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

I talked earlier about how outsourcing tasks to places like “GetAFreeLancer” and “ELance” was a benefit to your business. I’ve since come to realize that, while it has it’s place, it’s not really the best solution. In fact, it might even be detrimental to your business. Especially if you’re pursuing the goal of the four hour workweek.

Why is that?

It’s time consuming. You have to list the project. Then you have to take the time to describe the project explicitly or take the chance of it being done wrong…even then the chances are good it won’t be done to your expectations. You have to peruse all the bids and then hope you choose the right person for the job. You’ve spent hours just reaching this point….and now you have to wait for the project to be finished.

The bidders main interest, more times then not, is completing the project as fast as they can so they can be paid. Quality control is not really in their vocabulary.

They are expensive…yes, I stated earlier that it’s a cheap form of getting work done but I’ll be showing you a better, cheaper way shortly.

Any effort you may have put into teaching them aspects of your business is lost as soon as the project is finished. You’ll have to repeat it all over again should you ever do something similar in the future.

If the project’s not done to your expectations you can start the process all over again…and lose all those precious hours once more.

Hardly the way to achieve the four hour workweek.

What if I could show you a cheaper more effective way?

What if you could hire someone full time for what it would cost you for one project through “GetAFreeLancer”? Someone far more suited to the task at hand.

Let me introduce you to Replace Myself…a membership site that has sent me on to the next level in my marketing. There’s two main elements to it. Hiring full-time outsourced workers and providing training for these workers. There is a wide selection of workers available complete with the skills you’re looking for but the training provides for a more well rounded employee and can enhance the skills they already possess. The training modules cover a whole gamut of skills from Adwords, Video Marketing, WordPress, SEO and more. There’s eleven modules advertised but I received fifteen. Three were tagged as bonuses so it would seem there’s one that’s not mentioned in the sales page. In any case, by the time your employee completes all of the modules there’s not much that they won’t have at least a basic knowledge of…and it’s done with minimal involvement on your part.

Is that not the key to a four hour workweek?

The employees available through Replace Myself are all from the Philippines and that’s a major advantage. They are all schooled in English. They are hard workers and very loyal. They all have college educations…it’s part of their culture.

And they can be hired for as little as $100 per month although the average is closer to $200 per month.

For a full time employee capable of doing most any task you need done.

That will free you up to work on the important stuff.

Like product creation…or golfing.

There’s been two major turning points in my Internet Marketing business.

Getting Alex Jeffreys for a mentor…he taught me the basics and so much more, got me motivated and continues to do so…and joining Replace Myself. Doing so is going to take me to the next level and beyond.

CLICK HERE NOW to view a video that will start you on your way to the next level in your business…and to the four hour workweek.

The bonus videos available in the Quick Start package are worth thousands of dollars on their own…they totally blew me away.

If you have any questions about Replace Myself…mention them in the comments or email me through the contact page. If I can’t answer it, I’ll pass it on to the owners…they are very, very quick with their replies.

I truly believe that Replace Myself is a valuable resource and it would be greatly appreciated if you would “Sphinn” this article to help let others know of it.

There’s been some questions on the procedure in choosing and hiring people so I made a video that hopefully covers it.  As you can probably tell videos aren’t my forte.

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

Which leads me to his next product, JV Auction Profits. In this eBook, John explains the technique he uses to harness the power of gaining that extra profit from eBay without the fee’s and the eBay rules. Rules which we all know change like the weather. Just to give you a little insight into the power of this technique…John has earned over $35,000 while putting in a minimal amount of effort per week.

So what is JV Auction Profits all about? Well without giving too much away this is certainly going to be the best $10 you have spent this year. It has the potential to make you thousands of dollars if you fit the criteria which is outlined below.

To qualify for the info you need:

1, An eBay account or the ability to open one.

2. A little drive to put some work in (nothing falls on your lap for free)

3. You may have to admit that you’ve wasted a lot of your life working for the wrong
person. Now it’s time to start working for the right person – YOU.

Now for this to work:

You DON’T need a product.

You DON’T have to have experience with Johns system

You DON’T need any money to set this up

John will show you how he does it using real life examples

You don’t have to write an eBook. This is NOT about writing eBooks!

John will explain fully how you can do the same as he does and take more cash to the bank.

Now this is not about selling… it is about watching and, without giving to much away, all you need to do find is find people with the same business interests as you to make this work. This can work for you, me and every other eBay seller on the planet and that’s a lot of guys to JV with.

If you are a seller, I would definitely say you have a leg up on the rest but what John teaches is so versatile we can all use it.

I am limited to what I can disclose as the info is so informative, that is why John has given everyone the opportunity to refund in full if you are not satisfied with the outcome. The returns on your investment will clearly blow the $10 spent away this I know for a fact, so invest today and put this invaluable info into action.

To purchase go here: JV Auction Profits.

John is also about to launch a new program teaching you step by step how to take PLR products and profit from them. It’s called “Profit from PLR”. I was fortunate enough to receive these videos as he was making them and they are very well done. For anyone looking for an easy, economical way to implement an income stream these videos will provide the knowledge to do so.

I have followed John for some time. He and Alex Jeffreys are from the same mold. They both over deliver and believe in giving before receiving.  I personally feel one can’t go wrong with either one of these gentlemen.

I purchased JV Auction Profits for myself and and have viewed the about to be released videos and was pleased with both… as I’m sure you will be.

To view a short video on Profiting from PLR go to Profit from PLR.

There’s no false hopes here, I don’t expect great things to happen but it’s a start. I’ve now gone through the process and surpassed the hurdles. Well, almost. Still not 100% yet but what’s left is stuff I’ve done hundreds of times before. Now that I’ve gone through the process once the second time around should be much easier.

I’ve reached the point where I need to start earning some money doing this…the wolf isn’t at the door yet but I hear him out in the woods. This won’t, I’m sure, be bringing in any large amounts of revenue but even a trickle at this stage would be nice.

My first baby step…very exciting!

“Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” Scott Adams

A project I`ve been working on is coming to completion. At least I hope so. I was hoping to have it out some time ago but ran into some hurdles. It`s become even more important as the benefits I`ve been receiving for my bad shoulder are about to run out so an income stream from all this is becoming much more important. I haven`t mentioned my shoulder, and how it`s largely behind me entering the Internet Marketing field, as it was going to be brought up in my “About” page which I have yet to get around to doing. (see above about planning going out the window ) Anyways, I’m an electrician by trade, have been for over thirty years, and I’m no longer able to raise my right arm above my shoulder for extended periods of times. This is due to a combination of chronic bursitis and a small tendon tear. Needless to say, I’m not of much use as an electrician with that kind of a limitation so here I am trying to do this Internet Marketing thing.

Being that I’ve fallen behind in my posting and things have kind of got out of sync in terms of what Alex has taught us, and when, I’ll be trying to do a post on each module in the near future. I’m going to give each one another listen then post on it. They may become a little spread out as there’s other things I want to post on also and projects that need my attention but I hope to get caught up fairly quickly.

I think this quote is appropriate for how things have gone in the past couple of weeks.

“The best plans of men and mice often go awry” Robert Burns