1. Drink your water

Dehydration saps your energy and power. Water gives your body what it needs to keep functioning at its best. Fill your water bottle and take a long sip. You can almost feel the water permeating your pores.

2. Eat a piece of fruit

Oranges and berries are great for giving your body a natural jolt of energy. Your body doesn’t have to spend its time processing the sugars that fruit contains. It tides you over, keeping you from eating the higher calorie foods.

3. Drink peppermint tea

Peppermint tea is a wonderful stimulant. Try it out with a little bit of honey to get that perfect flavor. The scent will get you to feel active once more.

4. Have a granola bar

The combination of fruit, nuts and honey will give you the perfect tool to get you going again. There is enough sugar in a granola bar to get that immediate rush, and the nuts will back it up with long lasting energy. They are healthy snacks to get you back in the game.

5. Add some veggies

Leafy greens are healthy foods and powerful. They assist in clearing out the harmful irritants within your body, adding that extra boost.

6. Bask in the sun

If you don’t have a place with natural lighting, take a break and go outside to enjoy the sun’s rays. Pay attention to the way that the rays flood over your body and absorb the healing light.

7. Power nap

Recharge with a small power nap. Lay your head down on your desk and take ten minutes to reinvigorate yourself. The time lost is inconsequential when compared to the productivity that you feel.

8. Jog

Close the door and jog around the desk for a minute or two. If you don’t have an office, jog in place in the bathroom.

9. Work out in the morning

You’re doing great by working out in the evening after work. Moving your workout to the morning will keep those endorphins (natural pleasure chemicals) working for you through the rest of the day.

10. Laugh

Laughing invigorates the body, reduces stress and puts a smile on the face. Think about something silly or take a small break to look at a YouTube video. Try to laugh at something at least once a day.

11. Take some deep breaths

Bring some oxygen to your brain and muscles by standing next to your chair, placing your hands upon your hips and taking several deep breaths. Breathe from your belly to get the full effect.

12. Let the power of smell compel

Citrus and peppermint are invigorating scents. Take a deep whiff at the first available opportunity.

13. Get under the water

Cold water stimulates your circulation. If you’re at work, splash a little cold water onto your face and hair. Practice your best hair band hair tossing in the bathroom.

14. Sing

Create memorable moments by singing with your coworkers. You can bond with your coworkers and learn about the embarrassing songs that they know. Best of all, you’ll be head bobbing for the rest of the day.

15. Instead of smoking…

Instead of smoking, walk around the building. Take the break that you have been given and use it to get away from the stresses of work rather than adding more stress to your body. You are getting more stress relief and energy from being outside than from that cigarette.

When your energy is flagging, take time out to eat some fruit or stand up near your desk. Your body will thank you with more energy and productivity.

James is a staff writer for a leading ink cartridges store based in England where he covers new product releases such as the HP 901XL ink cartridge as well as writing on developments in hardware and design on their blog.

Increased efficiency and maximized productivity are not just traits that work addicts strive for…faster, harder, more, where “enough” is always just beyond reach. Most of us have rejected that insane lifestyle in favor of one that offers equilibrium between a fulfilling, productive work life and a satisfying personal life that has plenty of room for people, leisure, hobbies and more. That balance defines the good life and here is a key to attaining it: getting our work load done quickly and effectively. Whether you take a “GTD”– Getting things Done approach that emphasizes methods – or a Life Hack route that employs technology, we’ve got a list that will give you vital tools to build a more satisfying, well-rounded life.

1. Focus on the Most Important Tasks First

When it is accomplished take a moment to celebrate the small but important victory and then move on to the next most important thing to do. Yes, this is Time Management 101 – and it is surprising how many of us who know it don’t really do it! It is an essential part of a “Win this Day” mentality that will have you striving for what is most significant in your life.

2. Learn and Use a Web Calendar

There are many good ones including Google Calendar and Calendar Hub. Both can be optimized for personal or group use and are accessible from any connected device so you’ve always got access to your schedule. Getting on track and staying on track is made easy and the fruits will be well worth it.

3. Start Your Work Day Earlier

Study after study backs up the anecdotal evidence from your friends. Starting one to two hours before everyone else enhances productivity by 25% or more for most early birds. Whether you work in an office or from home the results appear to be the same. The backside of this principle is important, too: Plan to quit earlier and you will remain more focused and motivated throughout the day. With commitment, you’ll get more done in 8 hours than you used to get done in 10 or 12.

4. Use a Getting Things Done Tool

Organizing your work is essential to getting it done efficiently and with outstanding performance. Give VitalList.com, Nozbe.com and Simplegtd.com a try and employ the one that fits your style.

5. Work Offline When Possible

Obviously related to the above, working offline reduces the temptation to keep track of the ballgame, check the weather (again – still calling for rain), reading frivolous emails or feeds, and whatever else slows you down. It’s not just the time – it’s the distraction from the task. Remember, multi-tasking usually means multi-failing. Pick a task and accomplish it. Earn a break and enjoy it!

6. Use a Web Based To-Do List

There are a bunch of these and they all work – if you use them consistently. Take a few moments before you knock off for the day to organize the next day’s work, determining your “must do” project and assigning values to the rest (do your “a” things before “b” things, for example). Then start fresh and focused in the morning. See MyToDos.com or ToDoist.com for starters.

7. Only Meet If/When it is Essential

If you must meet, schedule it short and to the point, with an agenda emailed ahead of time. Or use GoToMeeting.com for cutting out travel. Don’t meet over food or coffee during work hours. The more you work during work hours the more you can play, relax, relate, create, etc., when work is done. You’ll be more satisfied with both aspects of your life with this approach.

8. Track Your Time

Budgeting your time is just as essential as keeping watch over your cash flow. GetHarvest.com, MeeTimer.com, and SlimTimer.com will help you cut the fat from your computer and internet usage by tracking what you’ve been up to. Viewing your usage report will first shock you and then motivate change, if you’re like most people!

9. Reject the Tyranny of the Urgent

Only your personal life and work experience can determine what in your life is urgent but not essential. Learn to say, “no” or “not know” or “not this year” more often. Keep it simple. Skip more “opportunities” that won’t serve you well. Of course, essential to this principle is having a very solid grip on your life goals and purposes so you know what simply doesn’t fit. Clarify those before you get much further down life’s road, if you haven’t done so already.

10. Choose to Do What You are Passionate About

If you love what you do then work becomes a joy, part of a fulfilling life, one in which you don’t constantly feel like you are under the pile, faced with a list of undesirable tasks, and longing to be done with it. Not that there won’t be things you don’t like doing – that’s unavoidable. But the satisfaction you experience from the job as a whole will take much of the sting out of those things and allow you to stay motivated, sharp, efficient and very successful.

Becoming an effective person in each aspect of your life takes a plan, with clearly defined goals and action steps. You’ve now heard that for the 1,001 time! Implementing it, however, is where those who look back with deep satisfaction over their life separate themselves from the pack. These simple tools will help you get things done…and will help you build a life of true significance.

James Adams, your author, is a technology analyst and product reviewer who works at an online store supplying ink cartridges and franking machine ink to businesses and homes in the United Kingdom.

photo credit: Clicksy

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.
One day a small opening appeared.
He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours
as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole.
Then it stopped, as if it couldn’t go further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly.
He took a pair of scissors and
snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon.
The butterfly emerged easily but
it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch it,
expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge
and expand enough to support the body,
Neither happened!
In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life
crawling around.
It was never able to fly.

What the man in his kindness
and haste did not understand:
The restricting cocoon and the struggle
required by the butterfly to get through the opening
was a way of forcing the fluid from the body
into the wings so that it would be ready
for flight once that was achieved.

Sometimes struggles are exactly
what we need in our lives.
Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us.
We will not be as strong as we could have been
and we would never fly.

So have a nice day and struggle a little and teach well.

Authour Unknown

photo credit: Ralph Buckley

This is your awakening.

You realize it’s time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change, or for happiness, safety and security to magically appear over the next horizon.

You realize that in the real world there aren’t always fairy tale endings, and that any guarantee of “happily ever after” must begin with you…and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.

You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are…and that’s OK. They are entitled to their own views and opinions.

You learn the importance of loving and championing yourself…and in the process a sense of new found confidence is born of self-approval.

Your stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you – or didn’t do for you – and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected.

You learn that people don’t always say what they mean or mean what they say and that not everyone will always be there for you and everything isn’t always about you.

So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself…and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.

You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties…and in the process a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.

You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. You begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for.

You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you’ve outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with.

You learn that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a “consumer” looking for you next fix.

You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.

You learn that you don’t know everything, it’s not you job to save the world and that you can’t teach a pig to sing. You learn the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake.

Then you learn about love. You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be. You learn that alone does not mean lonely.

You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO.

You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs.

You learn that your body really is your temple. You begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin to eat a balanced diet, drinking more water, and take more time to exercise.

You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and uncertainty and so you take more time to rest. And, just food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play.

You learn that, for the most part, you get in life what you deserve, and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different than working toward making it happen.

More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You learn that no one can do it all alone, and that it’s OK to risk asking for help.

You learn the only thing you must truly fear is fear itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your own terms.

You learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom.

You learn that life isn’t always fair, you don’t always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people…and you lean not to always take it personally.

You learn that nobody’s punishing you and everything isn’t always somebody’s fault. It’s just life happening. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls.

You lean that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you.

You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.

Then, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less than you heart’s desire.

You make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.

You hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind.

Finally, with courage in you heart, you take a stand, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can.

<Authour Unknown>

photo credit: DarkSideX

When I was five years old, my mother told me that happiness was the key to life.

When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be.

I wrote down “Happy”.

They told me I didn’t understand the assignment.

I told them they didn’t understand life.

photo credit: andyp uk

2. Lack of impulse control. Habitual impulsiveness gets in the way of optimal performance. Some people do not bring their full intellectual resources to bear on a problem but go with the first solution that pops into their heads.

3. Lack of perserverance and perseveration. Some people give up too easily, while others are unable to stop even when the quest will clearly be fruitless.

4. Using the wrong abilities. People may not be using the right abilities for the tasks in which they are engaged.

5. Inability to translate thought into action. Some people seem buried in thought. They have good ideas but rarely seem able to do anything about them.

6. Lack of product orientation. Some people seem more concerned about the process than the result of activity.

7. Inability to complete tasks. For some people nothing ever draws to a close. Perhaps it’s fear of what they would do next or fear of becoming hopelessly enmeshed in detail.

8. Failure to initiate. Still others are unwilling or unable to initiate a project. It may be indecision or fear of commitment.

9. Fear of failure. People may not reach peak performance because they avoid the really important challenges in life.

photo credit: ronocdh

10. Procrastination Some people are unable to act without pressure. They may also look for little things to do in order to put off the big ones.

11. Misattribution of blame. Some people always blame themselves for even the slightest mishap. Some always blame others.

12. Excessive self-pity. Some people spend more time feeling sorry for themselves than expending the effort necessary to overcome the problem.

13. Excessive dependency. Some people expect others to do for them what they ought to be doing themselves.

14. Wallowing in personal difficulties. Some people let their personal difficulties interfere grossly with their work. During the course of life, one can expect some real joys and some real sorrows. Maintaining a proper perspective is often difficult.

15. Distractibility and lack of concentration. Even some very intelligent people have very short attention spans.

16. Spreading oneself too think or too thick. Undertaking too many activities may result in none being completed on time. Undertaking too few can also result in missed opportunities and reduced levels of accomplishment.

17. Inability to delay gratification. Some people reward themselves and are rewarded by others for finishing small tasks, while avoiding bigger tasks that would earn them larger rewards.

18. Inability to see the forest for the trees. Some people become obsessed with details and are either unwilling or unable to see or deal with the larger picture in the projects they undertake.

19. Lack of balance between critical, analytical thinking and creative, synthetic thinking. It is important for people to learn what kind of thinking is expected of them in each situation.

20. Too little or too much self-confidence. Lack of self-confidence can gnaw away at a person’s ability to get things done and become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Conversely, individuals with too much self-confidence may not know when to admit they are wrong or in need of self-improvement.

A professor stood before his philosophy class with some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked his students if the jar was full…they all agreed that it was full.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly and the pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked again if the jar was full. Again, they all agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else in the jar. He then asked once more if the jar was full to which the students responded with a resounding..YES!

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under his table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students started to laugh.

Now, said the professor as the laughter subsided, I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things…your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favourite passions…and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else…the small stuff.

If you put the sand into the jar first, he continued, there is no room for the golf balls or the pebbles. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Spend time with your parents, visit with your grandparents. Take time to get regular medical checkups. Take your parents out to dinner, play another round of 18 holes. There will always be time to clean the house or fix the disposal.

Take care of the golf balls first…the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and asked what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled and said…I’m glad you asked.

The coffee shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.

The Gazzman, Gary Simpson

Rod Macbeth

1) Was Born in 1955 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

2) Has lived here all of my life save for ten years spent in Richmond, BC when the job market took a nose dive.

3) is a Gemini.

4) Has spent 34 years as an electrician. Due to a repetitive rotator cuff injury, arthritis and a small tendon tear in my right shoulder I’m no longer really able to work in my trade any longer. This is largely behind my decision to pursue Internet Marketing full time. Although, after 34 years, I’m ready for a change.

5) Used to smoke but quit eight years ago.

6) Used to be a heavy drinker. Quit that nonsense twenty-two years ago. The single best thing I’ve ever done.

7) Has had Type II diabetes for six years.  It’s the type controlled by pills and diet, not insulin. Thank goodness for that. I may have got it due to my drinking as none of the usual factors like being overweight or having a family history of diabetes applies to me.

8 ) Used to play the bagpipes and was the pipe major of a Pipe and Drums band. No, I won’t tell you what a Scotsman wears under his kilt. That’s for you to find out at your own risk… which is considerably less risky for the ladies.

9) Used to play the drums in a heavy rock and roll band.

10) Is a headbanger.

11) Enjoys all types of music with a few exceptions.

12) Doesn’t watch TV…hasn’t for fifteen years.

13) Is not into sports. Used to be but got tired of listening to inane colour commentators and supporting huge salaries for playing a game.

14) Has been a computer addict since getting his first one.

15) Has been surfing the internet since before most people knew it existed or what it was.

16) Plays “World of Warcraft” extensively and is the Guildmaster of a successful guild and moderator of probably the largest WoW related forums save for Blizzard’s official forums.

17) Has a dry, sarcastic sense of humour.

18) Loves animals of all types…well snakes maybe not so much.

19) Has no real desire for material things beyond the necessities. Excluding the best computer I can afford.

20) Has no driving desire to be wealthy but does buy lottery tickets.

21) Has a very low tolerance for having to repeat himself.

22) Loves the old Clint Eastwood and James Bond movies.

23) Has read “Lord of the Rings” several times…so many I’ve lost count.

24) Favourite song is Led Zeppelins’ “Stairway to Heaven”. Do you know how they got their name? Eric Clapton remarked to the band members that they’d go over like a lead balloon.

25) Dislikes traveling. Would like to have his own “Scotty” to beam him to exotic locales and beam him home again…along with his own bed and computer system.

I tag:

Anne Marie Dennis

Gigi Messina

Gary Simpson to come up with another 25 …<Evil Cackle>

The biggest question, and hardest for me, is what kind of content to use. That’s going to vary with each individual and is worth an article on it’s own I’m sure. What I’m going to look at more today is the format of one’s content and what will keep me subscribed to your list and what will send me to the unsubscribe link.

I, like probably most people entering the Internet Marketing field, have had the misfortune of falling into the trap of subscribing to Joint Venture Giveaways and downloading loads of crap. Along with the crap comes subscriptions to a multitude of mailing lists. My experience with these Joint Venture Giveaways has led me to believe that the vast majority of contributors to these events are the laziest of Internet Marketers and possess very little knowledge of how to MARKET.

I say lazy because many seem to feel that all they need to do is join one of these events, build a list and then start spamming sales messages to it. Want me to unsubscribe from your list? Send me nothing but sales messages…I’ll be gone by the time I’ve received the second. Quite possibly after the first one.

Then we have the “My good friend ….. has this great FREE product that he’s allowed me to offer ONLY to my list members.”  (translation: I’ve never met or talked to this “good friend” but he’s a JV partner or I’m an affiliate of his and I’m hoping to make some money from you buying his upsell after you sign-up for HIS list and download some more crap). So you download another piece of garbage to go with all the other GREAT stuff you’ll never look at in that steadily growing folder of…crap. And you’re now subscribed to another mailing list to which the owner’s first message to you will probably be…”My good friend ….. has this great FREE product that he’s allowed me to offer ONLY to my list members.”

I have got to the point that I don’t even open these mailings anymore if it’s apparent in GMail’s preview what they are… or I just delete them if I find them to be of that nature. I’m also pretty much at the point of unsubscribing from anybody who uses this method of list marketing. They waste my time and provide nothing of value.

The next one high on my list of sending me to the unsubscribe link is the video marketer. I see video in the preview and I just hit delete as they’re a bigger time waster then the “opt-in marketer”. Often times they are just using video to send you to an opt-in. Videos have a time and place but, unfortunately, they’re being abused and I’m personally becoming very tired of them.

Perhaps I’ve become jaded and/or highly critical but I’ve no patience anymore for the way some people market with their lists. I’ve culled the vast majority of the lists I’ve signed up to and am very picky now to whose I will join.

What type of list will I join and remain subscribed to?

Michel Fortin‘s mailing list, in my view, is the perfect example of how to market with your list. He will send out three or so links to blog posts of his, past or present, all providing excellent content. I have no intentions of ever writing my own copy from scratch but do want to learn how to edit existing copy effectively and to understand what copywriting is all about. I’ve bookmarked every one of Michel’s posts…they’re that good. When he does market something it’s something within his niche and he doesn’t try to hide the fact he’s promoting something. He does a review and sends you to the sales page. Good content and no BS…I like that.

Another list I belong to is owned by Ian Traynor. He sends out a weekly newsletter that begins with a summary of the content. So, in a manner of a minute or two, I can decide if I want to continue reading or not. And, if I do, I already know what to scroll to that holds my interest. It’s always a mix of a free download (no opt-in baloney), a product promotion and free advice. Once a month he provides members a free package of content…usually PLR articles or something of that nature. Straightforward, no nonsense and consistent.

The others I subscribe to offer either free downloads that I can make use of, like articles I can rewrite, and/or advice mixed with non-opt-in promotions. The majority are promotion of their own products often tied in with the free downloads they offer. Value mixed with intelligent marketing.

These are my personal likes and dislikes but I hope they provide you a little incite in how to populate your autoresponder.

“Approach each customer with the idea of helping him or her solve a problem or achieve a goal, not of selling a product or service.“
Brian Tracy