To stress you out beyond your normal limits with extreme mental and physical challenges to make you worthy of serving with the world’s most elite fighting force. This is the simple principle of the US Navy SEALS.

But, don’t confuse simple with easy. In order to be one the greatest warriors on the planet, you must conquer the obstacles in front of you. If you only endure, you will become just another failed statistic.

During BUD/S training, the most iconic and demanding event is Hell Week. Candidates are put through extremely rigorous exercises for 5 days straight with less than a few total hours of sleep. Activities will include running, swimming, paddling, push-ups, sit-ups, rolling in the sand and log PT.

Out of approximately 40,000 Navy recruits a year, only 250 (or less than 1%) actually possess the mental and physical toughness necessary to make it through Hell week and become a SEAL.

How To Overcome Obstacles

It isn’t always the largest and strongest men or the fastest swimmers or runners that complete the training. It’s most often those who have the strongest will and a burning desire to not give up. Champions know that the only way to the finish line isn’t going around the obstacle but through it.

And the same goes in the real world.

Obstacles, struggles, and sufferings are inescapable and are very real in the human experience. The simulated harsh conditions of Navy SEAL training parallel the authentic harsh episodes of real life. Successful Navy SEAL candidates feed off of the intensity, employ mental toughness, resist the seeds of doubt and are relentless about finishing.

And like the SEALS, in order to navigate through a real chapter of suffering, you must use obstacles as leverage instead of shackles holding you from success.

In the depth of suffering, it is often the difference between conquering and enduring that determines the outcome of either breakthrough or breakdown. Enduring is passive, indifferent, weak and unintentional. Conquering is meticulous, purposeful and intentional. A champion’s mindset is all about conquering obstacles rather than simply enduring in hopes of making it through.

So, how do you become a warrior? Here are 5 ways to be a conquerer and not an endurer.

Be happy during the bad times as you would the good times

In a speech for the PGA Tour rookies, Tom Kite recapped the idea of “loving what you do all the time” perfectly. From the book, How Champions Think by Bob Rotella, we get a snapshot of what Tom said:

“If you’re going to play on the Tour, you have to love golf all the time,” he said. “It’s not going to work if you can only love it when everything’s going your way, every putt’s going in the hole, and every carom is bouncing into the fairway instead of out of bounds. It’s not going to work if you practice every day and only love it when the ball is going where you’re looking. You’ve got to love it when you practice day after day and you can’t find it. You’ve got to love it when every putt looks like it’s going in and then lips out. That’s what it’s about.” (How Champions Think, Bob Rotella).

When you land your dream job, you have to appreciate the bad days as much as the good days. When you find the greatest person on earth and want to spend the rest of your life with them, you take them in their most pristine condition and weather the storm with them when times get rough.

Know what you can control and what you cannot

In the early hours of December 10th, 1914, an explosion shook the city of West Orange, NJ. Thomas Edison’s factory was immediately engulfed in flames. Despite the joint effort of several fire departments, the blaze was too powerful and decades of work was destroyed in a fiery instant.

And how did Edison respond to this?

According to a Reader’s Digest article, Edison walked over to his son, Charles and said “Go get your mother and all her friends. They’ll never see a fire like this again.”

Even though Edison was almost 70 years old and a lifetime of work was destroyed in minutes, he told a New York Times reporter that he would start rebuilding the very next day…and that’s exactly what he did. He realized he had no control over the situation and chose to work with the given circumstance and not fight against it.

It’s all about perspective. Edison’s perspective on the situation grounded him in the reality that there was absolutely nothing he could do at this time other than to rebuild. The damage was already done.

See Also: 7 Amazing Success Lessons from Thomas Edison

“It’s impossible to be angry and in a state of gratefulness at the same time.” -A Defined Life

How many times have you been in a situation, where a relatively-speaking, contextual thought should alter how you respond?

If your internet is slow on your phone, at least you have a phone equipped with up-to-date 21st-century technology. If your clothes are wrinkled in the morning, at least you have nice clothes to wear, let alone a job to go to. And if you are late to work and behind a really slow driver, at least you won’t get cited for speeding.

Viewing obstacles and struggles through the proverbial “could be worse” lens allows you to see the situation relative to someone who does not have your luxuries. It also sheds a sobering light on your life by grounding you in gratitude. It’s impossible to be angry and in a state of gratefulness at the same time.

See Also: One Awesome Tip On How To Shift Perspective

Focus on the little things

When the burden seems overwhelming or insurmountable, it is easy to give into the temptation of giving up. But the paralyzing situation you are in is almost, all the time, reducible to smaller parts. When you focus on tackling the fundamental elements of the situation, you can carve out a path to ultimate victory.

Henry Clay, a famous American orator and lawyer, was once approached by an illiterate man after giving a rousing speech. The admiring gentleman admitted to Clay that he could not read, but desperately wanted to be like him. Clay grabbed the young man and pointed to an “A” in his name on a poster and said, “That’s an A. Now you’ve only got 25 more letters to go.”

Defeating the obstacle in front of you is always manageable if you just start somewhere and focus on one thing at a time. Today it may be the letter “A” and only the letter “A”. Tomorrow or even next week, it may be the letter “B”.

We all want it to be over. But, saturating yourself in wishful thinking will cause you to never start the conquest or, even worse, cause you to fail to chisel your character and strengthen your essence. Every micro conflict of the whole is a teachable moment for you to learn and sharpen other areas of your life.

Know there is always a way out. Be an overcomer.

If your relationship is your identity, when it’s gone, so are you. If your job is your identity, when it’s gone, so are you. And if your identity or self-worth is wrapped up in something outside of your own existence or purpose, then you too will perish when those things fail.

Suffering is non-discriminant that it does not care how you came to meet it. There isn’t a more conservative version of suffering. If you want to win the war on suffering, you must first see yourself as an ascendant being with an independent meaning, where everything in your life is your responsibility.

If you approach your suffering knowing that you are an overcomer, you will overcome. It’s all about winning in your mind first and then taking action. As you fight, never forget who you are…an overcomer and nothing less than that.

Here is a way to illustrate the point.

With boiling water, you can create steam. With pressurized steam, you can power engines and turbines through mechanical work. This was part of a composite of revolutionary ideas that literally changed the landscape of our human experience. But, in order for water to turn to steam, it has to reach the exact temperature of 212 degrees. If 212 degrees is not achieved, then there is no high-pressurized steam, no mechanical work, no engine or turbine turning. In essence, there’ll be no Transcontinental Railroad or electricity to power millions of homes. 211 degrees, a simple 1-degree cooler, is really hot, but it won’t bring water to a boil.

The same is true of your identity. If you identify as an overcomer and nothing less, then you are an overcomer. This must be nonnegotiable. You must be relentless in this identity. Any moments of weakness will result in you crumbling and submitting to the obstacle in your life. The overcomer never taps out because they know there is always a way out.

Find meaning in your suffering

What if this thing that keeps you up at night affects how you interact with people, sustains your stress level and negatively influences your self-worth, is actually critical in strengthening you?

When meaning and purpose is found in one’s suffering, the conditions in which the struggle occurs are mutated in your favor. Instead of being held hostage by this ominous scenario, you ransom the situation for a net gain of self-betterment. You’re already suffering, you might as well get something out of it.

Nobody illustrates the need to find meaning in suffering better than Viktor Frankl. As a Holocaust survivor and world-renowned psychiatrist, it was a defined purpose and meaning-through-suffering that literally kept him alive among the prisoners around him who surrendered to the call of death.

For Frankl, the thought of seeing his wife again and finishing his lifework as a psychiatrist motivated and armored him for the battles he would go through each day. Thus, he found meaning in suffering in one of the worst events someone could possibly experience. As the conditions of the camp worsened and those around him gave up, his determination to survive intensified, simply because “the human life, under any circumstances, never ceases to have meaning.” (Frankl)

“Despair is suffering without meaning.” -Viktor Frankl

Conclusion

This is the most important part of the message. If you don’t get anything out of this post, at least marinate on this thought.

You must not lose hope or courage. Fight through the struggle like somebody else’s life depends on it. Somewhere, a spouse, child, relative or someone you don’t personally know is counting on you. It’s not enough to endure the situation; some very important people in your life depend on you conquering it. That’s where you start learning how to overcome obstacles.

Just like the mission of the US Navy SEALS who are responsible for carrying out the most dangerous operations for the welfare of others, you are responsible for sustaining and providing positive living conditions for others, too.

Failure is not an option.

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Finding motivation can be a difficult task. You have work to do, but it’s easier and more entertaining to scroll through social media pages. With that in mind, you can imagine how much harder motivating kids is.

Think of the times your mom asked you to clean your room. Although you agreed and said yes, you probably went back to goofing off. And your mom probably resorted to nagging because of that.

Talking to your child and getting the results you want is a tricky thing to master. But, with the right mindset and positive speaking, you can help your child develop great internal motivation.

Here are eight ways you can start motivating kids.

Allow Choices

Letting your child have options is great because they get to feel like they have control of their choices. Don’t rely on that old parenting phrase of “because I said so.”

Instilling this kind of independence works doubly well. Firstly, they learn about personal responsibility. Secondly, you’ll be able to teach them how to handle tough situations without relying on you. Don’t be a tyrant with your child. Listen to what they want and work with them, instead of against them.

Use Praise, Not Criticism

This might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s an important one.

Imagine you’ve given a big presentation at work and your boss tells you a hundred things that are wrong with it and how he wants it fixed. That certainly won’t make you want to do better. The same thing is true when it comes to motivating kids.

Scolding your child will not motivate them. So, instead of nagging, try to explain how you would have liked things done. You’re going to have to repeat your explanation if necessary and don’t hesitate to do so.

When your words turn into positive actions, make sure your children know that you appreciate their efforts.

See Also: Top 10 Tips to Help Children Develop Useful Habits

Let Them Try

Watching your child struggle to tie her shoes can be a little frustrating after the eighteenth time. You’ll want to jump in, get it done and move on to the next thing.

But, before you do that, take a moment and breathe. Letting your children try to accomplish something on their own will build up the internal courage to not only complete the present task but also to attempt more difficult ones.

Be Specific

Generic praise phrases like “good job” or “way to go” are nice, but they’re hollow praises. Generic congratulations won’t explain why or what happened.

When acknowledging your children’s effort, try to be very specific about why you’re giving a compliment. Emphasize how proud you are of your children for completing the task and not the task itself. This is also a great way to build their growth mindset.

A growth mindset isn’t focused on one task but the efforts used to complete it. Instead of seeing just a finish line, your children will learn the skills necessary to improve and move toward their goals.

Don’t Ignore Failure

You can’t have success without failure. Consequences are a real thing for children and adults.

At the first sign of trouble, you’ll want to jump in and protect your children. But, doing that at every minor convenience isn’t going to be motivational. Instead, they’ll expect you to always do that. It’s going to be hard, but you have to let your child stumble so that he can find his own footing.

Inspire, Don’t Bribe

Bribes won’t teach kids how to earn something based on their merit and effort. If you’re just offering a treat, then the motivation is just for the reward. For self-motivation, connect with your child’s interests and use them as teaching tools.

Be A Dolphin

Using the dolphin style will help boost your child’s motivation and confidence in their decision-making skills. What sets this style apart is that your goal as a parent won’t just be focused on punishing mistakes or praising triumphs. You’ll need to dive into the middle where you can be both encouraging and authoritative when you need to be.

Pay Attention

Every child is different and how they learn is going to be different, too. Visual learners, for example, aren’t going to really get much out of your lecture on how to clean a bedroom.

See how your child learns and use that as a tip to ignite motivation. If they have to use touch, let them help you with a task while you explain it. Try to find the best learning style for your child and run with it.

See Also: What You Need To Know About Teaching Children Values

Most people view motivation as a strictly internal process. But, with the right outside encouragement, you can help create a great inner cheerleader for your child. With these tips and patience, you can help make your child stronger both emotionally and mentally. Think of the words you wanted to hear when you were struggling with a tough math problem or feeling stressed about a competition. You can use your experiences to help your child grow a strong core of motivation.

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Some days, you see people queuing for the lottery or you hear of some lucky schmuck who’s won money. Now close your eyes and imagine. What if that was you? What if, by some stroke of huge luck, you win money online in some game or contest. How would you spend your online winnings? What would you do do with this sudden windfall?

Well, according to new research from gaming firm Wink Bingo, while a fancy holiday or a shopping spree might sound appealing, we are actually more likely to put an online cash win into a savings account, or use it to pay off debt. Sign of the times? Very probably.

How we’d spend our online winnings

Wink Bingo polled 1,000 Britons, asking them for their views on what they’d do if they won £50, £500 and £5,000 online as well as canvassing their opinions on charitable giving.

The research throws up some surprising results – of all the age groups, for example, would you have put Millennials as the biggest savers?

Let’s take a look at the data.

£50 win

A £50 win on the lottery, scratchcard or game of online bingo might seem a modest sum, but we’re more likely to save it that we are spend it. According to the data, 33% would save it and 14% would use it to pay bills. While 24% would use it to pay for a family treat, only 2% would donate it to charity.

Interesting fact: the research shows that, for a £50 win, almost one in every 25 men who responded said they’d give part of it to charity, as opposed to only one in every 255 women – a whopping tenfold difference.

£500 win

With the stakes raised, what would we do with a £500 win. The Wink Bingo research shows that the majority – 35% – would pay off debt, although 32% would treat family and friends to a meal out somewhere. However, donating to charity (6%), playing again (5%) and spending (just 2%) were all low down our priority list.

£5,000 win

While £5,000 might not be a life-changing amount of money, it’s certainly significant. What would we do with it? Perhaps surprisingly, we’re more likely to save it than spend it. 37% would put it in a savings account while 30% would fund a luxury holiday with it. 25% would pay off debt 23% would invest it. Just 7% would donate to charity.

Interesting fact: When the win amount is increased to £5,000, 4% more women than men said they’d donate some of their winnings to charity.

Charitable nation

While few respondents to the poll said they’d use a cash win to give to charity, the research reveals that we are, in fact, a fairly charitable nation. 61% said they would help a stranger, 60% donate money and 33% volunteer in their spare time. The reason so few of us would use a cash win to give to charity is probably because 34% of us are already giving to charitable projects.

Biggest savers

Does the older generation really save the most money? According to this data, nope. It reveals that the demographic most likely to save are, in fact, the Millennial generation. Asked what they’d do with a £50 win, 48% of 18-24 year-olds said they would save it, followed by 34% of those aged 65 and above.

Popular ways of winning cash

Britons’ most preferred ways of winning money are:

• Lottery (33%)
• Scratch cards (18%)
• Betting (17%)
• Online games and gambling (12%)
• Contests and sweepstakes (7%)
• Casino (4%)

Regional hotspots

Can generosity really be defined by where we live? Perhaps. The research shows that people living in certain parts of the UK are more likely to give away their money. Asked how likely they were to donate to charity or share their winnings with family and friends, people in Northern Ireland, London and Yorkshire and Humber gave more answers in the ‘very likely’ end of the scale than others.

On the other side of the scale, people in the south-east ranked bottom for sharing money with family and friends for all categories of winning – £50, £500 and £5,000. Perhaps there’s something in the water down there…

Shh! It’s a secret…

If you won lots of money playing bingo or on the lottery you’d tell your family and friends, right? Well, not all of us would. The Wink Bingo research reveals that 18% of people wouldn’t even tell their partners and friends if they won £5,000! We’ll leave you to be the judge of why that might be…

For more research into how we’re likely to spend online winnings, check out the rest of Wink Bingo’s infographic.

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Being a blogger is very exciting because you are part of something that is forever evolving. There are always new trends emerging and old trends taking a back seat. It does sometimes become challenging to keep up with these trends, but you definitely should not fear change.

There are many tools online to help you become a successful blogger. You can find anything from a paraphrasing tool or even a topic generator when you’re a little stuck.

We should be happy that we are living in these times wherein we have technology and software available to us for free. Let’s get right into the trends every blogger should follow this summer.

Longer articles

We have been seeing this trend make its way into the blogging world for a while, but it has become more prominent as of late. Readers are looking for longer and more high-quality content as opposed to shorter posts.

This isn’t a bad thing since it is better to do one long post once a week rather than doing 5 shorter posts a week. Of course, these posts need to add value to the reader’s life and cannot be a simple rehash of common information. Use a text paraphraser to eliminate any badly worded sentences and produce only high-quality content.

See Also: How to Write a Blog Post That Millennials Will Read

No comments

Many bloggers have started to turn their comments section off and those who decide to leave the comments section activated will see a definite decrease in comments.

This does not mean that commenting in blogs is becoming outdated. Rather, the means of communications is simply changing. Social media is becoming the new comments section and it is vital that no blogger forgets this. Being active on social media is part and parcel of the job and you will be left behind if you do not participate.

Email list

This is a typical trend that we have been following for a while, but some bloggers still do not understand the importance of an email list. You cannot simply start an email list without interacting with those who subscribed.

Make sure that your emails are engaging and add additional value to the subscribers, more so than your blog already does. There has to be something extra for the subscribers because they took their time to click that button and fill out your form.

Branding

I am sure that as a blogger, you already know the importance of your blog’s brand. What will become more of a trend this summer is personal branding. Humans interact and relate to humans and you want your audience to get to know the face behind the blog.

There are great benefits in paying attention to your own brand. The face behind the blog is what people are searching for. If the readers feel like they connect with you as a person, you have the ability to build a relationship of trust.

Mobile traffic

You are going to see more of your traffic coming from the mobile phone. This trend is not going anywhere and will continue to increase. With all the strides in smartphone technology, many will use their phones more for internet activity.

In anticipation of this, you want to make sure that your blog is mobile friendly and navigates at a fast pace on mobile phones. Our generation has become a little impatient in terms of speed and quality. If you want to win them over, always test your websites on various pieces of technology to make sure it is up to standard.

See Also: 5 Proven Strategies That Can Massively Increase Blog Traffic

Forget about ads

Ad revenue has been dropping for a while because consumers have become aware of the money-making vehicles behind it. Unless an ad seriously interests the viewer, they are unlikely to click on that link.

Also, people have become afraid to click on foreign links for the fear of a virus on their computers or cellphones. There are many other way to make money on the internet and ad clicks are no longer it.

Conclusion

Always be on top of trends. Do not sleep on things that can potentially skyrocket your blog to success. It is not impossible for you to become the next big blogger, but you will have to move with the times.

There are many blogs that are honestly fantastic, but fail to reach maximum heights. The cause could be that they are stuck in the past and refuse to change. A lot of hard work goes into a blog and what you put in is what you will get out. Remember there is a lot of competition out there, but they have nothing on you. Stay committed, be persistent and you will see your blog evolve.

 

 

 

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If you are currently struggling with student loans, you’re not alone. According to Forbes, 44.2 million Americans struggle with student loan debt. For many people, the financial burden of debt infringes upon their quality of life. Thus it is important to pay off loans as soon as possible.

One of the best ways to escape student loan debt is to pursue a degree that will get the highest return on your investment. If you have already graduated college with a bachelor’s degree, you may find that you’re not able to make enough to pay off your debt. Returning to school for a higher-level degree might be just what you need to increase your income enough to pay off your loans faster and easier.

Graduate Degrees Garner Higher Income

One of the biggest advantages of going back to school and obtaining a master’s degree is that doing so will boost your starting salary. This substantial increase in income will enable you to pay off your student loans, as well as get into the career of your dreams.

According to a 2015 study lead by Georgetown University, students who graduate with a master’s degree earn around $17,000 more per year than those who graduate with a bachelor’s degree. As such, students with a graduate degree are able to enter the workforce and earn a higher wage from the start. This significant advantage enables them to pay off their loans quicker.

Of course, this benefit varies across different fields of study. For example, a degree in architectural engineering will tend to net you more income in the job market than a degree in, say, social work. Nevertheless, the Georgetown study found that there was a demonstrable increase in income for graduate degrees over bachelor’s degrees, regardless of the chosen major.

Defer Your Student Loans

If you choose to go back to school, you can temporarily defer your student loans so you don’t have to make payments while attending school. This will ease the strain on your finances while you redirect your mental energy toward graduating in a more lucrative field. Keep in mind, however, that if you have defaulted on previous payments, you may not be able to defer your loans.

Reduce Your Graduate School Loans

Even if you defer your loans, with tuition costs being what they are, you’ll probably have to take out more loans in order to go back to school. This may seem counterintuitive, but if you’re in school to qualify for a higher paying job, it’s actually an investment.

That being said, make the most of this investment by reducing what you take out in loans. You may not be allowed to work part-time, but you might be able to find time to donate plasma, do freelance writing, or apply for scholarships/grants (this last one is HUGE!). Think of anything to supplement your income and lessen what you’ll have to pay back later.

See Also: 7 Ways to Save Money while Earning a College Degree 

Embrace “College Student Poor”

Everyone hates the “poor college student” lifestyle, but college students have a wealth of money-saving life hacks in their repertoire. And don’t worry — you don’t have to live on instant ramen to save money the college way.

• Cut down on “luxury” expenditures like new clothes, trips to the car wash, and eating out. When you have to go, price-check first and go for the best deal.
• Attend university events with free food (who knows, you might have fun).
• Take advantage of the student gym instead of buying a gym membership.
• Student discounts! They can be found everywhere: movie theaters, museums, car insurance, restaurants, phone plans, etc.

Pay Off Other Debts

Once you’ve graduated and landed your dream job, it might be tempting to live the opulent lifestyle you dreamt of while working your tail off in grad school. But your work isn’t over yet! Paying off smaller debts can make room for paying off another, larger debt (aka your student loans) faster. This is called the Snowball Method, developed by Dave Ramsey, and it really works!

You can also choose to refinance, so instead of making many small payments on various debts, you make just 1 big payment each month that will go toward all of them. You may cringe at such a large payment coming out of your bank account each month, but thanks to refinancing negotiations with each lender, you’re actually paying less than you were before.

Higher Income = Larger Payments

Sticking to the minimum payment on your student loans can cost you thousands in interest in the long term. Put your extra income to good use by making larger payments on your loan—reducing not only how long you will be making payments, but also how much you have to pay off.

See Also: What Can Employers Do About The Student Loan Crisis?

Summing Up

Going back to college for a master’s degree is a surefire way to improve your job prospects, open your career, and increase your income. More importantly, it enables you to pay off your student loans once and for all, granting you invaluable peace of mind.

 

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The key to creating a magical life starts and ends with communication. The most powerful factor in person-to-person communication comes down to how you present yourself in the conversation, which is determined by your emotional state. The level of emotional intelligence you apply throughout the interaction and your mindset prior to entering the exchange are your key components to powerful communication.

The way to boost your communication power is to learn about emotional intelligence and being conscious of your emotional state before approaching a conversation. By doing this, you are presenting yourself as your most efficient communication tool which will help you create the results you desire.

This concept can be used for any purpose – parenting, vitality, relationships, and business. For me, I learned to hone these skills while building my first entrepreneurial venture. Once I recognized my own emotional intelligence, it became easier to judge what emotional state others were sitting in, which gave me the advantage in every business communication I had. This edge helped me to create a $170M business with very little industry experience.

What is emotional intelligence?

Emotional intelligence is your conscious ability to connect to your emotional state and utilize it in your goal achievement. Once you grasp this concept and connect to it, the act of creation and communication becomes effortless. When you’re disconnected to your emotional state, things tend to be more of a struggle, your goals seem harder to obtain and you can’t seem to get ahead.

Why is it important to recognize emotional state?

Ever received a bad vibe from someone? Or heard someone else say it? That vibe you’re picking up is actually the other person’s emotional state. Most people think language is the primary factor in communication, but it’s actually the unspoken connection humans instinctively feel around each other. By being sympathetic to people’s vibration and identifying their emotional state, you have the advantage in every communication.

When someone is in a bad mood, do you ever find yourself becoming negative, defensive or hostile? These moods lower your emotional intelligence and bring you down. If you allow yourself to be dragged down into someone else’s negative state, you’ll find your ability to reason and think clearly are limited.

However, someone who is positive and upbeat, who doesn’t allow negative words, actions, or surroundings to get them down, they make you feel happy and empowered. They have the power to stand firm in their mindset and raise you up to their level of emotional intelligence by increasing your vibration to match theirs.

When you’re around people who are aligned with your positive mindset and vibration, this increases your ability to think laterally. Your higher reasoning and emotional state shifts, and as this happens, you can see more, do more, have more, and begin to create more in your life. When you’re around people who are winning, it’s easier for you to win. It’s that simple.

See Also: The Importance Of Emotional Intelligence For A Leader

How does emotional intelligence enhance your communication power?

If you train yourself to pick up on other people’s emotional state, it will be the biggest asset to your communication strategy you’ll ever possess. You’ll instantly be at an advantage, and will instinctively engage with people and opportunities that align with your end goal. You’ll be aware of those people who are time wasters which is a HUGE saving, especially if you are considering adding them to a team, or starting a relationship.

It’s unbelievable how trapped people are on one level of emotional intelligence. They perpetually believe they are victims of circumstances, that life is out of their control and are at the mercy of bad luck. People who are stuck in this emotional state create experiences and results that reinforce this view. It’s a cycle they enable and they will bring everyone around them down too.

When you relate this philosophy to the Law Of Attraction, if you’ve made the mental switch and engaged with your emotional intelligence, you have decided to start perceiving life from a winning angle.

So how does your emotional state influence the person you’re speaking to? If they’re open, and not stuck in a lower emotional state, you will see a rise in them instantly. They’ll be more engaged, positive and the vibration between you will continue to grow.

The most powerful component of communication is directly linked to your emotional intelligence, what emotional state you are in while in the conversation, and your ability to pick up on the emotional state of others. This is a lifehack power tool that can absolutely boost your results, your goals and your life.

See Also: 3 Simple Steps to Balance Your Emotional State

 

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Set work hours or a flexible schedule? Assigned projects or clients of your choice Representing an existing brand or creating your own voice?

These are just some of the many dilemmas faced by those who are tempted to take the leap into the entrepreneurial world and start chasing their dreams.

So how does being your own boss measure up to being someone else’s valued employee?

You choose your circle

Unlike your typical office where you will inevitably come across at least one annoying person you’d rather not work with, starting a business gives you the freedom to choose your associates.

From closest team members, clients, and all the way to your long-term business partners, you can surround yourself with like-minded individuals and those with whom you’ll enjoy collaborating.

Passion as your main drive

No matter what you do and where you work, you will strive towards finding a position that resonates with your inner values and purpose. However, few jobs (if any) can inspire the same level of personal involvement as your own invention.

Building your career around a concept that is close to your heart and based on passion can help your business soar in the entrepreneurial world. You will always have a reason to work for every new opportunity, push through the setbacks and rise back to the top, as nothing can fuel your drive for success as genuine passion.

See Also: 4 Key Ideas To Help Your Passion-fuelled Business Take Off Fast!

Make a difference

Although it might take a while before you can allow your business to contribute to a charity or a cause you believe in, one of the most rewarding aspects of building your own business is the ability to give back.

Once you have a stable structure and income in place, you can finally choose how to show support and appreciation to those who need it most.

An authentic voice

Whatever your chosen field is and regardless of how much competition you have, the market always has room for an innovator. If you truly have a genuine idea or you can give an old one a creative twist, you’ll easily find your target audience eagerly waiting for your launch.

In fact, kick-starting your own brain-child can lead to many more novelties in the course of your business development. A single idea can infuse your future endeavors with perseverance and lead to many more professional achievements.

Autonomy

If there’s a single predominant factor that seems to tip the scales for many solo entrepreneurs, it’s the financial self-reliance. Depending on a company or an employer to secure your future and constantly fretting over losing your job are not huge motivators in such a chaotic economy.

When your business is the foundation of your financial security, you have greater control over your income, pension plans, health insurance, and so much more. This also means more responsibilities, but with long-term benefits that go beyond financial gain.

Greater satisfaction

Once you have a taste of all the ups and downs of your business journey, nothing will measure up to the level of satisfaction you will feel for your accomplishments. Building a career on your terms while being your own leader creates a spirit that will help you outlast any challenges you come across.

On the other hand, inevitable failures will not be greeted with harsh criticism, judgment or losing your job, as you can always use them to change your tactics and improve your operation.

Self-development

Greater responsibilities of being your own boss come with numerous opportunities to broaden your business horizons. Networking events alone can account for a significant portion of your future alliances, while every conference or course you attend for the sake of improving your business is yet another way of growing your knowledge base.

As the market swiftly changes, you will need to adjust to the needs of your customers, which will often require going above and beyond your current abilities and stepping into the realm of the unknown before you can call yourself an expert in your field.

Flexible time

Never again will you have to hurry to the office to be there at eight or nine. Or punch the clock twice a day for as long as both you and your company shall live.

True, working under your own wing will often mean staying late and spending sleepless nights nose-deep in paperwork and contracts before you master the art of running a business. But the rewards of such efforts will always be greater than those of years of your life invested in someone else’s idea.

Even the sky is no longer the limit

Are you perhaps a fidgety person who cannot handle sitting for eight hours straight and sticking to a single type of work? While you have the freedom to dictate your daily work tempo, you can also choose where and how you conduct your business.

Brainstorm a proposal in a library, schedule a Skype call from a coffee place, make notes while on the plane to your family reunion, or lie comfortably in a bubble bath while negotiating your next meeting time via email.

Legacy

That lady with her cupcake business probably doesn’t seem as if she changed the direction of the world. Still, her contribution to the community must have helped that kid who needed a cupcake to feel better for losing a pet, or a mom of three whose day just got better after indulging her sweet tooth.

As small as your impact may seem from your standpoint, don’t underestimate the power to influence and improve other people’s lives one step at a time – even if it means making them a cup of coffee or offering them a previously-owned Agatha Christie novel.

You could, in fact, change the course of dozens of lives without ever knowing it, but as long as you stay true to your purpose, there will always be those who value and discover inspiration in your unique contribution.

See Also: 7 Power Habits of Great Leaders, Business Icons and Inspirational Achievers

 

The post 10 Reasons to Be Your Own Boss appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Not so long ago, UX Myths posted an article which demonstrates that people are not too fond of web content reading. In fact, they only read around 20% of all the articles and there’s no guarantee that they actually read everything.

So, it seems kind of unfair that you have to spend hours picking the right keywords, writing and polishing texts only to have readers simply scan through your article.

This, however, should not bother you. As long as you create worthy content and find your audience, you will have no trouble having people that will read your articles. Moreover, you will be able to easily sell this content and make money from it.

Sounds fantastic, don’t you think?

We can almost see you asking us how can you sell your writing for at least $100. And it’s a good thing because we do have an answer.

So, meet this complete guide to good web content writing.

Content is the king

The question of whether your content is read or only scanned through relies heavily on how good the content is. Of course, the style, lists, and visual aids are vital. But, unless your content is interesting and engaging, you will not draw your readers’ attention.

What makes for good content?

According to Kissmetrics, high-quality content is:

• original
• actionable
• accurate
• engaging
• though-provoking
• diverse
• easy to read

It might sound a bit overwhelming and you might be forced to spend long hours polishing and changing your text. Well, you don’t have to do that. All you need to do is spend some time learning how to create content that will grab readers’ attention.

Identify the audience

Each one of your articles needs to target the correct audience. It’s the secret of successful writing.

Once you start writing some general articles that talk about everything and at the same time about nothing in particular, you won’t be able to sell it.

People will only want to buy content that is likely to bring them traffic and, as a result, revenue. And for that, it has to speak to a specific audience on specific topics.

So, before you grab a pen or hit the keys, make sure to create a clear picture of who your audience is. Think of why they would be listening to you, what they expect to hear, what pain they have and what solutions you can offer.

Go over each one of these statements if you want to reach them with your message – and voila! – your content will easily be in demand!

Follow the latest trends

You wouldn’t want to be left behind. So, try your best to understand the latest trends these days. Know what people expect to see and what channels you can use to reach out to new people.

For instance, you need to remember that 34% of all online users only read their emails through mobile devices, states the Impact. The same applies to the blog posts on social networks.

Therefore, if you want more people to read your content, you need to optimize it for mobile devices. This means that paragraphs and sentences need to be shorter, the font should be bigger and the formatting eye-catching.

Moreover, keep in mind that more people read content via social media. Posts on Facebook should not be long, must have catchy headlines and contain many visual aids.

All in all, follow the latest trends for better results!

See Also: How To Avoid A Content Crisis When Your Deadline Is Looming

Use the right copywriting techniques

Another important thing when it comes to content writing is to use proper copywriting techniques that can bring your writing to a whole new level.

Among common methods every copywriter must know include:

• using keywords
• having one main idea per section
• adding lists and bullet points
• using sub-headings
• writing short paragraphs, sentences, and words
• inserting links to reliable sources

You will be surprised to see what results such an approach can bring! If you follow these recommendations, that 79% of users that do not read the whole article will be more likely to finish your whole piece. So, why not try it?

Find a good site to sell your articles

Thanks to the latest trends, more and more people are willing to work from home. Thus, new sites for freelancers emerge. All you need to do is to find the one that fits your expectations.

We have gathered a list of good sites where you can start your career as a freelancer.

Remember that it is good to have a good and persuasive portfolio at first so that when asked about your experience, you would be able to present good examples of your writing.

To create a portfolio, you might offer your articles to bloggers who can post them in the “Guest posts” section of their sites. You can also start your own blog on any topic you are good at or start writing good informative posts on your page on Facebook.

Good websites to check out

• CollegeHumor – It’s not hard to guess what this site is looking for from their writers. Should you have relevant content, don’t hesitate to offer it to them.
• Love To Know – It is a perfect resource for writers focusing on the financial topics, fashion, beauty, technology, and many other subjects.
• Freelance Writing Gigs – This site offers you a list of openings for writers you can check out as well as helpful tips for the beginners.
• iWriter.com – This site has fixed rates for the articles. The problem with this is that once your writing is rejected, you get no money.
• Upwork – This is a place where both freelancers and clients meet. You can find the job you will enjoy here in no time.
• Tuts+ – If you are an experienced writer, you can write for this website as well.

The list can go on and on. You absolutely have all the chances to enter the niche and make your first $100 in the nearest time. Just learn how to write well or polish your skills – and get paid for the amazing content you are crafting.

See Also: 21 Must-Read Tips To Write Better Web Content

The post A Step-By-Step Guide To Writing Good Web Content That Can Sell For $100 appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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There is always something new in online marketing. There always seems to be a new way to promote businesses better.

So, here is something new as well.

This is going to boost your organic reach on Facebook and boost credibility. It will promote positive and direct customer service, gain immediate trust, and increase transparency among your fans.

You will get the top position at Facebook professional services.

So, what is our secret sauce?

It’s Facebook reviews, a new (or not so new), but very effective growth hacking tactic.

Recent studies have shown that 88% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Now, this is something that is just mind-blowing.

In the past, if you wanted to get an honest opinion about a product, you had to trust your salesperson. This practice, however, has proven unreliable on numerous occasions. So, you had to expand your trust circle and try to find a person who already bought that product to really know its quality.

This makes the hunt for a true recommendation in the offline world almost impossible or not that efficient. And now, since everything is available online, you don’t need to do that anymore.

Why? Well, guess where all your friends hang out and where you can check their opinion about a certain business?

That’s right, Facebook.

See Also: 4 Good Reasons For Marketing With Facebook

First, let’s get into consumer behavior and habits.

The data behind user recommendations and reviews

71% of people say that they trust Facebook reviews more than any other website. Business websites have 68% user trust while other online communities have 66% trust rating.

These data show that businesses need to focus on utilizing Facebook reviews as a primary tool for representing their trustworthiness. That’s right.

Facebook reviews, before Yelp and even Google.

Here are the reasons why:

• All of your friends are already on Facebook and you trust them the most.
• You can not delete a bad Facebook review so the reviews are relevant.
• There is an open and direct communication between the brand and the customer so you can see how a certain brand responds to questions, user demands, and even bad reviews.

So, use these things to your advantage.

Think about how much one happy customer can mean for your brand. Only one satisfied client can influence all of his friends and bring huge value to your business.

Furthermore, take a look at what is shown when a user opens a business on Facebook mobile. We used to see the likes of the page first.

But, they do not matter anymore. What matters now are the Facebook reviews.

In addition, here is another staggering fact.

According to a study, 80% of consumers are more likely to buy from a brand that has generated positive Facebook reviews. That is a huge number and it should leave you in no doubt whether or not you should activate and use Facebook reviews.

But, what about after your customer finds out about your business and makes a purchase?

Well, we hope you did make him/her satisfied since 66%of consumers will share their experience on Facebook. This includes their opinions, comments, and thoughts about how your brand interacted and helped them.

The customers will be your best advocates and promoters. There is no ad that will be better than this!

Activate Facebook reviews now

 

This is what you will need to do:

1. Open your Facebook page and navigate to the “Settings” section.
2. Click “Edit page”, find the Reviews tab and click “Add Tab”

That’s it! The Reviews tab will be visible on your Facebook Page and you can start accepting reviews from your Facebook fans.

Make sure your customers know that they can post a review on your Facebook page

Do not hide this option.

You’ll have to expose your company to the open Internet and accept the 5-star or 1-star review- no matter what.

So, tell your customers that they have the option. You want more reviews, just ask.

Believe me, satisfied customers will definitely respond and will write few nice words about your business. The dissatisfied are way quicker, though.

The best ways to promote this option is to add it on your website, alongside your social media buttons or, better, on your checkout or ‘thank you’ page.

If your business is offline, especially relevant are the reviews you will receive from customers that bought your product, went home, used it and came back to your Facebook page to post a review.

To make this process happen more smoothly, put some incentive for each purchase. Give your customers discounts for their next purchase or some incentives that will motivate them to happily write a review for you.

Be open and transparent

This is the best tip that I have. You will receive good and bad reviews. Everyone has them.

What matters the most is people seeing that you are caring and committed to giving the best customer support in the world. Keep in mind that this can be seen by everyone!

Imagine this scenario:

One customer gives you a 1-star rating for some reason. You respond, ask for more information and assist in making sure you fix the problem immediately.

What do you think is the ending of this scenario? Let me tell you.

The customer comes back, writes a new review or edits the 1 star one with a comment about the AMAZING help he received.

BOOM!

You might say that this is a bedtime story, but it’s not. It can be a wonderful, success story of your business. Just try it. It’s even better than someone giving you a 5-star rating right away.

If your customer is thinking about a product and he sees this, he will immediately know that he will be taken care of and that final doubt will be gone.

Do you need another tip for responding to a Facebook review?

You don’t have to respond from the Facebook page account. The company’s CEO can personally respond to the reviews. This gives an additional sense of stability, responsiveness and excellent customer support. Here is an example.

The Co-Founder responds with a “Thank You Card” to a customer review on the EmbedSocial official Facebook page. Cool, right?

Get better local SEO with Fаcebook reviews

If you think I am done explaining how rewarding Facebook reviews can be- well, I’m not. Here are 5 reasons why and how Facebook Reviews can greatly improve your SEO rating.

1. There is no marketing strategy for better SEO than consumer content! It will do wonders!
2. Customers provide an army of keywords, links, and titles that you actually need
3. Can’t find which long-tail keywords or specific phrases to use? Guess who knows? Your customers!
4. Reviews will boost your SMO (Social Media Optimization)
5. Negative reviews do NOT hurt your SEO rating. On the contrary, they can actually help!

See Also: The Future of SEO – Predictions and Premonitions That Will Dominate 2017

To sum up

Start using Facebook reviews today! It will help your customers, increase your Facebook reach, improve your SEO rank and, most importantly, improve your business!

The post The Facebook Organic Growth Tactic that Everybody Forgets appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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We have big dreams and we make bigger plans to fulfill them. But, as time passes, we tend to lose motivation and enthusiasm in working towards our dreams and passions. Eventually, we become more like a puppet who works from 9 to 5 just to make enough money for survival.

Does this sound like you? Are you simply existing and not living your life? Has life’s ups and downs taken away the spark from you?

It’s high-time to kick off the negativity and stress that have been controlling your life. It’s time to break the barriers, come out of the cocoon and win control over your life.

Pen down your discomforts and fears now

What is draining your motivation? Is it the next presentation that you have to deliver at work? Or the inability to get along with the others in the office?

Don’t let the fear of failure or anxiety of the future overpower you. Instead, face them with valor and courage.

However, before you can actually work on them, you’ll have to identify your fears.  You’ll have to write down your anxieties, challenges and setbacks in life on a piece of paper. Another way is to draw a circle and write your comforts inside it. Your fears and discomforts, meanwhile, should be outside the circle. This will help you realize your actual position at work.

Once you do this process, you will become aware of your shortcomings and weak points. You’ll be able to address them and minimize their effects in your life.

See Also: How To Overcome Negative Emotions Using 5 Writing Techniques

Begin with baby steps

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Similarly, the greatest things in the world have been accomplished with small steps. In essence, this means you don’t have to do everything at once. All you need to do is to take the baby step right now!

Take this, for example:

If you have been thinking of going to the gym, then just make the commitment to fulfill it by tonight or tomorrow morning. Don’t overburden yourself with the thought that you have to go to the gym for the next three months. If you have fallen in the habit of procrastinating things at work, then take a pledge to complete today’s work. Don’t make a week’s schedule and lower your enthusiasm.

Start afresh and start small. Once you start taking small steps, you will find your momentum building up and things will start falling into place gradually. Taking a little step towards your goal is the first sign of success. It will take away the fear, sense of insecurity and anxiety in you.

Re-visit your interests and passions

If you are too tired of working in the same pattern, then it’s time to kick off the boredom.

Remember the day you started working in your current organization?

There must have been something that made the job exciting for you. With the right approach, you’ll be able to restore that motivation.

It’s time to revisit your diary where you have written your interests and passions about your work. Identify those moments that made you feel excited the most about your job. And find what kept your energy high during those days.

For some people, playing with the code is fun. For others, a traveling job is all they want. Whatever your passion is, take a moment and find it.

The purpose of recognizing your passion is just to make you aware that life has a greater purpose than a particular event or job. You can still achieve your dreams or excel at workplace no matter what stage of life you are in.

Don’t rest until you are done

The key to making the most of your day is to work and work a little more till you are dead tired. Often, people waste a little bit too much of time in planning and then analyzing it.

In order to come out of your comfort zone and kill your fears, you just need to stretch a little beyond your capabilities and continue to work until you reach your 100%.

But, remember, don’t be dishonest with yourself. You are well-aware of your own capability and strengths and you can definitely do wonders. But, you will have to be true to yourself and keep pushing your limits.

Meditate to realize your real potential

“No great work has ever been produced except after a long interval of still and musing meditation- Walter Bagehot”

Meditation is the way to increase productivity at work, rekindle that lost enthusiasm and keep yourself motivated. You cannot win outer battles at work with an agitated mind. Thus, meditation is the secret recipe to keep yourself motivated and happy. It will help you channel your energy towards a positive direction and boost your confidence.

Take some time to meditate for 15 to 20 minutes twice in a day and keep rolling and rocking.

See Also: Benefits Of Meditation: How You Can Change Your Life In 10 Minutes

Each of us has that positivity inside us which serves as the source of our great ideas and accomplishments in the world. All we need is to exert more effort in finding motivation so we can achieve our ultimate goals and passion in life.

The post Time to Break the Cocoon! 5 Great Tips For Finding Motivation appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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