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It’s Time To Change – A Guest Post by Jaco Alberts

Posted in Blogging, Family, Guest Post, GUEST POSTS, Life Style, Success Story, and Testimonials

Last updated on January 1, 2024

It’s Time to Change – A Guest Post by Jaco Alberts

Greetings to all,

I am so glad to be here again on the eve of yet another New Year. This post is an updated version of a guest.

Whenever I talk about my blogging, I used to say about my blogging friends spread all over the world.

I met a good number of amazing friends over the years on my blogging journey!

“Yes, in fact, they are my asset in blogging!

As someone said and I quote: “Your Network is your Net Worth” Though I heard this several times I never put much weight on it, but in the recent past I realized the great value of it.

Yes, making a solid relationship through the network is your net worth.

In 2015 I met some amazing people from the blogging world, some are indeed prominent personalities in their respective fields.  One such person is Jaco Alberts, our guest author for today.

He is a blogger and freelance writer from Durban, South Africa. He is a loving husband and father to two lovely daughters. He is fascinated by our thinking patterns and the effect that our thinking has on our everyday lives. He doesn’t believe in “building castles in the sky”, but love to keep it practical.

Making a solid relationship with like-minded people through the network is really your net worth. Read more #Philipscom Click To Tweet
Time To Change
Jaco Alberts with his family

I was glad to meet him on my blogging journey at Yvonne Wilson’s page, Empowerment Moments Blog,  where he is a contributing author.

Read more about him at the links given at the bottom of this post.

Thank you,  Jaco, for your valuable time for writing this amazing post for Philipscom readers.

I am sure my readers will appreciate your contribution here.

It means a lot to me, Brother Jaco.

Over to Jaco

It’s Time to Change

Time never stands still and is surely not waiting for anybody. So 2015 came and now it’s gone. Yes, it is 2016. Time flies by; or does it?

Why is that some people seem to have all the time in the world, while others are complaining about not having enough hours in the day?

Especially in the blogosphere, many of us started blogging so that we can have more time with our loved ones. Yet, in order to be successful, you still need to be very careful, because your blog doesn’t maintain itself and you need to maintain the balance.

I can remember my father always teaching me that as long as I plan my time and I can stay ahead of time, all will be fine. But as soon as you fall behind time, it is very hard to catch up again.

Time is still the same as centuries ago. We all have 24 hours available to us every day. It is still ticking along at the same consistent tempo; it’s not going faster, but it’s not slowing down either. It’s about how we utilize our time. It is our thinking and our lifestyle that has changed.

Time never stands still and is surely not waiting for anybody. Check out this Guest post by Jaco @ #Philipscom Click To Tweet

People Have Many New Year’s Resolutions, But How Many Will Be Achieved?

For many people, the idea of having New Year’s resolutions has just become fun. They will set ridiculous goals, knowing that they aren’t going to put much effort into achieving them. Others have good intentions, but soon give up on their new goals. And then you have the group who doesn’t bother because it’s a waste of time anyhow.

Especially when opening a magazine or looking at various blogs, one often hears the response “Oh, not another New Year’s resolution article again….”, as we get bombarded with clever marketing strategies and articles about new goal-setting programs.

That in itself is the beginning of the end. Many of us aren’t focused enough on our goals and we suddenly want to set 101 different goals and think that we are actually going to achieve all of them. Are you still wondering why your New Year’s resolutions are often a waste of time?

But that doesn’t mean that we can’t come to a standstill, take stock of ourselves, and make a new beginning. To make a new beginning, you can start by changing only one thing; the way you think.

101 New Year’s Resolutions Won’t Change a Thing, But Change The Way You Think and You’ll Change Your Life.

Yes, change your thinking and you’ll change your life. What is your mind focused on? When you do think about setting goals, what are you focusing on? Are you constantly thinking about all the obstacles? Are you thinking about how difficult it’s going to be to avoid the fridge when you need to lose some weight? Are you thinking about all the daily interruptions which will prevent you from writing daily to add quality content to your blog?

Time To Change
The secret lies in shifting your focus. I’m not saying you should ignore the negatives or deny the existence of possible obstacles. Determine possible obstacles and plan ahead how to overcome them.

But even more important is to find the positive benefits if you are to be successful.

Now that you have determined possible obstacles, and you know how to overcome them in advance, you can handle them as they come, but you can keep your mind focused on the positive results to be achieved.

Instead of feeling frustrated by thinking of all the daily interruptions, create a schedule when you will be available for meetings, time to play with the kids etc., and start focusing your mind on the benefits of writing every day.

In our blogging example, positive benefits might include some of the following:

  1. Creating quality content (by writing at least 5 to 6 days per week, you should be able to produce at least one good quality article/post per week).
  2. By creating quality content, you increase traffic to your blog.
  3. Quality content can help you to build trust and develop relationships.
  4. Increased traffic can help you to monetize your site.

These are just a few examples to get you thinking. Find more positive benefits for yourself and focus on these.

Your mind is extremely powerful, and so are the words you speak. What you are constantly saying, is absorbed by the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind cannot distinguish between right and wrong, so it will respond to whatever you feed it. If you continuously say you are a failure, you will eventually start believing it. But the same is true if you start saying positive things about yourself.

There is a saying that is based on this truth: “Whether you say can, or whether you say you can’t; it is true.”

The following cycle will give you an indication of the effect your words and your thinking have on life:

  1. You decide what you say.
  2. What you say will eventually determine what you believe.
  3. What you believe, determines what you think about.
  4. Your thoughts determine your emotions.
  5. Your emotions will influence your decisions.
  6. Your decisions lead to actions and habits.
  7. Your actions and habits have results.
  8. These results will validate what you believe (either positive or negative).
  9. These beliefs will come out in words again (you talk about what you believe), which will confirm the belief, and the cycle starts repeating itself again.

So if you want to change your life, change your thinking. To change your thinking, change what you are saying.

How To Start Thinking Creatively.

thinking-1536551-639x397As bloggers we not only need to think positive thoughts, we also need to be creative thinkers. The good news is that creative thinking is available to every one of us.

But you need to get serious about your thinking.

Getting in contact with your creative side can be fun. Dr. Raché Rutherford, a creativity specialist, says that we are creative by nature during childhood. Yet we lose much of our creativity while we learn faulty lessons and adopt limiting thinking patterns.

Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it ~ Henry Ford

Some tips to encourage creative thinking:

  • Ask yourself questions such as: What is the worst that can happen? What if I try? Why not? Who said I cannot write creatively?
  • Try something new each week, even if it’s just taking a new route to the office.
  • Think of ten ways to celebrate your birthday.
  • Surround yourself with interesting people and don’t always try to ‘fit in’.
  • When you face a problem, write it down and turn it into a question. As an example; you need a new vehicle but you don’t have the money. Ask yourself how you can raise the money.
  • Start some new hobbies.
  • Try to do something you’ve never done before.
  • Write down what you are thinking of when you wake up.

One thing to remember is that if you want to change your thinking, allowing yourself time to do so is important, and don’t quit. Remember, you’ve been developing your thinking patterns over the years; you are not going to change your thinking in two days. It will require conscious effort over time.

Be Yourself.

Firstly, it is good to have a role model, but use a role model to see which actions are making him/her successful and follow those actions. Don’t become a duplicate of that person.

Secondly, when we start our blogging career, we often hear that we should ‘give the readers what they want. It’s not about you, it’s about the reader’.

Although this is an extremely important aspect, you shouldn’t take yourself out of the picture completely. When I recently read the excellent post by Philip Verghese Ariel about “What Is Your Biggest Achievement and Biggest Failure in Blogging So Far?” this point stood out to me especially when I read about Jaime D. Buckley of WantedHero.com

It is my opinion that when you become obsessed with what the reader wants, and you neglect the reason why you started blogging in the first place – your passion that moved you to start your blog – there is a great danger that your blog will soon become more of a burden than anything else and you might end up quitting.

It is good (and important) to give the readers what they want, but don’t lose your own identity in the process. Believe me, there is someone out there who will agree with you about your passion. There is someone who wants to hear what you say. So instead of being so focused on what the reader wants you start trying to please everybody, find the right audience, and giving them what they want will come naturally.

Stay In Touch With Reality.

As soon as you decide to start earning income online, whether, through blogging, affiliate marketing, etc., you’ll be exposed to all the hype about the fortunes you can make in a short period of time.

I value the saying ‘easy come, easy go’. Don’t fall victim to these “castles in the sky” promises. Anything of value will take time to achieve. Once again referring to the above-mentioned post by Philip Verghese Ariel, it was such a joy to read about Joy Healy and to visit her site at joyhealey.com. There is no hype and false promises on her site. She says it as it is and truthfully points out what is working for her and what is not. I appreciate that kind of honesty. Everything is not going to just ‘fall in your lap’ as if by some kind of magic.

Another blogger mentioned in this post who is staying in touch with reality is Harleena Singh from AhaNOW. She is, in my opinion, a great mentor and while always willing to help, she is very realistic in her approach.

Never Stop Learning

I’d been involved in sports as a professional coach for many years before I started blogging. If there is one thing I have learned from those years that is equally important as a blogger, it is to never think that you know it all.

Yes, be careful who you listen to, but remain teachable. There will always be someone out there who knows more than you and can teach you something valuable.
I would like to end this post with a story about a wise Japanese master. It is said that there once was a very intelligent and highly qualified professor. He heard about this wise Japanese master and wanted to learn more from him.

The professor decided to visit the Japanese master. On the professor’s arrival, the Japanese master requested his wife to make them some tea.

While they were waiting for the tea, the professor decided to start sharing all his discoveries, inventions, achievements, and knowledge with the master. Eventually, the master’s wife brought the tea for the two men.

tea-time-1-1316527-1279x957While the professor kept on talking, the master started pouring some tea into the professor’s cup. Soon the cup was filled, but the master kept pouring. The tea started spilling over into the saucer. The master kept pouring and as the tea started spilling over from the saucer as well, the professor stopped talking and pointed out to the master that both the cup and saucer were full of tea and that it was spilling over.

Calmly the master stopped and said to the professor: “Just as the cup was full, your head is too full of your own knowledge, there is no space for me to add any. It will only spill over.”

If you haven’t read it yet, a good place to start looking for people to learn from is Philip’s post What Is Your Biggest Achievement and Worst Failure in Blogging So Far?

It is never too late to start, and if something doesn’t work for you, you need to change it.

If there is one thing you can change to make a difference in your life, what would it be?  

 

Thank you, Jaco, for your valuable time with our readers.  We Wish You A Blessed New Year 2016  

For Philipscom

My-Signature1

 

Author Bio: Jaco Albertscutmypic(3) is a blogger and freelance writer. Jaco loves writing about the challenges of our modern-day lifestyle and how to stay in control in practical ways.

You can read his articles at jacoalberts.com. He also launched Your Mind Renewed” in October 2015, where he focused on the impact our thinking has on our lives and how to take control of our lives by changing how we think.

Besides the weekly articles, Jaco adds inspiring quotes as Daily Food for Thought’ daily to “Your Mind Renewed” to help you start each day with a positive mindset.

You can also see more of his work at Empowerment Moments Blog where he is a contributing author since November 2015.

Source:

Image Credit: freeimages.com; Jacoalberts.

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14 Comments

  1. A really good post,we are what we think about and it is true
    we only can fill our mind with new thoughts if we are not too full of ourselves.
    Empty your cup,so that it may be filled -Bruce Lee
    Thank you Jaco Alberts and Philip
    Erika
    Erika Mohssen-Beyk recently posted…Self Awareness – A StorieMy Profile

    January 2, 2016
    |Reply
    • Jaco Alberts
      Jaco Alberts

      Hi Erika,

      Thank you for your valuable input. I am glad that you enjoyed the post.

      Yes, I do agree with you, irrespective of our successes, we need to stay humble in order to learn even more.

      Bruce Lee had many quotes that are so practical and were filled with wisdom, such as the one you have mentioned here. Thank you for sharing it with us.

      Have great day and a prosperous 2016!

      Jaco.
      Jaco Alberts recently posted…Be Full of JoyMy Profile

      January 2, 2016
      |Reply
  2. Hi Jaco, good to see you at Phil’s blog :)

    This is a wonderful post. It is almost on the lines of my thinking and what I write. I’m a believer of change, and I keep practicing change in every aspect of my life. I like to be positive and hopeful and try to make use of every minute.

    You’re so right that we can change and achieve anything with our thinking. Our thoughts have the power to change not only our lives but also the lives of others. I’ve a resolution for this year – to be productive. You mentioned strong pointers about the subconscious mind and the power of words and thoughts.

    And thanks for mentioning me in the post, I’m honored and humbled.

    Thanks for sharing all of this with us. Wishing both of you a very happy, successful and productive year ahead :)
    Harleena Singh recently posted…7 Ways to Find Freelance Writing JobsMy Profile

    January 2, 2016
    |Reply
    • Jaco Alberts
      Jaco Alberts

      Hi Harleena,

      Indeed nice to see you here. Thank you so much for your valuable input. You are indeed a good role model to us in the blogging industry. I can remember seeing your profile in Linked-in, which led me to your blog. I started following the advice as found on your blog, and I started meeting some of the most incredible people in the industry.

      I have great respect for your work Harleena, and if your resolution is to be more productive this year, I am sure you are going to set a good example again for the rest of us to follow. I am looking forward to it.

      Thank you for sharing your way of thinking with us, and I do agree with you, our thoughts have the power to change not only our lives but also the lives of others. A great truth indeed, and that highlights a great responsbility that we have, knowing that our thinking has the power to effect other people too.

      I am glad that you enjoyed this post.

      Thank you for the good wishes, I also wish you a successful and productive 2016!
      Jaco Alberts recently posted…Be Full of JoyMy Profile

      January 3, 2016
      |Reply
  3. Hi Jaco,

    Happy New Year. All the best to you and your family. It’s great to see you here at Philip’s blog with this lovely guest post. Change your thoughts and you can change your life. Powerful indeed and you have made some valid practical points that anyone can follow and achieve change and success in their lives.

    I love ‘Be yourself.’ It is one of my mantras. We miss out on so much in life when we try to be someone else. The thing is the facade don’t ever last, right?

    To me it makes more sense to work on bringing about change on a daily basis – small steps at a time as opposed to setting New Year resolutions that one hardly keep. I choose affirmations and day over resolutions.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Philip thanks for the mention in this post. Be blessed.

    January 3, 2016
    |Reply
    • Jaco Alberts
      Jaco Alberts

      Hi Yvonne,

      How nice to see you here! Thank you for the nice wishes. Happy New Year to you and your family as well.

      I’m glad you enjoyed this post. It is so true what you say about missing out on so much in life when trying to be someone else. It’s adding stress to your life as you need to be ‘performing’ all the time. And as you say, the facade doesn’t even last. How true?

      Bringing about small change on a daily basis makes it so much easier, I totally agree with you. It also makes it easier to make changes to what doesn’t work for you and reduces your stress levels. Although it is good to plan for the long term, I think it is senseless to be overly concerned with what is going to happen a year or two from now. No matter how much you stress about it, you are not going to change anything. But you CAN have an impact on what happens today.

      Thanks again for your valuable input Yvonne, have a blessed day.

      January 3, 2016
      |Reply
  4. Hi Brother Phil and Jaco

    Thank you very much Brotther Phil for introducing one more interesting personality in the field of blogging and freelance writing to your readers. I just had a look at the site Jacoalberts.com and find it a valuable one. Looking forward to go through it again when I am free.

    Regarding this post, I like the idea ” Be yourself “. It is a good strategy to find out the good things from a role model and try to implement it in our life. But, never imitate someone, the better way is to be yourself and that will make you stand out unique from the crowd.

    Once again thanks for Brother Phil and Jaco for sharing valuable informations on their blogs,

    Have a prosperous 2016 for both of you.

    Reji Stephenson

    January 3, 2016
    |Reply
  5. Jaco Alberts
    Jaco Alberts

    Hi Reji,

    It is nice to meet you. I am glad to hear that you liked this post and I do agree with you, the better way is to be yourself. As you said it so well, that will make you stand out unique from the crowd.

    Thank you for visiting my site. I am glad and feel humbled that you find it a valuable one. I am looking forward to interact with you on a regular basis.

    Thanks for the good wishes, I would also like to use this opportunity to wish you a prosperous 2016.

    Jaco.
    Jaco Alberts recently posted…Be Full of JoyMy Profile

    January 3, 2016
    |Reply
  6. Hi Jaco

    This is really an inspiring post. Yes we all make resolutions but How many will be completed. We dont know.
    We need to make a list and need to change the way of thinking and accomplish it one by one.

    Thanks for this Wonderful insight!

    January 4, 2016
    |Reply
  7. Jaco Alberts
    Jaco Alberts

    Hi Abishek,

    Thank you for reading my post and leaving your valuable comment. I do appreciate it.

    Yes, we need to make that list and change our thinking, but I especially like what you say about accomplishing those goals one by one. Instead of overwhelming yourself, just take one step at a time. Well said! It is like the Chinese saying of ‘A 1000 mile journey starts with the first step.

    I’m glad you enjoyed the post.

    Have a wonderfull day.

    January 4, 2016
    |Reply
  8. Hi Jaco and Philip

    Thanks so much for mentioning me in this excellent article.

    I’m not a great one for New Years Resolutions – but I do have a to-do list…. every day. I have to be honest and say it doesn’t always get completed, but January 1st is no different to any other day to me. It’s just another day when I can work towards my goals. I suppose the closest thing I have to a New Years Resolution for 2016 is to focus more now that “things” are starting to take shape for me.

    I’m so pleased you appreciate me being truthful about what and isn’t working, I have wondered if it was a bit “negative”. But I remember reading all those articles and posts from certain people and thinking I must be the only person online not making a big income. Now I have learned from other honest people that it ISN’T easy, and hard work is required. That’s fine by me, and the sooner everyone else accepts it, the better.

    Loved the story about the overflowing teacup – I sometimes feel my head won’t take any more blogging information LOL

    Joy
    Joy Healey recently posted…Review of Affiliate Marketing For Bloggers – Why Buy From Enstine Muki?My Profile

    January 5, 2016
    |Reply
  9. Jaco Alberts
    Jaco Alberts

    Hi Joy,

    Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. Believe me, being truthful is not negative at all. You mention how you thought you are the only person online not making a big income. How many people are out there who thought those same thoughts and decided to quit because they thought they were failing? Yet, if they just persevered, they could have been successful.

    I take my hat off to you for not giving up and I thank you for being truthful. Knowing the facts (the truth) of what people will be up against, knowing what to expect, allows the new potential online marketer to be better prepared when starting his new journey. It can help to prevent people from feeling like failures, while they were actually making steady progress without even realizing it.

    I am glad you enjoyed the article.

    Have a great day,

    Jaco.

    January 5, 2016
    |Reply
  10. Suri Freeman
    Suri Freeman

    Your insights on networking and time management are invaluable. I’m curious, how do you personally balance the time spent on building these meaningful connections with the equally important task of content creation and other responsibilities?

    January 4, 2024
    |Reply

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