Before You Quit Your Job – Ask Yourself These 5 Things

It’s no mystery that most people are unsatisfied in their jobs. Statistics show that more than 70% of the U.S. workforce is unhappy with their current jobs.
Why is this happening in this great and free country? Don’t we ALL have more resources and opportunity than any other place on Earth? If so, why are we all sitting around complaining about our miserable jobs? There are many answers to this question of course, but I think that the most pressing ones are:
• We have allowed ourselves to become dependent on easy money.

What I mean by easy money is that our society tells us that it’s okay to push papers around our desks for 8 hours a day and collect a paycheck for it.

• We are becoming more aware by the day to the fact that there is unlimited opportunity to create the life we want and justly deserve. The “passion” movement, which states that we are able to earn a living following our passions and doing what we love is becoming a common theme. More and more people are starting to believe that there is more to life than wasting away in a job they hate.
One problem is that most of us are not rewarded for outstanding productivity, but rather on the hours we log. It’s a completely flawed system that breeds laziness, inaction, manipulation, and greed.
We are not taught to pursue our dreams but instead we are told that we need to be realistic. We are raised to follow a set of preordained guidelines that lead to a life of mediocraty, not excellence. It simply does not make any sense.
If you want to quit your job, and Lord knows most of us do, then you really need to ask yourself these questions. The key here is being honest with yourself. Failing to answer these questions completely honestly may result in putting yourself in a worse position.
Ask yourself these 5 questions:
1. Why do I want to quit? This sound simple, yet most of us don’t know the real reason why we feel the need to quit. Maybe we are just bored and the answer is working on a different project. Maybe we hate a specific coworker and if they left, we would be fine. And maybe we are just stuck in a rut and all we need is some valuable time away to clear our heads.
Most of you can make yourselves be happy at work by staying positive, doing a great job, and rising up the corporate ladder. But some of you can’t. Some of you know deep down that your job is wrong for you.
If the job is truly something that is wrong for you and/or goes against your morals, then you may have a valid reason. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all for pursuing your passion in place of staying at a dreadfully boring job, but don’t jump ship at the first sign of discontentment.
2. What do I want to do instead? Do you want another job? Will you be happy doing something similar? Is your current field challenging and/or stimulating. Are you actually interested in your current line of work?
Do not make the mistake of quitting your job because you simply cannot handle it any longer only to find yourself scrambling to find any job because you’re running out of money. Chances are, you’ll end up right back where you started. The only difference will be that you now work for a new company and have to start at the bottom of the rung again.
3. Can I afford to quit? If you don’t have another job lined up, you better know for certain that you can manage to pay your bills if you cannot find another job right away. This is the biggest reason that people don’t quit-they’re scared to death that they won’t be able to pay their bills. And while this is a very valid concern, it’s also a trap that can keep you stuck in a lifelong grind of misery.

Quitting a job, especially one you’ve had for a long time, is extremely scary. If you are uncertain about your ability to cover your living expenses, you have two choices:

Craft a detailed cash flow worksheet and find out exactly how much money you have versus how much money you will need to cover your expenses based on being without a job. The general rule of thumb is to have 3-6 months of cash reserves in place.Hustle your butt off. If you absolutely cannot stand one more second at your soul sucking job and feel as though you must quit, then be prepared to hustle like you’ve never hustled before.
You will have to get creative with your finances for sure. Selling old stuff, doing odd jobs, creating a side business, and generally getting uncomfortable will all be part of the process if you choose option 2.

For many for you, the thought of all of that is too much to bear and will keep you in your jobs. For others, the risk of leaving a secure job in order to pursue something that means something to them will be tolerable and worth the risk.
4. Will I be happy working for someone else? Some of you are entrepreneurs trapped in a cubicle. Are you one of them? If so, you may never be happy working for the man. You need to be “the man”. Hopping from job to job thinking there’s something wrong with them is often the result of having the entrepreneurial mindset.
5. What don’t I like about my job? Write out a checklist of all the things you dislike about your current job. Is it the pay? Is it your arrogant boss? Is it the lack of flexibility? Make sure you know exactly what you don’t want in your next job and then spend as much time necessary finding a job that meets your criteria. Are you ever going to find the “perfect” job? Probably not, but you can find one that will keep you happy for a while.
And if you don’t go the job route, why not create a business that will allow you to enjoy the things you value most?
Taking the Plunge
There is no doubt about it that quitting your job is scary. The mere thought of it may have many of you shaking in your chairs. Much of the fear can be removed by answering the above questions and truly understanding what it is you want in a career and then carefully planning to go get it.

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Steve Roy is the owner of EndingTheGrind.com, a blog about escaping the daily grind of a 9 to 5 job, building an online business, and living your passions.You can also find him on Twitter at @EndGrind

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The More You Know Who You Are, And What You Want, The Less You Let Things Upset You

The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things upset you.

Are you constantly stressed out? Does your stress seem to have no immediate cause or solution? Here are 10 hidden stressors that can make you miserable and ruin your life.

Many times in life, it feels like everything is bad. You are so stressed that you cannot imagine a life without difficulty. Well, a good life is possible. Here are ten things to look for and handle that will smooth it all out for you and put you back in control.

10 Hidden Life Killers You Are Tolerating That Are Stressing You Out

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10 Things You Probably Do That Block Your Creativity

If you’re wanting to live a creative life but feel something is holding you back, you’re probably right. And guess what? It’s most likely you. That’s right, for all the obstacles you feel are in your way and block your creativity, it’s often the things you say to yourself that have the biggest impact and keep you stuck.

Today I’d like to share with you 10 things you probably say to yourself that block your creativity.

You don’t need to be an expert to put yourself out there. All you need is a unique point of view, and you already have that; we all do. Your creative work is special and ready to share with the world, so stop holding back. You’re already expert enough.

The most powerful thing you can do for your creativity is to believe. When you don’t believe in what you’re doing it shows, and you sabotage your own work in the process. If you want others to believe in your creative work, you need to believe first.

There’s never a perfect time, and if you wait for one you might be waiting your entire life. You can never know for sure when the best time will be, but the truth is the sooner you put yourself out there and start sharing your creativity, the quicker you’ll learn what you need to know to live your ideal creative life.

You can never know if things will work out or not. But you need to trust yourself and believe that what you’re doing is worthwhile enough that whether you succeed or fail, it will be an experience well spent. Life is all about pursuing great experiences, and your creativity is something worth pursuing regardless of the eventual outcome.

Constantly rehashing past failures is a sure way to get yourself down. If you’re stuck in the past, it can be very difficult to move forward. Let your past failures be in the past. They taught you valuable lessons that you’ve learnt from. But they don’t need to live in your now.

Comparing yourself is dangerous because when you compare you are not comparing like for like. You’re comparing someone else’s highlight reel (the very best presentation of their work) to your work in its entirety, warts and all! What looks average to you will often look amazing to others from the outside; it all depends on your perspective.

Our friends and family usually mean well, but sometimes their judgement can feel harsh. Whether it’s disapproval of your creative life choices, a perfectionist parent who picks at every imperfection, or a friend who thinks they know it all, comments from friends and family can really get you down. Often one bad comment can scar us for years, but it’s important to remember that most people will be encouraging and accepting of your creative work. As for the rest? Ignore them. They likely have their own issues at play.

We all make mistakes. And no matter how long you spend preparing yourself to start, mistakes will still be made. Mistakes are an inevitable part of the learning process. Go easy on yourself, and decide that it is ok to make a mistake.

If your creativity isn’t making you money and something else is, it’s easy to feel guilt over doing your creative work because it isn’t productive enough. But you know what’s more important than productivity? Your happiness. Don’t let the pursuit of productivity rule your life. Start living and doing what you love because that’s what really matters.

You can never know all the answers before you start. No matter how much research and preparation you do, things will pop up that you never could have imagined. When you search for answers before you start, you are really just estimating what you need to know. To get most of the answers, you need to just dive in and start. There’s no other way to find them.

Can you relate to any of all of these? Do you think saying some of these things to yourself might block your creativity and keep you stuck? Share your experiences of things that block your creativity in the comments below.

“You How to Create Things that People Love

Featured photo credit: Young man drawing a cloudy blue sky on the wallvia Shutterstock

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Capture Some Things, But Not Everythings

Capture some things, but not everything. It’s a great idea to capture your thoughts, ideas and potential tasks as they come up, but if you can do something in the moment then don’t bother writing it down.

A big part of GTD is writing everything down. The idea is that you don’t want to rely on your memory and clutter your mind with things you don’t necessarily need to keep in there.

What many people who begin doing this find is that there are other benefits. For instance, you will almost invariably become more self-reflective.

10 Reasons To Write Things Down

Featured photo credit: cypherone - Taiwan via photopin cc

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Ask the Entrepreneurs: 12 Things Entrepreneurs Should Stop Doing

Ask The Entrepreneurs is a regular series where members of the Young Entrepreneur Council are asked a single question that aims to help Lifehack readers level up their own lives, whether in a area of management, communication, business or life in general.

Here’s the question posed in this edition of Ask The Entrepreneurs:

1. Talking About Themselves

Entrepreneurs tend to get so wrapped up in the pitching, convincing and selling of their day-to-day life that sometimes it becomes all they ever talk about. Being well-rounded and conversational will help you have rapport with others around you. While talking about yourself and your business is important, doing so constantly comes off as being self-centered and oblivious to the world around you.

- Kim Kaupe, ‘ZinePak

2. Focusing on a To-Do List

The best leaders I know focus on building the right culture and energy in the office. Sitting in a corner and pounding out to-do items may feel productive, but don’t forget about doing the things that aren’t fully quantifiable. Helping teammates who may be having a bad morning or struggling with a project could be the single most valuable thing you do all day!

- Tyler Arnold, SimplySocial Inc.

3. Eating Pizza

When you head into the startup phase of your company, everything you used to do that was healthy is going to stop. You are going to put on weight. You are going to end up with too much stress and a back that is in constant pain. Don’t eat pizza. It will make it easier to get back in shape when you’re out of that phase.

- Andrew Angus, Switch Video

4. Using Social Media Distractions

Shut down all your personal social media distractions during the work day. Facebook, Instagram, Vine and Twitter will all be there after you complete your daily tasks. Many entrepreneurs don’t realize just how much time they waste reading and engaging on these mediums and also just how much it decreases their daily productivity. To succeed, use your time wisely.

- Anthony Saladino, Kitchen Cabinet Kings

5. Multitasking

Multitasking has its place in the business realm, but there are also times when it should be avoided. If you multitask two separate and very important projects, you can end up with two sets of dismal results. Know when to multitask and when to focus on a single task.

- Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance

6. Waiting for the Right Moment

Stop waiting for the right time, and just get things done. Define the one thing you can do today that will help grow your business and not just keep you busy.

- Michael Mogill, Crisp Video Group

7. Attending Management Meetings

Admittedly, management meetings are sometimes necessary and useful beasts. But a culture of meetings is ultimately just a time suck. Everyone has had that experience of waiting for a meeting to end so that real work can resume. To increase productivity, reduce management meetings and time in meetings in general. When you must meet, have a clear agenda and stick to it.

- David Ehrenberg, Early Growth Financial Services

8. Letting Interruptions Happen

Interruptions are just a part of life, but I take steps to prevent them. It is so hard to refocus after multiple interruptions. I don’t even want to calculate how much time I lose to redirecting my attention several times a day. If it gets to be too much, I go into do-not-disturb mode. I close the door, only take scheduled calls and tell my staff that they can email me and I’ll get to them later.

- Maren Hogan, Red Branch Media

9. Going out for Lunch

The lunch hour is one of the most active times of the day and a great time to get work done. After work is when most socializing should be done. Instead of worrying about getting back to the office or getting work done before you dip out, meeting at the end of the day takes off the edge. You can drink without a conscience, leave the office behind and invite others to join to optimize your time.

- Rameet Chawla, Fueled

10. Working on the Fly

One habit to break away from is working on the fly rather than with an agenda. With a startup, things will happen, and you can be pulled in different directions. Don’t make it a habit to make that the way you operate. Make it a point to be proactive rather than reactive.

- Fabian Kaempfer, Chocomize

11. Pleasing Others First

If you are allowing your time and energy to be diverted from your priority tasks simply to make professional acquaintances (e.g., individuals not in your inner circle) happy, then you’re not investing your time well. Focus on the people and activities that really matter, and you’ll be better off in the long run.

- Elizabeth Saunders, Real Life E®

12. Emailing Coworkers

The biggest breakthrough at ThinkImpact has been the realization that we don’t need to email each other. We can use different tools to communicate. Our new favorite is called Slack . It allows you to communicate in one of three ways: via office-wide messages with a related subject, a direct message with a colleague privately or a private group of colleagues.

- Saul Garlick, ThinkImpact

Entrepreneurship can be a long windy road filled with obstacles and it is often traveled alone. 4 Traits Every Entrepreneur Must Have

Featured photo credit: Confident business man smiling at the officevia Shutterstock

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program.

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13 Things To Do During Weekends To Improve Your Life

Weekend at last! Something you’re so looking forward to after a brutal week at work. Because there are so many things to do during weekends to help you either decompress or get energized for the week ahead. Whatever your plans are, it’s important to make the effects last as long as possible to improve your life in the long run.

Here are 13 tips of how you can make the most of your weekends.

As tempted as you may be, oversleeping affects your biological rhythm. We all need that beauty sleep, but don’t overdo it. Otherwise you’ll feel exhausted and cranky Monday morning. Make a habit to always wake up at the same time every day. Include naps in your weekend routine as well, whether it’s for 10 minutes or 45. Why? Because naps help purging negative emotions, increase alertness, and enhance your abilities to learn.

Reconnect with family members or friends you neglected lately. Don’t do it out of guilt or because you have to. Do it because you want to. Reach out to them to see how they are doing. Don’t call them only when you need them. Return their calls if you were busy when they last tried to reach you. Talk to them. Listen to them. Be there for them. The importance of human connection (hugging, touching) is vital for your well-being.

And if — for whatever work or life circumstances — you don’t have the family around you and not too many friends either, reach out to people who share your interests. Get to know them. Hang out with them even if it’s just over a coffee or dinner, or plan a group city break. You’ll feel so much better and rejuvenated than spending time by yourself or worse, wallowing in loneliness.

Stay away from TV, iPad, iPhone and any other electronic devices. Unplug! Your brain needs to clear up from all the stress you’ve put on yourself during the week. Why not read a book instead? A paper one. Seriously, when was the last time you did that?

Make friends with nature again. Pay attention to its beauty. Breathe in the fresh air. Anything goes, from a simple walk on the beach to a hiking trip. Just look for the best outdoor pursuits in your area for the weekend.

There’s no rush to go to the next meeting or finish that presentation by the end of day. You’re not on schedule. Feel the taste and smell of what you’re eating. Enjoy it. Simply be in that moment without putting your mind in overdrive again and thinking already of what you’ll be doing next.

Did you miss preparing yourself that green juice because you were always on the run to get to work? Now you have no excuse. It only takes a few minutes.

All you need is: organic celery, a peeled cucumber, some romaine, kale and a pear. A push on the juicer’s button and off it goes. When you’ll see how tasty it is, you’ll turn green juicing into a habit that will last longer than a weekend. Other than that, eat more fruits and veggies. If you don’t feel inspired, NYT Best-Selling author and wellness activist Kris Carr has some of the best and healthiest recipes for you on her blog.

If you still have some energy left from the past week, try simplifying your environment a bit. That closet door won’t shut? Is your paperwork all over the place? Is the bathroom piled with tons of products? A few suggestions should help, even though you may not be able to sort everything out in one weekend. What matters is that you’ll make great progress.

Look at what your favorite clothes are. This should make it easier to consider what to toss and donate to a charity. Organize your paperwork in filing cabinets and try to build some additional storage space if needed. Next, get rid of old bath and makeup products in the bathroom. Get more organized by using a simple glass containers set, or a woven basket strategically placed under the sink.

Put that “what if” mindset aside. Refrain from worrying over things you can’t control like the government shutdown, the economy, the weather or anything like that. Instead you can control yourself. List the things that worry you and set an action next to each of those you can control. Have you gained too much weight lately? Make a plan to do something about it. Struggling with a deadline? Write down the steps you must follow to get that project done.

You don’t have to be a practicing Buddhist to meditate. It’s all about paying attention to the present moment. Meditation improves your creative thinking, helps you focus and find happiness in your life. The regular practice of meditation is the best way to handle your stress and energy level. Yoga is also a form of meditation that helps tremendously fighting stress and achieving peacefulness of body and mind.

What are they telling you? What is the vibe that you’re feeling? It can either be a positive or a negative one, never both of them in the same time. If your thinking falls towards the negative side, try change the words you use in your thoughts. Michael Losier, the author of Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don’t, recommends we should stop using the words no, not and don’t to attract more of the things we want. Our response to the words we use instead will change completely. “Stay calm” sounds way better than “don’t panic,” right?

Best. Medicine. Ever. You can never have enough of it. Humor improves mood in so many ways. It helps you cope with stress, strengthens your immune system and you are 40 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke, says Richard Wiseman in his brilliant book 59 Seconds: Change Your Life in Under a Minute.

This is something you should be doing every day, not only on weekends. Be grateful for your family, friends, health, for the food you put on the table, the clothes you wear and the roof over your head. You can be grateful for so many little things: a new beginning, the sunshine, the air that you breathe, a baby that smiled at you. Just try to avoid comparing what you have with other people. It neither helps you nor them. Gratitude is the main source of happiness. When you’re happy, you radiate it on all those around you.

Whether you like snapping photos, baking bread, painting, writing poetry, playing piano or gardening, give yourself the benefit of spending time doing something you find enjoyable. You get the much needed mental relaxation and the satisfaction of pursuing your interests, which leads to a sense of fulfillment.

There you are. 13 things to do during weekends that will have a positive long term effect on your life. Put them into practice and you’ll beat the Monday Blues!

What are other ways to spend the weekends that work for you?

Below you’ll find 60 small ways to improve all areas of your life in the next 100 days. 60 Small Ways to Improve Your Life in the Next 100 Days

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10 Simple Things You Can Do Every Day to Improve Your Life

Perhaps one of the most underappreciated aspects of life is this: every day you’re here is another chance to be better than you were the day before.

Day-to-day trivialities often get in the way, however, and we get bogged down with mundane tasks. There comes a time for most of us, however, when we embark on a quest for greater fulfillment in our lives. If you seek to continually improve your life, here are 10 simple things you can do every day, starting today.

For most of us, there aren’t many things in this world more important than the relationships we have with those we’re closest to, so make it a point to spend quality time with your loved ones every single day. Don’t let geographic boundaries deter you either—pick up the phone or send an email if you can’t see someone in person. Reach out to a friend or family member you haven’t spoken with in a while. Let them know you’re thinking about them.

These days it seems like we live in a “It’s all about me” world. While having good manners may be a lost art, practicing politeness daily can make life a little better for those you interact with. And this, in turn, can help improve your life. The world is a crazy place filled with dreadful acts of violence and sadness, but one small action can set in motion a far-reaching chain of events that can yield miraculous results. Make a someone’s day by thanking them and telling them how much you appreciate them.

Laughing is one of the most therapeutic things you can do for yourself every day, according to research, so spend time with funny friends or watch your favorite television comedy. And when you’re wasting a few minutes watching a funny video at work, definitely do not feel bad about it.

There’s a direct correlation between the foods you eat and your level of happiness. Spend time preparing one (or more) healthy meals every day, and try eating more of these foods:

VegetablesFruitsNuts and seedsWhole grainsLean meats and fish

Exercise may not be on the top of your priority list some days, but here’s why it should be: exercising every day (even just 15 minutes) can help you lower your blood pressure and reduce your body fat.

Think about someone you’ve lost in your life whom you cared about deeply. What’s the one thing you would say to him/her if you had the chance? You’d probably tell him/her how much you loved them, right? Don’t take time for granted … because you never know when yours will be up.

Jamming some tunes is another scientifically-proven way to improve your life and make every day a little better. Classical music, in particular, has been shown to help improve your mood, lower your blood pressure, and help you sleep.

Let’s face it: helping other people feels good. If you want to improve your life, help others improve theirs first, so give a dollar to a homeless person. Compliment someone at your office. Offer to do a friend a favor without asking for anything in return. The universe will reward you back many times over.

Improving your life means cultivating positive thoughts on a regular basis. To do this, you need time to let go and recharge. Try this: spend 5 minutes when you wake up and 5 minutes before you go to bed relaxing. Lay there and focus on taking slow, deep breaths. Let the thoughts flow through your head like clouds. Do this every day and you’ll be amazed with the results.

People who are content with their life share this in common: they never, ever stop learning. Make it a point to feed yourself knowledge every day, whether it be in the form of books, websites, television, etc. While you’re here, learn as much as you can about as much as you can.

Something about life you may not know about: The Top 10 Things Everyone Needs To Know In Life

Featured photo credit: Portrait of a smiling little girl on the beach/Theme Travel via Shutterstock

Scott Christ shows people how to be healthier and happier on his website The Healthy Eating Guide. Subscribe to his newsletter (it's free) and get instant access to 48 healthy recipe cards and his eBook, “The Ultimate Healthy Eating Roadmap”.

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30 Things You Need to Try at Least Once While You’re in Your 20s

As a young woman in her mid-20s, I can honestly say that there are a lot of things that I want to try at least once during this decade. I do think that I have done a lot, and that I am mature for my age, but I don’t want the feeling of regret to take over my life later on. There are many things to do before you hit your 30s!

Sometimes I take life too seriously, and I want to let loose as well. I don’t want to look back several years from now and wonder why I was so “serious” when I was younger. These years are supposed to be the time of our lives, right?

Traveling alone can teach one a lot about themselves. You can also do what you want, when you want to. You can visit new places on your own time frame as well.

Take at least one long-term trip. You can backpack across Europe, visit all of the Wonders of the World, and so on.

I’m going to guess that you might not have had the most perfect relationship with your family when you were a teenager. This is something that happens to many people, but as an adult, you should be trying to reconnect and re-establish relationships with family members.

When you first find that “real” job, you may be swept away by the money aspect, but what is it that you want to do?

What are your life goals? Do you want to have a family? A dream home? Travel the world? Retire at a young age? This is definitely a big thing to do in your 20s.

You might think that everyone has debt, but you don’t have to. I don’t care what the statistics are and I don’t care if everyone else has debt. Get rid of it!

Learning a new language can be hard, but it is well worth it.

There are plenty of adult sports teams that you can join. Local bars sometimes have volleyball teams or hockey teams, and you might even be able to find a fun dodge ball or kickball team in the summertime.

You may notice that life is speeding past you. As a person in your 20s, things are probably changing drastically. You may have recently started your first job, you may be starting your own family, you may be moving to a brand new place. Spending time with friends whom you care about is very important.

Sometimes finances get in the way of this one, but if you can, definitely try to find our own home. You can learn a lot about yourself this way, and it is a great step towards independence.

There are so many things to do when visiting the Grand Canyon. You will be surprised!

Gather some of your friends and go on a spontaneous road trip: I guarantee that you will have fun.

Have you ever thought about jumping out of a plane? I’m sure you’ve seen pictures of your friends or acquaintances doing this and have wondered or dreamed about doing the same. Well, what’s stopping you?

Have you ever done a marathon? Try one now!

Have you ever really learned how to cook?

There are so many great organizations out there that could use your help—go find one.

This can be a lot of fun: You can carry out groceries for someone at the store, buy coffee for the person behind you in line, or maybe help a stranger with a random task. The list is endless and it will restore faith in humanity for these strangers.

Leave your cell phone at home and your laptop closed.

I’ve never been camping, and I’m sure there are others out there like myself who have always wanted to as well.

Have you ever wanted to go to Oktoberfest in Germany? What about Coachella?

Las Vegas is a lot of fun, and well worth the experience.

It can be a lot of fun, and it’s a great networking skill.

Hopefully you don’t pick a place that’s super boring, but even if you do, just go anyway.

This is a lot harder than it sounds, but it can be a lot of fun, and will improve your culinary skills.

You would be surprised at how you feel after this.

If you are like me, then you might be afraid of what lingers in the water. Forget your fears and just do it.

Doesn’t matter what the award is. Strive for something and obtain it.

Do you know who your neighbors are? What about the person living 3 doors down? Most don’t—change that.

Do you know how to waltz or tango? Learning these dances can be a lot of fun, and you’d have an interesting skill to tell someone about.

Write a letter and read it several years from now. It’ll be a nice memoir, and you may be surprised at what your younger self had to say.

Ask yourself these if you want to lead a better life: 31 Questions That Will Change Your Life

Featured photo credit: Group Of Friends Running Along Beach Together via Shutterstock

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3 Things That Are Sucking Your Energy And How To Deal With Them

I’m sure that when you hear the phrase ‘suck your energy,’ something or someone immediately comes to mind. This is probably the tip of the iceberg when it comes to energy suckers in your life. There are many others that could be lurking around, quietly sucking out all your energy. Added together, these things can be a major cause of general fatigue. See which of the 3 common energy suckers might be lurking around you and learn a few tips on how to deal with them.

We all have at least one person in our lives who we must deal with who sucks the life out of us! You know it’s true because you feel amazing before seeing them and then during conversation, you begin to feel like your candle has been snuffed out. They seem to take a lot of energy just to be around.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, we also know of people who are givers. You feel better after being around them! I know, for myself, that if I have something physical to do, like a workout, I would rather have just finished being around a giver than a taker. It takes time to get your energy back up after being around an energy vampire!

So how do you solve this issue without cutting the negative people out of your life completely? The answer is to do some creative scheduling as much as possible. For example, if you are planning on working out during lunchtime, and you need to get going quickly, choose to schedule meetings with energy givers just before lunch. You can see your energy takers after your workout when you feel more resilient.

If you don’t have a choice, or if someone caught you by surprise, then you can practice detachment. By that, I don’t mean tuning out the other person. Remain present, but place a mental screen between your feelings and your conversation. This takes practice, but the more you practice, the easier it will become. If you engage in conversation with your energy takers without attaching emotion, you can also be more objective. Practice compassion for this person. Realize that they are an energy sucker for a reason. When you step outside of your own emotions these situations are easier to deal with and take less time to bounce back.

Every time you rush from one place to another, can’t find your keys, or schedule appointments too close together, you add to your stress level. Over time, this wears on your adrenal gland. When your adrenal gland is drained, you are close to hitting bottom.

So what do you do? Start scheduling wiggle room between things on your schedule. More time between appointments, more time to get ready in the morning, more time to get projects done–you get the idea. Also, make it a habit to put your keys, wallet, etc in the same place all the time. Items usually get separated when you rush around.

The little bits of messes all around us quietly zap our energy, whether it be several extra items on the kitchen counter, extra bottles of this and that around the tub, or magazines and books strewn around like they were tossed. Each on its own doesn’t seem like much, but when it’s always there and it’s in conjunction with other little messes, it all adds up! When you have a tidy space around you, your mind is free to relax rather than subconsciously processing what’s in front of it.

So what should you do? Well, if you think this might be a daunting task, start small, but start in an area that will give you maximum impact for time spent. Maybe this is the bathroom. Start with removing all loose items from the counter and around the tub. Replace just a couple of items that are most needed yet look nice. Put everything else away. Leave the room and come back a little while later and take note of how you feel. It feels good! Bit by bit, work your way around the house. Be prepared to start a donation bag and a garbage bag. Once you get going, you’ll realize you don’t need half the stuff around you!

Identify your energy suckers, deal with them, and lead a happier life! How do you deal with your energy suckers? Let us know in the comments!

How do you boost your energy level? 10 Practical Ways to Boost Your Energy Level

Featured photo credit: eVo photovia Flickr

Jennifer Wasylenko is the founder of Prana Personal Training in London Ontario. She is a certified Fitness Professional (ACSM), Yoga Teacher, Thai Yoga Practitioner, Mtn Biker/Instructor, Distance Runner, Black Belt in training, Dog runner, and Tea/Coffee lover!

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10 Things You Didn’t Know about Playing Video Games

What do you think of when you hear the phrase “video games?” Unhealthy, overweight man-boys addicted to living in an imaginary world, in which they shoot off the faces of their opponents?  Okay, this is the case some of the time, but really, video games are so much more. I have found out that there are many surprising benefits to playing video games, so I am slightly less embarrassed to admit that I play them myself.

A variety of video games have been created that involve a team of people (whether in your living room or in a different state) working together toward a common goal.

Did your mother ever tell you to not to stare at your computer screen for too long? Okay, she was correct in that your eyes need a break every now and again, but a study was conducted by a psychologist that may have proof that detailed video games involving aiming and shooting at objects improve declining vision.

Have you ever watched the sitcom Scrubs? The main character and his friend, a surgeon, often partake in seemingly adolescent activities, one of them being video games. It turns out that this fictitious surgeon was likely more skilled at laparoscopic surgery due to the increased hand-eye coordination from these electronic games.

In The Sims game, you might be controlling many different characters at once. You need to figure out how to coordinate their actions to achieve the best results in the game. This ability can transfer to tasks like driving a car and dealing with distractions inside of the car as well as keeping track of the cars around you.

Video games give you the ability to get lost in a world you can control without true problems or consequences. An article in the New York Times highlighted a woman dealing with depression with the game Bejeweled. This does not go for all video games, but certain games can even give you a Zen-like feel where you can play without real effort or boredom.

Studies have showed that patients who were allowed to play video games requested less pain killer. The thought is that the patients were so engrossed in the game that their pain seemed miles away. As a result, there is a lower chance of addiction to powerful pain medications.

Are you completely shocked? Before writing this post, I was a tad ashamed to admit I have spent hours upon hours playing The Sims games and more recently Sims 2 (no, I have not splurged for Sims 3 for fear of never leaving my laptop again). This game is anything but violent. The entire premise is living life. You can get a job, build a house, have numerous babies and raise a whole family of dogs if you wish. You can go to college, meet your true love and graduate with honors. Okay, yes, that sounds a little sad to be doing all of this in a video game, but stay with me and check out some of the benefits of playing video games.

Many video games have physical aspects (and rightfully so). You can pretend you are playing anything from bowling to boxing to participating in a dance competition. There are even games specifically engineered to improve physical fitness.

I was completely taken aback when I witnessed a three year old playing a game on her mom’s ipad. Younger children are learning to play with electronic devices, so a variety of educational video games have been created to enrich the young mind. It is even thought that video games are an interactive venue that will soon replace textbooks…however crazy that sounds.

I, however, choose to be in denial that cats can use electronics.

Video games not only provide endless entertainment, but there are surprising benefits. If you have not already, consider picking up a game to boost your mental (and possibly physical) capabilities.

Find out more games that chill you out: 10 Relaxing Online Games to Help Chill You Out

Featured photo credit: Young couple playing video games in their apartment via Shutterstock

Over-sharing blogger at Diary of a Semi-Health Nut (link above!). Future dietitian. Semi-healthy baker. Flawed but forgiven. Runner. Social media addict (links above!). Current ASCM personal training student. Twin Cities transplant from Nebraska. (Go Huskers!) Firm believer that lifestyle changes trump any fad diet AND that in order to change your body, you need to love yourself. (<--While you're at it, love others too!)

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10 Ways to Ignite Your Imagination and Accomplish Big Things

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Four Things to Consider Before Accepting a Job Offer

So you’ve gone to a job interview for a position you’re interested in, it went well, and now the company has offered you the job. Good news! Before you accept a job offer, there are some things that you should consider.

You’ve gotten an offer for a position you applied to. There must have been some reason you applied for the position. Perhaps it was for a company you wanted to work for, or maybe you just wanted a job in the industry and it was what was available.

An important consideration to make before you accept a job offer is whether the position is really what you want to do. Why were you interested in this position? Do you need a job as soon as possible and are willing to take anything? Are you taking the job just because you have done a similar role before but want to move on from it?

The reasons for taking a job will depend on your desires and your circumstances, but these are points worth considering. It may be OK to take a job that isn’t something you really want to do right now, if it allows you to get into a better position in the future.

That brings us to the next question…

Most of us know what we want to do. If you don’t have a plan, I suggest [developing one for your career]. It lets you know where you want to go and how to get there.

A consideration to have for this job offer is if it will allow you to get to where you want to go with your career. Is it on the path of where you want to go? Does it allow you to improve and develop the skills for progressing your career? If not, then why did you apply for this position?

Even though it may not be the ideal job you want, there are jobs we need to do along the way to improve our skills to the level they need to be at, and to gain the experience we need.

There’s more to the job than the position and the money you’re getting paid. We should consider the company that’s offering you the position as well. Are they a good company to work for? Do they share your values and priorities? If not, does this matter to you?

We can’t all work for the same company, and each company is different. Try to picture yourself working for this company and imagine if you’d be happy there. Work out what you want in an employer, and how important it is, and see if this is satisfactory before you accept a job offer.

The reputation of a company and other factors may or may not be important to you, but it’s probably something to consider anyway.

One of the most satisfying parts of the job for many people is that the job challenges them. It allows them to think and focus on problems and solutions for companies. It’s more than just a desk job.

Are you someone that needs to be challenged at work? The amount of challenge that a position brings varies between all of us. Some of us like a little bit of a challenge, some of us like to be “thrown in the deep end” and many are in the middle.

You should work out how much of a challenge you need at work, and assess if the new position meets that criteria, before you accept a job offer. This will help your satisfaction in both the short and long term.

Again, your circumstances may mean this is more or less important to you. For example, if you really just need a job, or if it’s only a two month contract, then the challenge of the job may not be as important. However, it’s still something we should consider.

All of that said, getting a job offer is still a great thing and you must have done a few things right to get there. Congratulations!
What other points should we consider before accepting a job offer? Share your thoughts in the section below.

Even if you’re gainfully employed right now, you’re probably keeping an eye on job listings in your field and news about your industry. 10 Job Listing Sites With Unique Opportunities

Featured photo credit: a pen near stack of papervia Shutterstock

Business analyst and software developer. Passionate about helping others improve their IT careers by providing advice and information.

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3 Things Stopping You From Changing Right Now

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10 Things To Help Manage Your Work-Life Balance When Pregnant

Pregnancy is like a bitter gourd in the sense that it’s a dichotomy— it’s healthy for you, but bitter to taste. Being pregnant is an experience that inspires a rollercoaster of emotions and life changes, and if you’re already pregnant, you might have already started to feel several biological, physiological and physiological changes within yourself. The hormonal changes lead to issues like nausea, mood swings, fatigue, etc., which can be exacerbated if you have a family to look after and older children to take care of. If you’re a working mother or a single parent, then your responsibilities skyrocket even further.

How do you manage home, kids, and work while dealing with mood swings, depression and pregnancy-induced body pain? It’s not easy to do so, but the good news is that there are ways of enjoying your work, life and pregnancy all together.

Start with a healthy diet. Food cravings, an increase in appetite and bingeing sessions will all become part of your life for the next nine months, so the key to alleviating many problems is in maintaining a healthy diet. Eat fresh vegetables, salads and fruits as snacks rather than indulging in high calorie finger foods like french fries, chips or junk food.  Doing this is important to keep yourself from gaining extra pounds, which will make you lethargic and may contribute to a sedentary lifestyle post-pregnancy.Please, make a point of exercising every day, even if only for 20 to 30 minutes. Keeping active will raise your spirits and also keep your blood flowing, which helps to nourish your growing baby. To help motivate you, consider joining a prenatal exercise class so you get a chance to meet and socialise with other moms-to-be.Open up to your boss and colleagues—let other employees know that you are expecting so they are conscious about your fragile emotional state, and can speak with you in a way that doesn’t add to your depression, or trigger mood swings. Keep your boss updated about your health from time to time if you feel you need to get some of your workload transferred, and to establish that you might need some breaks without having to explain about your whereabouts.If you have the option of working from home, then keep your employer informed about the situation so that you can take occasional breaks from the office, and relieve some workplace pressures by working from the comfort of your own home.Think about your post-pregnancy options well ahead of time and submit a proposal about them to your boss. Be clear about whether you want to return to the same full-time job after your maternity leave, or if you would consider a part-time job instead. Inquire as to whether a work-from-home option would be possible as well, if that appeals to you. Planning beforehand always helps, as you would be aware of your job options in advance, thus alleviating later stress. While planning your post-maternity work options, don’t forget to discuss your maternity leave with your boss, and keep your family informed about the process and decisions being made.Try to stop worrying and micro-managing, both at work and on the home front. You should understand the importance of staying calm and happy during your gestation period, and realise that it’s  really okay if your house isn’t tidy in every corner. Don’t stress yourself unnecessarily about petty issues at the office either: stay away from office politics and gossip, especially if it’s directly or indirectly related to you and your work. Take active steps to manage stress as it comes up, and learn to say no.Help your children understand the situation so that they can lend you a helping hand when it’s needed. This is an opportunity to encourage their independence and self reliance: encourage them to finish off their school activities/studies on their own, and let them serve themselves at mealtime and get ready for school on their own in the mornings. You can also ask them to tidy up their own rooms or help you a little with laundry and light housework.Ask your partner or spouse to spend more time at home than usual. Let him share some domestic work, and also assist you with cooking for the family. Most importantly, make him realise that you need constant love and emotional support at this time.Make it a rule that one meal serves all, and that there is to be no fighting about food preferences in regard to wanting something else. Meal-planning discussions can happen on weekends to keep everyone happy, and will keep you from getting stressed out.Backache, sleeping disorders, leg swelling, and mood swings will often be out of your control, but the amount of stress you’ll experience is mostly in your own hands. Keep in mind that a great way to alleviate some stress is by focusing on cheerful activities that also keep you active, such as shopping for your maternity clothes, as well as gifts and clothes for your newborn, and decorating the nursery.

Pregnancy is a beautiful feeling for any woman, so try to enjoy every bit of it. Best of luck to you: you will soon be a dear mummy to a beautiful new baby.

Featured photo credit: Beautiful pregnant woman at home via Shutterstock

Medha BN+, is a freelance writer and a blogtrepreneur at QueensQuill; a computer science graduate and a former lecturer now caters the needs and breathes for the soul of her life, her son. Say hi to this tweety Mama @QueensQuill who has now started catching the pace of social media.

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Things You Wish You’d Known Before a Job Interview

A job interview is one of the most important events that can change the direction of your life. Even if you have spent many hours preparing for interviews, it can’t guarantee that you can get through it successfully. Classes and Careers have created an infographic that provides you with some things you wish you’d known before your job interview that may just increase your chances.. or at least prevent you from making a mistake.

What You Wish You’d Known Before Your Job Interview – Classes and Careers.com

SEE ALSO: How To Answer Common Job Interview Questions

Brian is a Lifehacker who covers all sorts of tips for life. He is also fascinated with new technology. Contact Brian at brian@lifehack.org, Google+

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How to Keep a Conversation Going & Never Run Out of Things to Say

One of the BIGGEST problems you may face when trying to meet new friends is the awkward silence. Encountering this situation is so uncomfortable that it can even force you to avoid meeting new people in the first place, but there is a way to get around it. In the past, I I struggled with this so much that I thought it could never be solved. I even thought it had to do with my DNA or something… but I proved myself wrong when I learned how to solve it. Not knowing how to keep a conversation going can really harm your social life, but if you know how to keep those words flowing, you can meet, talk to, and get to know pretty much anyone you like—creating great possibilities for friendship, fun, and shared activities that you would otherwise have missed out on.

After studying this in depth, I found patterns of behavior that can keep you from making great conversation with people. One of these common behaviors is the habit of filtering—holding back from saying something until you’ve “checked” with yourself to make sure that what you’re about to say is cool, impressive, smart, and interesting. What does that do to your conversation ability? It kills it! Another problem is not learning to get in the mood for conversation. If you spent a whole day working or studying analytical or logical subjects, and you don’t know how to switch from that, then it can take a lot of time to warm up and start interacting with people socially. You can overcome this simply by learning a few new skills, such as the ones listed below. Once you do that, you’ll be able to talk to new people, and make friends, much more easily.

Let’s get you started with a couple of basic,  yet solid techniques on how to be a great conversationalist:

This is the reflex that allows you to say whatever goes on in your mind. No filtering, no checking with yourself  ”would I sound cool if I say this?”. None of that. The best way to practice this is to start doing it with people you kind of know—do you dare to try it? It’s fun to realize that you’re allowed to say whatever is on your mind, and no-one is going to judge you for it. As long as you don’t say anything that could land you in jail, you’re okay! People don’t care too much about how “awesome” what you’re saying is, because they’re too focused on how THEY are coming across. Get it? If so, let’s move on…

This works 99% of the time. It’s a surefire technique, and it works especially well for beginners. People love to know that you’re interested in what they have to say, so if you show some interest, they’ll hang around and want to talk to you even more. All of the “oh! that’s interesting…”, “Hmm, I’ve never heard of that”, “Hmm, cool!”expressions are reactionary bits of conversation that prove to the other person that you’re really listening, and that’s very flattering to them.

Everyone knows that stories juice-up conversations, but most people only talk about stories their own lives. You don’t have to draw from your own experience when speaking with someone: you can use stories from anywhere, from stories that happened to people you know, to those you came across via the radio,TV, magazines, etc. How can you integrate the stories into your conversation? The key is to first realize that you can use them. You’ve already heard them, and the more interesting or weird they are, the harder they are to forget, so you’re all good. Your brain doesn’t lose them. When someone mentions something related to any of them, just tell the story, even if it’s not from your life. It can be any silly story, short or long, interesting, or totally awkward—just use it! People love talking to people who can just share stuff openly like that. These techniques should get you started, but if you want to take it to an advanced level—to the point where you can just have fun when talking to anyone, meet the right people you want in your life, and be able to make friends with them fast—then I recommend that you take a little time to learn more about how conversations work. If you do that, you’ll make conversations far more interesting, with natural ease, avoiding all awkward silences that might prevent you from meeting the right friends that you would love to have around.

[Update: If you're looking for tips on how to start a conversation try the FORM technique]

Featured photo credit:  Two wonderful girls talk and look at the stripped scarf sitting at the desk at the library via Shutterstock

Paul Sanders teaches you how to: Overcome Shyness and Loneliness ; Master Conversation and Critical Social Skills ; Make Friends and Build a Social Circle. You can visit Paul, here: Get The Friends You Want

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How to Get Away From Your Tight Schedule (And Still Get Things Done)

Here is the plain truth: Your schedule is just too tight.

You feel panicked as you move from one appointment to another and your calendar is so full of notes for the day you can hardly read them. At the same time, you are trying to make it to the appointments in time, because you want to give people an impression of you as a trustworthy and punctual person. Eventually you are starting to be overwhelmed by the stress that’s a result of your manic schedule. You also know that you have to find a solution quickly, because you can’t live like this any longer.

If there is one scheduling “sin” that most people commit, it’s planning a timetable that is too tight. It’s very easy to be overly optimistic of your capabilities to adhere to your schedule, until you’re actually in it. That’s usually when you realize that your plan was not realistic.

So what are the reasons behind making scheduled that are too tight?

First, it could be that you put too much action into one day, because you genuinely think you can do it. Putting appointments and tasks one right after another may doable in the planning phase, but reality will eventually show that this wasn’t necessarily the best thing to do.

Many of us don’t consider building in  transition times between tasks. When you schedule too many tasks or appointments for the one day with the lack of understanding of the transition times you need, you’ll most likely experience the domino effect: When you are running late for one appointment, you will be running late for the rest of the appointments as well.

How can we fix this?

With these steps, you can have schedules that are more realistic in your everyday life:

1. Dedicate time for planning. Don’t rush through the planning phase. Instead, make sure that you allow enough time for the planning process.

Instead of planning just 5 minutes, decide to plan 15 to 30 minutes where you really go through your day and plan it out well.

In addition, if you feel that even 30 minutes is not enough, then take all the time you need! The idea is to have a plan that you can rely on the next day.

2. Choose the right environment. Pay close attention to where and when you make the plan.

If you’re planning your schedule at home, choose a time when it is quiet enough for this activity. For instance, you could wake up earlier than the rest of the family and do the planning then.

You could also decide to do your planning somewhere else, like in a library or perhaps outside in nature, if there is too much distraction at home.

3. Cut down the appointments. If possible, try to cut down the number of appointments you have. That way you are not overwhelmed by having too much activity packed into one day.

The fewer appointments you have, the easier it is to keep your schedule.

4. Add a buffer. Add at least 15-20 minutes buffer between your appointments. The time will of course depend on your situation, but understand that often more time is needed to accomplish a task than you actually think and a buffer allows for that.

For instance, if you have a meeting with your client, you’ll have to consider the whole picture:

the time it takes to go to your clientthe time you are spending with him/herthe time it takes to get back from your client

As you can see, the actual appointment is just one part of the whole situation and you should include those other parts (transition times) in your planning as well.

5. Analyze. Sometimes – even with proper planning – your schedules may fall apart for some reason or another. That’s why it’s important to analyze what happened afterwards, so that the same thing can be prevented in the future.

6. Time your recurring tasks. If you have a repeating task or appointment, you might want to time it. That makes it so much easier for you to plan your future appointments or tasks with that information.

For instance, I know that it takes approximately 1 hour to complete a workout in the gym. This includes not only the workout part, but also going to the gym, putting my gym gear on, taking a shower after the workout, and getting back home.

With this information, it’s possible to be more realistic with my schedule, since I know the actual time it takes to accomplish a task.

It’s tempting to plan schedules that are too tight.

However, with some focus on the planning phase, your schedules will be more realistic and you will not be burning yourself out unnecessarily.

Over to you: How do you make sure your schedules aren’t too tight and you make your appointments on time?

Featured photo credit:  Frantic, unorganized businessman via Shutterstock

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4 Things I Wish I Knew Before Self-Publishing a Book

“Dude, you should totally write a book!”

Maybe you’ve heard that before or it’s just something you’ve always wanted to do. But writing is only part of what it takes to get a book in the hands of eager readers.

Self-publishing is all the rage these days but there’s still a lot to learn for a first time author.

As I write this article, my book has officially been released for five months. Sales are steady but I’m ready to get back to writing.

Get back to writing? Didn’t I just “write” a book?

Yes, but the majority of my last six months has been spent getting the book ready for sale.

So before you start down the self-publishing road, here are a few things to take into consideration.

1. Once You Finish Writing, Expect More Work

I finished writing my book in December of 2011; the book was officially available on Amazon the first week in June 2012. I used CreateSpace for editing, internal design, and publishing. I used my sister for cover design.

I could have cut down on time if I’d simplified my internal design and cover—or just used CreateSpace for the cover design as well. But it was my first baby and I wanted the cover to be awesome and knew my sister would do a great job (which she did!). So I was happy to wait while she designed my cover between a full-time job and single motherhood.

The copy editing process with CreateSpace was fairly easy. Once submitted, it only took a few weeks to get my first manuscript back with tracked changes. After that, I made changes and used family and friends to proof read. Depending on your manuscript length, (mine was around 32K words,) this takes time.

One thing I would have done differently is be more diligent about format checking the Word document before submitting the final manuscript for proof printing. Things like two En dashes (- -) instead of one Em dash (—) which looked fine in the manuscript due to the font I used showed up all over the place in the printed proof. Of course this is what proofing is for, but with CreateSpace you only get so many corrections for free so you might end up having to prioritize what changes are made or pay extra.

2. The Headaches of Paperback

Every aspiring author wants to see his or her name in print. I can attest to the fact that it’s a pretty cool feeling. There’s nothing like holding your book in your hands for the first time. However, when it came time to market and set pricing, the print version added some extra headache to pricing options.

Let me explain…

My main sales strategy was to consist of online sales through my website. The goal is to set pricing in a way that encourages people to purchase an eBook bundle—PDF, .mobi, and .epub—via my website since Amazon.com takes 40% of the print books list price. Yeah, you read that correctly, 40%. But they also have the ability to reach millions of potential readers.

I can way overanalyze things and probably spent unnecessary time worrying about how to price these different formats (Kindle, Print, PDF, etc.) to maximize profits and reach. Two goals which seem to conflict with each other; future testing will reveal some insights no doubt.

At this point, I still have a lot of testing to do as far as pricing, but it would have been a lot simpler to offer only a Kindle and/or eBook bundle. Nonetheless, I’m not sure I would have done it any differently for my first book. It’s just something to think about.

3. Blurb Requests

When it came time to request blurbs, I wanted to send out a copy of my manuscript that had been through at least one round of copy editing to avoid most grammar or spelling errors. This was pretty late in the game and thus added time waiting (and praying) for responses.

Everyone wants’ the best blurbs for their book, but requesting them takes a special knack that I’m not quite sure I navigated correctly. I did get some awesome blurbs, but it’s hard to know if I did it the right way. I just tried to think of how I would prefer to be approached, and what would make it easier for me?

Some suggest sending an “example” blurb in your request so all they have to do is tweak it a little and add their name to it. This seemed awful presumptions to me, but I did have better luck once I started using this approach.

Next time I’ll spend more time revising my rough draft and start sending it out a lot sooner.

4. Trailer video

Being in the non-fiction (self-help) niche, I’ve seen other authors use interview styled trailers with success so I decided to have one created for my first book.

Although there’s no way to tell how much impact my trailer has had on sales at this point, I’m not sure I would do it again. It added additional time and money to the project, so the jury is still out on its effectiveness. At some point, I’ll A/B test the sales page to see how it affects conversions.

Another use for the trailer will be to promote on YouTube and other video sites. I purchased a handful of easy-to-remember domain names around topic keywords that redirect to my sales page with logic to track where the sales originated. This will allow me to track traffic from assets like free eBooks, newsletters, podcast, etc. to know what’s working.

Distribution is another area for consideration. For example, do you use Amazon only or do you use a service such as Smashwords.com to distribute the eBook version to multiple sites?

Yeah… there’s a lot to think about and it can get overwhelming at times.

So even though I’ll approach my next self-published project a little differently, I learned valuable lessons. If there’s one piece of advice I could give to anyone considering self-publishing, it would be determine what your budget is and bootstrap the things you can’t afford. But most importantly, kick procrastination to the curb and just do it!

Featured photo credit:  book of fantasy stories via Shutterstock

Jared Akers is an author who enjoys empowering people to love themselves through his site at http://jaredakers.com/.

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10 Things to Stop Caring About Today

We waste so much of our lives caring about unimportant things, foolish things, and unchangeable things. So much time, energy, and stress unnecessarily squandered. There is so little of us to go around and so much out there that is worth caring about.

Other people’s expectations for your life

This is your life. You are the one who has to live it. You have to live with the consequences of the decisions you make and the actions you take, so you should make them according to what you want for and from your life, not what someone else thinks you “should” do with your life. We care way too much about what other people think about us and far too little about what we think about ourselves.

How much you weigh

It’s just a number people! We live in such a weight-obsessed culture that our weight is often a measure by which we are judged and worse by which we judge ourselves. I’m not saying to stop caring about being healthy, that’s a completely different thing, and one definitely worth worrying about. Just don’t fixate on the number on the scale. Care about healthier food choices, care about how strong you are, how much exercise you’re getting, just stop attaching your value, your success, your confidence, your attractiveness and your health to this one single number.

How other people live

Let other people live their own lives, just as you’d like to be able to live yours. Stop judging what other people do and how they live. That’s their business. If it doesn’t affect you, stop caring about it. Stop comparing what you have, how you look, the money, the status, the possessions, the beauty to what you “think” others have. Don’t measure yourself against other people, measure yourself against your own yardstick.

How many Facebook friends you have

Same goes for Twitter followers. The number of social connections you have is not a good indicator of either the strength of your network or your true popularity. True connections are measured by the quality of interactions and the people you who actually care about you and what you have to say. How people respond to you and share with you is a far better indicator or your social status.

Perfection

We suffer so much anguish caring about being perfect. Perfection is nearly unattainable and our striving for it, costs us so much. Perfect is a waste of time, perfect is unreasonable, perfect is a recipe for stress. Pretty darn good is a better goal. It’s usually more than good enough and far less stressful. (Note: If you’re a brain surgeon or a pilot, please try for close to perfect, but as long as you leave my gray matter in place and get me on the ground safely, I’m good.)

Aging

You can’t stop the clock. It’s a fact, no matter how much you worry about it or how much money you spend trying to hide it, time is going to keep right on ticking and taking you along with it. Stop caring about how old you are. It’s not a good measure of the quality of life anyway. Or maybe it is…Studies have shown that people are actually happier as they age. So stop caring about your biological age and wrinkles (whether you have them or worry about getting them,) and start caring about what how you want to live the years you have left.

Fitting in

We place too much value on conformity. If you like to listen to jazz and wear purple shoes, go for it. If you are the sculptor in a family of accountants, good for you. No make-up, big jewelry, cowboy boots, bow tie, thrift store clothes, dinner on cushions, no TV…it’s all fine. You’re not hurting anyone, and though they may judge you, that’s their problem, not yours.

Star Watching

Why are we so obsessed with celebrities? From reality shows to magazines, entertainment news shows to paparazzi photos, clothing lines to hairstyles, we are so infatuated with the lives of the rich and famous. Why? Are we so unhappy in our own lives that we have to get our excitement and pleasure by watching public figures live theirs? Stop wasting your time caring about what famous people do, good, bad, crazy, sad or fabulous. It has nothing to do with you. It’s only a distraction from your own life.

Being right

We all want to be right. It must be intrinsically bred into our DNA, but more times than not, it’s very destructive. When we’re striving to be right, we’re focused on proving other people wrong. We’re grasping for power by trying to prove our infallibility. Care about finding solutions, collaborating with others to find the best answers, and cultivating relationships. Care about the result, not who is right or wrong.

Anything you can’t control

Stop caring about things you can’t control. If there’s nothing you can do to impact the person or the situation, then don’t waste your energy. There are so many important things in your life, in this world that you can affect. Focus on what you can change, where you can have the most impact, make a difference, and let the rest go.

Featured photo credit:  Young happy woman in green field via Shutterstock

Royale Scuderi is a life fulfillment specialist, success consultant, and writer who specializes in cultivating human potential. She excels at helping others achieve growth, lasting change, professional success, life satisfaction, and clarity of purpose. Her passion is asking questions that matter and finding solutions that work. As owner of Productive Life Concepts, she uses her expertise to help individuals and businesses maximize their potential. Find out more at Productive Life Concepts.

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How to Minimize Distraction to Get Things Done

If you’re like me, you’ve had two back-to-back workdays where, one day, you feel extremely productive and the next day, you feel like you didn’t accomplish a single thing. Having a productive day feels amazing, as if you’ve just conquered your profession. And those non-productive days, well, you’re just glad they’re over.

What I’ve learned through trial and error is that most of those unproductive days are, gasp, nobody’s fault but my own. Even if I was distracted by coworkers, or last-minute urgent projects arose, or I had a splitting headache, I should be able to tell people that I’m busy, or leave space in my schedule for unexpected work, or take a Tylenol and find a quiet, dark place to sit for 10 minutes. There are remedies for almost every distraction.

I’m not saying we can’t have a slack-off day every now and then, but if your unproductive days happen more and more often, it’s time to do a little soul-searching, organizing, and planning to make distractions go away.

According to a study conducted by the University of California Irvine, office workers are only able to focus on any single task for an average three minutes and five seconds before they’re distracted. And, surprisingly, 44 percent of those distractions are internal — hunger, boredom, stress, sleep deprivation. The good news is that internal distractions are the only kind we can truly control. Know your patterns for hunger, bored, stress, and sleepiness and plan ahead. Keep snacks at your desk, mix up your to-do list by interspersing boring and interesting tasks, or find a quiet place to take a short nap.

If 44 percent of distractions are internal, than 56 percent of distractions come from external sources. People, email, phone calls, pets (if you work from home like I do), and chatter from other cubicles fall into this category. To stop external distractions before they start, you have to give the right signals to the outside world.

Put up your “busy” message on instant messenger and wear headphones (even if you’re not playing music). Stand to greet cube visitors to show them you want to move the conversation along. If you face the entrance of your cube or office when seated at, move your computer to the back of the cube to face the wall when working. Subtle queues like these might seem a tad passive-aggressive, but they might also save you from annoying distractions.

Even though it might seem like the enemy most times, technology can be your anti-distraction friend. Turn off email alerts, set your phone to go straight to voice-mail or create an auto-response to text messages you receive that says something like, “In the middle of something; will get back to you later.” Block chunks of time on your calendar as “busy.” Unless your job involves life-or-death situations, everyone will manage just fine for the few hours when you’re off the grid.

In a recent study of 800 job seekers looking for flexible jobs conducted by FlexJobs, the number one reason for wanting to work from home was to avoid distracting coworkers. Even if you can’t work from home full-time, maybe your boss will let you telecommute one or two days a week in the interest of productivity. Or, try rearranging your work hours to be in the office earlier or later than typical work hours for some quiet time. Even escaping to Starbucks for an afternoon of coffee-fueled, solitary work can help you be more productive.

Are you a people-pleaser? A “yes man?” Is your favorite line from any movie, “I’m right on top of that, Rose!” from 1991’s Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead? The nicest people are often the busiest people, and when asked if they can help with something or take on a new project, they immediately accept to be polite or a team player. But if you’re already overloaded with work and feeling like you never get anything done, the last thing you should do is take on any new projects. Let people know that while you’d love to help, your plate is full.

If your unproductive days are starting to win out over your productive ones, it’s time to figure out where your distractions originate, and put a stop to them. By being proactive, silencing technology, working a more flexible schedule and letting people know, both passively and actively, that you are b-u-s-y, you’ll be less distracted and more productive.

Featured photo credit:  Man and woman working in office via Shutterstock

Brie Weiler Reynolds is the Content and Social Media Manager at FlexJobs, the award-winning site for telecommuting and flexible job listings, and a former career advisor. At FlexJobs, Brie offers job search and career advice, and work-life balance tips through the FlexJobs Blog and social media. Learn more at http://www.flexjobs.com/.

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