One of my most effective methods to start a new project, habit or any activity is to begin with one, very small and simple step.

I learned this idea from one of my favorite blogger Leo Babauta of Zen Habits. If you have never ever read Zen Habits, I highly encourage you, to do so. This blog covers topics like achieving goals, productivity, being organized, GTD, motivation, simplifying any many others. You can start with Leo’s latest post about simplifying life, where he lists his best articles concerning this subject.

Why one simple step?

• Easy to set and execute
• Engages you and puts you on track toward your goal
• Gives you a momentum for next steps

For me, it is usually enough. This first step is both easy to set and to execute. You can reward yourself right after it. Having finished first step, you are already involved in something new and you have already successfully performed your first task. It is quite motivating, it pushes you further.

Sometimes, we can’t see a clear path to our goal. Very often we hesitate to start, because of that. Our small step is also helpful in such case. Even after very small step, our goal is getting closer to us. Therefore, we would be able to see new directions and possibilities. We can take another small step and another one. Three steps later, we would see and know much more than before the first step. From that point it should be also easier to see the path leading to the goal.

I used it many times. This blog is a perfect example. I was thinking about starting it since January 2008. For over a month I took no action at all. There were always so many things on my head, I was afraid of failure; I didn’t actually know how to start.

Then, one cold day in February, I decided to buy at least a domain with my name. Small, simple step. It triggered me very well. With domain I took also a hosting and then all things got the right momentum.

It is good I took this step and bought the domain and hosting. Otherwise I would probably hesitate quite a long time with starting my blog.

photo credit: Alé

Where can you use this idea?

Be creative, use your mind.

Open a saving account. Then start saving money.
Borrow a book about investing. Start investing on a stock market.
Buy a domain. Launch your own online business.
Register to a new social media. Use it to promote your online business.
Start exercising 5 minutes per day. Subscribe to a fitness club.
Buy a bottle of mineral water. Drink it during a day.
Start writing your post/article with preparing a good headline.
…

As you can see, there are endless possibilities. I’m sure you will be able to fit this idea into achieving any of your goals.

One week ago, Frugal Dad started a new series of posts called Sunday Conversation, dedicated for random ramblings.

In the second edition of Sunday Conversation, Frugal Dad was giving answers to questions from his readers. I took the opportunity and asked him a question about success:

“What is your greatest success as a Frugal Dad so far?”

Frugal Dad:

Kacper, this was an interesting question, and one that caused me to really stop and think about the answer. Because I now attempt to compartmentalize various areas of my life (writing, family and full time career) I have a couple different answers.

As a Frugal “Dad” I would say that my greatest success is sharing in raising two wonderful children. My wife and I have worked hard to instill values in them at an early age that will carry them through the remainder of their lives.

From a frugal perspective my greatest success has been breaking the cycle of credit card usage my wife and I began to rely on to compensate for living on one income. The elimination of this lifestyle debt, and the credit cards than went along with it, has been a “freeing” experience, financially. Dave Ramsey wasn’t kidding about experiencing Financial Peace.

As a blogger, my greatest success has been convincing 900 strangers (and a few friends) to follow my writing in just four short months. I never dreamed so many of you would subscribe and I am humbled by your numbers. When the subscriber count reached 500 or so I began feeling pressure to put out top-notch content - after all, FIVE HUNDRED people were reading everything I wrote! That was a growing pain that went away after I realized what people really wanted was the same thing I want from a blog - just an informal conversation about money, living frugally, raising kids, being a better employee, etc. Sometimes the fear of performing can be lessened by the realization that none of us are perfect. Some days I’m more “in the groove” than others, and sometimes life happens and I’m just not particularly in the mood to be overly inspiring. One of the great things about interacting with so many of you is that just about the time I start to feel that way I’ll get a nice email or comment with some encouraging words to lift my spirits.

You can find more Q&A from Frugal Dad in last Sunday Conversation.

I definitely love reading different success stories. Each one has a lot of value and can help us to achieve and enjoy our own successes. If you have an interesting success story, don’t hesitate and send it to me. I will gladly post it on my blog.

This post is written by my brother, Dominik Wrzesniewski.

1. Idea.

In order to achieve success, we need an idea. What and how we want to do. Whether it will be an on-line shop or small gym for businessmen – idea is an entry point.

It is pretty obvious, we need an idea what dish can surprise our girlfriend.

2. Orientation and planning.

Our idea is getting brighter and colorful, it engages our imagination. It’s time to act. Let’s start with recognizing; what is necessary for execution of our goal. When we want to start some kind of business, there are a lot of things to check: from law issues, to financial and technical. We have to know, what we need to start.

In the kitchen, we have to know, what equipment do we need and what to buy in order to prepare our dish.

3. Acquire and prepare resources.

When we have a vision of our goal and a consistent plan, we need to get necessary tools and resources. We have to hire employees, find an office, buy equipment and prepare a website.

We can’t avoid grocery shop. We select products, sometimes we also need a cooking book and in the end we land in the kitchen, ready for real action (I know kitchen is not familiar place for many of you, guys, for me as well).

4. Process of production.

Finally, the great day comes. We engage our resources and start business. This is a moment when our plans find a way to become reality. This way is through our hard work.

Exactly like in the kitchen. When you are at least slightly accused to this exotic place… We have all products and tools, let’s play.

5. Quality, quality, quality.

We dream about success. So we want to provide best quality products and services. We put a lot of energy and attention. We care for each step of this process: buying quality materials, execution and equisite finish.

In order to make a good impression, we can’t use expired pasta or cheap wine… …what wine? Ok, ok… beer will wait till football match.

6. Monitoring the execution.

Quality is a deciding factor of our success. Therefore, it is good idea to constantly monitor our business. Staff trainings, random checking quality of different services, resources and inventory monitoring, all these actions will increase our chances for success.

In our kitchen, I suggest constant monitoring using our sense of taste. This way we will avoid surprises. I meant tasting dish not the beer.

7. Marketing.

Even the best product needs a good package and must be placed in relevant place, in relevant time. Don’t forget to inform our costumers what we prepared for them.

Let’s assume we are lucky that our dish tastes and looks quite similar to our recipe from cooking book (if you’ve already drunk beer which you supposed to left for match, you can experience some difficulties during comparison). There is a chance that our dish is eatable. It would be very stupid not to serve it in extraordinary way. New set of plates, clean tablecloth and candlesticks are all very important to make a good impression. History of marketing knows cases of poor products saved by good marketing strategies. Did anybody mention something about windows?

8. Getting things done.

Our offer is ready. We need to coordinate all actions before zero hour. Communication works, product is provided, and staff is well-trained.

Music in the background, cell phoned switched off, and wine is opened. Is cutlery polished?


photo credit: koishikawagirl

9. Taste of satisfaction.

We all love the taste of success. Feel this nice warm and refreshing excitement after doing great job. It is time for prize. Enjoy this time with your co-workers. Now you know it was worth to work so hard.

The prize after a romantic dinner with your girlfriend… well, this blog doesn’t require parental advisory, so I will skip the details.

10. Planning the future.

Show must go on. We achieved success, but this is not the end. We love the taste of success, so it’s time to look for another challenge. If not you, someone else will offer a new way to change a world. Don’t give a shot your competitors.

So, what is your idea for tomorrow?

This post is written by my brother, Dominik Wrzesniewski.

Social Psychology – is it for me?

Definite majority of us live among other people. Our life is inevitably tight with lives of other people. We live with partners, meet other people in the offices, on the street or just meet some nicknames on the web, but there’s usually also a human being behind it. That is why our presence here in this world is connected with meeting other people. We can build these relations in many ways, more or less effective. What can help us much in that is social psychology. Social psychology is the division of psychology concerned with individual’s behavior in social situations. It answers questions like: how and why people tend to behave in that or another way in various situations with other people. During my study of psychology I came across a valuable book I would like to strongly recommend to you. This book names Social Psychology by E. Aronson, T.D. Wilson and R.M. Akert.

The book is a fantastic journey through social psychology that begins with brief definition of useful psychology terms, just to help you in easy understanding of the subject. Later on starts the presentation of basic rules and phenomena of social psychology such as: cognitive process in social conditions, conformism, group processes, human’s attitudes, aggression behaviors, prejudice, interpersonal attractiveness and many others. I’m sure all most important areas are respectively covered in consecutive chapters.

I like the two things about this book. First of all, reading it, you will have a great opportunity to reflect your personal life experiences with scientific attitude. It often takes a form of small discoveries when you say to yourself: ‘Wow! I know it that it is like that but I didn’t think it works smoothly in that way and could do more for me!’ or ‘I didn’t know it comes from that!’ Once you have more knowledge and awareness about something, you can better use it. The second thing is the result of how the book is written. I like the smoothness and lightness of the style it is written. Although the book is an academy book its language is very easy, topics are well illustrated with many examples and a touch of sense of humor makes that reading is a real pleasure.

I am totally sure that anyone can learn a lot of inspiring, useful and applicable things form Social Psychology by E. Aronson, T.D. Wilson and R.M. Akert.