How to Use Facebook Ad Targeting, Split Testing & More: The Social Scoop 4/3/17

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As usual, just one week goes by and there are a ton of new Facebook features and changes. I attended a ‘News On Facebook’ event in San Diego, California last Thursday as part of the Facebook Journalism Project. It was well worth investing a day to learn directly from the Facebook team; they rolled out the red carpet for us. (The journalism event is coming to Denver & Chicago next and more US cities TBA.)

What’s New In Facebook-land?

It’s really fascinating to see how quickly Facebook’s tools for the traditional media industry are shifting: from live video, two person, multi-person, 360 live, live audio, Instant Articles and now Facebook Stories – pretty much the same as the very popular Instagram Stories!

And, continuing the crusade against ‘fake news,’ CUNY just announced a $14M News Integrity Initiative to Increase Trust in Journalism, with Facebook as one of the key founding funders. This is very heartening! By the way, I recently partnered with theMaven an invite-only, expert-driven, group media network called theMaven…and can hardly wait to share more with my community. We officially launch mid May at a fab event in Seattle, WA. Stay tuned!

6 New Facebook Updates

I created this video with six of the newest Facebook updates in the past week or so, including all profiles and Pages can now stream LIVE video in 360 + Facebook is testing the ability for Pages to create groups and engage in groups. Yay, long awaited! Btw, I made this particular video in the new Wave online video editing tool by Animatron – just debuted at the recent Social Media Marketing World 2017.

This Week’s Top 3 Articles

1. 6 Ways I Use Facebook Ad Targeting via JonLoomer.com

Targeting your Facebook ads to the right people at the right time can make a massive difference. Thing is, there is such an array of options available for targeting and, for most busy business owners, it can feel overwhelming knowing where to start. In this article, my long time friend and fellow Facebook expert Jon Loomer walks you through both how and when he uses ad targeting. 

2. Facebook Advertisers Can Now Optimize Their Campaigns With Split Testing via Adweek.com

While we’re on the topic of Facebook Ads, Facebook announced that advertisers will now have the ability to test ad variations. This is great news! Split testing allows you to refine ad campaigns to see what wording, visuals and calls to action work best. According to Facebook split testing leads to a median 14% improvement in cost per acquisition. Love that!

3. 7 Effective Techniques for Better Email Marketing via Buzzsumo.com

Do your emails get good results? Some of the most effective email marketing techniques are the opposite of what you’d expect. Subject lines, closing lines, length, and more, all make a difference and by making a few small changes you could see significant improvements. Check out this great article by one of my favorite companies! 

Meet Mari Around The World!

I’m SO excited today… I’m jetting off to Scotland to spend a fabulous week with my family. A bit of a ‘working vacation’ hehee! I always love visiting my sweet father – he’s 80 and in a care home. I treasure our moments of connection. Then, next week, I’m heading over to Ireland to keynote the Social Media Summit Ireland – see you there if you’re going. Woohoo!

I’m delighted to be booked to speak at so many fabulous events around the country and the world. Several more events are now confirmed since last week; I’d love to meet you in person at any of these events!!

• Social Media Summit, Dublin, Ireland – April 11-12 #SMSummitIRL
• Facebook’s Annual F8 Developer Conference – San Francisco, CA – tune in online or find a local meetup
• Arbonne‘s Global Training Conference, Las Vegas, NV – April 20-22
• Marketo’s Marketing Nation Summit, San Francisco, CA – April 23-26 (featuring Queen Latifah & James Corden!)
• International Bowl Expo, Nashville, TN – June 18-20 (featuring Shaquille O’Neal!)
• Unbounce’s Call To Action Conference, Vancouver, BC, Canada – June 25-27
• Mayo Clinic Social Media Network Member Conference, Scottsdale, AZ – Dec 11-12
• …more dates and cities to follow!

That’s all for this week’s issue of The Social Scoop. I hope you have an amazing weekend and week ahead!

Cheers,
Mari

The post How to Use Facebook Ad Targeting, Split Testing & More: The Social Scoop 4/3/17 appeared first on MariSmith.com.

April 04, 2017 at 03:03AM

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from Mari Smith

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5 Strategies to Help Build Up Your Persistence Muscles

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Everyone who knows me, knows about how persistent I am. Sometimes a few people even get irritated and complain about it. I simply smile politely and carry on undeterred.  

I wouldn’t have had a #1 bestselling series, or become a top motivational speaker, or been able to impact the lives of people in over 100 countries if I wasn’t persistent.

Here are 5 strategies to build up your persistence muscles so that you too are unstoppable:

1. Don’t Be Shy  

So many people are so often not able to move ahead because they are too shy. They are too shy and hesitant to ask for what they want and what they deserve and that holds them back.

When I realized this and stopped being shy, my life changed. I started asking for what I wanted and believed I deserved – openly and confidently. I asked people to invite me for motivational seminars.

I asked publishers to publish my books. I asked top newspapers and magazines to interview me and feature my articles. I asked to be paid for what I deserve considering the incredible value I bring to the table. To move ahead and succeed, you need to be bold.

“By perseverance the snail reached the ark.” – Charles Spurgeon

2. Know What You Want

You can only be persistent if you clearly know what you want. Until you don’t know for sure what exactly it is that you want, you can’t have the conviction and the persistence to chase it.

It is like a lion on the hunt – the lion knows clearly and precisely that it has to chase other animals for food and there are no two ways about it. It doesn’t get confused and start chasing every rabbit or bird in sight and is completely focused and persistent about what it wants.

If you chase the goals and the vision that you have, you will get it.

3. Don’t Get Hurt

When I used to make sales calls, some people would very rudely hang the phone on me. I could either feel hurt and stop, or strengthen my resolve, buck up and continue making calls. I kept making calls and got incredible results.

Business is not personal and you need to have nerves of steel. You must have full emotional control – don’t get attached and don’t feel hurt. There will always be people who will criticize you and be rude. Ignore them and continue striving for what you want.

4. Fight Like A Champion

Have you seen Rocky Balboa? It is a movie series I love. Rocky doesn’t give up and keeps fighting; no matter how hard the battle or how fierce the opponent. And the more he fights, the stronger he becomes. Even if he loses a fight, he keeps coming back. Over and over again.

Even if you fail, even if you fall down, even if you lose, don’t worry – simply stand up and fight again. Champions are not people who don’t lose; they are people who refuse to give up!

“Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.” – Newt Gingrich

5. Don’t Be Too Serious

Persistence, is like is a game. You need to have fun while playing it. I remember when I was 23, and my first book came out, I contacted the CEOs of all major airlines to get them to sell my book to millions of passengers who fly.  It would go on to become the highest selling book in the world – sold at 35,000 feet!

One of the CEOs asked me what is the benefit he will get? I told him besides the money his company could make selling my books, the passengers will finally not be bored and could read the most entertaining book ever!

He laughed and couldn’t resist my persistence and we struck a deal!

Go ahead now and start taking massive action. I would love to hear from you on how persistence is changing your life. Comment below!

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April 03, 2017 at 07:15PM

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from Yogesh Chabria

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6 Reasons Why Successful People Want You to Fail

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Failure is a bad thing. That’s how we are conditioned from very early on. And so we take all the challenges in our life with an extra effort to avoid failure.

Highly effective entrepreneurs have a different approach to failure. Instead of warding off failure, they include it in their everyday life to benefit from it. They use the learnings from their defeats to find their sweet spot.

Extremely successful people make a difference between being a failure or having failures along your way to success. They don’t want you to be a failure, they want you to have failures.

Here are 6 reasons why successful people want you to have failures:

1. The “license to fail” boosts your actions

Fear of failure is always an action killer. Instead of taking massive action, we sit and ponder what strategy is best to avoid failures. A “permission to fail” stops that unfruitful paralysis. Our mind switches into “free trial” mode. If it’s okay or even helpful to fail, why wait any longer to try things out!

Your execution level will drastically increase while your focus shifts from (pessimistic) problem-avoiding to (optimistic) solutions-finding. This also triggers your innovative potential a lot.

A great example for what a positive attitude towards failure can result in, are the highly successful innovators you find in Silicon Valley. Instead of fearing failures, they collect them as trophies.

“Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure.” – George Edward Woodberry

2. Your willingness to take risks will grow

Practicing to fail grows your trust in the learnings you can carry away from each defeat. You not only take more action, you take more courageous action.Our comfort zones are often the limiting factor to the growth and momentum of our businesses.

A courageous mind helps you leave your comfort zone and act outside of it. That’s when things you thought were impossible for you to do, start to appear doable and less daunting.

3. You train your staying power

It’s sad but true – most ambitious entrepreneurs are drawn into a vicious cycle that makes them give up before they even really started. They obsessively count the bad sides of their setbacks, which slowly eats their self-esteem (and focused actions), leading them to surrender far too early. Accepting and practicing failure breaks that a catch-22.

Knowing that failing is a “default” component of building a successful business, is a total game changer. If a non-success hits you, you get up quickly to apply its learnings to reach the next level of the business-building-game you love to play.

Your inner counter detects the wins, not the losses of your failures. And even if you already have lots of defeats in your backpack, you don’t feel their burden because you know the next failure is just one more step towards your goal.

4. Your actions become more fruitful

Without the fear of failure breathing down your neck, you have much better focus in your actions. You spend less time dilly-dallying over too many options. And your tendency to get bogged down in details decreases.

Impediments like procrastination and your ongoing search for distractions lose dominance in your working days. There’s no reason for you to run from facing potential obstacles any longer.

Over time, massive compound effects of all the learnings you collect show up. And you can only become smarter and more effective with every further step that you do.

5. You gain traction faster

Speaking of compound effects – let’s summarize the advantages of dealing with failure in a proactive, constructive way:

• instead of hesitating with actions, you boost your action taking
• instead of avoiding risks, you act courageously outside your comfort zone
• instead of giving up far too early, you take failures as stepping stones to your final goals
• instead of poor results (coming from being occupied by fear of failure), you collect great accomplishments from your highly focused, confident actions

All this leveling up sums up in another major benefit; You gain traction much faster. Yes, it’s like putting unstoppable momentum in motion, which has huge potential to not only affect your business, as you can see in the next and final point!

“Forget about the consequences of failure. Failure is only a temporary change in direction to set you straight for your next success.” – Denis Waitley

6. You live your full potential

Highly successful people don’t take failure as a temporary evil they have to accept it for the limited time of building something. Instead, they make failure – and especially the improvements they gain from it an integral, permanent part of their lifestyle.

Yes, these icons of success aim for improvements in all areas of their lives. They take the risk of failing, to lift their business, their mindset, their health, their relationships and their family life.

Have you ever wondered why successful people love to tweak their habits? They fine tune their traits as plain as it sounds, to become the best version they can be. That’s why so many success celebs are bursting with mental strength and physical energy.

Fear of failure, the daily grind, low self-esteem and several other things keep most of us from reaching our full potential. Don’t let that be you. Start collecting your failure trophies today so you can build success and live a happier life!

How has failure helped you succeed? Share your thoughts below!

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April 02, 2017 at 09:06PM

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from Vera Kuhr

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The Ultimate Guide To Attracting A Woman

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We’re all chasing one thing boys and girls: love. Many of us haven’t found it, and some of us have. For those that haven’t there’s a reason.

This message today is brought to you by “Bro’s Anonymous Incorporated” (The company I’m going to start, to teach all you guys how to be a man so you can get what you’re looking for). Women will also find this guide very insightful when it comes to the male species.

There’s probably one clear reason us single guys are still yet to find an amazing, successful woman. Here it is:

You haven’t given enough of yourself, and you’re still in love with you.

No woman gives a rats a$$ about how in love you are with yourself. The more you love how good you think you are, the less chance you have of being in a position to give something beyond your own selfish needs.

Attracting a woman is about taking the focus off your needs, and putting the focus onto someone else. You’re never going to attract a beautiful woman unless you learn to treat one like royalty and give everything you have.

Giving the metaphorical five bucks change you have in your back pocket from last nights piss up with the boys down at the local pub is not going to cut the mustard young Skywalker. Become metaphorically naked, and be vulnerable.

Drop all your thoughts about what you have to try and be to attract a woman. If I was to sum up this advice it would be, “BECOME OPEN MINDED!!!”

So let’s define the ultimate guide you are going to need to attract a woman:

 

A) Share your brains not your assets

Assets such as houses, cars, shares, cash in the bank, etc are like trophies. They’re exciting for about two weeks, and then they become boring and seemingly unimportant. Don’t lead a conversation with a woman around these objects.

Let me give you an example. It’s like asking who won the 1965 200-metre high jump. 0.01% of people can remember, and most of us will just Google it because we can’t be stuffed caring.

The achievement and gold medal was significant in 1965, but decades on, it’s about the person that athlete has become in their life, not the medal. It’s about how much that athlete gives back and uses his or her triumphs to inspire others. Now that’s memorable.

Back to the guide for a minute. Your brain is your real asset, and that is what the long-term value proposition is for a woman. There are lots of ways to show a woman your brains and here are a few:

–   Have an intelligent conversation with her

–   Show your emotional intelligence by analysing a romantic situation of someone you know

–   Ask her intelligent questions about her life

–   Share your greatest fears and how you overcame them

–   Tell a great story that has a happy ending

–   Tell a tragic story and what you learned

Bottom line, talk about things with her and bring her into your world. Steer away from assets and towards engaging, addictive, inspiring conversation.

 

B) Practice honesty not bullsh”t

Don’t over exaggerate! Women are very smart creatures, and they know if you lie or bend the truth. Tell it how it is; it’s much sexier that way. I’ve seen women literally throw themselves at men who can be insanely honest.

Honesty would have to almost be at the top of a woman’s list of things she’s looking for in a man. If you’re not honest by nature, then it’s time to practice.

Have an accountability partner to keep you honest if that’s what it takes. Lying is like throwing mud at a woman’s face and then asking “What’s wrong baby why don’t you like me?” Come on guys this stuff is not rocket science and I’m no Einstein.

 

C) Try harder

I see so many guys put a half-baked effort into the pursuit of a successful and attractive woman. Remember this quest for a woman is one of the only things you were put on this planet to do. It’s bloody important so give it the attention it needs.

Put some effort in, and you’ll get to see what it’s like to be indestructible with a strong woman by your side. Now I know us guys need things spelled out for us sometimes so let me do that for you right now! This is what I mean by trying harder:

–   Plan the date in advance

–   Learn her friend’s names (and her name if you’ve forgotten that)

–   Open the god damn door of the car, hotel, house, club (insert door name here)

–   Tell her how she looks. If she looks stunning then tell her so

–   Show her you care by sending good morning and good night messages

–   Come over to her when she’s in a crowd of people and give her your undivided attention

–   Look her in the eyes when you talk to her

–   Tell her what you’re thinking and feeling

–   Spoil her with fantastic food

–   Surprise her with flowers when you take her out

–   Hold her hand. Hug her. Kiss her (you get the message?)

Now the list above may sound obvious but common sense when it comes to attracting a woman seems not so common. Let me put all of this in simple terms again: instead of treating her like your doormat, treat her like the dream Ferrari that you want to own (or maybe you have one already and are richer than me).

 

D) Have some guts

Okay, this point is brutal. Text messaging is not going to cut it forever. It opens the door about 5cm to a women’s heart, and then you have to grow some balls and make a move. Hiding behind the screen of your phone is about as attractive as the freshly laid pooh from a horse’s anus.

Before I go on, I need to spell out something to do with text messages. Learn to spell and use grammar. If you type in English that is full of abbreviations, acronyms, and spelling errors, women will think you are totally dumb. Dumb is not going to work (see point A).

Now that’s off my hairy chest let’s move on. Women are looking for their version of a superhero. Let’s think about Batman for a second. Does Batman sit on his ass, eat potato chips, drink beer, and never leave the house.

No! The guy is out there saving lives, saying impressive sh*t, picking up smoking hot women, and most of all, having the guts to take action. This is what women secretly all want. They’re looking for their superhero who can swoop in and lift them off their feet.

They want their version of Batman who has the balls and the guts to do one of the following:

–   Talk to them

–   Ask them on a date

–   Formalise a few successful dates into a relationship

–   Ask them one day to marry them

If the best you can do is stand on the other side of the room with “The Boys” and not even have the guts to come over and talk, you’re never going to attract a woman. You may attract an unhealthy dose of sitting at home watching porn and masturbating though!

 

E) Make a move

Think about business for a second. A large part of entrepreneurship is selling. If we break down selling it comes down to this beautiful, mysterious concept called a sales funnel. Basically, you take someone from a lead, to an opportunity, to a raving fan (customer).

Attracting a woman is the same concept. To be successful, you have to constantly be taking the next step and driving the action. There’s nothing sexier to a woman than a man who’s in charge. So to break it down even further, you will not win the attraction game unless you keep “MAKING A MOVE!”

Don’t wait for time and space to align. Tell her you like her. Ask her on a date. Make a move son and quit avoiding the truth.

 

F) Don’t be a dick

It’s a shame I have to mention this one, but in a world full of madness it applies more than ever. Don’t be a dick. Here’s what that looks like translated: “Be the best version of yourself and remember that it’s not all about you.”

Secondly, quit the games. I see my male friends all the time playing games.

“Maybe I’ll call her. Maybe I won’t and keep her hanging.”

“What will she think if I do that? Maybe I look too desperate.”

Bottom-line is forget about how you might look and act with intention. Playing games will get you nowhere fast. There’s loads of competition trying to find an amazing woman so act swiftly and cut to the chase. The more games you play, the further you will get from your goal.

Games are for amateurs with no balls.

 

G) Leave your ego in the closet

That big ugly thing you bring out of the closet to the club on a Saturday night is scaring all the girls away. This illusive thing is called your ego.

“Divorce your ego and marry the truth”

Egos are a sign of ugliness. When you bring out all the stories of how awesome everything is about yourself, no woman believes it. On the other hand, your vulnerable self that has failed, broken girls hearts, shattered dreams, and suffers from fear like the rest of us, is much more real.

Providing you are not some muppet with zero confidence that stays at home in the dark, too afraid to fart in case the sound bursts your precious little ear drums, I think being the real you will be fine. What do you reckon? Are you with me?

 

H) Get out there and get amongst it

***Insert dating app name here**** will be unlikely to help you attract a woman. Women are living creatures that breathe and roam the planet like us males. I know it’s utterly shocking when you think about this little-known fact.

The best way to attract them is to create serendipitous, spontaneous moments and get out there and find one for yourself. How do you do that?

Go to stuff. Festivals, bars, meetups, balls, charity events, freaking bake off’s if that’s your thing. The key message is start doing and get off your lazy butt. Things will move much faster than any dating app where you are texting for twelve months wondering what each other really look like.

Real attraction begins with human connection, and it’s impossible to get that from an app. There’s nothing better than seeing each other in the flesh and looking into each other’s eyes over a genuine conversation. That’s where the attraction happens gentlemen.

By the way, I sometimes think I sound like a muppet myself with some of this advice, but I’m all for spelling it out.

 

I) Iron your shirt (trust me on this)

Geez I can’t believe I included this one. Don’t roll up with your shirt all creased, bad breath, and a sign on your head that says “I am too lazy to iron my shirt because I don’t care about you that much.” Part of attraction comes down to looks, so make an effort to dress well.

How would you feel if she rolled up in pumpkin costume with a bag over her head? Probably not too good, although there may be some weirdo’s reading this who get turned on by this and have some crazy fetish. I’ll assume that’s not you for the sake of this guide.

 

***Final thought***

Let me finish by saying that chivalry is not dead; there is just a major shortage of it. Guys, if we don’t follow this ultimate guide, we could become extinct. Let me remind you that masturbation cannot allow you to reproduce and without reproduction, none of us exist.

Again, obvious but worth stating at this late stage in the game. Best of luck with your newfound wisdom. Now go use this guide!

April 02, 2017 at 09:05AM

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from Tim Denning

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Motivation Has Died but Habits Have Never Been More Alive

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Since I was a little kid, I have had problems with motivation. As a normal kid, I had poor persistence and concentration and slight frustration problems. If I didn’t get something from the first time, I dropped it. My mother used these simple words that would kill any kind of motivation for me.

She still uses them without realizing it. And I still struggle with motivation. The words were: “You must do so and so,” and my favorite! “There are just things in the world that need to be done, you can’t do whatever you want at any given time.”

I was angry. I was frustrated. I am still. And then I said to myself: “Well, you can’t do anything you want at any given time only if you don’t want what you are doing. So, maybe there’s a way to turn this around? Like, start doing and the desire will come?” And this was the beginning of my journey towards finding motivation.

Now, there’s no better way to kill motivation in me than saying that I should or must do something. It evaporates in a brisk second, replaced with overflowing annoyance. Though I do know how to kill it so easily, I still have no idea how to restore it.

Here are, however, a few observations that I have made on my path of struggling with starting habits and dropping them, trying affirmations and to-do lists, and more:

1. Motivation is a one-time solution, a habit is a lasting one

Motivation can work if you have one or two unpleasant things to do if your main problem is impulse. Then, motivation will become that impulse – to press “call” on your phone’s screen to call an unpleasant client or force yourself out of the comfy armchair to cook some dinner. But mostly, motivation stays what it is, an impulse. You still won’t be happy calling a difficult client next time and cooking dinner when you are exhausted.

“All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits.” – William James

2. Motivation has limits

There’s a good notion that willpower is a muscle that can be trained. More than that, willpower, like a muscle, can get tired. If you have been doing things you don’t like doing all day (or week, or month), there definitely will be a moment when your motivation won’t be enough to get things going. Remember that it is a resource and, as any resource, it needs time to restore.

3. We are hooked on the idea of getting everything without any effort

Why do people care about motivation so much? Because we want the buzz, and feeling of energy and pull towards our goals. In other words, we try to escape the hard work, as usual. If this sounds a little bit odd to you, think of when you have to form a habit. There will be lots of days when you have to go against yourself and actually make yourself do something you don’t like (the part I still struggle with the most).

Humans try to find the other way around. They try to start wanting something so much that the unpleasant nuisances of hard work won’t bother them, and they want to maintain this madness-like bliss forever.

As paradoxical as it sounds, if you are motivated, you don’t have to actually do hard work – you get to a state where the work you are doing isn’t considered as hard. The truth is, if you will manage to maintain your body in such a state 24/7, it will burn out faster than you will reach your dreamed success.

So what works? Here are a few things that worked for me:

1. Figure out what you truly want

Most of the time the lack of motivation is dictated not by laziness or natural inertia, but by the fact that the person doesn’t really know what he or she wants. If you think that you want to start a business, but actually you don’t, everything in you will procrastinate to its fullest. First of all, questioning your true desires and leaving hope, you will understand them the minute you decide to. Most of the time it takes years.

“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs

2. Improve 2% per day

All this about reconnecting with your inner self is great, but we still have to keep moving and do something, right? Then just improve 2% of something a day. For example, you’ve picked eating habits. Find out what activity is the easiest for you to start with. So easy that you were actually almost doing it, but not regularly.

For me, it’s drinking water. I would drink like a camel before a long trip to the desert without any reminders, my body is the greatest reminder. I fail, however, to drink a cup of water in the morning, which does help to wake up your body. Start with the easiest action, and your inner procrastinator won’t resist much. It won’t notice you are tricking him.

3. Form habits

And no, 21 days is not enough to form a habit. This highly depends on individual preferences and your attitude towards the habit, but the count starts from 60 days and more. Sounds discouraging, especially to our sprinter brains that hate long projects.

That’s why the previous 2% hack is so effective – improve just a tiny bit every day. It’s easy, since it doesn’t require a lot of your willpower, motivation or whatever you have there, and soon it will form into an undying and unbreakable habit of improving.

Habits beat motivation, and you know it, because everything you think you are doing “wrong,” you are doing habitually.

How have you found forming habits has helped your life? Leave your thoughts below!

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April 02, 2017 at 06:05AM

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from Hannah Stone

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5 Reasons Why Switching Off the Internet Can Help You Build a Better Online Business

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If you’re reading this, chances are that you’ve considered starting an online business at some point in the past. Perhaps you’ve even started one already. It could be as straightforward as joining an affiliate network program or starting an eBay store. It can also be as complicated as designing and manufacturing an entirely new product or starting a software company.

No matter what path you’re currently on, you’ve likely spent many hours on the Internet researching the competition, looking for the right suppliers, buying your domain and tweaking your website design. You’ve also probably spent hours being distracted by online advertisements, irrelevant articles, social media and mindless videos.

While online connectivity may be exciting and appear crucial to planning out and growing your business, I would argue that being so attached to this global network actually diminishes the overall quality of your work and reduces the likelihood of your success.

In fact, in the early stages of business planning and development, there are at least five reasons why turning off the Internet and sitting down with an old fashioned pen and paper will actually lead to better business results.

Below I’ve outlined five of the most important reasons why disconnecting can lead to better business in the long run:

1. It jump-starts your creative side

The Internet is an amazing tool. It let’s us connect with people and things and ideas in an instant, from anywhere in the world. The creation of this interconnected information-sharing network has become one of our greatest accomplishments as a species, but it has also become one of our biggest weaknesses. The ability to find out the answer to any question with one Google search, or to distract ourselves from boredom with the push of a button, makes working out creative solutions to challenging problems unnecessary.

By turning off the Internet for an hour, or an afternoon, you will immediately start to regain control of your creative side. You will become aware of how much time you used to spend surfing the Internet to alleviate boredom or find the easiest solutions to your problems. You will then look for ways to fill that time.

I urge you not to go back online, but to see how productive ways can channel that energy. Meditate. Write down daily goals. Plan for the week ahead. Go for a run. Whatever you do, make it your own, and don’t rehash the thoughts and feelings you see being overshared online.

“To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.” – Joseph Chilton Pearce

2. It lets you connect with your customer

Another huge benefit to turning off the Internet and stepping away from the hive of like-minded people you find online is that it lets you connect with new potential customers in the real world.

Sure, conducting market research for your next project by creating a Leadpage or Launchrock site will help you gauge interest of potential customers online within a certain group, but by speaking with real people “in the street” about what inspires them or what problems they are facing on a day-to-day basis will help you build a deeper understanding of your target audience and develop a better service for your customers.

You may even be able to get ideas from people outside of your target demographic by speaking with people “adjacent demographics” – people you would normally never interact with online. This might seem obvious to some of you that read this, but I’m constantly shocked by how many people I see going through life unaware of what is going on right in front of their noses.

I see them walking from place to place with their headphones in and their smartphones out, oblivious to the amazing opportunities to connect with people and provide real value to those around them. Unhook, unplug, and ask one person a day about something that matters to them.

3. It makes you plan ahead

If you have the intention of starting an online business, unplugging from the Internet is perhaps the best way to start to develop a successful plan for starting and launching one profitably. More than 9 of 10 startups fail in their first year of business.

When you unplug from the Internet, either by turning off your wifi router (as I did just now to finish this post), or sit down with a pen and a pad of paper, you immediately cut off distractions and pop-ups that get in the way of doing deep work.

Setting aside a block of time of at least 2-3 hours of “deep work” per week (at the very least) that is focused on completing one strategic task or goal is crucial to the successful development of any business, online or in an office. The more frequently you are able to cut out distractions, the more you will be able to produce quality results for your business.

4. It forces you to start small

In business, you are either selling a product or delivering a service. You typically sell that product or service to another business (B2B) or to a consumer (B2C). The basics for every business are the same, but it is how you use the tools at your disposal that determines whether you will be successful or not.

Often, entrepreneurs face what is called “analysis paralysis” when attempting to build a new online product or service. The Internet marketplace is so large that they don’t know where to go first. Whose problem will I solve? How will my product be better than my competitions’? What industry trends will I capitalize on?

Stepping away from the Internet simplifies things, and it makes you think hard about what you do best and how you can deliver that to someone, anyone, who is willing to pay for it.

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier

5. It drives you to take action

More important than anything else, unplugging from the Internet will force you to flex your action muscle. When you take a step back from the continuous stimulation of social media, online advertisements and entertainment, you will realize that the only thing that will help you get what you want is immediate action.

How has unplugging from the online world helped you with your business? Leave your thoughts below!

Image courtesy of Twenty20.com

April 01, 2017 at 08:55PM

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from McVal Osborne

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Business Owners and Consumers Using Internet and Word-of-Mouth

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No matter what industry your business falls under, you likely know all too well how important both the Internet and word-of-mouth are to your company’s ability to succeed.

When it comes to self-storage, the U.S. is a global leader with a higher number of storage units compared to all other countries put together.

Of course, Americans are renowned for their hoarding culture meaning everything that finds its way home becomes part of the family. Most storage units in and around Tampa (and other parts of the nation) are leased by household owners, a clear indication of the high demand.

For business owners, there is more need for storage space because rentals and leases can be very expensive and self-storage becomes a more affordable alternative.

The number of self-storage industry according to Statistic Brain stands at more than 50,000 and herein is a big challenge.

Consumers Need to Research Before They Rent

The industry is now worth more than $30 billion, making it a moneymaker.

With all that money being made, consumers want to make sure they are getting their own money’s worth when renting a self-storage unit.

For consumers in Tampa, they can easily do some online (and in-person) homework to find the best storage rental for their needs.

Among the storage unit factors consumers need to look at:

1. Is it Well Kept?

As a rule-of-thumb, always make a point of visiting a storage facility before renting it. You will get more information about your storage than all the virtual tours can provide. Check whether the facility is clean and well-maintained.

1. Protecting Your Items

If you have already rented from a storage facility business in the city, make sure you regularly visit your new (or in some cases old) unit regularly and inspect the condition of your items. It is advisable to have personal and/or business insurance cover your items in the event of a rare break-in or a serious weather event that hits.

1. Over-the-phone Quote

Whether you are moving to Tampa for personal and/or business reasons or seeking storage for your inventory in the city, make sure the self-storage company carries out a free, on-site and no-obligation estimate. The price you get (see more below) on the phone could be better than what you might receive in-person, and you are guaranteed that there is available space.

1. Extra Charges

Like anything you rent or buy (vehicles, appliances etc.), make sure there are no hidden costs. Given the majority of self-storage facility owners are honest, hard-working people, they know how important your money is to you. As such, they are more than likely going to point out all the costs involved for a monthly rental etc.

1. Customer Feedback

Finally, don’t hesitate to look for customer feedback (online, word-of-mouth etc.), making your decision easier. When a sizable number of current and former customers rave about a facility, chances are they are not blowing smoke. The same holds true if they are saying the opposite. With a few clicks on the Internet, you should be able to get some good feedback on the facility you are considering going with. Even with that information, however, you’re always best-served checking facilities out for yourself.

Whether for personal and/or business needs, remember that storage facilities and countless other markets oftentimes rely on the Internet and word-of-mouth to store up more and more customers.

Photo credit: Pixabay

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business and marketing topics on the web.

 

 

The post Business Owners and Consumers Using Internet and Word-of-Mouth appeared first on Successful Blog.

April 01, 2017 at 02:49AM

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from Thomas

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How Persistence, Patience, and Authenticity Helped One Entreprenuer Achieve His Wildest Dreams – Jeremy Slate

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Welcome once more to the “How to Be a Grownup Podcast Breakdown”!  My name is Erik Andress and I am the host of this show.  Today, I am humbled and grateful to bring you the words and wisdom of entrepreneur Jeremy Slate!  He has a fascinating story of redemption and hustle that we all can learn something valuable from.

Check out this podcast interview with Jeremy to learn all his tips, tricks, and techniques that he wants you to know to live a empowered life:

While there were a lot of gems this ambitious entrepreneur dropped, here are the three most important ways Jeremy believes that you can do to revolutionize your business and personal life:

1. Connect to others with authenticity and genuine compassion

We live in this weird time right now.  We live in a time in which it is seemingly socially acceptable for two young people on a date to be staring at their cell phones as opposed to each other. We live in a time where people automate their social media responses and text back pre-written answers to people that attempting to contact them. This practice of detached communication is slowly eroding our ability to connect with each other.  Over the course of my conversation with Jeremy Slate, we discussed the profound power that lies behind authentic communication.

Want to differentiate yourself from other people? Use heart-centered and compassionate communication. Be the person that tells a potential client the unfettered truth. Be the person that tells your significant other that they are deeply meaningful to you. Be the person that resolves disputes with co-workers peaceably while still recognizing the humanity in them. Be the person that goes out of your way to tell your teacher or professor that you are very grateful for the opportunity to learn under them. There are so many individuals out there right now trying to find that romantic partner, trying to start and sustain their own entrepreneurial venture, trying to get to the top of their class in their respective academic institutions. If you want to stand out from the crowd, do so by communicating in a much more meaningful way. It doesn’t take much more than a few kind words, eye contact, and a willingness to persist in conversation even when you have a deep desire to grab your iPhone from your pocket and start flipping through Instagram once more!

“The way we communicate with others and ourselves, ultimately determines the quality of our lives.” – Tony Robbins

2. Persistence and patience are key components of success

I will admit it. As a former English teacher, I love clichés. The reason I do is that there is a kernel of truth for us to learn from in each of them. One of my favorites is, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” I think that this particular platitude is so important for us to keep in mind because of the kind of culture that you and I have gotten used to living in is infatuated with getting things handed to them instantaneously. It feels deeply frustrating to me that so many young people are obsessed with the idea of instant gratification or attaining their goals immediately.

In reality, all good things in our lives have to be fought for.  A business is not built overnight. It takes countless hours and a lot of sweat equity to develop and demonstrate your value in the marketplace. A great relationship does not come immediately. A long term and sustainable relationship is one that you have to work on. Graduating at the top of your class is no easy feat. To be that kind of young scholar, you need to accept the fact that you will have many late nights in study groups, with tutors and with your nose shoved in a book. Be patient and continue to push. When you apply this principle to your life, you will absolutely start to see the success that you want to have!

“Your legacy is being written by yourself.  Make the right decisions” – Gary Vaynerchuk

3. Have an undying faith in your dream and your grind

There is a price for success that most people are unwilling to pay. Unfortunately, while I am a proud educator, I believe that our schools have failed many of you in that regard. For much of your young life you have had your hands held, you have been told that you are special, and anytime that you complain about your challenges, you have been given a copious amount of help. Sadly, as many of you know, this is a far cry from what you will experience in the real world.

There are always going to be that was the doubt you. There are going to be those that see you in the early stages of your journey toward success, and they will take that opportunity to try to tear you down. They will take that opportunity to try and laugh at you. Nevertheless, this is the time that you need to fight the hardest. This is the time that you need to believe the most in that dream that keeps you awake at night. Understand that you don’t need the approval of others to chase your version of success. You don’t need other people to co-sign the thing that you wish for the most. If your teacher doesn’t believe that you have the ability to find real success in the classroom, show them differently. If your significant other doesn’t believe that you can be a better partner to them, show them differently. If your business partner or clientele don’t see you as a leader, show them differently. The universe does not shape you, you shape the universe!

“Every time I wake up, I am thinking that I am alive, this is the day!  This is an opportunity.” – Eric Thomas

I hope you’ve enjoyed the “How to Be a Grownup Podcast!”  If you have some takeaways from the interview I missed, SOUND OFF in the comments below.

April 01, 2017 at 01:48AM

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from Erik Andress

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5 Habits of Real Hustlers Who’ve Created History

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What’s up with this hustle epidemic? Almost every video I watch or every post I see on Instagram are full of hustle words and tough promises. But, how many people actually hustle? How many of them walk their talk?

I think many people should chill and stop labeling themselves as the biggest hustlers in the game while drinking Corona on the beach and enjoying spring break. Hustle is nothing but the synonym of hard work, the real dedication and willingness to eat dirt.  

Since smart is the new sexy and we all have a chance to succeed, I have for you 5 habits of people who aren’t scared to get their hands dirty and understand the true meaning behind hustle:

1. They don’t forget where they came from

People who work hard and work their way up never forget about their beginnings when nobody  took them seriously. Because of their humble personality and constant improvement, they are moving to the top and reaching their goals.

Hustlers don’t look down on people because they are up. They remember where they came from and feel grateful for it. They understand that their past was shaping them and allowed them to become who they are today. It is the benefit of not having it all.  

“Humility, that low, sweet root, from which all heavenly virtues shoot” – Thomas Moore

2. They create a habit of sacrifice

Some people think that sacrifice takes about 6 months to a year to get where they want to be and then they can just relax and enjoy benefits. They don’t understand that hard work and progress are for life if they want to keep their results.

I agree that once people reach a certain point in their success, they have more freedom and opportunities, but some level of sacrifice is always required. Wealthy people aren’t wealthy because they have a lot of money, they are wealthy because they know how to work with money and sacrifice materialistic stuff to build something bigger.

The pain from sacrifice isn’t so intense for hustlers because he or she knows where they are going. Their vision and purpose are greater than any short term pleasure.

3. They learn every day

People who hustle understand that knowledge is their biggest power. You can lack money, you can lack resources, but if you have knowledge and belief in place, nothing can stop you.

If you want to turn yourself into a true hustler, self-education needs to become your second language. Read, listen and then put your knowledge into practice. Absorb any information which can move you closer to your goals.

4. They take risks

Many people get intimidated by risk. In fact, the word itself sounds scary, which is exactly why we should benefit from it. Sometimes you need to take a chance to move forward and learn something new. You can lose, but you can win too.

People who have their blood made of hustle, understand risk and fear are a part of the process. On the one hand, they are smart and logical when it comes to making decisions because they don’t want to mess up their hard work. On the other hand, they know that they must risk every once in a while to take the game to the next level.

“Take risks: If you win, you will be happy. If you lose, you will be wise.”

5. They encourage others and support their dreams

Hustling is a hard work and sacrifice, it is also one of the most fulfilling activities because it creates progress and makes us grow. True hustlers understand all the benefits of going after their dreams, and they support others to get on the board as well.

You can often get support from people who work hard because they know how much it takes and how important is overall. Hustlers genuinely want others to succeed.  Every true hustler has a true heart.

How do you hustle every day? Leave a comment below!

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March 31, 2017 at 08:37PM

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from Silvia Turonova

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Rock Bottom Is Where Your Life Truly Begins

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This week for me has been one of the toughest ever. Again I’m faced with a decision that is so tough I have been frozen in time. I can’t do anything else but think about this decision and wonder where the road will lead. It’s the first time I have had no idea what the answer is.

For a proclaimed self-help leader I should know it all right? I should understand what to do and what the right decision is to make. But I don’t! You’ve probably faced a similar predicament, or you may even be facing this challenge right now.

I’m here to tell you that it’s not over. Once you make this tough decision, you will hit rock bottom for a little while. Don’t worry though because no one stays in that dark, eerie hole forever.

From this frightening place is one of the greatest miracles you will ever experience; the miracle of beginning your life again from rock bottom. This process is like watching an eagle fly again after it’s injured its wings.

“The worst thing you can do is stay at rock bottom and not be the person you were created to be”

You’re here for a reason and so am I. We may not know what that reason is, but we have to continue to search and not give up.

Giving up is for suckers, and you’re not one of those. You may be flat on your face and have no strategy yet. That’s okay because the world is full of strategies. What you need is to agree that it’s time to make a new decision! Time to truly begin your life once and for all and be reborn again!

Here are 6 reasons why rock bottom is where your life begins:

 

1. At the bottom, you let go of everything

When you hit rock bottom, you let go of everything. You start again with nothing and get rid of all the stuff in your life that doesn’t make sense. It’s easy to become misguided and allow people around you to suck you into things that matter to them, but not to you.

For me, I have to let go of a fair bit of baggage in the coming weeks, and it’s all part of the process. This allows me to metaphorically refill my cup of life with new things that will be better than ever before.

We hold onto things in our life because we sometimes can’t bring ourselves to give them up. We think that we will feel a sense of loss, so we resist giving up what we love even though we sometimes know we have to. No one wants to be at rock bottom yet we all have to go there now and then.

It’s the way you think during this difficult time that will determine if you bounce back again. You get to write the words to the next chapter of your life, and the success you will or won’t have is dependent on your mindset. Feeling sorry for yourself is not going to help anybody including you.

 

2. Pain will make you take action

Unless you hit rock bottom, you are unlikely to have enough pain in your life to deal with your problems. Pain motivates you so much when you look at it from a distance. To climb back to the top of the mountain again you need pain to get you there.

Pain is the momentum and the motivation you’ve probably needed for most of your life. Fearing and dwelling on the moment of your rock bottom struggles will not make you happy again. It’s highly possible to come back from this difficult position quickly, but you have to embrace your pain to do so.

Don’t settle for second place and let that pain help you rise from the ashes again. All of the people that doubted you and hated you when you were at the top may be pointing at you and laughing. Who cares about them. Put on your boots, go outside, and go stamp in the mud rather than hiding from it.

 

3. Struggle is where it starts

The comfort zone of pizza, beer, TV shows and lack of taking action towards your dream is what’s got you to rock this new position of rock bottom in the first place. You’ve been blessed with struggle as a way for you to think differently about your problems and come up with an innovative solution.

The word innovation is not just for the fancy corporate’s to throw against the wall ten times an hour; it’s entirely possible to innovate on yourself. We can’t fix things that we can’t see, though. Being at rock bottom makes all of your problems, faults, and unhappiness come under the spotlight.

At rock bottom, you gain a new sense of clarity, and you develop the vision to see your life better than it is right now. Let’s face it, at rock bottom, all it takes is someone to smile at you and your life is already better than it was.

Asking yourself the question “Not again, why me” is not going to help your situation. I know I sometimes feel like rock bottom seems to get attracted to me more than anyone else but the facts are I embrace it and become aware of it.

Everyone else I know hides it and doesn’t want to even admit where they are at. This way of living is the true deception.

“Don’t lie to yourself and others; accept the struggle, get back on the horse cowboy, and go shoot some empty glass bottles again like you were five years old”

 

4. You need to be reset just like the economy

Every 7-10 years we go through what has become very well known to us all: a recession. The news stations shout out this phrase like Armageddon is approaching, like we’re all going to die. A recession is nothing more than a reset switch that affects the financial markets.

The stock market and real estate markets can’t go up and up forever. Every few years we need everything to go to hell so we can reset. Rock bottom in your life is no different. When you hit rock bottom, you are mostly just hitting the reset switch on everything you’re currently are experiencing.

Your mind more than anything needs this. If you have a recurring thought in your head like I do, that is stopping you from functioning, then you need to get it out of your head. Rock bottom is the tool we were given to reset ourselves just like our computer.

Rock bottom is a reset of all of your values, beliefs and current goals. It’s a chance to come up with a new vision for your life and find a new network of people to tap into. Nothing in nature stands still, and just like the Peace Lilly sitting next to me as I type these words, we must continue to grow. Civilization must continue to grow.

 

5. At the top, you forget so much

Being at the top of your game can make you forget pretty quickly how you got there. The best part is not being at the top; it’s the journey that you take to get there. It’s the journey where all the lessons are learned, and the momentum occurs.

What better way than to start a new journey beginning with this whole rock bottom period of your life. When you are surrounded by nothing but success you can become self-absorbed in your own BS and sense of worth. You can think you are Superman when really you are a nobody just like me.

For as long as I can remember, every time I’ve reached the top, I’ve forgotten the people that helped me get there and the hard work it took. This time I’m committed to appreciating even the worst bits, like this feeling of rock bottom that I have right now.

This is my second visit to rock bottom in six months to so I’m becoming a bit of an expert…haha. I’m not sure that is a good thing, but I’ll wear it as a badge of honor none the less.

 

6. Your gratitude increases 10X

The final point you need to comprehend about rock bottom is that it’s where your gratitude increases ten times if not, more. When you’ve hit the lowest point, any ounce of good feelings or positive input from people around you feels like you’ve just won one hundred million dollars.

Suddenly, that friend buying you lunch or that SMS from a work colleague makes you feel unstoppable. As you relearn how to be grateful for the little things again, you give yourself a valuable weapon in this battle we call life.

That’s because life is a battle and it’s not easy for any of us including me. It’s not meant to be a walk in the park, but it can be so much better when you appreciate all that is around you. The only sure fire way to come back from the point of rock bottom is to notice and reinforce your beliefs around gratitude.

There’s nothing better on a day of being at rock bottom than going for a walk in the park or sipping your favorite tea or coffee concoction. You realize that it’s not so much the big wins in your life, but all the small wins that lead up to the ultimate triumph that matter the most. Have you been to rock bottom? What was it like?

If you want to increase your productivity and learn some more valuable life hacks, then join my private mailing list on timdenning.net

March 31, 2017 at 02:03AM

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from Tim Denning

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What Happens to Your Life When You Stop Blocking Pain

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“Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win.” Thank you, Mr. Stephen King. We know that. We all have to struggle with those monsters from time to time. Doing that, I got one and the same piece of advice from my family and friends: forget and let it go.

What? To forget those black holes of pain and despair swallowing the palladium of happiness and destroying the last vestiges of joy in my life? To forget those black holes growing bigger regardless of my painful attempts to let them go?

They must be joking. When it seemed a no-win situation, people sincerely tried to help me. “Everything is gonna be okay,” they said. “Take a break and have some rest,” they said. And I did what they said. More than that, it worked! For a day or week.

I tried to avoid being alone, I met with friends, I worked far into the night, I read, I listened to music, I wrote articles on generating ideas to boost motivation and productivity. And I didn’t allow myself to think about my inner pain and despair.

But sooner or later the moment came when even happy-ending movies could make me cry and lie on the path to destruction again. This teeterboard had been taking place for years until I decided to sink to the bottom of that darkness and emptiness.

The problem is, we aren’t able to suffer today

In our fast-moving world, we have no time and skills to do that. The traditions of fighting depression come down to one simple phrase: “You need to move on.”

We can’t experience grief and feel sad. Breaking up with loved ones, facing death, or losing a job, we all do the same: we move on and keep on living, ignoring the damage all those losses cause to our minds. We block the problem. Instead, we would rather stop and get rid of the pain source. Instead, we would rather get into a shell and live the pain slowly.

The first time I met this problem was when I had lost my best friend. I remember everyone trying to support me: they went to college with me, they took me to cafes, and they discussed numerous topics with me. Except for the most painful one.

And when I voiced her name (she was the only topic I wanted to discuss), everyone suddenly froze in awkward silence. They didn’t know how to comfort a friend in crisis. In order not to mar conversations and discomfort others, I had to switch topics.

That was the lesson learned. It’s embarrassing and awkward to discuss your problems, and it’s improper to suffer and feel pain. Moreover, it’s dreadful. Pain always equaled something negative, frightful, and all-absorbing. If there were mechanisms that allowed avoiding pain, I grasped for any change to use them. And that was my biggest mistake.

“It’s okay if you fall down and lose your spark. Just make sure that when you get back up, you rise as the whole damn fire.” – Colette Werden

Pain and fear don’t disappear

The more we try to ignore and forget them, the stronger they become and come back again. More than that, they make us emotional cripples. Not allowing ourselves to feel inner pain, we let it stay inside and settle down there forever. Then, it becomes the source of different insecurities, neurotic disorders, and phobic reactions determining our deeds and behavior in future.

That pain and fear will overstrain our nerves and plague others’ life out. Come face to face with your pain. Blocking it will not let you know the enemy by sight. There is a psychotherapeutic methodology called a method of paradoxical intention when clients are asked to meet their fears. Once they stopped struggling with the problem and allowed it to EXIST, the symptoms weakened.

Live your pain.It’s significant for pain to materialize, scar, and, eventually, leave us wiser. Facing pain and fears, we get the chance to bear real us, allowing ourselves to be weaker than public attitudes define.

Once we face pain and fears, they will fall from power

Accept it. Accepting your fears, you’ll be able to manage them. You’ll leave them no ways to win, making them your weapon. Just admit that it’s painful, frightful, and bitter.

Admit there was a reason for your pain. As a rule, we feel this reason deep inside our gut. If you don’t, keep on looking everywhere until you have a hunch somewhere in a traffic jam, a shower, or wherever. And then it’s time to come out of your shell.

Name the reason aloud or write it down. Ask yourself why it’s so hard to think and talk about it. Examine its every split and corner. And give it a chance to feel ill a bit. It’s like a vaccine: you’ll be hardened to a virus only after you get a dose of it.

“Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.” – John Lennon

Make it a friend

Your inner pain is not your enemy but old friend signaling about the danger. You can’t make all your problems disappear forever. Still, coming to terms with them and accepting your inner monsters, you get powers to control them and beat the stuffing out of them.

You know who you are. You know your chink in the armor. You know you can love and fight despite all defeats. And this knowledge makes you wiser.

Accept your pain as if it’s your old friend who comes to warn you about dangers. Feel it, diving into its deepest bottoms to push off, discover yourself, and continue swimming at your ease.

How have you used pain to excel to a better life? Please leave your thoughts below!

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March 30, 2017 at 08:00PM

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from Lesley Vos

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Invest In Your Health For Business Success

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By Deb Bixler

Home business owners rarely think about business assets, and when they do, there is one asset they often overlook.

When you work for yourself it is not unusual to become engulfed in the pursuit of income and forget to invest in your most important asset.

Your Most Important Business Asset

Your health is your greatest business asset and you should treat it as such.

With all the activities that need attention in a home business combined with the busy lifestyle of the 21st century, it is easy for a business owner to put their health aside for future consideration, but this is a big mistake.

When your life is balanced between personal and business time, you can prioritize your health and be a more productive employee working for yourself.

Working with a schedule is often the best way to go. Create a schedule that matches the results you want in your business.

If you want a full-time income then plan to work full-time hours. Schedule 40 hours a week for business activities.

For those who want a part-time work-at-home commission schedule, your work hours need to be between 20-30 per week.

While the desired income won’t immediately start flowing, a consistent, steady and balanced schedule that you consistently and steadily work year-round will create the income you desire.

When you take personal time off, you will be more productive and focused in the office. Many major corporations are switching their work ethics to a balanced approach as science shows that fewer work hours and more personal time makes for better employees.

Less work means less stress and a more productive worker.

There is nothing more important than your health because without it, you have no life.

Take the time to exercise! You don’t have to go to the gym, just incorporate everyday activities such as a simple walk to make a big impact on your long-term health.

Health Is Your Best Business Asset

Rarely do we equate the food we eat to our work performance, but what we eat affects us more than we think!

Did you ever notice how difficult it is to concentrate when you are hungry?

Food has a direct impact on our cognitive performance, which is why a poor decision at lunch can derail an entire afternoon.

When you make poor food choices you can have a tough time staying focused and performance drops.

Make a plan to eat three small balanced meals a day and three healthy snacks in between to satisfy between-meal cravings and prioritize your health!

Your Best Business Asset

Your health is the best business asset you have. Invest in it regularly and it will pay off handsomely.

If you work hard and make a fortune it will mean nothing if you don’t protect your greatest business asset… your health.

About the Author:
Deb Bixler is a trained chef turned passionate speaker who focuses on sales education and healthy living. As a party plan trainer she focuses on systems for direct sellers at the CashFlowShowRadio.com and her healthy food website can be found at WowFoodTips.com.

The post Invest In Your Health For Business Success appeared first on Successful Blog.

March 30, 2017 at 04:54PM

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from Rosemary

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How To Be The Person Everyone Respects In 3 Simple Steps

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My mentor always tells me that he respects me. You know when someone gives you a compliment, and it feels really weird? That’s how I feel when he says it. Respect is something that has always been strange to me. I feel like I can only be respected based on my current track record.

I feel like once I hit a speed bump in my life, I have to earn respect all over again. Why does my mentor say he respects me? It’s kind of hard to pinpoint. It’s a bit like saying why do I love a certain someone the way I do. I don’t know, it’s kind of a “woo woo” feeling you get that makes no sense.

Being respectful is about living in a way where you have attractive values that others appreciate. Having values is one thing, but what people who are respected do is live them. I have made several new values in the last couple of years. They include:

– Treat your body like a temple

– Acknowledge and comprehend someone’s opinion even if it’s different to yours

– Give more of yourself than anybody else

– Put people above everything else

Without respect, you feel like a big piece of your soul is missing. Respect gives you something that so few people have: it gives you people’s trust. When people respect you, they give you a break and create a sense of freedom in your life. In a work environment, this is like saying, “Do what you love, whenever you want, and we’ll support you.”

Feels pretty amazing if you ask me. That last line sums up a lot of my working life. But it hasn’t been all roses. My life has had low points just like yours. I’ve had moments in my life where no one respects me and where I felt alone. Loneliness has a lot to do with the way others feel about you.

When people respect you, it’s like a superhero trait. You all of a sudden have some confidence in your life that says, “I got this baby!” When sickness knocks you down, you just feel like people have your back. My cancer scare taught me this a few years ago.

“It’s because of respect that I was able to foster the belief that anything is possible”

If I look at my life now, I feel that I’m at an all-time level high in the level of respect I get from everyone in my life. It didn’t happen in 5 minutes though. It took five years of working my butt off and doing what I said I would do.

The crux of respect is really just about keeping your word. Things got even crazier when I did more than I said I would. It’s at that level that people’s respect for you goes through the roof. Is it so hard to do this? No, it’s actually pretty easy and just takes discipline.

To reiterate, to gain more respect you need to set the following three goals:

1. A)   Keep your word
2. B)   Treat others like they are royalty
3. C)   Stay focused and don’t veer away from your values

I want to talk about Seinfeld for a second. The guy’s a comical genius, and if he doesn’t make you laugh then there may be something wrong with you… kidding. In a speech I heard yesterday, Seinfeld says that his success is based on habit.

Quite clearly, what he said is that all you need to do is the following:

• Buy a paper calendar
• Get a permanent red marker
• Every day, put a big X through the day if you spent time on your passion

Not a bad formula for success. You could almost use these three steps for any goal. Respect is no different, and you could apply the same principle. Every day, put an X through the day if you kept to the three goals above. Once it’s a habit, respect will flow into your life like a freight train speeding down a railway track.

The challenge with respect is like most things in life: it’s just too bloody complicated. It’s like a foreign matter from Mars that nobody knows how to bring back to Earth. It’s not easy to articulate. Complex things rarely get achieved, so dumb it right down.

To be in control of your mind, remain disciplined, and treat others with respect, you can try the following three practices:

 

1. Write your thoughts down

Respect is gained when you can demonstrate to others that your mind is under control. People respect you when you treat them well. It’s hard to be nice to people if you are walking around with a head full of negative thoughts.

Through blogging, I’ve learned to write my thoughts down and get them out of my head. This allows me, during work hours, to have a clearer mind that can be focused on treating others well. I am able to remember what’s important to the various people I interact with, and this helps me build rapport. Rapport is the gateway to respect.

It’s hard for someone to respect you if they don’t have rapport with you. If you aren’t into blogging like me, then try something like doing five minutes of journaling. There’s a great journal called The Five-minute Journal which has a good guide. Get used to expressing yourself through writing.

 

2. Tell people you appreciate them

It’s funny how the things that make people respect us are almost too easy not to do. One of those things is to tell people you appreciate them. I don’t mean in a fake kind of way. The best way is to do it only if you mean it, and put lots of passion into your voice.

The approximate time needed to do this is something like sixty seconds a day. The results that come from this habit are off the charts.

“People respect you when you appreciate them first”

Respect starts with you taking action first and then the benefits follow. This point is dear to my heart especially with tragedies like the one I recently witnessed where a madman killed people only meters away from me. What if you never got to tell someone how much they meant to you ever again? Do it.

 

3. Say sorry when you mess up

This practice is only very new for me. I make mistakes all the time, just like you do. Until recently, I never said sorry or acknowledged them. Now I do it every time. Last week I offended my friend because he thought I didn’t respect his partner. I said sorry.

The week before, I snapped at someone because I had hardly slept the night before. I told them the next day I was sorry. I got off a train and said some silly things to a train conductor because his voice through the PA was interrupting my mobile phone conversation. I said sorry.

You will be the person everyone respects when you can apologize without being asked when you’ve done something wrong.

 

Outcomes

1. A)   Within a month, I felt better about myself
2. B)   Within three months I noticed more people said hello to me
3. C)   Within six months my advice on social media began to be shared by people I respected
4. D)   Within a year I became the go-to person for people who are way smarter and more successful than me.

And then, of course, I would experience a challenging life experience and sometimes forget all of the rules I’ve just mentioned. That’s okay. We’re not Superman 24 / 7, chief!

March 30, 2017 at 01:58AM

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from Tim Denning

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How to Make Affirmations Work for You – 5 Easy Steps That Anyone Can Follow

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Affirmation is a powerful technique that has helped thousands of people achieve what they desire in life. Many people practice affirmations, but not every one of them manages to enjoy the fruits of it.

Scott Adams, the famous cartoonist behind Dilbert said that he used to write down his goals and affirmations. Every day, he would write down, “I, Scott Adams will become a successful cartoonist”,  15 times a day. And this affirmation technique has helped him manifest his dreams and transformed him into a successful cartoonist.

Affirmations work, just like goal setting and visualization. If you are practicing it but you did not see the results in your life, you are probably doing something wrong.

Here are 5 simple steps to make sure that your affirmations will work for you:

1. You Must Feel It

You have to ‘feel’ your affirmations. Most people get it wrong because they are doing it for the sake of doing it. They don’t associate any feeling or emotion into their affirmations. This is why their affirmations did not work for them.

Therefore, include positive feeling words into your affirmations. For example, instead of saying, “I’m earning millions of dollars every year”, say “I’m happily earning millions of dollars every year”, and then feel the joy within.

You can clench your fist, say it with power and as you mean it, and feel the energy flowing in you. When you feel the emotions, your affirmations will become more powerful and effective. You will be able to better program what you desire into your subconscious mind.

It does not matter what affirmations you are practicing, when you include feelings into them, you can better manifest them.

“I am a powerhouse; I am indestructible.” – Carmen Harra 

2. Repetition Is The Mother Of Skill

Success will never come to you in an instant nor will you achieve the big results by taking just one step. The same principle applies to affirmation, you have to practice it every day to make it real.

Don’t just do it once and then forget about it. Scott Adams wrote down his affirmations 15 times a day and he did it every day, consistently. You have to do the same.

How do you become good at something? Simple, you practice it daily. You do it each day until it becomes your habit. And when your affirmations become your deeply rooted habits, this is when you will start seeing the results you desire.

Most people don’t have the commitment and they just practice it for just a few days hoping to see results. If you are serious about achieving extraordinary results in your life, you must commit to doing it each day.

Successful people like Michael Jackson, Warren Buffett, and Michael Phelps train to perfect their skills every day, and this is what you need to do with your affirmations too.

3. Turn It Into Your Habit

If you want to maximize the effects of affirmation, you must turn it into your habit. Meaning, you have to practice it at the same time every day. It is just like brushing your teeth each morning, you do it the same way and you will never miss out doing it.

The best time to practice your affirmations is once in the morning right after you wake up and once before you sleep at night. You want to fill your day with greatness by doing your affirmations. Set your pace right and start each day strong.

Also do it again before you sleep at night. When we sleep, our subconscious mind did not. You want your subconscious mind to continue working with what you want in life.

4. Believe That It Will Happen

This is where most people get it wrong. They do their affirmations but they don’t truly believe that they are going to get what they affirm. Just ask yourself this question, would you buy lottery tickets if you didn’t believe that you will win? No, you simply won’t.

When you don’t believe in something, you will never put in your full effort to do it. You will never take action. When you believe that you are absolutely going to achieve it, you will do whatever it takes to get it.

Your beliefs define your actions. If you practice affirmations but your actions are not consistent with what you desire, you know that something is not right. And most of the time, it has something to do with your belief system.

So choose to believe in your affirmations. Sometimes things will look bleak, but if you choose to believe in it, things will turn out differently.

“You are a unique beautiful soul.” – Louise Hay

5. Commitment And Action

Finally, don’t just practice your affirmations for the sake of doing it. You have to put in your commitment to achieve what you desire.

If your affirmation is to have a slim body, be committed and take action to working out and exercising. Like I said, don’t just say it, you must do it to show your commitment and that you truly believe in it.

Be determined with your affirmations because they work. Practice it daily. Do it at least once in the morning and once at night before you sleep. You can also include your affirmations in the mid day to keep yourself driven and purposeful again.

How have affirmations changed your life? Please leave your thoughts below!

Image courtesy of Twenty20.com

March 29, 2017 at 07:57PM

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from Shawn Lim

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50 Powerful Carlos Slim Quotes to Motivate You

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Carlos Slim is a Mexican business magnate, philanthropist and investor. His wealth lies in numerous companies from holdings. His investments are in real estate, education, hospitality, technology, retail, financial services and many more.

From 2010 – 2013, he was ranked the richest man in the world. As of July, 2016, he was ranked 7th richest man with a networth of 50 billion dollars.

Here are 50 quotes awesome quotes by Carlos Slim to motivate you:

1. “All times are good time for those who know how to work and have the tools to do so.” – Carlos Slim

2. “With three work days a week, we would have more time to relax; for quality of life.” – Carlos Slim

3. “When we decide to do something, we do it quickly.” – Carlos Slim

4. “You cannot have people in your organization who are pessimists. They take you to mediocrity.” – Carlos Slim

5. “Live the present intensely and fully, do not let the past be a burden, and let the future be an incentive. Each person forges his or her own destiny.” – Carlos Slim

6. “I’ve always said that the better off you are, the more responsibility you have for helping others. Just as I think it’s important to run companies well, with a close eye to the bottom line, I think you have to use your entrepreneurial experience to make corporate philanthropy effective.” – Carlos Slim

7. “Firm and patient optimism always yields its rewards.” – Carlos Slim

8. “Most people try to make a better world for our children when what they should be doing is making better children for our world.” – Carlos Slim

9. “Courage taught me no matter how bad a crisis gets… any sound investment will eventually pay off.” – Carlos Slim

10. “Maintain austerity in good times to avoid lay offs in bad times.” – Carlos Slim

11. “When there is a crisis, that’s when some are interested in getting out and that’s when we are interested in getting in.” – Carlos Slim

12. “Staying occupied displaces preoccupation and problems, and when we face our problems, they disappear.” – Carlos Slim

13. “Well, when I was very young, maybe 12 years, I began to make investments.” – Carlos Slim

14. “Work well done is not only a responsibility to yourselves and society; it is also an emotional need.” – Carlos Slim

15. “When we face our problems, they disappear. So learn from failure and let success be the silent incentive.” – Carlos Slim

16. “Do not allow negative feelings and emotions to control your mind. Emotional harm does not come from others; it is conceived and developed within ourselves.” – Carlos Slim

17. “Poverty isn’t solved with donations.” – Carlos Slim

18. “The truth is, you leave this world with nothing. What you are is a temporary administrator, and you must administer well… the wealth in your care, and generate more. The surplus can be used to do many things for people.” – Carlos Slim

19. “Money is not a goal. The goal is to make companies grow, develop, be competitive, be in different areas, be efficient to have a great human team inside the company.” – Carlos Slim

20. “Choose the right employees and then set them loose.” – Carlos Slim

21. “I learned from my father that you continue to invest and reinvest in your business – including during crises.” – Carlos Slim

22. “Mistakes are normal and human. Make them small, accept them, correct them, and forget them.” – Carlos Slim

23. “Competition makes you better, always, always makes you better, even if the competitor wins.” – Carlos Slim

24. “Anyone who is not investing now is missing a tremendous opportunity.” – Carlos Slim

25. “In business, you invest when things are not in good shape. When you invest at these times, you take a better position than your competitors. When there is a recession and your competition does not invest, they are giving you the advantage.” – Carlos Slim

26. “You cannot live without doing something.” – Carlos Slim

27. “Technology is going to transform people’s lives and society everywhere in the world. I spend most of my time studying new technologies. My main task is to understand what’s going on and try to see where we can fit in.” – Carlos Slim

28. “It’s important to give a better country to your children, but it is more important to give better children to your country.” – Carlos Slim

29. “When you live for others’ opinions, you are dead. I don’t want to live thinking about how I’ll be remembered.” – Carlos Slim

30. “I still have my laptop but I haven’t used it. I’m a paper man, not electronic.” – Carlos Slim

31. “All businesses make mistakes. The trick is to avoid large ones.” – Carlos Slim

32. “When you are convinced what to do and what you need to do, it’s not hard to do that.” – Carlos Slim

33. “The biggest things in life are not materials.” – Carlos Slim

34. “Inertia is in our minds always.” – Carlos Slim

35. “If you are in business, you are not enjoying. You are working.” – Carlos Slim

36. “People need to feel very good about their achievements. They get pride from what they are doing.” – Carlos Slim

37. “Think of an athlete. He may be very good in his own house, but not as good as his neighbors. You have to go beyond your home. You have to go worldwide.” – Carlos Slim

38. “I think entrepreneurs… can think long term and find solutions and go in the way for long term solutions and not short-term.” – Carlos Slim

39. “The only way you finish with poverty is with jobs.” – Carlos Slim

40. “In this new wave of technology, you can’t do it all yourself, you have to form alliances.” – Carlos Slim

41. “In this new wave of technology, you can’t do it all yourself, you have to form alliances.” – Carlos Slim

42. “One of the big errors people are making right now is thinking that old-style businesses will be obsolete, when actually they will be an important part of this new civilization. Some retail groups are introducing e-commerce and think that the bricks are no longer useful. But they will continue to be important.” – Carlos Slim

43. “Anything that has privileges have responsibility and all people that is clear about their responsibility has compromise.” – Carlos Slim

44. “The people inside the group need to have some conditions to follow. We have a philosophy of leadership, ideas, and concepts. They need to share that.” – Carlos Slim

45. “The fruit of wealth is income.” – Carlos Slim

46. “The key is the Internet. The United States is by far the most advanced country in this new digital culture, so we have to be there. The Internet is the heart of this new civilization, and telecommunications are the nervous system, or circulatory system.” – Carlos Slim

47. “It’s very important for leaders in business to work to create human capital, a team that has the same sense of purpose and alignment.” – Carlos Slim

48. “Focus on essentials and try not to get distracted and bogged down by things that don’t add value to the bottom line.” – Carlos Slim

49. “With good perspective of history we can have a better understanding of the past and present, and thus a clear vision of the future.” – Carlos Slim

50. “The combination of non-profit organizations like the foundations and profit businesses can work together in some areas.” – Carlos Slim

What was your favourite Carlos Slim Quote? Leave the quote in the comments section below.

March 29, 2017 at 05:56PM

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from Joel Brown

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