If it was possible to make a living off of being completely unproductive or simply wasting your day away doing everything but the very work that you were supposed to do, then I’m willing to bet that most of us would be millionnaires several times over by now. Meanwhile, back in real life, decreased productivity usually correlates with decreased funds and an increased chance that you’ll be out of a job. Therefore, the folks over at HealthMoneySuccess offer some of the following tips on things we should stop doing in order to increase our likelihood of staying productive and gainfully employed. To see the full list of all 33 things, visit the original blog post here.
10 Things You Should Stop Doing
Reading all of the productivity blogs that you can find- Pick and choose one or two blogs to read daily, and stream them through an RSS feed, this way you’re less likely to surf the web aimlessly (see #3).
Spending too much time on social media sites (i.e. Facebook and Twitter)-Social media sites like these are incredibly addicting and can suck up large chunks of time without you even realizing it. Unless it’s for business, avoid it.
Surfing online aimlessly-Surfing online leads to more surfing, which leads to more surfing which leads to nothing getting accomplished. Try to avoid it while you are working, or at best, limit yourself to only a few minutes at a time when you need the occasional ‘mental break’.
Saying yes to every request-It’s ok to say ‘no’ to your boss when he or she is trying to dole out too much work to you. As long as your focus is on quality versus quantity and it is within reason, avoid taking on additional responsibilities that you know you won’t be able to handle.
Checking emails every 5 minutes-It can be incredibly tempting to check your email between having a smartphone that alerts you every two seconds when there’s something in your inbox to having your inbox open on your screen. Instead, try to go for a block of time, say an hour or so, without checking your email. It will be less distracting.
Buying cheaper electrical appliances or gadgets-You know that saying, ‘you get what you pay for’? Yup. It’s better to invest in quality appliances that will last you versus ones that will break more frequently.
Cluttering your wardrobe-The Salvation Army is always looking for generous donations. If you find yourself spending more time looking for things to get dressed in, you probably have too many clothes. Time to donate to charity.
Finding your keys, cell phone and wallet-Make a designated area where you will always leave your keys and wallet, this way you don’t have to wonder where they are when you are going out.
Losing your way-It’s always best to plan out where you are going ahead of time so that you don’t waste time.
Saving money manually-Automated is the way to go. Look for ways to have money automatically transferred from one account to the other so that you don’t have to waste time either online or “on line” doing it yourself.
Qwitter- This is a great Twitter tool to use (and one that I personally adore). Signing up is free, and once you’re Twitter account is linked, Qwitter sends you an email notification when someone stops following you
TwitBlocker- This is a nifty little tool that helps you manage the tweets of those folks you follow who are a little “chatty” (to put it nicely). You don’t want to delete them from your Twitter list, but you also don’t want to be receiving updates from them every two seconds. TwitBlocker to the rescue.
My Tweeple-This tool allows you to check stats on the people who you follow and/or who follow you. You can review other peoples latest tweets as well as see the date of their last tweet (which may help you decide whether or not they are follow worthy).
Twitterholic (aka: Twitaholic)- As the name may suggest, this tool allows you to search the most popular Twitter users out there. You can also obtain stats about your own Twitter account.
Friend or Follow- A clever play on words, this tool allows you to find out who is not following you back on Twitter. You can also find out who you share friends with.
MrTweet- A great tool that helps you find relevant followers by offering up recommendations. You can also check stats on your account as well as see who else is out there that might be worth following.
If you work from home, consider yourself extremely lucky. Working from home definitely has its advantages. For one thing, you can save a TON of money on gasoline and car expenses, plus you have more time to actively plan your work schedule around your life. However, while all of this may seem just peachy, you have to be careful to plan, plan, plan and be disciplined. Otherwise, your work-from-home dream can quickly turn into a work-from-home nightmare. The following are five tips to help you get the most out of your work from home experience:
Cut out the distractions. When it’s time to work, it’s time to cut out any and all distractions that will prevent you from being able to focus. If you live with roommates or have a partner who also works from home but who keeps slightly different hours than you, then you may need to find some sort of a compromise (such as keeping the volume on the television low during certain hours). Being distracted means that it takes longer to get your work done, which means less time that you’ll be able to decompress doing something other than work that you enjoy.
Be as consistent as possible. For some people, working from home is a dream come true because they feel that they will be able to get up at any time of the day or night and simply do their work. However, it is best to maintain some sort of a consistent routine because consistency helps you stay organized. Besides this, if something comes up at the last minute when you were planning on getting some work done, suddenly you are faced with a dilemma. Choose certain hours between which to get your work done and then try to stick to it.
Respect boundaries. If you and your spouse both work from home, depending on how you are, you may need to have separate working areas. It is often tempting to run errands or find other ways to interact with your spouse such as watching television or taking a day trip somewhere, or even sitting down and joking around with one another. However, for every minute that you spend with your S.O., that’s one more minute that you aren’t getting your work done.
Be accessible. Whether you work for yourself or for someone else, one major consideration is accessibility. Whether it is via email, skype, text message or a phone call, it is always a smart idea to stay as connected as possible with the outside world so that people can reach you in the event of a deadline, emergency or some other miscellaneous issue. This is also why it is a good idea to try to stick to a consistent schedule (see number 2).
Get plenty of rest. Sure, getting out of that office environment may have been great, but in reality, most people who work from home actually end up putting even more work hours into their week than they ever did when they were in an office. Keeping that in mind, even though you may really want to get all 40+ hours of your work done in two days, don’t push it. Instead, force yourself to pull the plug when it nears the end of a regular business day. In addition to providing yourself with some QT for loved ones and other enjoyed activities, it also allows you plenty of time to wind down and relax for bed, ensuring that you get plenty of rest for the next day.
Congratulations. You and your significant other are part of the steadily growing, yet lucky few who gets to work from home. At first you were excited. After all, now that you were both working from home, this meant that you would get to spend more quality time with each other, right? Wrong. For most couples who operate out of their kitchen, dining room or (if you’re really lucky) home office, it often doesn’t take long to realize that the only “time” you are spending together is on each other’s last nerve. That being said, here are some helpful tips to save your sanity….and your relationship!
5 Tips for Working From Home With Your Significant Other (S.O.)
Separate But Equal- Try to keep your work space as far away from your S.O. as possible. Trust me, this will lessen the urge to be distracted by him/her-especially the occasional “I just wanted to ask you this quick” or “Take a look at this thing really quickly..”
Make a Schedule- And STICK TO IT. Just because you’re working from home now, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t at least “pretend” like you hold regular job hours. Especially when you’re working from home, it helps to have a little discipline, this way you’re not tempted to run errands and do other miscellaneous household chores. Pretend like you’re not even there!
Get Out- The trap that many WFHers fall into is they might go for hours (sometimes even days) without going outside. If you have to, set an alarm to go off at a certain time, this way you can remind yourself to take a break. Even if it means going outside to do a quick loop around the block or head to the gym for an hour, make sure that you’re up and moving.
Invest in Noise Cancelling Headphones- If you live in an apartment or are really stuck for space to where you have no choice but to work across the table from your partner, investing in headphones may help to block out unnecessary noise (i.e. your spouse on the phone, the cat meowing, dog barking, loud neighbors, etc.). This would also be a great opportunity to discuss noise issues with your S.O. ahead of time.
Plan a “Date Night”- When you work from home, try to take care of any errands that you have to run earlier in the day so that they don’t get neglected later (i.e. laundry, gym, food shopping, etc). This will create more space in your schedule later on in the day. Of course, this depends on what work schedule you’ve set up for yourself. More importantly, if you and your S.O. both work from home, it can become REALLY easy to get caught up in working around the clock. Make it a point to shut down the computer and plan a special night or day where the two of you spend time together from behind the warm glow of your laptops. It will do wonders for your relationship to have the actual face-to-face communication!
Some Other Sites You Might Like Related to This Topic
Have you ever wanted to customize your search results on Google so that you don’t have to sift through results that you know aren’t going to be useful to you? For instance, I love to run. That being said, one day I might be interested in finding out what parks are nearby to where I live, so I’ll type in my keywords and wait for the list of results to pop up like they normally do on Google. As I go down the page of results, I might come across links to sites that I know will be useful. Using the Google SearchWiki, I can move the results up so that they appear at the top of the page. I can also customize the results even further by adding notes, which will always appear with that particular web link each time it comes up in a search.
You can also use Google SearchWiki to see how other people have customized their own searches. Keep in mind that the changes you make only affect your own searches and not the searches of others. However, Google SearchWiki is a great way to share your own insights with other people who might be searching for the same topic as you. There is also a spot located near the bottom of the page where you can click to “See all notes for this SearchWiki” which will allow you to see any notes or comments that you may have made about various sites. It’s a really neat feature, as you can see by watching the video below.
What is a Wiki?
A wikiis a website that uses wiki software, allowing the easy creation and editing of any number of interlinked Web pages, using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor, within the browser. Wikis are often used to create collaborative websites and to power community websites. Ward Cunningham, the developer of the first wiki software, WikiWikiWeb, originally described it as “the simplest online database that could possibly work.” [source]
Have you recently stepped onto a new life path or been drawn to what you feel is your calling? Have you taken on an entrepreneurial venture or made a transition from corporate employment to self-employment? If you answered yes to any of these, you might be experiencing a condition that is hardly ever discussed and usually completely misunderstood. It’s something I have discovered in coaching, especially with clients in the process of changing from working for someone else to working for themselves. This mysterious ‘something’ is an unexpected resistance to putting yourself out there, to really stepping fully into your new role and letting the world know you are completely capable and ready for business.
Observing resistance
How do you know if you are affected by the resistance factor? It basically exists if the level of motivation you would expect is not present. As a recent client said, “ I had no problem blowing the doors off my sales objective when I worked for someone else, but now that I’m selling my own product, going for what I really want, I have challenges staying as motivated.”. Now this doesn’t mean that he is on the wrong path. What it does mean is that he hadn’t realized how he had hidden out from truly putting himself out there in the past behind the shield of the other company that was not his own.
It seems that nothing brings up long-ignored life issues like going out on your own in business. Any unresolved issues are forced up to your consciousness to be worked out, resulting in feelings like, ‘maybe I’m not in the right field, maybe I’m not supposed to be doing this’…Of course it does not occur at the same level for everyone, and the solution is unique for each person.
Remember, this is not a fake-it-til-you-make-it method. It is the art of recreating yourself into your next role, a process I designed that takes you through the following four steps:
1. Creating a new role
Define your new direction. For example, say to yourself, “ I am taking full responsibility for my life; I am here and of value; who I am can make a difference”. Step into who you are meant to be instead of who you think you are. Remember only a prince or princess can dream of a castle.
2. Stepping into and living out of the role
This is a chance to develop a fortitude you may not have developed in your former work life. If other people speak more powerfully or enthusiastically about your business than you are able to do, that’s a sign that you have work to do to get to the level of speaking powerfully about the gifts you have to offer. There will be both an element of fear and excitement present, as well as some anxiety as you move to the next level.
3. Collecting evidence of progress in the role
Keep an accomplishment journal to record your successes. Record customer testimonials to apply in your promotional materials and to re-read when you need a boost!
4. Designing the environment to call you forward in the role
Get clarity on what motivates you and have a system to help you remember it. Realize how unstructured time many affect you, and create a new time structure that will keep you in action, with sufficient down time for effectiveness. Set up support that keeps you on track with who you say you are and what you are up to.
Building your own mentor
A client attempting to start a fashion accessory business was facing negative family members who told her she was foolish to go for what she wanted. I saw that support wasn’t going to come from her immediate environment, so I worked with her to create an imaginary mentor, created from a combination of super heroes and Oprah, to advise her in difficult times. Her turning point came when she stood up to her overbearing older sister, telling her, “This is who I am now, and if you want to keep talking to me, you have to accept that.” After that she started standing up for other things that were important—like herself—and built up her business one satisfied customer at a time.
Generating motivation
Another client who had previously done well with a large real estate group was not doing as well in the new agency he had started with a desire to offer greater customer service. We worked to build a mission for him and his partner and tightened up his work schedule. Since he was going to his office but wasn’t being productive there, I had him show up at his favorite coffee shop first thing in the morning for work. But his best motivation came from envisioning sitting down with his grown kids in the future, giving them advice on exploring their own business by telling them how he worked through his fears. Just one year later I gave a presentation to his team of employees in their new expanded office space.
Leaning into progress
People who have made progress on this describe moving from a state of mentally leaning back and occasionally moving forward to an experience that feels like steadily leaning forward into what they have to sell or offer, while realizing that if they don’t get it out there, either someone else will or the value that they have to offer people will be lost. They move from a state of diffused focus to clear focus, from disharmony to harmony.
What are you doing to lean into your goals? To create a sense of urgency?
When you put yourself out there, you will see the adventure as exhilaration.
So deeply engaged that you’re energized, you’ll feel confident that you’re absolutely in the right place.
We all know too well what it feels like to struggle at work- to become complacent and fall into a mundane routine that makes us question our own sanity at times. Most of us long for the opportunity to be our own boss, make our own hours and just work from the comfort and convenience of our homes. However, while it may sound fantastic, is it really all it’s cracked up to be?
When working from home, your creativity is never interrupted by people approaching you, you have your own tools and everything you could ever need, you’re working on your own terms. On the other hand, you have other types of interruptions, like friends thinking you’re free, neighbors or dog begging for attention Besides, it can get pretty lonely at times…. When it comes to an office, if it’s an open office, it can get noisy, annoying and distracting. On the other hand, you have a team to brainstorm with, you’re around people so you don’t feel alienated.
Working from home is not as easy as most of us would think. It actually takes a great deal of discipline, and can even challenge those who consider themselves to already be pretty disciplined! That is why it is always a good idea to practice good habits:
Stay Organized- Label things if you have to. Make sure that every thing has its place.
Remove clutter (both from your computer screen as well as your work area)
Minimize distractions- Kick your spouse out for a while if you have to so that you can get work done or take your work to someplace like a library, etc.
Change the Scenery- You don’t have to be a prisoner in your own home! Get out and bring your work with you!
Find Your Rhythm -Whether you are an early bird or a night owl, keep your work routine consistent, otherwise your entire day, week or month can get thrown off (which is never a good thing)!
So, what do you think? Is it better to work from home or in an office environment? What are the pros? Cons?
According to the United States Census Bureau, in 1984, the proportion of households with a computer was 8 percent. In 2001, that number went up to 56 percent. Then in 2003, it was reported that approximately 70 million American households (or 62%) had one OR MORE computers. Data collected also shows that during that time, Internet usage didn’t really come into play until 1997 with about 18% of American households using it. by 2003, the number of households using the Internet had almost tripled since 1997.
Not everyone uses computers, however. Despite the increased popularity of owning a computer and/or using the Internet, it was discovered that 35% of households with people ages 65 and older did not have computers/Internet access. Also, 45% of Black or Hispanic households did not have it either, while another 28% of households with people who had less than a high school education didn’t have computers/Internet access.
In 2003, 45% of households did not have Internet access at home. The three most common reasons as to why this was so included:
“We don’t need it and/or not interested.” (appx. 39%)
“It costs too much and/or I don’t have a computer.” (appx. 23%)
“We have access to the Internet elsewhere.” (appx. 2%)
There is also the thought among many parents that they do not want access to the Internet for fear that their children will use it inappropriately. Interestingly enough, there is a correlation of disinterest in the internet with age. Of the 20 million household members that the U.S. Census Bureau interviewed, who stated that they weren’t interested in the Internet, over 60% were 55 years of age or older.
Overall, the results show that the Internet has become a valuable source of news and communication. For example, there are statistics which show that more people send emails versus talk on the phone or text message. Additonally, the Internet has become a valuable economic tool with more Americans looking for jobs, shopping and selling things online, and it’s continuing to grow! For more information about Internet marketing, visit Create Business Growth.
Like many of you, I have HUGE goals and ambitions for 2008. For months, I’ve been both anticipating and dreading the beginning of the New Year, because I’ve been wondering how in the world I would ever be able to accomplish all of the things I want to do this year.
I’ve always enjoyed Dave’s posts on Freelance Folder and expected his coaching program to be just as great – but having 4.7 hours of his insight has proven even better than expected. After listening to just the first of the 11 coaching sessions, I had an a-ha! moment that really changed the way I’m going to tackle things this year.
There was one sentence that Dave said that REALLY stood out to me. He says:
If it’s not worth making time for, what’s it doing on your list anyway?
Duh.
Why didn’t I think of that? I have spent every night of both of these 4 day holiday ‘weekends’ irritated with myself for not crossing more off of my ‘to-do’ list. Instead of crossing them off, I’m going to knock them off.
What makes Dave’s program different and refreshing, is that he is not suggesting that you learn how to cram more crap-tasks into your day by becoming more ‘productive.’ His philosophy is that when you’re in ‘the zone,’ the state of being where you can make massive amount of progress in record time, THAT is where you achieve true productivity.
How I’m Going to Knock Crap Tasks Off of My To Do List
I have only had hours to think about how I’m going to do this since listening to Dave’s coaching program, but immediately some ideas came to mind:
Use Camtasia to create screen capture videos of all of the boring repetitive waste of time tasks that I do and outsource them
Set up monthly phone meetings with clients to gather all of the content topics and ideas for the entire month and use Audacity to record phone calls with clients when I talk to them about content ideas so that I can either refer to them later or outsource the writing to a freelancer without losing the client’s perspective. This is an awesome idea introduced to me by Kevin Dykes of Forest for the Trees.
Hire someone to do all of the things that I despise doing so much that I put them off far too long such as doing laundry, scrubbing bathtubs, dealing with taxes, etc.
Hire someone to handle new business inquiries
Create a ‘perfect introduction document‘ that explains exactly the type of client that I’m looking for so that I don’t waste time with leads that aren’t right for my business.
Outsource the jobs and projects that I’ve taken on, but been procrastinating about doing – even if I don’t make a dime on them. I just don’t want them taking up any more of my mental real estate and blocking my flow.
So far, I’ve only finished the first CD of Dave’s 30 Hours A Day coaching program. After I listened that far, I felt compelled to start digging in and getting some things done. I know I’ve found something really good when I can barely stand to listen to it any longer because I’m itching to get started.
I’ve decided to set aside to listen to the audios every day for at least one hour and am quite certain that I’ll have more a-ha! moments to report!
I wanted to share with you some amazing information that I just found from Dave Navarro – not music rock star Dave Navarro who was married to Carmen Electra – the blogging rock star Dave Navarro, a contributing writer to Jon Phillips Freelance Folder.
Dave has an awesome writing style and always offers tons of great ideas on Freelance Folder. Today I found an excellent resource that he has created on time “management.” The reason I say “management” in quotes is because Dave has a completely different perspective on this this overused term:
It (time management) is just a poor choice of terms because it implies that you can have leverage over time, which you can’t. What you can manage, however, are the results you get from your time. You can manage those like crazy. And when you get it right, you can do practically anything.
He promises that by the time you finish this special report, you’ll know
Exactly How To Create a ’0 Hour Day’
The #1 Commitment All Master Time Managers Make
What Your Next Step To Success Is
You can get the report called “How To Get 30 Hours A Day” here. You will also have access to other pieces of his 30 Hours a Day audio coaching program including an MP3 called “The 10 Critical Skills Of Painless Time Management” as well as access to the 30 Day Challenge members forum.
All free to help you get more out of your life and reach your goals faster
Dave clearly states on his report that “you Will Not Be Sold Anything In This Report. So Open Your Mind, Remind Yourself Of Your Potential & Get Ready To Learn.”
So enjoy – hope to see you over at the 30 Day Challenge Forum where I am signing up as soon as I finish this post!
Have you recently stepped onto a new life path or been drawn to what you feel is your calling? Have you taken on an entrepreneurial venture or made a transition from corporate employment to self-employment? If you answered yes to any of these, you might be experiencing a condition that is hardly ever discussed and usually completely misunderstood. It’s something I have discovered in coaching, especially with clients in the process of changing from working for someone else to working for themselves. This mysterious ‘something’ is an unexpected resistance to putting yourself out there, to really stepping fully into your new role and letting the world know you are completely capable and ready for business.
Besides, it can get pretty lonely at times…. When it comes to an office, if it’s an open office, it can get noisy, annoying and distracting. On the other hand, you have a team to brainstorm with, you’re around people so you don’t feel alienated. 
According to the United States Census Bureau, in 1984, the proportion of households with a computer was 8 percent. In 2001, that number went up to 56 percent. Then in 2003, it was reported that approximately 70 million American households (or 62%) had one OR MORE computers. Data collected also shows that during that time, Internet usage didn’t really come into play until 1997 with about 18% of American households using it. by 2003, the number of households using the Internet had almost tripled since 1997.
Like many of you, I have HUGE goals and ambitions for 2008. For months, I’ve been both anticipating and dreading the beginning of the New Year, because I’ve been wondering how in the world I would ever be able to accomplish all of the things I want to do this year.
I wanted to share with you some amazing information that I just found from Dave Navarro – not music rock star Dave Navarro who was married to Carmen Electra – the blogging rock star Dave Navarro, a contributing writer to Jon Phillips 
