Patrolling the Web this Week

I'm currently on my way back home to Los Angeles after spending eight weeks gallivanting across the globe. I am so ready to come home! Although I have nearly eleven hours of airport time in front of me (San Jose, Costa Rica --> Houston, Texas --> Los Angeles, CA), I am thanking my lucky stars that my flight path avoids the east coast. Let's hope there are no spillover delays.

Since I have been traveling, I have had a lot of free time to peruse my favorite websites. The following are just a few of my favorite articles and websites that I've stumbled upon this week. Hope you enjoy!

25 Quotables from the 99% Conference: I'm a sucker for great quotes. I haven't come across a list like this in a while. One of my favorites is from venture capitalist Fred Wilson, "The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly salary." This is kind of true, no?

Christine Hassler: Life coach, blogger and author Christine Hassler has a website specifically designed to help 20 somethings figure out their life direction. I like that most of her posts come with a short, digestible youtube video to convey her message. She has also coined the term, Expectation Hangover, which can be explained by that horrible, guilty feeling you have after you expect something to go one way, but it ends up turning out the exact opposite.

50 Things to Stop Doing Forever: I'm a fan of lists (I think that's pretty clear by now), and I love this one because we are all slightly addicted to toxic habits that we know are bad for us. This can serve as a reminder of what and why you should avoid those habits. The author's website, Live Bold & Bloom, is also a great self-improvement website.

Ted Talk by Eve Ensler: Suddenly, my body

Using Social Networking to Achieve Life Goals

I might be a little late to the party, but I recently stumbled upon the self-help site Igolu, and felt compelled to share it on this blog. Igolu is a social networking platform that helps individuals discover, formulate, and achieve short and long-term life goals. As implied by the name, Igolu's mission is based on the core belief that individuals are more likely to attain their goals if they have a support system in place. Founder Susanne Conrad created a step-by-step program that counsels participants through the process of establishing, setting, and achieving whatever it is they want to accomplish in life. Igolu participants are encouraged to set 1, 5, and 10 year goals in personal, health, and professional realms. There are how-to videos, worksheets, and short assignments to help Igolus work towards goal achievement.

While Igolu borrows several cognitive and behavioral strategies that mental health professionals have been using for decades, I do appreciate the attention placed on developing a mutual support network as a strategy to increase the likelihood of achieving one's aspirations. Although the social networking component is not currently up on the website, members will soon be able to create Igolu groups of 6 committed "goal friends" that will provide a space for encouraging success and sharing learnings with group members.

Below is a text excerpt, followed by a video from her first session on how to establish personal legacy.

"For us to be able to have a personal legacy that's a gift instead of circumstance, we need to be able to notice that internal voice, and be able to tell the difference between reactive listening, and responsible creative choice-based listening. And keep ourselves above the line so that we have the energy and connection to what's resourceful in us, to be able to fullfil that legacy." - Susanne Conrad, Founder of Igolu


PERSONAL LEGACY from Susanne Conrad on Vimeo.