Jesse Meijers

How to easily improve your rational thinking

In one of my previous posts I talked about what being smart reall is all about. I discussed how being rational is important and I explained what rational thinking is. So be sure to read that post first, then watch the video below. This amazing insight is exactly what being rational is all about: the ability to distinguish fact from fiction!

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Why 50/50 is not fair

If you have ever had to negotiate with someone, you have probably experienced the same as I have. We have learned that 50/50 is always a fair deal. I mean, if we do it 50/50 it has to be fair, since we have equally divided whatever it is that needed dividing, right? You've guessed it, the answer is no. It is not always fair to divide things 50/50.

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Why traditional freelancing doesn’t make you rich

In the book 'The brand you 50' by Tom Peters, one could be forgiven to conclude that freelancing is the way to go. High payment and a dynamic working environment provide a continuous stream of interesting possibilities. Every couple of months you switch employers or, if you have multiple assignments at once, you have the luxury of a new working environment every couple of days. And Tom Peters really puts it in fabulous writing as well. If you live for these sorts of projects and you thoroughly enjoy it, by all means do not give it up. But if you are like me and you are wondering whether this will make you rich, the answer is no. Simply having a high paying position isn't going to get you rich. You will need a better business model.

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Must-have ingredients for a good partnership

Yesterday I had a meeting with my business partner who just came back from his holiday. And I was about to tell him something that I knew he was not going to like. But he's my partner so it also felt as though I had an obligation to tell him what was on my mind. In the past we've talked about tough personal circumstances and how that influences your work. Sometimes they make you work harder, at other times it has a negative impact on your work and commitment. But we talked about these things nonetheless, and it would seem as though this was just another case. Yet it wasn't.

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Learn to be wealthy and successful, not rich

As I explained in my previous post, I have a definition of wealth that may not be the same as yours. Many people think of wealth as an equivalent to being rich. In a certain extent they are right, because riches are a part of wealth. However, people who merely define being wealthy as being rich, miss the big picture. The true definition of wealth is much more subtle.

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Google versus Microsoft: no game

When Google announced its operating system, the entire world press took this opportunity to announce that Google had finally opened fire at Microsoft. Bill Gates was going to have it now, because Google was stepping on his turf and, of course, was going to make a better operating system than Windows. Well, no. First of all I don't think that Google OS even qualifies as a truly new operating system. It is basically Chrome slapped on an altered Linux kernel. Which raised the question; why did Google release that operating system? And, does Microsoft really have something to fear?

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Biggest entrepreneurial opportunity of the century

Fossil fuels are going to become increasingly expensive as less crude oil is easily available. Extracting crude oil will become ever more expensive, which ultimately means there has to be an alternative to using fossil fuels and oil. One of the big factors in the equation is of course our use of fossil fuels to power cars. Millions and soon billions of people are driving their cars to work every day. And we all agree that a new fuel must be found. Does this smell like the biggest entrepreneurial opportunity ever?

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The one definitive way to get rich

Is it a goal in life to be rich? You bet, but it just isn't the number one goal. For me at least, health and happiness top being rich. It said by some people that you can only be successful at 2 out of 3 of these main goals. People who claim this just haven't been able to pull it off. As long as you set out to achieve all three goals, it is definately possible. Since I am currently both healthy and happy with my life ... I feel the time has come to focus on that number 3 goal: getting rich. Have you ever wondered what it is that rich people have in common? And with rich people I don't mean people who make 100.000,- per year. I mean the really, REALLY rich people. Those who, if they'd want, probably don't have to work another day in their live. Nor would their kids. Or their kids' kids. How many people can you name that you would consider to be amongst that group of really rich people? People like Bill Gates or Richard Branson come to mind. What is it that sets these people apart from the other 99% of people, who will never be that rich? What makes them succeed where others fail?

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How to take control over your work

Recently I was completely fed up with some of the things I was doing. Or bettter yet, I had to do because others were expecting them from me, or even asking me to do them. They asked because I was the person who did these things well, so why go to anyone else? I had to change this, but I had no clue as to how. So I did a very simple exercise with my personal coach, which helped me understand exactly what I had to do in order to only be busy with the things that I liked. I have to warn you, the exercise is easy but the following up is hard. If you do however, the rewards are well worth the effort.

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The key to problem solving

Do you ever have the feeling that you are completely stuck on a problem? That no matter what you try, you just cannot get a grip of the essence of the problem. I have developed many software applications in the last few years. Programming applications usually is pretty straight-forward once you get down to the real programming. However, sometimes there is a problem which you just aren't able to solve. You have read over the code at least ten times, but you still cannot find the problem. This situation can of course be extrapolated to other problems, in different situations. Any situation where you know there is a problem ... you just don't know where...

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