Connect The Dots: How to gain new insight

Where are you in catching trends?

When it comes to Seeing What Others Don’t it all comes down to our insights. 

Insights led you to stop going to a Blockbuster and waiting in line to watching your favorite shows and movies from the comfort of your home with just a few clicks. 

Insights from a newspaper article of a popular drink in Asia led to billions drinking Red Bull.

Insights from a calligraphy class led to a design in the Mac.

So the main question is: How you do you come up with good ideas?

It really isn’t what most people think. 

“..we can increase insights by exposing ourselves to lots of different ideas that might help us form new connections.”—GaryKlein

How exposed are you to new and different sources of information aside from your normal daily interests? 

Are you well read in various subjects?

We naturally tend to stick with what we like. 

For me that would be books on Psychology, Business, and even Basketball. 

Sometimes the gold is not where you have a natural tendency to look.

Be diverse in your approach. 

If you’re reading the New York Times or Wall Street Journal switch it up and read newspapers from around the world.

If you’re reading The Atlantic or The Economist, switch it up and read American Scientist or National Geographic.

Are you just reading magazines and books? Take a chance on attending seminars and traveling around the world.  

Perhaps, you never watch TV. Adding a little may give you that perspective you never thought of before.

This will lead to an accumulation of multiple types of information from all genres to lead to new insights. 

A question for all of you: In the past week, what were some of your sources of insight? Leave a comment below.

My name is Romario Villanueva.  Entrepreneur & blogger. I'm a graduate from Rutgers University with several certifications from top schools through Coursera. I love all things business, psychology, and basketball. Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter or LinkedIn

How We Spend Our Lives: Preoccupied or Living

As you read this, I don't want you to just get hooked on insight. You have to make an effort to get better. It’s more than self-help.

You have to go and do. 

Make instinctual change. It’s not being an info junky.

Read and then act. 

Knowledge is nothing without action. 

Without action it’s just another form of entertainment.

No one will share their money, but how many share their time? 

You can get money back. But when you lose time, you will never get it back.

This is seen in all aspects of your life.

When it comes to business. You may have this idea, but put it off and focus on another business idea that isn’t really what you want to do.

This applies to love. You're in a relationship. You have a partner, but you know deep inside that he or she isn't for you. Yet, you stay even knowing there is no end goal.

What’s the purpose? 

Seneca says if you are frugal with your money you should be frugal with your time.

Let's say you go to a restaurant and order a meal that is usually $20. All is well. But when it's time to pay, you get the bill of $60. What's your reaction?

You go ballistic. 

You get defensive. 

You speak up.

You allocate the specific amount of money for what you receive.

But what about when it comes to your time. 

You’re constantly looking at your phone hundreds of times in a day.

You owe Facebook nothing. 

You owe Instagram nothing.

You are squandering time.

 

Forget that, squander your money.

Because squandering money doesn’t make you broke.

Squandering your time does. 

“You are living as if destined to live forever…you don’t notice how much time has already passed, but squander it as though you had a full and overflowing supply. You act like mortals in all that you fear, and like immortals in all that you desire.”―Seneca, On The Shortness of Life

What is something that must be cut in your life that saves you time?

My name is Romario Villanueva.  Entrepreneur & blogger. I'm a graduate from Rutgers University with several certifications from top schools through Coursera. I love all things business, psychology, and basketball. Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter or LinkedIn

Inspirational Quotes & Quotes About Life - My Collection - Tai Lopez