From the category archives:

Personal Development

10 Key Questions to Improve Your Life

by Victor Augusteo on February 2, 2010

in Personal Development

Who? What? Where? When? Where? How?

“Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn’t.”

~ Erica Jong

Good day folks. We are always told we can be whatever we want to be; we can do whatever we set our mind to do. But really, is that the most important thing? I beg to differ. For me, the foremost important thing is to know yourself first. And the best way to know something is to ask questions, lots of questions.

1. What do you really want to achieve?

Life is short. Too short to do everything that we ever wanted. We have limited time and there is not a single damn thing we can do about it. Set your goal, be specific. The key to answer this question is really to find your passion. What is your passion? Do you want to be a musician, olympic medalist, or simply mastering five languages? Discover your passion and pursue it.

2. Should you change yourself?

Take a look at yourself, take a look at your daily activities, your habits. Do you think your habit, your job and environment will bring you closer to what do you want to achieve? Human is creature of habit. We will be comfortable at what we do everyday. If your habit doesn’t bring you closer to your goal, maybe its time to change it and pick up better habit.

3. What is the positive side about this event?

One key to happiness is to ALWAYS look at positive side of things. You will be amazed how wonderful this principle will work for you. Take rain for example, people who planned to go to the beach will be disappointed at the rainy day, but farmers will be struck with happiness. Remember that there are always two side of a coin. Your choice dictates your point of view. People who always look at the good side tends to have happier life.

4. Are you hanging out with the right people?

We human are vulnerable to peer pressure. If majority of your friends smokes, you will be pressured to smoke with them. This is just a fact of life. Sure, you might think that your resolve is strong, but you aren’t doing yourself any favor if you hang out with the wrong crowd. Ditch your bad “friends” and look for better ones that will support you instead of drag you down with them.

5. Have you done enough to improve myself?

Have you, or is there something more you want to do? People have this innate habit to linger and be content at status quo, but deep down, they want change. If you feel you aren’t doing yourself a favor by watching the serial drama on television, or reading those cheap novels, maybe you should not do it in the first place.

6. Are you happy with who you are today?

This is a tricky question. Everybody wants to be happy. But according to the principle that “There is always room for improvement” we should never be happy with who we are today. The answer depends on you. Do you favor growth or decay?

7. Are you satisfied with your sex appeal?

Why do I ask you this? Because human have been conditioned by millions of years of evolution to relate their self-worth to their sex appeal. Pretty girls will be naturally more confident that their not-so-pretty counterpart. Rich men will be more confident than the poor men. If you feel you have not done enough exercise to stay in shape, maybe its time to hit the gym or stop eating the junk food. Trust me, your self-worth will increase exponentially when you work on your sex appeal.

8. How much do you want to have?

I suppose in this case there is no such things on having things too much or too little, but it’s more on how badly you really need it. Remember that just like our physique, our mental also have a capacity. That is why you can concentrate better, feel better, and have more focus in a clean environment. Imagine a room where it is filled with stuffed toys, food packages, dirty plates, and overloaded rubbish bin; I really don’t think you can concentrate doing anything there, can’t you?

Having more than you need sometimes can slow you down. The key is to balance your needs and your desires.

9. What motivates you the most?

Is it fun? Or is it fear of failure? I write this blog because I love teaching and sharing knowledge with others. That is my primary blog writing motivation. I do martial arts because I love improving myself while learning to defend myself.

What makes you do the things you do?

10. What do you want to do now?

After answering that simple 9 questions, you should have a somewhat clear idea and sense of direction. Now remember that you can do whatever you set your mind to do. Where there is a will, there is a way.

Write down your goal on a piece of paper and stick it where you can see everyday. I stick mine on my iMac screen and the wall beside my desk. It will help you to remember where do you want to go.

Last Words

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Cheers.

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My New Goal Setting & How Does it Benefit You

by Victor Augusteo on January 30, 2010

in Personal Development

Smart Goal Setting is IMPORTANT!

“The best laid schemes o’ mice and men gang aft a-gley; and leave us naught but grief and pain for promised joy”

* Robert Burns

New Theme

So how do you like the new design of my blog? Took Me one month back and forth email with one company to decide what color scheme and placement and logo that best suit my site. But finally its here! I know a blog writer should keep their motivation up, but this new theme gives me new spirit to write as well! New spirit and motivation.

New Goals & Projects

My new goals for the blog is to post once per day. Yes, you heard it correctly. Once per day. I know it sounds crazy and will just be one of those cases like your new year resolution where you set a goal to lose weight and forget about going to the gym after three weeks. No. This one is going to stay.

So how do I make sure I can stick to the schedule? How do I make sure I actually stick to my resolution?

1. Rule of Consistency

By telling you! Research shows that people tend to stick to schedule or plan that they tell others. We will put the research to the test.

2. By Setting Timeline

My goal is to publish 30 articles within 30 days. How does that sounds to you? Free photography tips everyday for 30 days! And once I get the habit of posting everyday, I might stick to it in the long run.

That’s it! You think by using that two simple principle I’m going to stick with the schedule? Oh, time will tell. For now, Nice to meet you and happy belated new year 2010. I know its kind of late, but its still January!

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Be The Change

by Victor Augusteo on April 11, 2009

in Personal Development

Picture by Monika7777

Why Did I Changed?

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi, Indian political and spiritual leader (1869 – 1948)

Funny, I haven’t posted the Lightroom tutorials or the outdoor photo shoot article yet as my friends requested. But instead, I feel like sharing about “Change”. I have changed a lot as I progress in life. Everybody I met changed me to a varying degree. Some change me much, some change me just a little. My passions also changes me from time to time. I used to dream of getting a gold medal for a major competition since the day I got my first medal at the local Taekwon-do competition. But once I progressed to the National Competition and got my gold there, I don’t feel like fighting for medals anymore. Instead, I enjoy the feel of the competition, where you can do your best to measure up with each other in friendly and honorable manner. If I lose the fight, that means I’m not good enough. If I win, that means I’m worth the win. If I get disqualified, that means I need to reduce my power for the next time I fight again.

The same goes with my photography. Long times ago I still remember my father bought me my first semi-pro camera on our trip to central Java. Yes, I never had a compact camera. I played with the camera for the whole trip. Shooting everything I find, trying different angles. Then we bough another semi-pro (that I still have now) before going to China couple of years ago. I shot around 3000s for the whole trip, and accidentally formatted my computer with the photos on it, haha. Funny how that many things you worked so hard for could be gone in just one second.

Is Change Good or Bad?

“The only constant is change.” – Herakleitos of Ephesus, Greek Philosopher (c.535 BC – 475 BC)

I really can not say whether change is good or bad. It totally depends on you. Your perception of the change is your reality. I’ve read and read about Lance Armstrong on how he won La Tour De France 7 consecutive times after recovering from a deadly cancer. So many people encounter unfortunate events far lesser than cancer, and gave up! So many people quit doing what they love so easily just because of several failures. That’s a bad bad change I tell you!

Me myself, I think the best change that has come to my life is my habit of reading books. In this case, self-development and philosophy books. I haven’t read a single positive books before I came to Australia, and that’s around age 19. I don’t care, my child will have to read good books since the day they can read, haha. That change was weird too, I didn’t just one day decided to “Ok, from now on I’ll read books”, but instead I got told to do so! I joined a network marketing business 2 years ago just out of curiosity. Their education method for the new members includes reading self-development books plus listening to seminar tapes from their speaker. And I can say that it is a very effective way of conducting education! I read several books and fall in love with the habit. Now I have bookshelf full of books. Ranging from photography, martial-arts (I recently purchased the “Encyclopedia of Taekwon-do” by the late General Choi Hong Hi), self-help, philosophy, and variety of magazines. Not to mention the e-books I have in my laptop right now.

So What Does That Change Have Anything To Do With This Photo Blog?

“It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.” ~W. Edwards Deming

Oh it has to do with a lot of things! Especially on how the change I initiated on the club I belong, the MPC (Monash Photography Club). I’ve been in the club for the last 2 years, but I barely active on the first year because I haven’t discovered my passion for photography yet. Last year, I got my first DSLR and played with it. I attended some workshop by MPC to learn about photography and like some of them. Too bad the method of the workshops didn’t really suit first time user like me back then. Quickly I gain some experience trough helping the club cover events and balls, while shooting my friends at my spare times. And as usual, time flies, and now this year I’m in the committee helping the club to run workshops.

I tried to change the way workshops are run, so instead of a lecture type session with one lecturer, the class is divided to small groups with at least one senior photographer in the group. The students can talk and give feedback to each other, and the senior can answer the questions of the beginners. The only feedback I got from the members are stellar! All positives. Only recently I discovered that one or two members were complaining about my workshop to other committee members, whom apparently doesn’t have the guts to talk directly to me, haha. I guess some of them are intimidated by my choleric personality.

What is your point?

“The man who looks for security, even in the mind, is like a man who would chop off his limbs in order to have artificial ones which will give him no pain or trouble.” ~Henry Miller

I am a firm believer of change. I believe one of the best way to measure people is to observe how they react to change in their lives. They can react negatively, or positively. Remember that those effect can also snowball. One negative change can lead to another negatives.
When you lost a fight in a tournament, or your photos didn’t get to the final of the photography competition, you can either accept that you aren’t good enough (to win that particular fight) or you can start to blame the referee/judge for your loss. Your perception, is your reality.

So how do you think we should face the constant change?

“They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.” ~Confucius

In the end, your life will always change. So why don’t you initiate the change from now on instead of waiting for change to happen? Learn to recognize and maintain your fears. Do not let your fear take control of your life. Instead of looking at an event with fear and defensiveness, try to jump through the obstacle. Take baby steps, do not try to run before you can even walk. Do not try to buy 70-200 f2.8 VR before you even understand the exposure triangle. That’s a lot of “do nots”!

Now I suggest you to find your passion, set your goals, and change your life to fit your passion. Surround yourself with like-minded people, and you will change subconsciously. If you like photography, join your local photography club. If you like sport, join your local sport club. You will meet interesting people along the way.

Again, don’t just wait for the change to happen, be the change! But expect heavy resistance from the conservatives!

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What is your passion?

October 25, 2008
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Its been a week since i blogged, mainly because of my last week of University. With assignments all due at the same time and preparing for expo, thing has been getting a little bit out of hand. My exam is also coming up next week. Allocating time between games, martial arts, photography and study has [...]

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21 Timeless Photography Quotes with the best of Landscape Photography

October 15, 2008
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Found these on the net while browsing Outdoor-Photos. The web-site itself is amazing for displaying pictures, but it doesn’t allow commenting or even captions for the picture. I did not take any of these pictures. I wish, maybe sometime on the future when i develop the sense :p I randomly google those photography quotes, but [...]

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21 Secrets for Your Business Success from Self-made Millionaires

October 9, 2008

Amolife recently made a really good post about personal development. Now most of us has heard and read about personal development millions of time. I got dozens of books on that topic at my book cabinet. But this time, he/she(i dont know amolife is a he or she, but i guess its a she) post [...]

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