How to Spend Money & Build Wealth: The Purchase Decision

in Wealth

howtospendmoney

Learning how to spend your money is an important factor in building wealth and happiness in your life. I know we’ve heard this before and it sounds boring, however learning to spend your money wisely doesn’t have to be painful.  It doesn’t mean you can’t buy the things you want or that you must save every penny until you are ninety years old – you can get the benefits right now and enjoy the positive outcomes sooner. You can literally spend and become wealthy.

If you’re not as wealthy as you’d like to be it may not be the case that you don’t earn enough, but your lack could be down to your spending habits. [Get More Awesomeness…]

{ 1 comment }

8 Things to Do if You’re Feeling Down & Out

in Life Tips

feelingdownandout

It’s quite common for everybody to have their days where they are feeling down and out, and not quite their normal self. And it’s these days that always seem the most challenging as time seems to slow down so that the feeling is 10 times as intense. This article looks to provide you with 8 ways you can pick yourself up when you’re having a crapper of a day.

1. Put the Problem Right

One way to pick yourself up is to identify the reason why you are feeling down and to fix the problem that is causing such emotions. It may not be obvious but sometimes with enough thought it can be easy to uncover why you feel the way you do. Quite often for me when I feel down and I don’t know the source of the emotion, I later find out that in most cases it’s from a sudden lack of direction in life. Perhaps something I was working towards isn’t satisfying me so I get these emotions that tell me I am off track.

I’ve found I can eliminate these emotions if I re-evaluate my situation and take the time to choose a new path that does give me a good feeling once again.   However, it’s quite normal that you may not be able to decipher why you feel down. In such cases you’ll find it’s because you are out of alignment with some core emotion that you are unaware about.

If you keep feeling down everyday then perhaps you need to rethink your definite major purpose in life . Or if you’re generally happy then have an off-day and you feel down, then your body may be shouting at you that you need more balance in your life. It’s important to make sure that you do not neglect important areas in your life because when you do you’ll get a feeling that something is missing. Which of these areas have you neglected; career, relationships, health or relaxation? Usually if you can work out which one it is you can put things right very quickly by fixing the problem. Perhaps it’s just a simple case of getting enough rest?

2. Sleep On It

There are times when taking a little nap seems to pick me up and make me feel rejuvenated. If I don’t have enough time for a quick nap, I’ll go to bed early that night. Usually in the morning I feel much better after getting a solid 8 hours of sleep. If you think you could improve your sleep, then you may want to find out ways in which you can sleep better.

3. Take A Break

Taking a break can do great things for your overall mood. You may think that keeping busy and working all the time may help you to reach your goals quicker. But in reality the law of diminishing returns is kicking in and the more you work the less quality output you are achieving. Even though you may find it very difficult to step away from your work, learning to step away will do much more for you than you can ever imagine.

Taking a break from your most frequent tasks doesn’t necessarily mean you need to book a holiday and jet off somewhere for two weeks. It can be as simple as going for a walk, taking a bath, watching your favorite movie or playing video games. You could also invest some time in yourself or go see important friends and family who inspire you.

4. Gratitude

If you’re feeling depressed about something specific then instead of focusing on the problems learn to focus on the things in life that you are most grateful about.

Look at yourself, all your possessions, the wonderful people you have around you, the fact that you have food, shelter and enough money to survive without having to beg. Focus on all your good points and write down a list of everything you are grateful for.

5. Workout

There are three main areas that you need to attend to maintain happiness, and these are the emotional, the mental and the physical. A lot of people tend to focus too much time and attention on the mental and emotional aspects for example, business, career, finance and relationships. The physical side is often left neglected. It’s important to take care of the physical which can be met through working out or even simple breathing exercises. Whenever I’ve spent a lot of time on something mental and it begins to wear me out I go and workout. This not only meets my physical needs, but it gets my heart pumping and the oxygen flowing round the body. After this I feel energized, in a better mood and ready to tackle any problem.

6. Help Someone Else Out

“The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.”~ Mark Twain

As Mark Twain puts it, helping someone else out is a cool way to bring up your own levels of happiness. I’ve recently started to feel the positive feeling you get when you help someone else out. You can always help out somebody on the street or a friend or relative but one way I can get my ‘happiness vibes’ immediately is through giving. I’ve recently written how I’ve gotten into Microfinance where you can lend as little as $25 to somebody looking to use the Microloan to better improve their lives. I’ve enjoyed the feeling of lending so much that I recently made my own Microloan Pledge.

7. Watch An Inspirational Movie/Song

Watching a movie or listening to your favourite song can be a super way of picking you up and lifting your mood. My personal favourite is the Pixar film ‘Up.’ That never fails to put me in a good mood and it’s fast become one of my favourite movies of all time. As for inspirational songs there isn’t one that stands out, although the ‘Rocky’ theme tune comes to mind!

8. Go With It

If none of these things pick you up then you may as well go with the flow for the rest of the day and admit you’re having a crapper of a day. Don’t waste too much time trying to change your mood especially if you’re normally a chirpy bunny and this is a one off. Sometimes we just have our bad days where we can’t match our normal ‘highs’. Over time as you focus more and more on the good things in life you’ll get less and less days like these and more of the good days. Even though we all strive to be happy in life we can’t be ‘happy’ everyday. What we want instead is to feel ‘fulfilled’ everyday. Being fulfilled is a sense of knowing that you are living your life as you should and meeting your definite major purpose in life. If you are on the right path then this feeling will subside.

There they are! 8 ways to pick yourself up when you’re feeling down and out. What are some other ways you use to pick yourself up? Feel free to share by leaving a comment below.
Photo By notsogoodphotography

{ 1 comment }

Calling All People Who Said One Day They’d Go To The Gym But Never Did

in Health, Resources

turbulencetrainingTurbulence Training Program

I used to be a ‘someday guy.’ Someday I’d do this, someday I’d do that, and my most famous someday, was someday I’d workout and look after my health.

If you’re also a someday person when it comes to getting fit and have always been someone who has always wanted to go the gym but has never found the time, then this article is going to be of great interest to you.

As I said before, I’d always tell myself that I should go to the gym but I always put the thought to one side because I didn’t have the time. It even crossed my mind to work out at home, but I didn’t really believe that you could get a proper workout this way. For one I didn’t even have decent equipment like they would have in a regular gym so what’s the point in working out at home if I can’t do it properly? [Get More Awesomeness…]

{ 0 comments }

Learning to Focus: Beware Of Your Inner Butterflies

in Simplification & Productivity

focusinnerbutterflies

Have you ever experienced a time when you begin one task only to find that half way through you’ve moved onto another task even before the first task has been completed? Or perhaps you decide to think about what you want to have for dinner one night then as you begin the process of thinking you somehow end up on a totally different topic and you forgot what it was that you were first thinking about?

In Wake Up Productive, Eben Pagan describes this as the ‘Inner Butterfly’ effect, where our mind keeps shifting from one thing to another without seeking completion on the thing that we were meant to be doing. The problem with the inner butterfly effect is that it not only causes internal friction but it’s very inefficient.

Inner Butterflies Circle Your Thoughts and Activities

Since I was young I’ve always had an incredibly short attention span and I’d just let my Inner Butterflies dictate my life. Half the time I’d be doing something, some kind of task – such as work at my job, reading or even watching television. I’d focus on the task in hand for about two minutes then without being aware my mind would be off thinking about something else. For example, when I’d be working I’d be thinking about what I was going to watch on television that night or which friends I should see that weekend. Then the domino effect of thoughts happens. My mind would then move onto the next thought then it loosens up other thoughts and it keeps triggering one thought after another until I am so far away from my initial thought that I am unsure what I was thinking about in the first place.

Similarly this happens with my daily activities. It’s the same effect only your mind has made it physical. Many times I’ll have the intention of going online to pay my bills then the next thing I know I’m checking my e-mail, then I’m on to Facebook and in the end I accomplish nothing.

If this sounds all to familiar to you then it would be a good idea to learn to ignore your inner butterflies and to focus on one task all the way to completion before moving onto another task. One reason successful people achieve so much more than others in life is because they can focus on their most valuable task and see it all the way to the end.

“The ability to concentrate single-mindedly on your most important task, to do it well and to finish it completely, is the key to great success, achievement, respect, status and happiness in life.” ~ Brian Tracy

This is why anybody with Inner Butterflies should learn to focus and bottle up any butterflies.

How To Focus & Bottle Up Those Butterflies

To stop yourself succumbing to the force of your inner butterflies the solution is actually more simple than you think. The way to beat the Inner Butterfly effect is to simply be aware that it is happening.  Awareness is one of the traits that I believe is crucial to living a fulfilled life and no doubt this characteristic will also teach you to develop focus. When you’re off triggering a Tsunami of thoughts by becoming aware that you have lost focus is a good first step. What you then do is bring yourself back to the task or thought you had first.  Put that ‘new’ thought or activity you that’s just entered your mind to one side and tell yourself that you will either think about that later or you will complete that task at a later time. To cement this idea down even further, have a pen and paper with you at all times and jot down any new thoughts. This way you will never have to worry that you will forget an important thought and you can come back and deal with it later.

How to Start

To help you develop awareness a great place to start is to identify beforehand when your inner butterflies usually appear. For example, what are the trigger events? Make a list of activities that you do every day then beside each of them write down the trigger events. For example, when you’re sitting down to work does that always trigger you to start checking your e-mail or Facebook? Once you have all this down on paper it will be much easier to spot when you are going off on a tangent. When this does happen remember to jot anything important down and come back to it later.

If you liked this article then please share it with your friends. Also share any other techniques you may have of dealing with the Inner Butterfly effect – I’m sure we could all use more ways to deal with this issue especially me as butterflies always freak me out (real ones I mean) – so… who else gets freaked out by butterflies (real ones I mean)?
Photo By Dawn Ashley

 

{ 0 comments }

Microfinance – Microloans That Change Lives

in Life

Microloans

Kiva

I recently came across a very cool way of contributing back to the world which aligns with so many of my values and can make a real difference in the lives of others – Microfinance.  The whole concept of Microfinance has been around for a while but it’s only just been brought to my attention.

Simply put, Microfinance is a way of allowing you to act as a bank and lend money to low-income individuals most typically in third world countries. These individuals do not have access to general banking services and therefore cannot get the funds they need to start or maintain their businesses and lift themselves out of poverty. [Get More Awesomeness…]

{ 0 comments }

5 ‘Fearful Facts’ on the Fear of Public Speaking

in Life Tips

publicspeaking

When most people have a fear of ‘something’ they usually just assume that they are scared of it and that is that. They don’t really think about the fear any further or how they can use the fear in a useful way. When it comes to public speaking my fear of it was so great that I just didn’t even want to think about it yet alone analyze it. Now that I’m a lot more self-confident than I was before, I can now look directly at the fear and to think about it in a positive light. This analysis has consequently led to these 5 facts on public speaking fear.

1. You Are Not Alone

When I was dealing with my own fear of public speaking I really did feel alone. I felt that I was the only one to possess this fear and that everybody else was fine. The truth is that public speaking is one of the biggest fears among all people and it affects millions and millions around the world and not just you. There are plenty of classes, courses, books and resources on the subject to serve and to help the masses with their fear of public speaking. The fear of public speaking is nothing unusual and it isn’t just you that has it.

2. The Fear Is Your Friend

I never really thought of the fear as my personal friend, but it’s there as part of your bodily response to help you give a better speech, albeit somewhat indirectly. When your heart starts beating faster and your breathing picks up your body is getting ready for action. You are about to receive a greater sense of awareness and alertness that will propel you to give a great speech where you speak with authority, clarity and direction. The fear sends your body into new territory because public speaking isn’t an everyday occurrence for most of us, hence the unfamiliar feeling.

One other way fear can help you is that it makes sure you are prepared when the time comes to give your talk. For some, the sheer thought of not being ready or prepared can scare some people to take even more time preparing. Of course this can have a totally opposite effect and some may not even prepare at all! Use the fear wisely.

3. The Fear Will Always Be Present

I can’t speak for myself as I am not a world-class public speaking superstar, but it is reported that even the best public speakers still experience bit of stage fright. The only difference is that the best public speakers do not let it get to them and they use the fear (as in point two) to help them give a wonderful speech.

For many, most of the fear is present at the very start of a presentation, it’s when you stand up and deliver the first few sentences that the fear will be most present, but soon after the fear will subside. Dale Carnegie in his guide ‘The Quick and Easy Way To Effective Speaking’ says that anybody who doesn’t experience any fear is likely to give a boring speech. If Dale Carnegie says this then take that as truth!

4. The Fear of Public Speaking is Not a Disease

As I was dealing with my own issues with public speaking, I not only thought that I was the only one, but I also compared the fear of public speaking to having a disease. It seemed to me as if I was the only one that was stuck with this illness and I just happened to be born with it whilst everyone else was fine. It’s not until I was much older that I could look at my fear more objectively and realize that it was partly there as a result of shyness and a lack of practice of speaking in public. Speaking in public is not something that we do everyday which is why it generates more anxiety in some than others. Having a fear of public speaking isn’t a disease and it’s a fear you can beat with practice.

5. No Matter How Bad You Are You Can Become A Star

The great thing about public speaking is that anybody can become an amazing speaker and totally outshine the pack of people who were once better speakers -all it takes is practice. First you need enough practice to get used to the stage fright, then you can begin to develop the techniques to become a better speaker. When you practice more and more you will only get better. Start small and then take bigger and bigger steps as you go along. I recommend joining a class on public speaking so that you can join like-minded individuals and work together to improve together. When you’re in a class of similar people to you, it becomes much easier to relax and get that much needed practice.

Photo by jurvetson

{ 1 comment }

Fear Of Public Speaking: 5 Mindsets To Get You Started

in Life Tips

fearofpublicspeakingPublic speaking is the number one fear that people have – of course I do not have statistics to back this up, but I’ve spent so long battling writers block on how to start this article that I am going with that phrase.

My Fear of Public Speaking

Ever since my childhood I shared this fear with the other millions and millions of other scared people. The thing that I feared most was being called up to do a talk or presentation in school. To me, even speaking out in class was something that sent chills down my spine, therefore the thought of speaking in front of people for 5 minutes left me wishing for my grave. [Get More Awesomeness…]

{ 0 comments }

How To Stop Wasting Time Online in 3 Steps

in Simplification & Productivity

stopwastingtimeonline

Twitter, Facebook, You Tube….

Right so you’re getting ready to sit down and spend an hour of power on your most important task of the day and you’ve made a pact that you’re going to be the most productive that you’ve ever been before.

So you open up your work file and you’re ready – but alas! You need to retrieve some information online from Wikipedia, so you open up your internet browser… and here begins the merry-go-round of endless time-wasting online.

You quickly check your Facebook status since you have your browser open, you then move onto Farmville, then you proceed to check Twitter where you re-tweet a few messages, next comes You Yube where you watch a few videos, then you turn on instant messenger, next you check out the latest news on Techcrunch and then you check a few other cool sites. Then you’re ready to come back to work, only problem is that it’s midnight now and time for bed.

[Get More Awesomeness…]

{ 0 comments }

The 3 C’s to Managing Your Focus

in Simplification & Productivity

3csproductivity

Clear Focus, Clea Cuts & Change Channels

As you know I am a big fan of Wake Up Productive and I’ve already shared the 60-60-30 rule that I learnt from the course in another post. Today I want to share some tips on how to improve your productivity and focus via the three-way concept of Clear Focus, Clean Cuts and Change Channels.

Sounds interesting doesn’t it?

Well fortunately for you if you can’t hold in your excitement for much longer I’m about to reveal each of them in order. [Get More Awesomeness…]

{ 0 comments }

Why Developing ‘Awareness’ is Critical To Your Success

in Life

lifeawareness

The Stepping Stone to all Good Things

There one quality that’s appealed to me whenever I see it in another person. No it’s not money, looks, or fame, as shallow as some of you think I really am. It’s actually ‘awareness.’

By ‘awareness’ I’m not saying that people who have this trait are like Meer kats and can spot a predator a mile away (even though that may be a desirable trait), but by awareness I mean somebody who is aware about everything about themselves and others.

People who possess awareness are aware of who they are, where their life stands and their own emotions. They are aware of how they come across in front of other people, what another person is feeling and they are aware of the consequences of the decisions they make. People who are aware are aware of the important things in life. [Get More Awesomeness…]

{ 0 comments }

← Previous Entries