The 3 Basic Money Skills You Need To Know

Why "Dumbdumb Goals" Beat SMART Goals Every Time

I think it's time we had a long, frank talk about so-called SMART goals.

I hang around in productivity forums and self-improvement communities, so I must have heard hundreds of folk talk about how great they are.

How they revolutionise goalsetting.

And how if you use any other system, you're chaining yourself to a log caught in rapids and heading for a waterfall.

In case you (somehow) haven't come across this yet, SMART is an acronym that describes what every worthy goal should allegedly have. Like I say, I've heard hundreds of folk spruik this... and maybe three point out some of the glaring, obvious limitations.

You're never going to look at them the same way again.

You're welcome.

Consider a conversation between a SMART-loving coach and a client who's never heard of them before...

~

Coach: I recommend setting SMART goals. The S, you see, stands for 'specific'.

Client: Okay, that makes sense. Better that than a vague goal. So something like "I want to increase my salary to seven figures by the end of the year".

Coach: Exactly! Now, the M stands for 'measurable' - pretty self-explanatory. The A stands-

Client: Hold on... measurable?

Coach: Yep! If it's not measurable, how do you know when you're making progress?

Client: Sure... but we already have specific. Isn't that redundant?

Coach: No, see, specific is about being clear with your goals. Measuring is about being about to quantify success.

Client: Right... but those are the same thing. Can something be measurable and not be specific?

Coach: Well... I... huh. Um... let's come back to that. The A stands for 'achievable', or some people say 'attainable'.

Client: Okay, great. That makes sense... and doesn't mean the same thing as the others, haha.

Coach: Yeah... and the R stands for 'realistic'.

Client:... oh, this is a prank! Oh, good one, you really had me going.

Coach: What? No, it's not a... what?

Client: 'Achievable' and 'realistic' are synonyms. They mean exactly the same thing. We're up to the fourth letter and you've only said two things. What does T stand for? Totally doable? Tightly defined? This SMART goal thing is hilarious.

Coach: It's 'time-bound'... whatever, we're done here.

~

End scene...

Now, some folk say the R is 'relevant', which is a useful thing to add. Even if I gave you that one - most definitions I see say, in sheer adoration of thesauruses, 'realistic' - it doesn't eliminate the redundancy.

If you list of five things has an identical pair, let alone two, you might want to rethink your acronym.

But even if I forgave that...

"I'm going to consume heroin by midday" is a perfectly valid SMART goal and a perfectly terrible idea. It's specific, measurable, achievable/realistic (I guess? I have no idea how easy it is to get heroin. It mustn't be difficult... ) and time-bound.

"I'm going to increase my vegetable intake by one serving a month, starting today" is also fully SMART, yet so underwhelming it's not worth your time to formulate.

You can set SMART goals that are worthwhile... but don't align with your life's ambition. For example, you can use this framework to stab folk in the back in your quest to make the world a better place. Or you might want to improve your health, so you SMARTly exercise five times a day until something breaks.

You can even set a SMART goal for something you've already done, just to fake a sense of progress.

And it gets worse. Nowhere in this cutesy little acronym is a measure of your emotional reaction or gut instinct. If you pen this goal and every fibre of your being screams "no, don't do it!"... too bad, slugger, because there's nowhere to capture that.

Oh, and you can set a goal to be a millionaire in a year... and do nothing about it for 11 months, then scramble in a panic for the last one. SMART goals have zero accountability, plan or commitment built in.

SMART goals are utterly inadequate, redundant and barely useful.

Yet somehow everyone crows about them.

That's why I favour dumbdumb goals instead. True to form, DUMBDUMB is an acronym. Untrue to form, it's thorough and not redundant.

D is for Doable. Is it realistic/achievable/attainable?

U is for Useful. Is it relevant? Does this goal actually advance your vision?

M is for Measurable. It's an important variable, even if I only include it once.

B is for Beliefs and Values. Does following this goal conflict with the life you want to live? Is this the sort of goal you'll be proud you met, thinking back on it on your deathbed?

D is for Desire. Does the goal make you feel passionate and excited?

U is for Undertaking. How much time and effort will it take to achieve this goal? If it takes two hours a day, then you'd better schedule in two hours a day right now.

M is for Mighty. Are you playing it safe, or does your goal stretch you, challenge you and make you grow?

And B is for Bounded-in-Time, because one good thing about SMART goals is they have a deadline.

There you have it. A thorough, useful and non-redundant system for creating goals. Use it and enjoy.

Speaking of DUMBDUMB goals...

One goal folk often want to make is to sharpen your mind. What could be a better use of your time than that?

The problem is, how do you measure that? Play one of those cutesy brain training games every day? While fun, that won't do the trick.

But you can train your mind and see real results. You won't be able to forget how much you improve - day by day, week by week. Not by playing games but by doing real, intensive inner work.

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144: The Power of Doing Just ONE Thing by J. Money of Budgets Are Sexy

Scarcity Vs. Prosperity: How to Get More of What You Want in Your Life

Scarcity and prosperity are two terms I had not heard of until I entered the coaching world. At first, I felt they were worldly concepts of the common pursuit of wealth and possessions... connected with the overused term: Abundance. Soon I learned about the truth found in these concepts and saw the huge impact our perspectives of them have on our life, events, people, money, and everything.

First of all, Scarcity vs. Prosperity is talking about your perspective on the world. Scarcity focuses on what you don't have and cannot do. It is negative and dwells on how you are limited, held back or unable to move forward as you would like. It shows up like this:

* Business owner: I can't do any mailings because it costs too much.
* Mom: I can't get out of the house because there is no one to watch the kids.
* Unhappy professional: I can't change jobs because I need the stable income.
* Executive: I can't hire more people; sales are down.

Prosperity is the flip side of scarcity. It is looking at what you DO have. It is positive, upbeat and solution-focused. Prosperity finds what IS good and what IS possible. It asks "What CAN I do?" I might sound like this:

* Business owner: Mailings are expensive, but I have a small list of 100 names from the chamber that I CAN do a series of target mailings and test their effectiveness.

* Mom: I can get out of the house and take the kids to the park. My spouse is home Friday nights and I can plan to do errands then.

* Unhappy professional: I need a stable income and CAN take a few classes to explore other interests while working at my current job.

* Executive: Sales are down, but I CAN hire short term contract help to pull through this slump. I can also come and work on the floor for 5 hours a week to support the team.

Your view on scarcity or prosperity is very important because:

1) It impacts how you see the world. As explained above, each side promotes either positive or negative thinking. People are naturally more negatively wired (They are. There is some statistic about 75% of all adult conversations are naturally negative - just listen the next time you are out.) Positive people live longer, are less stressed and enjoy life more. So, if you desire less stress and a long and enjoyable life, start thinking through the eyes of prosperity.

2) It impacts what you receive. Some are skeptical about this, but it is the law of nature. When you live in scarcity and cling on to everything, afraid of loss, you get little and things seem to run out. You attract scarcity. Others who don't have. People who don't have money (i.e. clients who can't pay). People who also are stuck or unable to do. It is uncanny how this works, but it really happens. People get attached and cling to money, time, possessions, and for whatever reason, it is not something that can be held on to. The harder you fight for YOURS and cling to it, the quicker it dissipates. When you live in and give from prosperity, on the other hand, it is incredible what comes into your life. I choose to see it as blessings from God. It is amazing. When you let go of your agenda and serve others, you are served. When you stop worrying about money and are responsible yet generous, you have plenty. When you volunteer freely of your time and energy you are uplifted and blessed. There are many old adages about this: "Givers Gain", the Golden Rule, etc. When you can stop and look at what is good, what is right and allow yourself to live in the blessings you have been given, appreciate them and give back, the process continues to flow. When you get caught in fear, negativity, and pessimism, life gets tough, fast.

Once you are in the scarcity mode, it can be a challenge to get out. You can get out, though. You just need to be intentional about listening to the tape that is running in your head. Listen to yourself talk and hear what you are saying. Are you saying CAN'T, WON'T, NEVER, ALWAYS, DON'T, etc.? These are signs you are looking at life from scarcity. Stop and ask yourself, "What CAN I do?" "What is true?" "What is possible?" Then do what you can. If you continue to always do what you can, you will start to embrace prosperity thinking and living.

Don't believe me? Try it. It is amazing.

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How to Get Started Freelancing with Miranda Marquit

5 Possible Ways To Cut Expenses During A Crisis

After, over four decades of involvement, in a variety of executive, business, and financial positions, as well as consulting, I have often assisted, those. in - need, in considering, ways to reduce their personal expenses, in as unobtrusive way, as possible! Although, health considerations, must be, our highest priority, during these times, many people, because of the impacts, of necessary restrictions, and limits of business activities, and the associated, loss of wages, and asset value, need to seriously consider, and address, a way, to reduce their expenses, in a reasonable, responsible, relevant manner. With that in mind, this article will attempt to, consider, examine, review, and discuss, 5 things, which might make sense, to do, now.

1. Contact and speak to your mortgage company: Many mortgage companies, as well as government agencies, have announced, policies, where they recognize, the crisis, we are in. With that in mind, several are permitting one, to extend the length of their existing mortgage, by varying periods, and without penalties/ fees, but simply, by adding the skipped months, at the end, of the original term of the loan. This will not have any harmful impact on your credit, and/ or, Credit Rating, but, requires, you, to contact, your mortgage company, and request it, using the specific process, that institution, is using.

2. Speak to credit card companies, and other loans/ lending institutions: Without one's regular source of income, coming in, paying usual bills, may be somewhat challenging, and tension - producing! Contact every institution/ company, you owe money to, and request, adjusted terms, during this crisis. Most will agree!

3. Economize/ reduce spending: Don't hoard unnecessary items, simply because of your fears, etc! Switch to store brands, if possible, to save costs! Avoid buying any unnecessary, or impulse items! Don't let your restricted circumstances, make you, lose - your - head!

4. Lower electric/ utility costs: Lower your utility costs, by adjusting your thermostat (just a few degrees, makes a significant difference/ savings), and, turning off lights, when unnecessary. Live a simpler, less costly, life, and your future, will thank you!

5. Protect your health: In these times of uncertain health dangers, due to this Coronavirus pandemic, the most important thing, you can do, is, to protect your overall health, and well - being! Follow the recommendations, especially, those, to responsibly, use the concept, of Social Spacing, etc, and everyone will benefit, and prosper!

In times of need, making responsible, responsive sacrifices, makes sense! Will you do so today, in order to ensure a better, tomorrow?

Richard has owned businesses, been a COO, CEO, Director of Development, consultant, professionally run events, consulted to thousands, and conducted personal development and financial seminars, for 4 decades. Rich has written three books and thousands of articles. Website: http://plan2lead.net and LIKE the Facebook group - RICH IDEAS

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David Bach's 7 Places Your Money Needs To Go Automatically

8 Simple Ways To Save Money

Sometimes the toughest issue regarding saving money is simply getting started. It may be tough to work out easy ways that to save lots of money and the way to use your savings to pursue your monetary goals. This bit-by-bit guide to money-saving habits will assist you develop a practical savings set up.

1. Record Your Expenses

The first step to saving money is to work out how much you spend. Keep track of all of your expenses-that suggests that each coffee, newspaper and snack you purchase. Ideally, you'll be able to account for each penny. Once you have got your information, organize the numbers by categories, like gas, groceries and mortgage, and total every amount. think about using your credit card or bank statements to assist you with this. If you bank on-line, you'll be able to filter your statements to simply break down your spending.

2.Create A Budget

Once you've got a plan of what you spend during a month, you'll be able to begin to prepare your recorded expenses into a possible budget. Your budget should outline how your expenses serve to your income-so you'll be able to set up your spending and limit overspending. additionally to your monthly expenses, make sure to consider expenses that occur frequently however not monthly, like car maintenance. find a lot of info concerning making a budget.

3.Plan on Saving Money

Now that you've created a budget, create a savings category inside it. attempt to put away 10-15 % of your income as savings. If your expenses are so high that you simply can't save that a lot of, it would be time to chop back. To do so, determine non-essentials that you simply will spend less on, like amusement and eating out. We've place along concepts for saving cash each day as well as cutting back on your fixed monthly expenses.

Tip: Considering savings a daily expense, like groceries, could be a good way to strengthen good savings habits.

4. Choose Something to Save For.

One of the simplest ways to save lots of money is to set a goal. begin by thinking of what you might need to save lots of for-anything from a deposit for a house to a vacation-then find out how long it'd take you to save for it. If you would like help determining a timeframe, try Bank of America's savings goal calculator ( https://www.bankofamerica.com/deposits/savings/savings-goal-calculator/ ).

Here are some examples of short- and long-term goals:

Short-term (1-3 years)

- Emergency fund (3-9 months of living expenses, just in case)

- Vacation

- Down payment for a car

Long-term (4+ years)

- Retirement*

- Your child's education*

- Down payment on a home or a remodeling project

*If you're saving for retirement or your child's education, think about putting that money into an investment account. While investments go along with risks and may lose money, they also produce the chance for compounded returns if you intend for an event far earlier.

5. Decide on your Priorities

After your expenses and income, your goals are probably to possess the most important impact on how you save money. make sure to remember long-term goals-it's necessary that planning for retirement doesn't take a back seat to shorter-term needs. Prioritizing goals will provide you with a transparent idea of wherever to begin saving. for instance, if you recognize you're planning to got to replace your car within the near future, you may begin putting money away for one.

6. Pick the Right Tools

If you're saving for short-term goals

- Regular savings account

- High-yield savings account, which regularly features a higher interest rate than a regular savings account

- Bank money market savings account, that features a variable interest rate that would increase as your savings grow

For long-term goals consider:

- Securities like stocks or mutual funds. These investment products are accessible through investment accounts with a dealer. keep in mind that securities, like stocks and mutual funds, aren't insured by the corporation, aren't deposits or alternative obligations of a bank and aren't bonded by a bank, and are subject to investment risks, together with the possible loss of principal investment.

7. Making Saving Automatic

Almost all banks provide automatic transfers between your checking and savings accounts. you'll be able to select when, how much and where to transfer cash to, or maybe split your direct deposit between your checking and savings accounts. automatic transfers are an excellent way to save cash since you don't need to think about it and it usually reduces the temptation to spend the money instead.

8. Watch Your Savings Grow

Check your progress each month. Not only will this assist you keep on with your personal savings plan however it additionally helps you determine and fix issues quickly. These simple ways to save lots of money may even inspire you to save more and hit your goals quicker.

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7 Ways to Make MONEY During The Recession / Garrett Gunderson

Does Perfectionism Poison You? Here Are 5 Telltale Symptoms

Sometimes it's subtle - sometimes it's glaring. But on any and every level, perfectionism exerts a paralyzing influence.

Does perfectionism poison you?

If so, the first challenge is to recognize it. Only when you see it can you apply the antidote.

But here's the problem; if you desperately want to be perfect, self-diagnosis can feel excruciatingly painful and difficult. Identifying your desire to please, and seeing how it debilitates you, is especially challenging since perfectionism is often highly rewarded in society.

So the best way to start this journey is with compassion. Self-acceptance mobilizes you and makes it unnecessary to seek validation from others. Then, by opening up to an understanding where your desire to be perfect started, you can begin to reduce its power.

Let's start by briefly examining these origins. I invite you to open your mind and open your heart and remember that perfectionism is overcome with compassion and realism!

Where Does Perfectionism Come From?

Perfectionism usually has its roots in early childhood and is generally an attempt to control something that feels uncontrollable. Perhaps in response to criticism or punishment, you attempted to master your environment by providing what was demanded of you. This could set you on a perfectionistic course.

What Behaviors Signal Perfectionism?

When you relate as a perfectionist, you:

Relate reactively rather than responsively. You waste hours trying to second-guess others' needs and desires and not enough time defining what you genuinely need.
Smile stiffly - like an exaggerated grin you might wear in front of a camera. This reflects stress, not confidence or happiness.
Have increasing difficulty managing anger and disappointment because you have forfeited your autonomy. Punishing behavior often follows right on the heels of efforts to please and control.
Find it difficult to balance your life, working incessantly and feeling that nothing is ever good enough.
And in extreme instances, you may become completely paralyzed. The fear and pain of making mistakes drains your incentive to explore and extend yourself.
If you now feel clearer about the role of perfectionism in your life, be sure to validate yourself! You've taken a powerful step to recover from its effects on you, and ongoing work will help you continue to enhance your productivity and pleasure in life.
And to move toward your Heart-Based Time Success, sign up for our free gift, The Finding Time Success Kit, which includes "The New Finding Time Boundary Template: 9 Simple, Sequential Steps to Find More Time and Recharge Your Energy!" Using a workbook format this powerful and practical time template helps you progress beyond disappointment and frustration. Discover that 24 hours really are enough!

Just click this link to get started: https://thetimefinder.com

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What No One Tells You About Financial Freedom...

Five Tried and True Time Management Tips

One thing everyone seems to not have enough of is time. Since you cannot get more time each day, the thing to do is better utilize the time you have. Following are five time management tips that have been utilized for years and continue to work well for those who do them.

Always prioritize what you should get done each day. Be sure to plan for getting key items done that move your most important project to completion or high priorities that help to accomplish your goals. Then do other activities that would be consider your normal job tasks by organizing them with similar a like activities together organize things first
Touch paper or emails only once. In other words do not procrastinate by deciding to "decide later." If it is something a subordinate can do or another team member enjoys doing, put their name on it and pass it along with minimal instructions. If it is reference material, skim it for what you need then either toss it or file it. If it requires you to reply, then write a note on paper or respond to an email right away with comments, questions, or suggestions.
Schedule high priority or key items into your day during the time you know you have the most energy and do your best work. This goes back to planning your day because you should always give you best efforts towards things that matter in the long run rather than just getting things done. So be sure to use your peak time for important tasks.
Whenever possible, delegate! You do not need to do everything yourself. Allow others to take on projects or tasks that may allow them to grow and learn. You may need to review their work or provide some guidance yourself at first or suggest someone on your team who can guide them through the necessary process. Eventually the subordinate or team member will be able to handle similar work on their own, which frees you for more important tasks.
Make an appointment with yourself for some uninterrupted time each day. Again we go back to planning your day so you accomplish more important things with the time you have. Use this uninterrupted time for strategic planning, project updates, or creative thinking. Even if this is only half an hour, it might help in moving key items forward in a new way, reducing stress, and preventing crisis.
The preceding time management tips have been tested by many people and have proven to work time after time. So if you want more time in your day, try these tips to see if they allow you to get more done by better managing how you work with the time you have.
Shirley Fine Lee has considerable training and expertise in time and project management, as well as training others within the corporate world to be able to do the same. Her book, "T.A.P.P. Steps in Tiime Management, is a must-have guide for personal time management in the 21st century. Find out more about her, her books, and learning options she provides on her blog at To Be Productive.

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"Get Focused" by Darren Hardy

How To Use Your Time To Create The Life You Want

How you use your time is just one of the variables to success. I'm not talking about the passage of time because time just is. It's what you do with the time that you have that matters. One of the secrets to success is knowing how much time to spend on the right things at the right time in the right order to get the results you want in your life.

We have so many distractions these days that it's so easy to be swayed off course. So how do you know when you're using your time effectively and when you're not?

1. Get the Balance Right

It's all about balance. If you feel you're working too slowly, how can you speed up such that you're still fully present with the task at hand, you're minimising errors and you're in that alpha brainwave state (where you're fully absorbed in what you're doing)? If work is coming in at a faster pace than your working pace you know you need to reduce the time you're spending on tasks or increase your pace.

If you're rushing around in a state of unhealthy stress (yes there is healthy stress... it's called moderate pressure!) what do you need to do to slow down and bring a sense of calmness and balance back into your being?

If you're being drawn away from what you're doing by social media and time is just passing you by, what strategies and stops do you need to put in place to ensure that you minimise those distractions? It's all about finding that fine line between speed and pace, between stress and pressure, between distraction and taking a break.

How you view what you're engaged in at any point in time is key to how successfully you do what you do. It's about gaining that clarity in your mind. For example if you feel your pace is too slow or to fast on a particular day and you've got a long list of tasks to accomplish that day, get clear about why your pace is the way it is.

Look back at what you were doing yesterday. Did you have a full-on day yesterday, or was your day too easy? In which case should you have scheduled in a lighter day today or a more active one? How did you sleep last night? If you spent the night tossing and turning and hardly slept that might be a clue that maybe your body just needs rest today. If you slept soundly last night this is going to contribute to an extra boost of energy for you.

Look at what you've been eating over the last few days. If it's empty calories that give you the feeling of fullness but lack nourishment, this is going to drain your energy levels. If, however, you've been taking in food and drink packed with E numbers you may find yourself bouncing off the walls. All of these aspects are going to have an impact on the time you spend, so planning your days effectively taking account of your energy levels is crucial.

2. Understand How You Respond

Another indicator as to whether your life is working for you time wise is how well you're moving towards what you want in life. A measure of this is how you're responding at the end of each day to what you've achieved... or not. If you feel disappointed because once again you've not accomplished what you wanted to achieve, perhaps it's because once again you've unrealistically tried to fit too many tasks into one day.

By asking yourself certain questions about the activities you undertake will begin to give you an understanding of how well you're using your time. Do you feel your task is too big, too small, too boring? Maybe you're unclear on exactly what it is you need to do. Perhaps you lack clarity on how you're going to do what it is you want to do.

3. Prioritize Your Activities

Maybe what's needed is some time to clearly define your activity, why you're doing it and to work out a simple strategy that will at least get you moving. Sometimes when you take a few moments to take just these simple steps, your energy levels begin to stabilise because confusion, frustration and uncertainty begin to wane.

Taking some time to simply prioritize your tasks according to their level of importance, timing each one and deciding when you are going to tackle each is an amazingly freeing activity on a mental level that will begin to move you forward. Adopting this more practical approach will also help you to learn more about how you naturally work, and to work in accordance with this.

4. Get Clear on Your Outcomes

The clearer you can be about your desired achievements, the more constructively you'll find yourself using your time. How to do this is relatively simple:

Get really clear on exactly what you want to achieve
Map out your strategy for getting there
Break your project down into prioritized and timed phases and tasks
Get to work!
Evaluate on an ongoing basis what's working and what's not
Make the necessary adjustments along the way
Stay open-minded to what success will look like
Keep going until you get to where you want to go (or to the closest version of it)
Rinse and repeat
It's a simple system, but it's not necessarily easy, and a key part of this is how you use the time at your disposal to get to your outcome. When you begin to use your time more effectively by following the strategies above, you can begin to achieve the exact outcomes you want to manifest, and from there start to carve out the exact life you want to live.
Carmen Gilfillan is the founder of Stimulus Development & Training. Stimulus specialises in helping people overcome emotional trauma, experience emotional breakthroughs and live their best lives. We do this through Life & Wellness Coaching, Emotional Freedom consultations and training in the areas of personal, professional and spiritual growth. Check out our website at http://www.stimulus.uk.com to book your free Emotional Breakthrough consultation.

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Hack Your Day Job: How to Double Your Productivity at Work - by Ramit Sethi

10 Habits to Get Things Done

In today's busy world, with the holidays approaching, how do you get more done? It is a topic that continues to be pressing in our active world today. Here are a few classic tips that save time but are not always standard in people's habits.

1. Appointment setting - Often people go back and forth with long text or email conversations to schedule appointments. Create a free Google calendar for yourself on YouCanBookMe.com so people can pick and schedule a time. If your schedule is not able to be standardized, at least shorten the correspondence by suggesting three times vs. messaging back and forth. It is amazing how many messages it can take to get one appointment unless one communicator puts forth multiple options to expedite finding a time.

2. Measure your results; maximize your time - When doing things, many of us would love to take all the time in the world to make it "perfect". The problem is "perfect" is not only hard to achieve but is usually not "cost-effective". This doesn't mean you have to ditch excellence, but it does mean you have to understand what is 80% Optimum.

Recently at a conference, a speaker suggested a concept called "Get-mo" short for "Get More". It is similar to the philosophy of Optimum. It is looking at the task at hand, the time you have and finding creative solutions to achieve the outcome. It is the epitome of maximizing time. Understand what is a "reasonable" amount of time to do a task or project or "time available" and then find a way to accomplish the results in that limited scope of time. Period. Much time is wasted or absorbed in tasks that take way too long, which then results in mistakes, rework, parts that now need different solutions, plus new emergencies that cut in line because a task is taking way too long.

3. Have Daily Routines. Many routines we have are invisible to us. Think about how many things you do in the AM when you wake up. Most people have it down to a little routine that they go through pretty "mindlessly". If you are intentional to take a few more tasks that you have on a regular basis and bundle those into AM Habits and PM Habits your mind will count them as "one" task (vs the number of tasks that are bundled into that routine). When you do them in the same order each day and do the routine consistently, the task will move from conscious awareness and effort to the subconscious ability to execute. This means you will be able to do it quickly while your brain is able to hold or prepare for other things.

4. Stop multi-tasking & focus on one thing and finish. The more stressed we get, the more common it is to leave things half done. We start something and then are distracted or jump to another task, often associated with what we were doing, but by the end of the day, we can feel frustrated that lots were touched but nothing was done. The key to getting traction is to FINISH. You have to pick one task; then be disciplined and keep yourself focused to the FINISH. It is important the task is a specific action vs a project, however, if you outline the "step" that needs to be done, focus there and get it done.

5. Be organized. Have systems for your things and label them. My friend who is a Professional Organizer taught me this years ago. She even had me label sections of my bulletin board! It helps to keep things organized and find or process things. When you get a new contact, enter it in your phone, get the right information and enter it with your "contact naming configuration". Some people will leave numbers unlisted and then be searching for that person later when they have the information but didn't "enter" it. If you do these things when you first get them, you will find great time savings. When you send emails, use the subject line. It will help for searching, sorting and finding later. When you have files, have a "file system" so you can file things in the right place. It is easy to save everything to your desktop or C: drive, but then difficult to find. If you have a system with your key folders set up and then have that same system in email, soft folders, and paper folders, you will find your mind is able to organize and conform to the system quickly.

6. Start with the end in mind - know the goal and what you are trying to accomplish. Like was said in point 4, know what you are really trying to accomplish. Sometimes we start projects or tasks, only to get stuck with needing more information, supplies, another part to be done, etc. This often results in partially done projects sitting. This not only takes up space and mental energy but it is emotionally distracting to have partially finished projects. Whenever possible know what the "end" is and work to finish the task to the end.

7. Have a list and a plan. Some people believe they have a great memory and don't like to write things down. Sometimes we feel too busy to stop and make a list. Other times people are just not "list makers". The thing is, making a list is helpful for your brain. It clears the different thoughts floating around and allows the organization of those thoughts and priorities. It doesn't matter what "type" of person you are or not, the brain works more efficiently when you are able to download thoughts and tasks, organize priorities on a list and get going.

8. Get to the point. Small talk and connecting relationally is important, however, time is often wasted by being unprepared for what the goal is and the purpose of the time. In meetings (even a 1-1) have an agenda, have an identified goal and focus on that, set a time limit, stand up for meetings, have a note taker, highlight actions. Time is valuable for everyone and most people appreciate it when you respect their time and keep things on track.

9. Declutter. While some people feel that "stuff" is not a problem or is an "organized mess", the truth is humans work faster with a clear desk and organized space. You can find things faster, loose things less and are more focused. There was a study done years ago that studied people at their desk with it cluttered vs decluttered and even those who loved and wanted to keep a cluttered desk, were proven to work faster and more efficiently without the clutter. Take time daily to clear your desk. Take time nightly to "clean sweep" and pick up your home. Clear and clean your car, bag, whatever you use on a regular basis. It will make a difference.

10. Wake up early. First things first. What is most important should be done the first thing of the day. That is why the "Eat that Frog" is a great concept and "Miracle Morning" is a critical productivity tool. It gets your mind focused and all the "critically important" but not urgent items done. I will confess, I am NOT a morning person and it is not always easy for me to nail this, but it is true when you do these things (affirmations, mediations, work out, learning/reading, journaling, etc.) it gets you off on the right foot AND ensures that you do them. You can drag them along on your to-do list for the day and sometimes hitting these items at lunch, end of workday or PM is possible and a better time, but the truth is what you want to MAKE SURE you do, do it at the top of the day!

There might be items you do already and some you do not think you could do, but find and pick ONE that you can put into practice to support your efforts to get more done in your life!

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Christy_Geiger/2434143



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Rich Dad Poor Dad - Robert Kiyosaki's Top 10 Rules For Success (@theReal...

Covid-19 and Our Money: Fighting a Psychological Battle

Across the world, governments and populations alike are encountering the same challenges - namely, how to treat the coronavirus and prevent its spread.

But this is just the beginning. Certainly, in the here and now - in the immediate future - bringing the virus under control is the priority, and we salute the legions of scientists, medical personnel, and key workers who are making that happen each and every day. But what comes next? How do we deal with the economic depression that follows such a crisis? How do we avoid global recession?

There is one thing we must do: We must not give in. We must not roll over and simply accept the worst case as the inevitable.

And we won't. This is not the way that we - as a species - do things. If the last few months has taught us anything, it is that the incredible resilience of humanity is still alive and well. Even in the face of such hardship, the flame of endeavour, of compassion, of positivity, still burns brightly.

This is all well and good, but what does this mean in practice? How do we go about channelling this resilience into a set of practical solutions that will carry us, and our finances, forward?

Let's take a look at this in a little more detail.

Practical Solutions to Winning the Psychological Battle

We often hear the phrase "it's all in your head," as if a psychological problem is somehow less valid than a physical or external issue. In the 21st century, we are pushing back against this - not only recognising that psychological issues need real consideration but also understanding that there are real steps we can take to overcome them.

So, if you've found yourself hounded by money worries and anxiety as a result of this crisis, how do you overturn the negativity?

Develop a complete understanding of your situation

Much of the anxiety and worry we feel on a daily basis comes from uncertainty and a lack of knowledge. Basically, if we do not know what we are dealing with, we assume the worst. And, these negative feelings build and build until we are overwhelmed.

Fight this tendency. Fight it with knowledge. Sit down and work out how the virus has affected your incomings. Then, work out what adjustments can be made so not only can you keep yourself moving forward, but you also can actively set yourself up for a thriving future.

This is not a one-off exercise. You need to get used to appraising your situation on a regular basis, running the accounts, assessing the damage and the improvement, and arming yourself with the knowledge you need to gain the upper hand.

Begin to diversify

Don't put all your eggs, as the old adage goes, in one basket. There's a reason why this has become so cliché - because it's such great advice. If your income stream is too narrow or too restricted, you are putting yourself in danger. Even when times are good, you are only a hop, step, and jump away from a serious financial problem.

So, what's the answer? Diversity. Don't turn your back on your current revenue streams and business interests. Instead, seek to add to them. Think about how you can protect yourself with a more diverse portfolio of investments, and then consider how this diversity can really drive your success.

Build a positive attitude

Negativity will get us nowhere. Instead, it erodes our psychology, and makes it difficult to gain perspective and understanding of our situation. Our minds become clouded by doubt and other such thoughts.

But, by making small positive changes to our mindset, we can counteract this. Make these small incremental changes - by reframing setbacks as challenges and opportunities, for example, or by putting certain minor hardships in a broader context. Get used to doing this, and witness big changes in your psychology.

Be proactive

Change cannot happen by itself. Your aims and objectives won't be achieved without effort and action. This does not mean mistaking movement for progress and rushing around like a headless chicken, though. Rather, it means outlining what you want to achieve in the long and short term, thinking about what you need to do to achieve this, and then putting one foot in front of the other until you get there.

The coronavirus has made goal achievement a little more challenging than usual, so you may need to change your approach. But don't be discouraged.

Seek assistance

There is help out there, so make sure you get the help you need. This may come from talking to friends and co-workers, or from engaging with webinars, video media, or insightful articles. The truth is, there is no single "correct" way to educate ourselves and to grow our emotional and psychological resilience.

We are all in this together, so let's help one another. Let's accept the help that we ourselves need to win the psychological battle, and to come through this crisis stronger than ever.

Det David Love is a consultant with Money Mastery International, a financial education consortium. MMI offers live workshops and seminars designed to help people become financially independent. The instructors are professionals and business entrepreneurs who take a wholistic approach to financial literacy by exploring the psychology of money, practical money management principles, and time-tested wealth-building methods.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dave_Love/1272201



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The Compound Effect (Animated Book Summary) by Darren Hardy

2 Hours in the Morning Will Put You in 2% Club!

Do you set up yourself for failure every morning? If you hit snooze over and over again, yes you do, yet you didn't know till now. Two years ago, I was in your situation. It was my dream to be a successful person, you know, kinds of people who always look motivated and get things done in no time. I always knew waking up early would change my life, but the problem was not waking up early, it was sleeping early.

As you can relate, I thought I didn't have what it takes to have an amazing morning routine that over a couple of years it will transform to a success story. It was just a dream that I wanted, yes it was, not anymore!

Are these statements familiar to you?

• I'll wake up early tomorrow.

• I've slept late, so I should sleep more.

• I don't do anything useful in the mornings anyways, so why should I wake up early?

• I'm just not the right person for growth and success, I lack the discipline.

If you relate to one of these or all and are nodding your head, this guide will definitely save you from the struggle.

I'll not even mention agonizing impacts of wasting your mornings because you're living them. Let's start with the benefits and how those benefits will change your life in better way.

The first and the best one, waking up early will give you mental strength. Probably, you're saying, "I wake up early every day for work/school and there's no mental advantage!". Okay, I've got a few questions for you: what do you do when you wake up? Go through your emails? Or social media? Or in rush to be on time for your work/school? Another question: what do you do for yourself? To have mental strength, you should work on yourself. According to a study contacted by the American Psychological Association having a good routine in the beginning of the day will reduce your depression, anxiety and stress. More than that, it will increase your satisfaction level which will become happiness.

Second, a good beginning routine will provide you physical benefits. For instance, I do a hundred pushups after I wake up (of course it's not the only exercise I do during the whole day), which skyrockets my energy for the day. I'm not suggesting you to do pushups, you can practice yoga or even go for a walk. Another physical benefit of having a good morning routine is consuming less calories. I made an experiment with a group of twenty people, ten of us slept late for the next month, on the other hand, the rest slept early. As a result, late sleepers ended eating more because when you sleep late you get hungry that's why you tend to eat more which over the years become obesity.

Third, a good beginning always provides spiritual rewards. Visualizing your success does give you inner peace. I remember myself visualizing working as a freelancer and making enough money to travel while working. And that gave me enough motivation every day to work towards my ambitions, thus, my relationships with people became better both at home and at work. When you work for what you visualize today, in some time you'll make it reality. Of course, practicing visualization is not the only way to have inner peace. Meditation, journaling or listing what you're grateful for will help as well.

Of course, there're many other benefits of waking up early, but in my opinion, those which are above are dominant to other benefits. What else will you ask for if you're mentally strong, healthy as a model and peaceful with yourself, right?

I hope you're ready to build your own amazing morning routine! No, don't say, "but I'm not a morning person". Everything starts in your mind, so change your mindset and be positive on waking up early. "Beliefs we've that are so deeply embedded that we don't even realize they guide our attitudes and behaviors", said author Ramit Sethi. In simpler words, what you believe is your reality. So, you better start believing the you're an early bird.

Your morning routine doesn't start in the morning; it starts the night before. Here are five things you need to do to develop a habit from 'Habit Starter Checklist' written by Rob Norback. First, always remind yourself the habit that you want to create, in this case it's waking up early. Second, break it down to small pieces to make it easier and doable, make a decision of routine in regards to your new habit. For example, what activities you'll include in your morning routine. Third, know what rewards it will bring to you. How I did this, I wrote how creating and following a morning routine will make my life better on a piece of paper and read it every day. Fourth, visualize your success with your morning routine. Finally, record the progress, it will definitely encourage you to keep going.

If you're having issues with sleeping because of stress, anxiety and uncertainty (worrying about future) of future, like I had in the past. I highly recommend you to write down negative thoughts like these on a piece of paper, then fold it and tear it apart, finally throw it away. By doing this, you kick out your negative thoughts from your head and you physically do something to them which is extremely relieving.

Other helpful activity to relax before sleep; deep breathing, silence your inner voice, so it won't be bothering you; think about good things, read a book, write diary or look forwards to an amazing night sleep. There's no a certain way to get relaxed before sleep, you can find which one works for you by trying them.

It's time to chase your dreams and since day starts in the morning, you need to have a good morning routine. Start off with encouraging yourself, I believe this is the first thing you should do in the morning. 'Today is going to be the most productive day of my life' this is what I say to myself when I wake up. You can find different ones for yourself such as 'I'll be on my best today', you got the idea.

Every time I wake and encourage myself, I get out of the bed and start doing pushups right away, of course, there're plenty of other exercises you can do. For instance, sit ups, walking, jogging, even dancing, do whatever you want to for approximately twenty minutes that fills you with energy.

Cold water is the enemy of sleep if you can take a cold shower then go for it, however, if not, just wash your face with cold water. Feel awake? Now, tell what you're grateful for, you can make a list of it if you wish. Here is what I am grateful for:

• Being able to wake up

• Living the life that I've always dreamt of

• Exercising

• Yummy breakfast

• Friend

• Going to cinema and spending a great time with my partner

• Being able to finish my projects on time

Read them all out loud (of course, yours will be different), by doing this you hack your brain that you're a successful person, therefore, more achievements coming for you today.

Take your time when creating your morning routine, creating my current morning routine took two years for me. At the beginning, I set up my alarm clock to 5 a.m. and I believed that it'll give me more energy and productivity. By contrast, it gave me nothing but sleepiness, when you do something gradually your chances of success are more likely. Let's say you normally wake up at 6 a.m. next day wake up at 5:45. Then, gradually continue to your wake up time goal with setting your alarm clock 15 to 30 minutes earlier. In short, start small, be persistent and you'll achieve your goal wake up time.

As I've said before, take your time, I didn't build my winning morning habit in a day but in two years. Don't put too much to your morning routine when you're at the beginning, I did that mistake. I read books, meditated, exercised, worked; however, it didn't fulfill me with happiness and I thought of giving up many times. Build your perfect morning routine gradually, for example, exercise, after exercising becomes a habit read a book after exercise. You don't get the whole building in a day, you build it and it takes time.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Ahmet_Meliksah_Akdeniz/2758352



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10245284

Automating Your Finances in 12 Minutes, with Ramit Sethi

You Life Is Currency - A Radical Way Of Looking At How You Spend It

Have you ever thought that you buy things with your life and not necessarily money or to say it another way, you buy things with the hours spent from your life? It's a radical notion, I understand, to think that when you make a purchase - let's say something really big like an 82" flat screen TV - what you're actually doing is exchanging a portion of your life for it.

Before dismissing my statement, hear me out.

On the assumption that you work an hourly pay and not receiving royalties or some form of passive or residual income, consider the following question for yourself: if you were to stop doing what you currently do for a living would your pay stop as well? For most people the response to this would be yes because, in essence, you're trading time for money which is a topic I discuss in my article "Pajama Money - Earn Passive Residual Income And Live The Lifestyle You Truly Want!" but, I digress. By trading time for money this then brings me back to my initial statement of, "you by things with the hours spent from your life." You might be asking how I came to this conclusion so let's jump into the facts.

According to Wikipedia the American median household income in January of 2019 was $63,688. In an effort of not getting into complex formulas I will use the simplest numbers possible and refrain from using tax and interest in my equations. So, for the sake of this conversation I will use conservative numbers by rounding down to balance this number out to $63,000 which would be $1,211.54 per week and $30.29 per hour.

Now, let's say you want to purchase that previously mentioned TV. After doing a quick search for "average price of an 82 inch TV in America today", I found the price tag to be upwards of $4,000. So what would it cost you in hours worked?

Samsung 82" Flat Screen TV ($4,000) = 132 hours of work or, 5.5 days

So, let's say you and I work together and one day you came into work and over heard me talking to another colleague saying, "Hey Jim guess what?!! Over the next five and a half days, I'll be working 132 countdowns hours just so that I'll be able to afford to buy my brand new 82" flat screen TV! Isn't it exciting?!!"

Forgive me, I know that was a bit hyperbolic but, it proves my point more clearly and I don't know about you but, doesn't that statement sound weird? Anyhow, by taking this approach it can help to put things into perspective or at the very least begin to raise your awareness. Of course you don't have to change your lifestyle or habits if you don't want to however, it is good counsel to just be more aware, that's all.

Let's take a quick moment now to look at some other common purchases:

Grande Starbucks Cappuccino ($4.00) = 0.13 hours of work or, 8 minutes

Apple iPhone 11 ($700) = 23 hours of work or, 1380 minutes

New Ford F-150 Truck ($28,000) = 3,864 hours of work or, 5.3 months

Median home listing price in the US ($226,800) = 31,536 hours of work or, 3.6 years

Remember, these numbers reflect time spent to earn the amount needed to make the purchase where day-to-day expenses and the like haven't been considered. And with this new perspective I'd also like for you to consider that over time, as inflation rises and prices continue to climb, your "sweat equity" begins to buy less meaning your time value worth is being reduced. When you consider that prices on average have gone up almost 50% over the last two decades it becomes easy to understand why so many people are struggling under mountains of debt from financing loans and credit cards to 30+ year mortgages.

It's staggering to see the actual numbers but, I've put together a brief report called, "Inflation - The Hidden Tax Agenda Silently Robbing You And Confiscating Your Wealth!" which highlight 3 agendas that depletes your money's value without you even realizing it.

If you'd like to learn more and even learn how you can guard yourself against inflation, then check out my free report by clicking here!

As a former independent insurance advisor and income protection specialist, Ryan provided clients with customized personal insurance and financial solutions through disability, life, critical illness, long-term care, and other personal insurance products. Today, his focus is on providing strategies for hedging income and preserving wealth through physical gold and silver acquisition.

https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/

https://www.businessinsider.com/cost-to-buy-a-house-in-every-state-ranked-2018-8

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Ryan_D._Forrester/2093018



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RICH VS POOR MINDSET | An Eye Opening Interview with Robert Kiyosaki

Boost Your COVID - 19 Retirement Planning With These Tips

Bear in mind that retirement savings are for the long run. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is having a widespread impact across all elements of financial life, including retirement plans. The current global stock exchange turbulence, as a result of COVID-19, will undoubtedly be concerning for people whose retirement savings are spent partly or entirely during these volatile marketplace conditions. However, making decisions based on what is happening in the short term may be a risky thing to do. It may be tempting, for instance, to consider transferring all your investments into cash or other lower-risk investments - but in doing so, you not only lock in the loss as a result of recent falls, but you may also miss out as the value goes back up, so you'd lose out in the long term also.

Here are our tips on how to navigate these difficult times.

Allow time for Markets to Recover

It is really important to remember that retirement savings are for the long term. If you are young and paying towards a workplace pension, then there's time to your pension pot to achieve growth over the long run and regain the losses caused by the volatility now being experienced in the stock markets. You shouldn't be overly concerned, as you have many working years to come, and this will provide time for markets to recover before you're ready to take your retirement income.

If you are older and closer to retirement, you may have seen your funds 'lifestyled'. This means that your pension will have been transferred into generally less risky funds and invested in 'safer' areas like cash, gilts or bonds, which are lower risk and in the main provide a fixed rate of return. The older you get, the more pension schemes tend to invest in these assets to limit investment risk. But, not all pension schemes provide automatic lifestyling.

The reality of Purchasing an annuity now

An annuity is a retirement income product that you purchase with some or all your pension pot. It pays a regular retirement income for life or for a set interval. If you are intending to retire soon, and were preparing to buy an annuity, in March, the Bank of England cut the base rate twice in just over a week as a further emergency response to the coronavirus pandemic, reducing it from 0.25% to 0.1%. This has meant annuity rates have also fallen.

If You're still thinking of securing an income by buying an annuity, the current volatility indicates the importance of gradually reducing the risk in your portfolio as you approach your anticipated annuity purchase date. Doing so provides greater certainty over the lump sum you will have available to buy your annuity, which in turn will give you clarity over exactly how much secured income you can expect to make from the fund.

Drawdown

Drawdown is a way of taking money from your pension to live on during retirement. You need to be aged 55 or over and have a defined contribution pension to get your money this way. You keep your retirement savings invested when you retire and take money from (or 'drawdown') out of your pension pot. If the last few months have taught us anything, it is the stock markets can be quite volatile, so because your money remains invested -- and it is usually in the stock market - should you select drawdown you will need to be comfortable that the markets and the value of your pension could fall as well as rise. The upside is that investment growth can provide higher returns and see your pension pot continue to increase in value even though you are taking an income from it.

If we continue to see a protracted period of negative investment returns, and you are already using drawdown or intend to move into drawdown shortly, you may also wish to avoid taking out more than you will need to while stock market values remain depressed. The more you are able to leave in, the more you'll profit over time once there's a recovery.

Keep making Contributions

If you're still in the process of saving for your retirement now might be a great time to think about increasing your pension contributions. Despite the fact that there is short term volatility in markets, increases in contributions over the long term can make a major difference to your eventual retirement fund's value, especially if it coincides with a recovery in the market.

Stagger your retirement

A new study [1] has shown how many pensioners are choosing to stagger their retirement, moving part-time prior to giving up work entirely to make sure their pensions will last for for as long as possible after they fully retire. With people living longer, and with the extra prospect of long term care costs in later life, retirees increasingly know the advantages of having a bigger pension pot.

Of those who have not touched their pension pot, half (51 percent ) say it's because they're still in work, while over a quarter (25 percent ) of those in their 60s say it's because they need their pensions to hold out as long as possible.

Naturally, retirees who have not yet touched their pension pot must have alternative sources of revenue. When asked about their income, almost half (47 percent) said they take an income from savings, others rely on their partner or spouse's income (35 percent) or the State Pension (22 percent), while 12% rely on income from property.

Professional Financial Advice Counts

If you are about to retire, the amount of exposure you have will reflect both your attitude to investment risk and the time you have until retirement. Most of all, before making any significant decisions concerning your pension, take professional financial advice.

And There's no need to fear - at this stage, we don't know what the long-term consequences of coronavirus will be. An adviser can help you focus on what's important, weigh all your options, and take a balanced assessment of your risks.

Ellis Bates Financial Advisers are independent financial advisers with offices across the United Kingdom. They manage over £1 billion of assets on behalf of clients, who have given them a 4.9/5.00 score with Trustist. https://www.ellisbates.com/about/reviews/

For more information please visit their website http://www.ellisbates.com

Source information: [1] LV= poll of over 1,000 adults aged over 50 with defined contributions -- 25 February 2020

A pension is a long-term investment. The fund value may fluctuate and can go down, which would have an Impact on the amount of pensions benefits available. Pensions aren't normally available until age 55. Your retirement income could also be affected by interest rates at the time you take your gains. The tax consequences of pension withdrawals will be dependent on your personal circumstances, tax legislation and regulations, which are subject to change. The value of Investments and income from them can go down. You might not get back the amount invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Taking withdrawals may erode the capital value of the fund, especially if investment returns are poor and a high level of income is being taken. This could result in a lower income if and when an annuity is purchased.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Grant_Ellis/2799973



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10300732

Don't Follow Your Passion

These Decisions Can Increase Your Happiness

When you use smart decisions and self-awareness to shape your life, it will reflect your deepest aspirations and your fondest dreams.

1. Make your life your own. Decide to re-decide. Re-examine your goals and dreams. Don't just assume that what you wanted yesterday is still the right thing for you. Have your goals and dreams changed? Give yourself the freedom to decide today what you want your life to be about.

2. Make your job a joy. Decide to revitalize your career, or try a new one. Ask yourself if you're really happy and stimulated with your work. If you're not, or if you feel unappreciated or frustrated by a lack of advancement, consider a change. Understand the corporate agenda and be realistic about advancement opportunities at your present job. If you feel you need a change, you may be able to move to a different position or department within your company, or you may want to look for a new job entirely. If you stay at your present job, ask for raises and promotions, if you feel that you've earned them.

3. Take it to the bank. Decide to secure your financial position. Get out of debt, keep yourself on a budget, invest your money wisely and keep abreast of your financial situation. Many women allow their partners to take care of financial matters, only to find themselves unprepared if they become divorced or widowed. Remember, financial stress is one of the greatest stressors of all.

4. Why are you here? Decide to create meaning in your life. Identify the purpose and meaning of your life and define why you are here on earth. When you understand your purpose in life, losses are easier to bear and all other decisions are easier to make.

5. Share your bounty. Decide to give something back. Donate money or put your talents, skills and experience to use by volunteering for causes you care about. People who volunteer have been found to be happier and healthier than those who don't. Remember that charity begins at home, so give to your own family, friends and neighbors.

Whatever you choose, if you make smart decisions, the best is yet to come. Using your creativity, and giving back from the wisdom you've gained through experience, will enhance your value to others and to yourself. - excerpted from The Ten Smartest Decisions a Woman Can Make After Forty.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Tina_Tessina/34086



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This Is Why You Don't Succeed - Simon Sinek on The Millennial Generation

The Negative Economic Effects of the Coronavirus Pandemic

The negative economic after-effects of the Coronavirus Pandemic is resulting in huge financial struggles, that could potentially be worse than the Great Depression of 1929. Covid-19 is wreaking absolute havoc on a global scale with millions of people under forced lockdown, and businesses going bankrupt. The following scenarios highlight the extent of the problems and challenges we are being faced with.

Record unemployment, and as a direct result, a significant boost in crime, bankruptcies, and homelessness.
A money-starved population that has not conserved their financial assets during the previous periods of growth, will anticipate being covered by their Federal Governments throughout the hard times. Some nations will of course be much better able to do this than others.
Banks failing and restrictions on holding or withdrawing of cash. Federal Governments will have a very hard time to cover their insurance of bank deposits, and some people could even lose their savings. This could be a repeat of the 2008 Banking Crisis, but just somewhat bigger.
Massive bailouts from Government, but which will fail to alter the trend until it has run its course.
Deflation will happen, and this inevitably implies lower rates of acquiring certain items, but with accompanying lower wages too. It means that the value of cash increases relative to things you can purchase like stocks, houses and groceries. Their will however be less money to go around.
Major debts written off and lots of insolvencies. Deflation occurs because the masses of financial obligation built up during the past years of growth ended up being crossed out, and so the real quantity of money in the system is less. Central banks will not have the ability to avoid this by printing cash since to grow the supply of money, the commercial banks need to be lending a lot of money. As a consequence, people and businesses will stop borrowing due to fears about the future.
Possible long-term and duplicated quarantines and disturbances to regular company procedures for anywhere from 3-24 months. While longer terms than is less likely, it is still a possibility. Fear, instead of science can sustain lockdowns, especially with federal governments motivated to be as stringent as the next nation to prevent looking bad. There are presently lots of scientific unknowns, with leading scientists tend to talk about how much they don't understand, thus exercise caution.
More insecure feelings among society and a less inclusive state of mind. People will relate to smaller sized groups that are more like themselves and have an increasing distaste for individuals not in those groups, whether it be political, ideological, race and even food options.
An increase in distrust and blame between nations, with restrictions. Damaged relationships between countries are expected to increase. There will be an increase in national self-preservation as opposed to working together like a global community. Aid from other countries will be regarded as having ulterior motives.
Governmental control. Numerous nations will have developed precedence and laws to increasingly control and screen residents, which will be supported by more draconian measures. This will be an attempt to keep society healthy, but likewise anticipated to be aggressively opposed by those not favouring authoritarian control.
A reaction against big businesses and the wealthy, particularly the previous big winners who had doubtful ethics. The role of conglomerate platforms like Google and Facebook could come under significant scrutiny, as well as the banking sector who are perceived to work under a cloth of secrecy.
A huge increase in mental stress and mental disorders amongst people as the pressures of life increase, and people battle to adjust to difficult personal finance challenges and rapid, unpredictable modifications.
To counteract the financial consequences on households, families and their assets, it is imperative that people start looking at means to supplement their income. In order to maintain your standard of living, you need to get exposure to methods on how to earn extra money during Covid-19.
There are many money-making methods and options around, but research on your behalf so just check out the resources as mentioned below. You will soon be on your way to financial peace of mind and released from the stress of worrying about reduced income and job losses.

Still looking for a reputable source of Making Money During Covid-19? Stop being misled by online crooks who know nothing about Extra Income During Covid-19. Simply go to https://coronaviruslockout.com. This site will give you the plain facts on proven Income Generating Programs that will secure a prosperous life for you and your family during and after the Coronavirus Pandemic.

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How to Re-Program Your Subconscious Mind to Get What You Want w/ Dr. Cat...

10 Ways to Get Back to Your Reading Habit

We have published an article about how to read more books. Now this post is for those who used to read in past and now stopped it for some reasons. Recently a friend asked how he could start reading habit. When I asked him what kinds of books he liked to read, his answer surprised me that he couldn't remember the last time he had read an entire book but he read a lot of news and stuffs online. Another friend admitted her own difficulties with reading as much as she used to, especially fiction. According to her there is enough drama going on around the world, so she didn't feel to read fictionalized drama.

There was one who said he 'prefer to experience real life rather than reading about it in books.' As for this kind of people who think their lives are more interesting and so diverse to give them all the wisdom and emotional skills to direct them through our increasingly complex societies, then I cannot shatter their sweet illusion. So here I want to address those who really want to read but somehow they can't.

There is a difference in reading online news and articles and reading a book. I mean the long-form (books or novels) and shorter pieces (online news and articles). Our cognitive processes are such that we read quicker and with less comprehension and retention when scrolling through short online articles, blogs, and news and clicking on link after link. Though I also read a lot online (news, book reviews, author interviews, etc.), books remains my primary source of knowledge and thoughts. Reading is not only about improving quality of our lives but also the quality of the attention we pay to the things and people in our daily lives. It changes our ways of engaging with the people and being in the world.

Here I'm suggesting some approaches to rekindle and cultivate the habit of reading. It's better to find a way for a regular reading practice organically rather than forcing yourself to read.

Move to Books from Online Articles

If you enjoy reading online about some specific topics, look for the best books published on those topics online or at your local library or bookstore. Don't forget to check the writer's name of that article you liked reading online as they might have books published too. You will get a deeper and more considered dive into those topics in book-length works. Also ask booksellers and librarian about the book on that topic you liked as they truly enjoy engaging with readers and recommend specific kinds of books. If you're living where there is no library or a bookstore nearby, you can join online library and download books on an electronic device.

Move to Books from Movies

If you enjoy movies, look for those adapted from a book and then read that book. If possible (I insist) don't watch movie before you read the book. By a little search in Google, You can find the movies based on books which are already released or will release in near future. Once you are done with that book, try to watch movie adaptation, and you'll realize what you were missing while watching only movie and not reading book.

Read Literature on Travelling

If travelling is your thing, look for books written about or around the next place you are planning to visit. Read those books before, during, and after your trip. It will make the whole travelling experience richer and more satisfying. Often, travel books are about going down the beaten path and it not only enlighten but also encourage us to wander the unknown places.

Read Short Stories

If book-length fiction is frightening you, then pick a short story book. You can usually finish them in a single sitting but they can stimulate your appetite for longer book-length fiction works. There are so many wonderful short stories available online. These short stories can leverage your regular reading habit.

Read with friends

If you can't read alone or need company while reading, Join or start a book club. I personally prefer reading alone but I enjoy those odd book discussions with readers in Book clubs. If you can't find book club nearby you, you can find it online. I love to discuss the books online with the readers from across the world. It fascinates me how differently we all interpret the same book and I always learn something new. Another way is find a friend who likes to read, and ask him (or make him) to read the same book you want to read or read the same book he is reading and then discuss chapter by chapter. This will make you understand and enjoy the book at another level.

Buy an e-Reader

If you are strapped for time, invest in an e-reader or a good audiobook membership. Then you can read while waiting in the grocery checkout line, during daily commutes, or while doing daily chores. You will be amazed to know that you have this much time for reading which was wasted. So recuperate some of this time and use it in reading.

Start a Journal

Begin to write a books journal daily where you write about whatever you've read that day. This will help you to form your thoughts and reflections on the topics and themes you've read about, which is the whole point of reading after all. Write in a private journal or in an online blog, whichever suits you.

Set Reading Goals

If goal achievements and quantified self-hood drives you, then sign up on a website like Goodreads or LibraryThing to log every book you read by date, you can also add rating based on how much liked that book. I use one of these sites to keep track of my personal library and to read list. Set daily goals for reading. Achieving these goals will encourage you to set bigger reading goals and achieve them.

Listen to Book Podcasts

Listen to some good book related podcasts, where they invite authors and discuss their books. I have, many times, bought a certain book after hearing its writer speak about it. There are many podcasts you can choose from. For short stories I like The New Yorker Fiction, The New Yorker Writer's Voice and NPR's Selected Shorts. And for authors' interviews, I prefer BBC World Book Club, CBC's Writers and Company, BBC Radio 4 Bookclub and The Guardian Books.

Attend the Literary events or Festivals

If there are any book related literary festivals near you, try to go there at least once a year. Every year we have a book fair and literature festival for a week, I never missed this event. I can't go there for whole week but I find time on weekend. Celebrating books with other readers is an exceptional delight.

Bonus Tips

Mix up your reading list with different genres and topics. There are many book recommendation websites out there and ours is one of them. Subscribe us for getting regular book recommendation and get yourself a book interests you most. You can read one book at a time or can pick multiple books from different genres and read few pages or chapters from each book every day. Do not try to keep reading the book you have lost interest in. It will kill your enthusiasm and passion for reading. There are so many books out there on every imaginable topics and themes, so drop that book and pick another one.

Reading book is a personal investment that will pay off in long run. The Best books go beyond the education, entertainment, and altering perspectives. It helps us to develop and strengthen our cognitive and emotional muscles to deal better with whatever comes on our way.

This article was published on https://www.bookishelf.com The Bookish Elf is all about the passion for books and reading, knowledge and perception. We are a small group of readers who want the world to know what we read and what they should read.

We'll love to hear pieces of advice, appreciation or criticism. You can send us all your queries and suggestions by filling the form on the Contact us page or mailing us on: contact@bookishelf.com. We'll be grateful for each word of feedback received from you.

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7 Things Poor People DO That The Rich DON’T

What Does 'Smart' Even Mean?

It seems like an obvious question.

If you're technically minded, you might have a preferred definition of intelligence. 'The ability to solve problems' seems on the right track, until you remember 20 lines of Python can solve problems.

Maybe you could call it the ability to solve new problems. It takes way more code to make something that can adapt.

But is intelligence really the same thing as agility?

Maybe, maybe not.

But here's where it gets interesting:

You might think that intelligence is something we can all agree on. Even if it's a case of you know it when you see it, smart people are smart, no questions asked.

Except that's not entirely the case.

What it means to be 'smart' varies from culture to culture.

And I reckon you can tell a lot by a society by how it defines it.

Consider:

Love him or hate him, Elon Musk is undeniably intelligent... by our standards.

But there are plenty of standards that would condemn him and his woeful brainpower.

A common example that shows up in history - from medieval China to imperialist Britain to certain religious sects - is that 'intelligence' is about discipline, obedience and rote memorisation.

These social systems wouldn't just resent his creativity and rebelliousness - they'd see it as a sign of weak mental character.

Our genius, their idiot - all because he doesn't adhere to their model of a smart person.

Plenty of societies saw conformity as genius. We in the modern West tend to praise entrepreneurial folks - bold, innovative disrupters. Take someone who can memorise textbooks and please their teachers - but not think for themselves - and what would most folks say about them?

"Sure, they score well on tests... but they're not exactly smart."

Something to ponder.

And something else to ponder is, what exactly is my point?

Is it a condemnation of the schooling system, with its emphasis on standardised testing, rote learning and creativity-annihilating atmosphere?

Maybe I'm subtly debunking the 'we used to be smarter' myth. You know the one - folks take a test from the 1800s aimed at 12 year olds, give it to adults today and watch them fail. "LOL we're so dum now". Until you realise those same kids would fail any modern test (and not just the recent history portion). Those old-school tests were entirely (not just mostly) rote learning, often something pointless like obscure rules of grammar. Something you could learn in a tedious day of study, should the urge ever strike you. But it would take years to bring one of those old-timey students up to speed in our subjects.

Perhaps it's a message of hope.

If folks call/called you dumb for scoring low on tests, you now know a different way to interpret that.

Plenty of folks will tell you tests don't measure intelligence well.

I might be here to tell you they're one measure of one interpretation of intelligence.

It would defeat the purpose - in a wicked blaze of irony - if I said one and only one of these interpretations were correct.

But here's what I was thinking as I wrote this:

Almost everything you think is objective is actually subjective. Smart and dumb, good and evil, hero and victim - they're all open for renegotiation.

And that's great news! We no longer see genocide and slavery as right, even though older societies saw them as obviously noble.

The barriers in your life are mostly smoke and mirrors, only it's lucky to break these ones.

So if you're too old, too ugly, too dumb, too inexperienced or too poor to build the life you want...

You're wrong.

At least, you're using the wrong standards.

Your labels are only fiction, so stop believing them whenever you want.

Okay, that's all well and good and proper.

But it's also crazy abstract.

How do you actually build a better life?

That's a big question with many answers... so why not take 60 of them to get the ball sliding:

https://guided-thought.com/navike

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The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k - Summary and Application [Part 2/2]

Be Happier: FIVE Things to Stop Doing Right Now

Sometimes the route to happiness depends upon what you don't do.

STOP:

1. Over-talking: The word SILENT has the same letters as the word LISTEN. When you become silent by speaking less, you will be present with others and learn more.

2. Rushing: Take time and show people what you mean, rather than raise your voice and yell or over-explain. One on one, shoulder to shoulder, be with the person who you need, and who needs you.

3. Eye rolling: Eye rolling is a silent punch to the gut. You know how it feels when it happens to you. And yet, you have done it as well. Maybe even to your child! Let go of the eye roll and put compassion and love in your eyes. You will receive a much better response, and your understanding will make the recipient of your glance feel at ease.

4. Sighing: Conscious breathing is a great way to regain your sense of presence and restore calm. An expressive sigh, however, has the opposite effect. Sighing reinforces your level of discontent, and lets others know how upset you are. Let sighing go, and calmly breathe.

5. Seeking what's wrong: When you walk in to a room, restaurant, or theater, you can notice the seating is wrong, the lighting is wrong, people's attire is wrong. Or, you can shift your awareness and notice what is right! There is so much going on that's right - right here, right now! Notice it and allow the goodness to fill you up!

Adopt one of these "stops" each day for the next five days. Schedule a reminder on your phone, or write sticky notes and remind yourself what to stop each day. You will see the best of yourself emerge, as you let go of these traits. Taking action is the greatest gift you can give yourself and those around you! Be happy!

You know the outcome you want. Obstacles are in the way. Namely, fear. Ready for the work you love, peaceful parenting, vibrant health, happy relationships? Contact Carla for your Breakthrough Session: carla@getcoached.com

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The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k - Summary and Application [Part 1/2]

Part 2 of the video will follow...

How To Keep Going If You Don't Know What's Next

Getting started isn't enough.

Lot of experts and writers in the personal development area say one of the most important things to do is, "Just get started." I would have to argue with that and say one of the most important things you must do isn't getting started - but to continue what you've already begun. You see anyone can become a basketball player or a baseball player or a singer or a writer or a videographer. But the only way to become successful in any one area such as that is to continue working on the craft.

But how do you continue when you don't know just what direction to go? The first step is focus on the immediate day. So much of the anxiety that we have in our lives comes from our uncertainty of the future. When we are unsure about what our future looks like, we begin to become anxious. The very best thing that we can do is focus on the immediate action that we need to take right now. To quote someone, "Do something with today and forget about everything else."

Make sure that the goals you set are within your control.

The only times things seem impossible is when we look at a goal or an outcome that we cannot control. The key is to focus on only the things that we can control. Improving yourself is your main business. So make the best of today, be a great person, and do what is in your best interest to move forward.

When necessary adjust.

Every time you begin something new you are stepping into the unknown. Very quickly you find out it won't go as planned and what happens doesn't necessarily come out the way you planned. Yet so many times I see people struggling to force an outcome. It just shouldn't be!

In fact, if what we assume to happen doesn't pan out the we want, we begin to teach ourselves be afraid of trying.

Don't be afraid but instead make bold decisions and adjust to all outcomes.

As an author and speaker, Chad Nedland ministers as God leads. Teaching of the fullness of a life with God and edifying the body of Christ is his life's definite purpose.

His greatest passion is encouraging and challenging other believers to walk in the fullness of their calling and identity in Christ. His goal is to never have a conversation or interaction with someone that does not change something within them, drawing them closer to God.

Learn more at Chad Nedland

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These Sleep Experts Explain How to Get the Best Rest | Health Theory

Brain Healthy Foods

With so many things that can go wrong where food is concerned, it's better to focus on the foods which help things to go right. Thankfully there are several tasty snacks ready to do just that. Let's look at a few:

Avocado

The vitamin K and folate found in avocados work hard to protect your brain. They help prevent blood clots, meaning you're better protected against strokes. They also aid in areas such as memory, cognitive skills, and concentration.

Beets

There's a lot to love about beets. Recognized as one of those anti-inflammatory veggies, they do everything from knocking toxins out of your body, to give better blood flow to the brain, which helps you get the mental 'edge' you so desperately need.

Blueberries

To protect against natural deterioration of the brain, blueberries are best! They improve memory over time, and recent research proves they can actually reverse memory loss!

Broccoli

Another veggie for memory acuity, broccoli has a lot to offer, specifically two crucial nutrients for improved brain function-Vitamin K and choline. Vitamin K strengthens cognitive abilities while Choline improves memory. Let's not forget folic acid, which helps ward off Alzheimer's disease and depression.

Coconut Oil

There's been so much talk about coconut oil, it's hard to believe it does so many good things and still protects your brain from memory loss due to aging. This is another great anti-inflammatory which helps aid in neuron growth.

Dark Chocolate

To get the best benefits of chocolate, go for something 70% cocoa or higher. This is another food to improve blood flow to the brain. Cocoa has been found to improve verbal fluency and cognitive function in the elderly.

Eggs

The choline in eggs helps your brain chemistry stay on track. Studies have shown eggs help you to feel happy and aren't just necessary for healthy growth in developing brains.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

There's a lot to love about this one, from the way it protects your brain from damage, but also can reverse the damage done to the brain due to disease or age. Extra Virgin Olive Oil makes it easier to learn, improves memory, and even works to stave off dementia. The nice thing? It's super easy to add to your diet.

Leafy Greens

Anytime you eat something that's a leafy green, you're adding good things to your diet regarding iron and vitamin C. But did you know these veggies slow down the effects of aging on your brain? 1-2 servings a day is all you need to see a positive change!

Salmon

Having trouble with memory or just can't seem to think lately? Try salmon for a quick fix, courtesy of all those omega-3's so necessary to good brain health. If you think something so simple can't help so significantly, consider this: Studies have shown kids with ADHD who eat salmon have considerably improved focus.

Turmeric

Everyone's been talking about how great turmeric is as an anti-inflammatory, but it's also wonderful to up your oxygen intake in your brain, meaning a boost in cognitive skills. You'll also feel more alert with this simple addition to your diet.

Walnuts

It's doesn't take many walnuts to find yourself thinking better. That's because they have a high concentration of the Omega-3 fatty acid, DHA. DHA is powerful brain food and has been proven to improve cognitive performance and prevent age-related cognitive decline.

Leon Edward helps people improve IQ, focus, memory, concentration, creativity, speed reading, public speaking, time management and reducing stress. Download his IQ Mind Brain Memory Self-Help library at his website http://www.IQMindBrainLibrary.com

Leon Edward also helps people improve in Goal Setting, Success, Leadership, Motivation, Self-Improvement, Happiness, Memory Improvement, Stress Reduction and more through his articles, blogs, reports and self-help success roladex-on-line. Visit his Success-Leadership Library, Articles and blog at http://www.AwesomeSuccess.org

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