If you want to win new business online, especially on LinkedIn, you have to go back to an era before computers (let alone the Internet and social media) even existed.

For as long as human beings have been alive and doing business together, people have often decided who to give their trust, affection and money to based on some rather simple (and, some would argue, shallow) factors, including one’s personal appearance and dress.

Love it or hate it, this is the truth about how business often gets done in-person and online.

This is especially true on LinkedIn, where personal appearance matters far more than you might think.

On LinkedIn, Looks Matter

Case in point: Statistics from LinkedIn show members who include a photo receive up to 21 times more profile views and up to 36 times more messages.

What’s really alarming is there are still people on LinkedIn today who don’t have a a photo uploaded on their profile page!

Although, it should be said, if you upload the wrong type of photo on LinkedIn, you can do more harm to your personal and professional brand than if you’d had no photo at all.

With all that in mind, I want to spend the rest of this post ensuring that your LinkedIn profile photo helps prospective clients and customers get to know, like and trust you.

Source: Getty Images

Tip 1 – Be Professional

LinkedIn is not the place for a goofy Snapchat selfie or to crop your head out of your wedding photo. It is also not a place to upload your company logo as your profile photo. Nor is it a place to show you holding your kids, hanging at the beach or playing fetch with your dog.

Instead, you need a professional photo. That means a clear, high-quality head shot of you looking your best and dressed to impress.

Also, the photo must be a “close up” of your face, because LinkedIn will use that image all over the platform in various sizes, and people want to associate an easy-to-see face with the posts, comments and messages you send on LinkedIn. If your face is too far away or too small in the photo, it will be hard to see when LinkedIn displays your image in smaller sizes.

Tip 2 – No Clutter

Remember to use a clean, clutter-free background for your profile photo. A simple, white background works well.

Tip 3 – Don’t Wear Sunglasses

You’re not Corey Hart – you don’t need to wear your sunglasses at night, and you don’t need to wear them in your LinkedIn profile photo, either.

I’m still shocked at how many people I see on LinkedIn with sunglasses on, and that’s why I’m including this tip.

Remember, people want to look you in the eye (even online), and if they can’t see your eyes, they can’t trust you.

Tip 4 – Smile!

I had a goofball friend named Brad Schwie growing up who always had a smile on his face everywhere we went.

“Why are you always smiling?” I’d ask him.

“Because smiles are free!” he’d reply.

And, funny, Brad has more friends than I can count … everybody likes the guy, because he’s always smiling, friendly and welcoming. His smiling face instantly puts strangers at ease.

(Related: How To Win New Business on LinkedIn)

See how this works?

Even if it kills you, it’s critical that you smile in your LinkedIn Profile photo. Smiling is so important that I’ve actually told LinkedIn Riches students of mine to go back and get retakes of their profile photos because they weren’t smiling.

Tip 5: Use a Professional Photographer

According to LinkedIn, users who have a professional headshot get 14 times more views than those without.

Especially if you are asking potential clients and customers to spend thousands of dollars with you or your company, you need to look the part.

A professional, high-quality headshot shows you’re serious, competent and able to deliver on what you’re promising.

Look and Learn

At first glance, it might feel silly to worry so much about what goes into your LinkedIn profile photo.

But when you are first “meeting” someone online, it’s these little things that matter most.

(Related: How To Create a Killer LinkedIn Profile!)

You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression, and your LinkedIn profile photo is usually the first (and sometimes only) chance you have to impress a potential client or customer.

So take it seriously!

Originally published via

Is it possible for a minister to be a great blessing to people without him practicing what he preaches? Yes.

Scriptural examples:

Job 4:3-5:
3 Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.
4 Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.
5 But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

The hands, our trusty friends whom we can do almost nothing without. Have you seen such beautiful well-manicured hands on some guys and you admire them, even as a guy? Yes, sometimes you have so many things on your mind to think about indulging in a manicure session even at home, all by yourself.

Hold on, did you repeat, “manicure” with raised eyebrows? Yes, manicure sessions aren’t only for ladies, you know? It is best if you keep your hands clean, nice, without peeling nails, and well-moisturized all the time, especially as you also do not like dirty, scruffy, peeling nails on ladies. No one wants to shake sweaty palms or dirty hands; neither would you want to receive anything handled with such hands.

Here are a few hygiene tips to keep your hands healthy.

Keep your nails clean

Like earlier said, dirty hands are a no-no, and that includes your nails too! You cannot be bothered most times, except when going on a date. This shouldn’t be the case. Your nails should be clean at all times, except you are fixing you car, gardening or have to do dirty work, after which your hands and nails should come out nice and clean after being washed. Soak them in hot/warm water if the dirt proves too tough to come out.

Clip/trim and file your nails

Long nails aren’t really nice on men, even though certain guys like keeping the last two fingernails really long. I have a friend whom I asked why he kept that fourth nail long. He had no tangible reason, only that he liked that one long, plus it looked nice. In actual fact it did, when I looked at it. It was fresh and clean. No dirt underneath. That doesn’t mean you should keep long fingernails, though. It is best to clip each nail across or cut with a pair of scissors and then file nicely to give it a nice rounded finish. It isn’t vanity. If you don’t have the time, clip them after taking a shower or doing laundry or the dishes. Your nails would be soft and easy to clip/trim. When doing this, try as much as possible not to cut too close to your skin. Your hands don’t look too nice this way.

Use Vaseline

Always have Vaseline around you. Vaseline helps to moisturize the hands, not only during the dry and harmattan seasons, but whenever you have cracked skin/knuckles as a result of being in an environment that is too cold. It helps soften your palm as well. Do you have rough palms which never seem to get smooth no matter what you do? Soak your hands in warm water for a few minutes (this softens the skin like earlier mentioned), and then rub gently with a pumice stone the way you would scrooge off dead skin on your sole (if you have had any). After this, moisturize with Vaseline or any other moisturizer you have.

Avoid using alcohol-based soaps and hand-washes

Soaps with an alcohol base cause the skin to dry faster. Avoid them like the plague as they hurt your skin more than you can imagine. The more your wash, the drier your hands get, and this isn’t what you want, right? You want soft, well-manicured nails which is worth a warm handshake, and which you are comfortable with.

Taking care of your nails isn’t vanity. It is plain hygiene. Your hands take things to your face- eyes, mouth, ears, etc, handles a lot of things including other people’s hands and properties… They should be kept clean always. Endeavour to keep them that way – always clean!

Why do you desire to get married – no reason at all, age, pressure, money, sex, to change someone, or to have a cook/cleaner? Or do you want to enter into marriage in order to fulfill purpose and companionship?

In this two-part series, Canada-based Nigerian author and publisher, ‘Seun Salami talks about the right and wrong reasons why young people should desire marriage.

He starts with the wrong reasons:

Then he shares the right reasons for getting married:

I’ll be honest. Self-care always ends up at the bottom of my to-do list. In fact, self-care has never been in my vocabulary. For most of my life, I’ve been a hard-charging, type-A, driven, ambitious person. But as I recently turned thirty, I began to realize that my body can’t hold up to my pace. Unfortunately, many high-achieving leaders confess that self-care is difficult.

In terms of my professional accomplishments, I am on top of things, but when it comes to exercise and eating well, I find myself compromising time after time. It’s easy to make excuses and eat lots of junk food and I don’t’ sleep so well.

One of my friends once said, “No one ever told you, but taking care of yourself is part of your job. It’s not optional.”

This hit me like a ton of bricks. The truth is if I want to live out God’s calling, I need to be at my best where I have the mental, emotional and physical energy to do my best. If I continually ignore self-care, eventually I’ll perform at a subpar level. Of course, I know it’s good to take care of myself. But I often say I’m too busy working and doing.

If you’re like me, here’s a self-care checklist to remind yourself to engage in self-care. Here’s a great excerpt from Outsmart Your Brain.

Environment

• Is your office organized so you can find things easily?
• Are your workspaces pile-free?
• Does your home provide you comfort and a peaceful place where you can think?
• Are your appliances at home in working order?
• Do you have backup systems in case of electric failure, including for your computers, at home and at work?
• Do you maintain your car regularly and is everything working properly?
• Do you keep enough home and office supplies so you don’t run out?
• Do you find the colors and wall decor in your home and office pleasing?
• Is the temperature in your home and office comfortable?

Physical Health

• Do you sleep 6-8 hours every day?
• Is your bed comfortable?
• Does your back feel fine after sitting in your chair at work?
• Do you eat fresh, healthful food almost every day?
• Do you exercise at least three times a week?
• Is your cholesterol count within the normal range?
• Do you drink at least five glasses of filtered water each day?
• Do you drink two or less caffeinated drinks (coffee, tea, sodas) per day?
• Do you keep your sugar intake to a minimum?
• Do you get a complete medical physical annually?

Mental Health

• Do you wake up looking forward to your day?
• Do you take the time to acknowledge what you are grateful for each night?
• Do you take at least two vacations a year that refresh and energize you?
• Do you have someone in your life that hugs you regularly?
• Do you arrive at least five minutes early for your appointments?
• Do you take your time when driving?
• Do you promise only what you can deliver?
• Do you regularly explore new ways of perceiving the world?
• Do you have a good belly laugh at least once a day?
• Do you have at least two friends outside of your immediate family who you feel free to talk with about anything?

Money

• Are you debt free or on your way to releasing yourself from debt?
• Do you save at least 10% of your income?
• Do you carry enough cash in your wallet to cover emergencies?
• Do you feel you are compensated adequately for your work?
• Can you recover from a financial disappointment quickly?
• Do you have enough savings to cover a home, car, or health emergency?
• Do you carry enough insurance for your home, car, and health?
• Do you invest in your own career development so you can earn more in the future?
• Do you have a special knowledge or skill that gives you job security?
• Do you have a reputable and knowledgeable financial advisor?

Relationships

• Do you have people in your life who encourage your dreams?
• Do you have friends to talk to when you need to relieve your stress?
• Have you said you are sorry to those who feel you have harmed in any way?
• Have you forgiven family members, friends and colleagues for hurting you?
• Have you resolved all of your conflicts so that you don’t avoid anyone?
• Do you tell your friends and family how much you care about them on a regular basis?
• Have you stopped trying to fix people?
• Have you disconnected from people who repeatedly disappoint, frustrate, or disrespect you as much as you can?
• Do you feel significant with everyone you come in contact with?
• Do you have a way of recharging your faith in life when you need to?

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“If you associate with eagles, you’ll soar to great heights! A mirror reflects a man’s face, but what he really is is shown by the kind of friends he chooses. The simple, but true fact of life is that you become like those whom you closely associate – for the good and for the bad.”

This short film by award-winning Nigerian actor, Deyemi Okanlawon is filled with admonition and wisdom fit for listening at the beginning of a new year! Watch full video here:

What would you do if you somehow got 1,000 more hours to do meaningful things in 2017?

As some of you know, I just released a new online course called The High Impact Leader. In the course, I outline the principles and strategies I’ve used to help me gain about three hours a day in productivity, and I share three of them below.

I came by it honestly, because for the first decade of ministry, I worked way too many hours as our church grew.

By the grace of God (and I mean that), I recovered from burnout.

But as soon as I began to recover, I realized that I had to develop a new rhythm and pattern. If I returned to my old ways I knew I would simply end up in the same place.

So I invested a lot of time and a fair bit of money in coaching and counselling to figure out new patterns that could make me far more effective and productive leading at a higher level. I knew that reaching more people couldn’t equal more hours. Because if it did, I was toast.

As I gained new insights into time, energy and priority management, I was able to work fewer hours and get far more accomplished. Not only did we start reaching more people than ever at our church, I also discovered time to do other things like write books, blog, launch podcasts, speak to church leaders and have more time at home with my wife and kids.

If you could figure out how to organize your time, energy and priorities so they worked in your favor, there’s a solid chance you might gain three productive hours a day. Gain three productive hours a day back, and you’ve got 1,095 newly realized hours to your credit in 2017.

Or let’s say you can’t fully realize three hours a day (because you’re relatively super efficient and effective as a leader). But instead, let’s say you manage to gain back three productive hours a week.

That may not sound like much, but do the math. How do three hours a week add up? Well, over the course of a year, that’s 156 hours, the equivalent of nearly four work weeks. You basically get a working month back.

Either way, that’s a lot of time.

Over the last five years, leaders kept asking me, “How do you get it all done?”

I’ve answered that personally in conversations, and through different blog posts, but I realized if I systematically wrote it all down in one place and developed it as a course that could help leaders individually at their own pace, it would have a far greater impact on a leader’s life. That’s how the High Impact Leader course was born.

So how do you find 150-1,000 hours to lead with much greater impact in life and leadership? I cover all the strategies inside the course, but here are three concepts to get you started.

1. Admit You’ve Got the Time

So many leaders just assume they don’t have the time to do what they want to do. It’s even reflected in the way we talk.

Think about it: How many times in the last month have you caught yourself saying or thinking I don’t have the time for that? 

I realized that, over time, that phrase had become one of my most frequently uttered responses any time someone asked me to do anything new or extra.

Get involved in a new project? Sorry, I don’t have the time for that. 

Take on one more event? Sorry, I really don’t have the time. 

Come over for dinner Friday? Man I’d love to. I just don’t have the time. 

Then one day I woke up and realized…all high impact people I admire who produce so many great things with their life don’t get any special treatment. They get 24 hours in a day. Just like me. Just like you. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Think about it: It’s not like when your church grows to 10x the size, somebody gives you 10x more hours. We all get the same amount of time.

So I made a key shift that helped me so much.

I stopped saying that I don’t have time time. And I started admitting I didn’t make the time.

That sounds like a small thing, but if you do it consistently, it can be revolutionary.

Try it for a week. Stop saying you don’t have the time (because you do). Start admitting you didn’t make it.

That will force you to have some hard conversations with yourself when you realize the most productive person on planet earth got the same hours you did today.

You may not want to always say you didn’t make the time out loud. After all, if your mom invites you to dinner and you tell her you’re not going to make the time, well…that’s not great at all.

But you should admit it to yourself.

When you (silently) admit you aren’t going to make the time, it forces you to ruthlessly evaluate your priorities. You’ll realize that never making time for your mom, or your most important priorities—or a life dream—is a mistake.

And when you’re dead honest with yourself about not making the time to work out, or do proper sermon prep, or have a date night with your wife, or work on your top priorities, it’s so much easier to change.

Begin here: Stop saying you don’t have the time. Start admitting you didn’t make it.

2. Stop Cheating Your Gift

You’re gifted at something.

It might be communication. Or strategic thinking. Or music. Or administration. Bottom line, your gifting is what you’re naturally best at.

When you’re gifted at something, that also means it’s easier for you to do that thing that it is for most people. You can likely do it faster and with far greater ease than most.

And that’s exactly how leaders get trapped. Under constant time pressure, leaders who are good at say, preaching, might give their best time away to meetings, email, projects and other pressing tasks knowing that they can probably write a decent message after hours or in the cracks of a busy week.

Instead of blocking out 10 or 20 hours to study, pray, research, wordsmith, test ideas and even practice, too many preachers whip something off quickly and let it go at that. Or worse, they download someone else’s message and re-teach it.

What happens when you do that year after year after year?

Well, you use your gift. But you never develop it. And as a result, you cheat your gift. You will be good. But you will never be great.

Now don’t miss this. Once you know your key gifting, developing it is the key to growth.

I know you’re thinking…but I don’t have 10 or 20 hours to develop my gift.

I get that. But here’s what happens when you actually budget the time (I show you exactly how to budget your time in The High Impact Leader).

First, it forces you to ruthlessly evaluate all your priorities and eliminate so many things you’re merely good at, but don’t have the potential to be great at. As our church has grown and my leadership has developed, I’ve stopped doing almost everything except communicating, casting vision, honing strategy and leading a handful of people close to me.

Second, having a team work in the area of each member’s key giftedness is a church or organization’s key to growth.

If your gift is leadership development and you spend most of your time developing leaders, you will develop an amazing leadership culture.

If your gift is structure, you’ll be able to scale and organize as you grow. If your gift is preaching, you’ll get so much better when you focus.

And as a result, you can (and probably will) grow.

3. Stop Reacting

Ever notice your Monday to-do list rarely gets accomplished on a Monday…or sometimes even by Friday?

Too many leaders remain baffled at why this happens day after day, week after week.

I’m a huge technology fan, but technology isn’t helping you and I when it comes to keeping your priorities straight.

Work life these days is a series of constant interruptions, from the person who knocks at your door or cubicle wanting ‘just five minutes of your time’ to a constant flood of emails, text messages and phone calls.

And you know what every one of those interruptions does?

It pushes somebody’s else’s priorities ahead of yours.

Think about it. Nobody ever asks you to accomplish your priorities; they only ask you to accomplish theirs.

Which is why it’s so hard to get things done.

If you want to lead with high impact, decide that you will not succumb to constant interruptions.

Decide ahead of time how to spend your time. Block and tackle your key priorities. Schedule them in your calendar. Ignore email. Shut your office door. Turn off notifications on your phone. And get what matters most done.

When I started doing this (I’ll show you in the course how to calendar this and how to say no nicely), it revolutionized my productivity.

Here’s what hit home. If you don’t decide how to spend your time, someone else will decide how to spend it for you.

I just decided I needed to steward my time the way I steward money and resources.

How to Become a High Impact Leader

Gaining 150 to 1,000 productive hours back starts with shifts like those I outline above.

There’s much more, of course, and I share it with you over the 10 sessions of the High Impact Leader Course, each of which contains a short video, some workbook reading and a highly practical exercise that will help you figure out how to apply the strategies to your life.

To make sure you don’t miss out the next time registration for the High Impact Leader opens, join the wait list.

Of everything I’ve written and created for leaders so far, The High Impact Leader is what I’m most excited about.

Here’s why: If leaders get time, energy and priorities working in their favor, it impacts everything.

You become a better leader.

You become a better spouse.

A better parent.

A better neighbor.

A better friend.

The impact doesn’t just happen at work. It happens everywhere.

I’ll continue to provide free content through my blog, podcast and in other channels, but if you want to take a deep dive and make 2017 your best year yet, the High Impact Leader course might be right for you.

Thoughts?

In the meantime, what are you discovering about productivity?

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Carey Nieuwhof is founding pastor of Connexus Church and the author of several books, including his latest best-selling work, ‘Lasting Impact: 7 Powerful Conversations That Will Help Your Church Grow.’ Carey speaks to church leaders around the world about leadership and personal growth.

Originally published via

When I was a kid, porn was coming of age. Our neighbor’s father had a subscription to Playboy magazine. The magazines were available any time at their home. I knew that looking at those pictures wasn’t in line with my faith and Christian living, but I found them very “interesting.”

Over the last six months I have received three Facebook messages about friends’ marriages in crisis and near divorce. In two of the three cases, the cause is sexual infidelity. In one of those, pornography played a major part in the infidelity. I suspect the same might be the case in the other two.

Another personal friend’s porn addiction led to looking at illegal materials that resulted in his arrest and charges that nearly landed him in prison.

Seems like pornography isn’t the victimless diversion some claim it is.

Perhaps you know someone caught in the trap of pornography. Perhaps you are one of those people. My heart goes out to all caught in the porn trap.

How have I escaped the trap of porn? In a nutshell, it’s God’s grace. In addition, there are also some practical things I’ve learned and practiced that have helped me porn-proof my mind and marriage.

So I’d like to share some ideas that have helped me porn-proof my mind and marriage:

01. Don’t Toy With Temptation

“So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” (2 Timothy 2:22 ESV)

All pornographic habits and addictions begin with “innocent” dabbling in explicit materials.

It’s easier than ever to play with porn. You used to have to find a magazine somewhere or go somewhere public to acquire naughty photos. Now the material is available on ubiquitous electronic devices.

Recently, I heard of an employee who was looking at explicit material in his cubicle on work time, using the company’s computer. He was observed by someone walking by and warned once, but couldn’t stop. The second time he was terminated from his job. He was a part-time pastor on the side.

Everybody likes to think, “I would never do that.” But the fact is that we don’t know how low we might go until it is too late.

What does God say? He says to “flee.” Don’t toy with temptation; flee from it.

02. Start Your Day the Jesus Way

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35 ESV)

How you start your day sets the tone. Jesus started His day in prayer. I suggest you do the same—spend time with God.

You might connect with God using the new free eBook I will be offering soon titled 10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth.

Cleansing your mind at the start of the day will help you with the motivation to keep it cleansed for the rest of the day.

03. Don’t Believe the Lies

Jesus said to hypocritical religious leaders, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44 ESV)

The devil loves to whisper lies to deceive us and send us in the wrong direction.

Here are some of the lies he whispers about pornography:

• “Nobody is looking, it’s your secret.”

The TRUTH is that God is always watching:

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:13 NIV)

• “You can enjoy this without being harmed.”

The TRUTH is that you are already harming yourself and your marriage when you are lusting:

“But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28 ESV)

• “You can’t gain freedom over this porn problem, so you might as well give in.”

The TRUTH is that you CAN:

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV)

04. Get Lots of Healthy Home Cookin’

How might we avoid eating junk food? One remedy is to enjoy good stuff—lots of healthy home cookin’.

In a similar way, 1 Corinthians 7:4-5 actually commands husbands and wives, “Do not deprive each other.” The subject is sexual intimacy and the goal is to avoid temptation (see verse 5).

A healthy marital sex life can help us avoid unhealthy diversions.  

For single guys and gals, the biblical admonition is similar: “But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” (1 Corinthians 7:9 ESV)

For help creating a better marriage, check out my articles Five Keys to Stay Happily Married for 34 Years and Five MORE Keys to Stay Happily Married for 34 Years.

05. Find an Accountability Partner

“A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12 NLT)

Get help—an accountability partner, a Christian counselor or a support group.

Not only can these hold us accountable, they can also give good advice, pray for us, point us to helpful resources and so on.

Originally published via

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Mark Alan Williams is a speaker, an author, and a church leader intent on helping people maximize their life. Since 1981 he has been starting churches, writing resources and training leaders around the world.

Starting a business — or even getting involved as a professional — when you’re young can be intimidating. You might have knowledge about business from school, books or practical advice from sources online, but there’s a big difference between understanding business fundamentals on paper and gaining wisdom through actual experience.

By the end of your career, you’ll have accumulated a wealth of knowledge and hundreds of lessons, but there are some lessons that you should learn early on — ideally before you turn 30.

These lessons are some of the most important to learn while you’re still young enough to make use of them:

1. The right people are worth everything.

It’s almost impossible to build a successful business by yourself. Even if you’re a solo entrepreneur, there will be mentors, partners, vendors and peers alongside you helping you achieve your long-term vision. So, recognize how valuable other people will open you up to more opportunities, help you keep an eye out for new contacts no matter where you are and make you more discerning in decisions like hiring and long-term deals.

Learning this lesson early will prevent you from wasting time on the wrong people and give you more time to work with the best people you find.

2. You’re going to fail — and that’s okay.

No matter how much you know or how much you prepare, failure is going to be inevitable for you. Your business may become successful overall, but there will be individual strategies and campaigns that crash and burn, and ideas that fizzle out entirely. Facing failure with the realization that it is, in some contexts, unavoidable, makes it. easier to accept.

You can view it as a lesson and an opportunity to improve, rather than an end point or a sign that you should give up entirely.

3. Time is your most valuable resource.

The adage that “time is money” is an apt metaphor to describe the power that time can hold when budgeted and used as a resource. This works in a few different dimensions. For example, the sooner you start something, the more time you will have to generate benefits for yourself, and the more time you’ll have to work with that project.

Additionally, you only have so many hours in the day, and how you spend them has a direct impact on how much value you’re able to produce. The sooner you learn this lesson, the more time you’ll save.

4. Communication can prevent or fix almost any problem.

The power of communication can’t be underestimated. Communicating proactively can prevent the development of almost any problem– by explaining things clearly, setting firm expectations and mitigating misunderstandings. Communicating well can also help you resolve any problem, whether it’s making an apology, coming up with a mutually agreeable solution or explaining circumstances.

5. Perfection is the enemy of progress.

Because of the fast-paced business environment we live in, waiting to move forward with a new initiative because it’s not quite perfect can mean the failure of that initiative. Agile, flexible, adaptive businesses that demonstrate an understanding that things can be tested and optimized while they’re already producing a return on investment are the ones that succeed.

You’re never going to get it perfect on the first try. But be sure to balance your initiative’s “readiness” with agility and speed.

6. All ideas must be rooted in practicality.

No matter how good or original or appealing your idea is, it’s only as valuable as it is practical. For example, if you have a vision for an amazing video, but you don’t have the resources to produce it in an efficient way, you have to drop the idea.

The same can be said of any business idea; you may have a revolutionary new concept for an enterprise, but if there’s no way to make it feasible or profitable, you won’t be able to move to any form of execution. Sometimes, the best ideas have to be tabled due to a lack of practicality.

7. There is always more you can be doing to keep learning.

No matter how much you know, or how much you think you know, there’s always more information to learn. You’ll always have room to be a better leader and a better entrepreneur, and there will always be new skills and abilities to acquire. Maintaining a course of constant improvement will keep you at your best for as long as possible.

The earlier you learn these business lessons, the more time you’ll have to use them in a practical environment, and the fewer repercussions you’ll face in neglecting them (whether intentionally or unintentionally). You’ll never be perfect, so don’t worry if you make mistakes or forget things you would have benefitted from.

There’s also a difference between reading about lessons in an online article and actually experiencing them firsthand — so be prepared to do your best learning as you go through these challenges.

Jayson DeMers is founder and CEO of AudienceBloom, a Seattle-based SEO agency. He’s the author of the ebook, “The Definitive Guide to Marketing Your Business Online.”

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