weeks to three months. After this time frame, you can evaluate your partnership and decide if you’d like to continue it.

 

For the first meeting, you’ll want to plan for an hour or so. This gives you and your partner time to talk about your core values, your goals, and your business principles. It can be exciting to get to know your accountability partner so take your time and don’t rush your first session together.

 

Consider Paid Options

 

Sometimes, you need more help than one or two partners can offer. In that case, you may want to consider paying to join an accountability group or business mastermind. These groups gives you a chance to meet regularly online and talk with other solopreneurs and small business owners. If this kind of support still isn’t enough, consider hiring a business coach to guide you through this season of your business. 

 

It can take some time to find an accountability partner that you connect with. Just keep patiently searching and you’ll eventually discover a solopreneur that’s a great fit for you.

 

Are You Ready To Find An Accountability Partner?

An accountability partner is a great way to motivate yourself and makes it more likely that you will achieve your goals. But an accountability partner is not a magic bullet. It won’t solve all your problems or make accomplishing your goal painless. 

 

If you understand that, then you should know that having an accountability partner can make the journey toward your goals enjoyable and fun. Here are signs that you’re ready for an accountability partner:

 

You’re Willing to Motivate Yourself

 

If you don’t know how to motivate yourself already, then it won’t matter how many partners you have – you’ll still struggle. The best way to learn how to motivate yourself is to study projects and tasks you’ve completed previously. For example, when you created your first product, was it the pressure of a deadline that you kept you going? The daily rewards you created for yourself after you finished each task? Study what you’ve done previously. This will give you plenty of ideas on what motivates you.

 

You’re Willing to Take Responsibility

 

You’re not ready for an accountability partner until you can take responsibility for both your successes and your failures. It’s easy to dismiss your failures as being someone else’s fault or saying that “life just got in the way”. But this kind of approach means that you lack the discipline necessary to achieve your goals. 

 

Remember it’s not an accountability partner’s job to change your life. It’s their responsibility to keep you on task and hold you accountable.

 

You’re Willing to Be Transparent

 

Are you willing to share your bad habits, your deepest dreams and your biggest fears with someone else? Your accountability partner can’t help you unless you’re willing to be transparent. 

 

You can’t hide out from your partner if you fail to meet a big goal or if you encounter roadblocks. You have to be open and honest with your partner if you really want your partnership to succeed.

 

You’re Willing to Accept Feedback

 

Accepting feedback about your projects and goals from someone else is never easy. It can leave you feeling uncomfortable and challenged. But that’s a good thing! If you’re too afraid to share what you’re working on or won’t talk about your goals, then don’t look for an accountability partner. An important element of having an accountability partnership is being humble enough to accept feedback. Even if you don’t always agree with what your partner says. 

 

An accountability partnership can be a beneficial relationship for both you and the other person. But it’s important to remember that you’re making a big commitment when you agree to take on a partnership. That’s why you need to be willing and ready to help each other succeed. 

 

Accountability Partners… Helping Each Other

Accountability partnerships are a great way to challenge yourself and let go of excuses. With an accountability partner in your life, it’s harder to ignore your goals because you “just don’t feel like getting anything done”. When you have someone you have to report to weekly, you work harder than usual because you don’t want to let your partner down.

 

But keeping track of each other’s goals and celebrating successes isn’t the only thing that you and your accountability partner can do together. There are many ways that solopreneurs and small business owners can help each other besides accountability. 

 

An Accountability Partner Can Help with Brainstorming

 

Have you ever had an idea for a great project but you just couldn’t find a name that captured it perfectly? With an accountability partner, you can try brainstorming to come up with a title that you love. Of course, your accountability partner can help you brainstorm many things besides a project name. Together, you can brainstorm domain ideas, marketing strategies, podcast episodes, and webinar content. 

 

An Accountability Partner Can Test Your Products

 

Nothing’s quite as scary as launching a new product and no one understands that fear like another solopreneur or small business owner. One of the ways that accountability partners can help each other is by testing products before they’re officially released. For example, if you have a website and you set up a shopping cart, you’ll want someone to test it for you. 

 

Your accountability partner can help by testing your cart and sharing their honest feedback. Your partner might tell you that your cart is broken or point out an area where you’re missing out on additional sales. By testing products for each other, you and your partner are making your products even better for your customers. 

 

An Accountability Partner Can Help You Create a Joint Venture

 

If you have an accountability partner that you’ve clicked with, then it might be time to take the next step together—creating a joint venture. This approach works well when you have two partners that are bringing different skillsets to the table. For example, if you offer copywriting services and your accountability partner offers web design services, then you could team up to create a DIY website course. 

 

An Accountability Partner Can Promote Your Products

 

Accountability partners can promote each other’s products as affiliates. This allows you to introduce your customers to your partner’s products or services. Be sure to let your subscribers know that since you’ve already been accountability partners, you can vouch for their ethics and excellent customer service.

 

If you’ve been accountability partners with another solopreneur or small business owner and you’ve found you enjoy working together, consider other ways you could support each other. Start by having an honest chat with your partner and telling her how you’d like to further your working relationship.

 

Why You Should Start a Business Rather than Have a Job

 

For most of us, there are two ways in which we can earn a living. We can either take up a job at some company where we get paid a regular salary with perks and incentives, or we can start a business of our own and earn the profits of whatever we sell. The former option is considered to be the more stable option, the more traditional one. That is why when most people think about what they would want to do in their lives, they think of nice cushy jobs that could pay them a large amount of money.

 

However, you should not completely denounce the second option either—starting a business of your own. Today, most of the people who are highly successful are those who have control over their lives in a professional manner of speaking. And this is only possible if you have a business. If you have your own company, however small, then you are your own boss. That even gives you more satisfaction from what you do.

 

It might have been true that businesses were difficult to start and manage once upon a time, but that is definitely not applicable in today’s world. Today, a lot of people are carrying out their business pursuits from the comforts of their home. The Internet has made it possible for all of us to be able to pursue our profession from our home itself—several people are managing entire virtual offices with dozens of employees from all over the world, just through their laptops.

 

But, the benefits of even these Internet based businesses are the same. You still get to be your own boss, you control your life, you have the option to work as much or as little as you want, which means you can decide on the size of the paycheck you get.

 

There is actually no point being in a job if you don’t want to. Why would you work for someone else when you could work for yourself so easily? If you have entrepreneurial skills, then it is certainly not a good idea to get into a job and work for mere wages.

 

So, plan your professional life well. Maybe you could consider a job if you are sure of growth and if the job is really good and from a very well-established company that pays handsomely, but if that is not the case, then a business is also not out of the realms of possibility either.

What Can You Do to Motivate Your Employees?

When you are at the helm of affairs in your workplace, a lot of responsibility lies squarely on your shoulders. You have to be able to motivate your employees, that’s the most important thing that’s expected of you… something that you have to do if you want your organization to progress. 

 

However, there are many leaders who find this to be a very daunting task. Employee motivation is actually never an easy job because there are so many different people involved with so many different mentalities and expectations. But, do not let that stop you. There are always common things that you can implement in order to try and motivate your employees.

 

Here we speak of some things that you can do.

 

Keep Your Requirements Clear

 

When you are assigning some tasks to your team, you have to ensure that you keep your requirements completely clear. It is only when you are able to speak with a clear objective in mind, and when your people understand what you are saying that they can perform as you want them to.

 

Give Them Clear Objectives

 

Why should people work for you? Loyalty and work ethic aside, it is important that these people are given the right incentives. Everyone performs their job in accordance with the salary they are given. But, if someone is doing more than what their job profile tells them to do… which is your expectation of them anyway… then you have to give them the right incentives as well. And you have to make these incentives quite clear. You should tell people what they will get at the end of the day.

 

Express Yourself

 

Employees are always looking forward to receiving feedback. If they do something good, they need a word of appreciation. Do not take this for granted. Appreciation is a very important bonus. For many people, it means more than money. Money is spent and forgotten but the appreciation always lingers. At every opportunity you get, ensure that you give them the right feedback and praise them for the things they have done well.

 

These are three ways in which you can go about employee motivation in the right way. When you motivate your employees, you will find that they work in better spirits and that definitely works better for your organization itself. If you are looking for things like employee faithfulness and trust in the organization, then you simply cannot avoid these three important employee motivation guidelines. 

The Importance of Listening to Other’s Viewpoints

When you disagree with someone, likely, you don't want to waste your time listening to their viewpoints. Although listening to something you disagree with isn't always fun, it is important to your future for several reasons. 

 

You Will Learn Something New

 

When you take the time to listen to someone else and their viewpoints, you are exposed to thoughts that don't exist in your mind and perspectives you may not have considered before. And even though you may not like what you are hearing, you often learn new things by listening to others. This also helps expand your mind to be more accepting of new thoughts, which could help you be more successful in the future. 

 

Listening Helps You Develop Patience

 

As previously mentioned, being able to sit there and listen to someone you don’t agree with is difficult. You will have to have patience. And if you haven’t already developed the necessary patience for this task, just the practice of listening to others more often will help you to develop it. If you find you are struggling with the task, try to remember you are listening to learn something new. You can also listen with the intent to ask questions. This will help you focus on the words the other person is saying more carefully.

 

You Expand Your Network

 

People love when others listen to what they have to say, it makes them feel important. When you take the time to listen to someone else, even though you may not agree with what they are saying, you make that person feel better about themselves. And this can help you make a new friend or connection. This can help you on your path to success in the future as you never know when you may need to know someone in a certain field or area of study. And hey, expanding your network is always a good idea.

 

Overall, listening to someone else who has an opposing viewpoint from yourself will never be an easy task. But when you resolve to listen to someone else, this helps teach you new things and further develops your patience. Not only that, but it also helps you to grow your network which could provide unmeasured value to you in your future. Thus, it's time to learn how to listen to others sooner rather than later if you want to succeed in life. 

 

The Top Five Traits of a Good Listener

If you want to become a good listener there are certain traits and skills you will need to learn. Listening is a great skill to develop and it can improve all areas of your life. People love to talk and are always looking for someone to listen to them. 

• When listening to someone your goal should be to understand their point of view. Listen to everything they say before forming your own opinion, and remember that you do not necessarily have to agree with them. Everyone deserves, and should form, their own opinions on various topics. 

• Paying attention is the next trait. If you don’t pay attention you will miss out on important information. Always be aware of what is going on with the person who is speaking, and don’t forget to pay attention to your surroundings. 

• The action of making eye contact with the person who is speaking, shows them that you are paying attention. If you start looking around you, you are giving them the impression that you are not interested, or have become bored. 

• Try to look at their point of view and ask yourself if they might be the person who is right. 

• Allow the person to finish talking. This often takes a little patience, but it can be helpful for both sides. First the person talking can vent their opinions or frustrations. Secondly it helps the listener to fully understand the issue at hand. 

A good listener will also think before responding back. Again they often ask what if this person is correct in their way of thinking. People have the bad trait of speaking before thinking and this can lead to all kinds of awkward or difficult situations. 

 

It is perfectly normal for your brain to want to respond quickly, stop yourself and think before you speak! 

 

Sometimes it can be hard to stay focused on a person, it is normal to want to look away. If you find yourself doing this try nodding to the person or making direct eye contact with them. This signals to them that you are paying attention. If you really need to look away for a second, then muffle a cough behind your hand! 

 

Other tips that you might want to use to show that you are paying attention include: 

 

• Saying the person’s name now and again

• Using facial expressions

• Using body language

 

If you make an effort to put these five traits into play consistently, you will become a much better listener for it.