This is a free sample from Olle Lindholm's latest book Smarter Growth: The Value of Effort, Learning, and Having Fun. This book busts the popular myth of the “overnight success” and instead gives you solid tips on productivity, motivation, and the principles behind living a fun and meaningful life.

1. OLLE
LINDHOLM
THE VALUE OF EFFORT,
LEARNING AND HAVING FUN
SMARTER
GROWTH
T H E S M A R T E R E B O O K S E R I E S

2. SMARTER GROWTH: FREE SAMPLE
OLLE LINDHOLM
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART 1: SMARTER GROWTH..........................................8
An inside-out approach to personal growth................................................................9
Make a promise you can keep.....................................................................................13
How do I convince myself I'm good enough?...........................................................21
What if I'm a total failure?............................................................................................26
Become friends with your fears...................................................................................33
The tortoise and the hare..............................................................................................38
Plant a seed, grow a legacy..........................................................................................46
The secret ingredient that turns your dreams into reality.......................................53
Branching out.................................................................................................................59
How to get the most important things done..............................................................65
Checklist for smarter growth.......................................................................................71
PART 2: SMARTER EFFORTS.......................................73
Why we get stuck..........................................................................................................74
Getting past your fears.................................................................................................75
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Mastering your expectations........................................................................................79
What to do about confusion and overwhelm............................................................81
Say hello to a smarter work process............................................................................84
Managing your time and energy.................................................................................89
Are you in flow?............................................................................................................92
How to deal with the bad days....................................................................................94
A smarter (and healthier) way to handle rejection....................................................97
Take 15 minutes to make a big difference................................................................101
Checklist for smarter efforts.......................................................................................104
PART 3: SMARTER YOU..............................................106
Kiss your bullshit excuses goodbye..........................................................................107
5 areas of focus.............................................................................................................113
Pick yourself.................................................................................................................119
How an ordinary Tuesday morning changed my life............................................122
25 T-day challenges to spice up your life.................................................................126
Keep investing in yourself..........................................................................................131
13 Timeless lessons from Walt Disney......................................................................137
A smarter feedback loop.............................................................................................147
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Write for the future, live for today............................................................................150
Skip the New Year's resolutions................................................................................155
How to become an awesome decision-maker..........................................................161
The journey is the reward...........................................................................................170
Checklist for a smarter you........................................................................................171
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS................................................173
RECOMMENDED READING.........................................175
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MY OVERNIGHT SUCCESS
Overnight success? Ha! You're adorable.
Let's make one thing clear: I did not write this ebook overnight. I
blogged for six years, wrote eight journals and created a gazillion half-
finished rough drafts. So much for my ”overnight success”.
So, what was different this time around? A few things:
✔ I had the time.
✔ I had the energy.
✔ I had the focus and motivation.
I accumulated my efforts over a five-year period. I
wrote this ebook because I am convinced that we
have to grow smarter if we are to overcome the
challenges of the future. But above all, I wrote it to
remind us what we're capable of.
Let's grow smarter together,
Olle Lindholm
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OLLE LINDHOLM
BE A SMARTER READER
To get the most out of this book, I highly recommend you:
➢ Stay hydrated, rested and fed.
”The energy of the mind is the essence of life,” said Aristotle.
Wise guy. Get yourself a cup of tea and start rolling.
➢ Ask yourself questions.
Be curious about what you're reading and always try to relate it
to your own life. It's more fun and rewarding that way. Plus, it's
a great way to improve your learning.
➢ Jump to the section that is most relevant to you.
This isn't high school: you don't have to read this book from start
to finish. There is no end of the year exam. Promise. Make the
book work for you, not against you. That's how you become a
smarter reader!
Enjoy reading!
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PART 1: SMARTER GROWTH
What lies behind us and what lies before us
are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
~Oliver Wendell Holmes
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AN INSIDE-OUT APPROACH TO PERSONAL GROWTH
If your computer dies and you don't remember anything, this one tip
alone will set you apart from the rest.
The first step is simple, but not always easy. Begin with the end in
mind. Ask yourself: "Why am I doing this?" The answer to this
question will steer the direction of your life.
If you're not lucky enough to know what you want out of life, you'll
have to use your imagination. What would your ideal life look like six
months from now? A year from now? Five years from now?
If you're struggling with these questions, imagine you're attending
your own funeral. Who is mourning you? How do you want to be
remembered? Don't just keep these thoughts in your head – write
them down. I know it's a morbid exercise, but it gives you valuable
insight into the kind of person you want to be.
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9. SMARTER GROWTH: FREE SAMPLE
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In personal development jargon, you've just used a powerful
visualisation technique to better understand who you want to be.
The Funeral Exercise reveals important values, people you hold dear,
and can even shed light on your bigger mission. In short, you cut the
fluff and get to know what actually matters.
I know it's not exactly uplifting to think about your death, but it's a
good reminder to make sure you live your life to the fullest. Ironically,
your mortality is your best productivity tool. It encourages you to act
today rather than tomorrow. And if you want to live a fun and
meaningful life, that's exactly what you have to do.
Of course, your dreams and goals may change as you get older. In
fact, you can count on it. But without the end in mind, you don't know
what you're striving towards, and so you don't get where you want to
go.
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COMPARE YOURSELF TO YOURSELF
You will be tempted to compare yourself to others, especially in the
digital age we're in now. You'll look at them and make a snap
judgment. And you'll have a verdict: they're either better or worse off
than you. But your comparison is neither fair nor helpful.
Trying to compare yourself to others is a huge mistake. You won't get
any happier (or smarter) from looking at other people's life edits.
Social media is a great way to stay in touch with distant friends, but
it’s not the place to go if you want to evaluate your life.
Fortunately, there is a smarter way to grow, and that means you
SWITCH OFF your mobile phone and start to think for yourself.
Listen to your own voice – the one that whispers that you're capable
and worthy – and act in accordance with your own conscience. It's
much better to build your sense of worth from within. After all, no
one can take that away from you but yourself. Get up right now and
write up a Post-it for yourself:
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"Compare yourself to yourself."
Stick it on your computer, or maybe an extra copy or two around your
office or someplace else where you'll see it often. It isn't always easy,
but any of us can do it if we keep working at it, and you'll find that it
transforms your life. After all, remember:
You were born an original.
Don't die a copy.
~ John Mason.
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WANT TO GROW SMARTER?
This is only a small sample of the book.
In the full version, you'll learn:
• How to better manage your time and energy, so you can
work smarter, not harder.
• New strategies to overcome your fears, so you can embark
on a path that will be more fulfilling and rewarding.
• How to better cope with rejection and get past those “bad
days”, so you can muster the courage to put your work out
there.
• How to make better decisions, so you avoid regret and live
the life you deserve.
• … and much more.
To get the full 179-page ebook, including handy checklists
and bonus materials, click the red button below: