what is self help

Resources for the Disciplined Creative

The published writer scolds the erratic painter, “you should be more disciplined about your painting. You hardly finish any work, and move on to the next one. And you don’t even publish your art, how can you even call yourself an artist?”

This is the conversation I have with myself. I was a published writer (articles, books and a song!), but my “painting” was no where to be found. Yet I would doodle more than I’d write.

This section is a collection of resources that helped me, and now help countless other creators, on how to:

– find more discipline for their creations

– build a brand online, so their art gets “published” and is taken to the market!

I have almost 300 videos on YouTube around these two subjects. And countless articles. That’s a lot of content. So I have tried to put the guides, the tools, the workshops, the articles together on this page. Hope this helps, yes? 

Most articles are in English, most videos are in Urdu.

These are hand-picked, proven, field-tested material that has been shown to work! I wish you all the best! Do join our community if you want regular updates when such content is added!

Productivity for Artists (Creatives, Creators)

How to structure your self to produce more of what you want to produce!

What You and I Can Do

In Kung Fu Panda 1, the yet-to-be-mighty Poe is thrust into the training dojo of Master Shifu. Shifu, ever the master, asks Poe about his Kung Fu level. Poe, being a big fan but with no skills, suggests that he be put on a training level of zero. “But we...

My 5 Embarrassing Blunders in Business (Avoidable Mistakes)

My 5 Embarrassing Blunders in Business (Avoidable Mistakes)

I have made each and every one of these mistakes and have paid the price. I write them here so someone who is starting off on the self-employed road can be ready! But even if you are a seasoned entrepreneur, see how many of these mistakes you don’t make!? Click...

Your Bright, Compelling Future

Here’s what I want you to do: imagine for a moment that you are exactly, and I mean exactly where you want to be. Are you reading this on your computer or your cell phone? Wherever you are, just imagine your biggest, most meaningful desire being fulfilled. It...

How to Set Goals – The Dreambreaker Method

I have always been a dreamer. Still am. I just know how to hide it better now, but I still dream seemingly impossible, idealistic, utopian dreams. And it makes sense to generally stay quite about my dreams till they are broken down.I sometimes pretend to be the dream...

Counting My Cups of Tea

I recently met a businessman from Kuwait. He is a LifeETC Community member and got in touch with me via email. We finally coordinated to meet here in Lahore. We had a good round of coffee and soup. We talked about business. We talked about community. We talked about...

Entrepreneurs and Adventurers

I am writing this sitting on a hill. Well, not a hill, a mountain. 8,400 feet above sea level in one of the most serene places in northern Pakistan. The internet here is dodgy but I have managed to upload a few pictures for those interested in seeing pictures of very...

Building a Brand and a Business for Artists (Creatives, Creators)

Discover the fundamentals of brand building, how to go about creating your community of “1000 true fans” and building a meaningful, high-impact online business for yourself.

Work-Life Balance: Why you should not do it

I met an old friend. Works in one of the largest banks in Pakistan. He has a high ranking post: he manages the operations for pretty much half of the country. He told me a little story. “I was at this opening ceremony on behalf of the bank,” he said, “and one of my...

The Labour Movement: What a trade off!

The labour movement in the early 1800’s had the following as one of their slogans: 8 hour work. 8 hour recreation. 8 hour rest. More on the eight-hour day movement here. The day is divided in 3 sections. Work, play and rest. All three are given equal weight....

Do This to Live a Boring, Mediocre Life

Beginner’s Luck is the ultimate mistress, always there to seduce me into thinking I am good enough. You try something for the first time, and you surprise yourself. The first time I let go of the arrow, it hits the bullseye. The first time I send in an article...

The Well-Connected Hard Worker

The Well-Connected Hard Worker

Tell me if you know someone like this: doesn’t work that much, just enough. But the “higher ups” are friends with him, they like him. He gets the promotion.Or you know a hard-worker, who does great work, but he doesn’t know the “right people”, so no one...

Why Attend Conferences

I am writing this perched over a makeshift work place: a table in front of a bed. I am in Islamabad right now, for the Social Media Summit 2014 that took place at the Serena Hotel. The event lasted two days. I couldn’t make it for the first day: I was happily busy...

Journey of a Thousand Miles begins with THIS

Journey of a thousand miles… Someone somewhere is baking a cake for the first time. The cake comes out OK: it’s eatable. But it tastes funny. On a scale of 1 to 10, ten being the best and one being the worst, the cake is hovering between minus 3 and minus 2. A few...