Successful Blog

Getting out of Bed on a Dark Day

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By Chris Brogan

I got diagnosed with severe clinical depression over a year ago, and for a while, I really hung to that diagnosis. It helped me frame a lot of what had been going wrong in my life. But then, I realized that I was really clinging to it. A lot too much. And so I decided that I’d try a new tack.

“YES AND” THINKING

Improv actors have a rule: you must never say no in a performance with another improv actor. If they start with, “You seem tired today,” you may not say, “No, I’m not.” You must say, “Yes, and…” and say what will keep the performance moving. I decided that with my depression, I’d adopt some “Yes, And” thinking to the process.

If it’s a dark day, and if I feel down, I don’t want to get out of bed. Bed makes for a great sanctuary when you’re depressed. But here’s what I’d tell myself: “I want to stay in bed. I’m depressed. I have severe clinical depression.” Pause. “Yes, and though I want to stay in bed, I’ve got work to do, and I really like to eat, so I’d best do some of that work. Let’s start by just getting out of the bed for a minute and see if you can walk around.”

SHAKE THE LABEL

I found something else out: once you earn a label, you really hold onto it, good or bad. If you’re labeled as the show-off, you start thinking about ways to do so. If you’re labeled the rebel, you ask, “What would a rebel do about this?” If you’re labeled as severely clinically depressed, it’s easy to say, “Well what do you expect? I’m depressed.”

But my girlfriend, Jacq, got me thinking about ways to shake the label. She said, “You’re down. You’re not feeling well for a moment. That’s okay. But let’s not let it shake the rest of the day.”

Now, realize that when you’re suffering from depression, the last thing you want is for someone to cheer you up. That’s not okay. But what I did take from her perspective was that I didn’t have to stay depressed. And just that one thought got me to really shake off the label. Now, even if I’m really feeling bad, I don’t immediately label it as “depression.” Instead, I look at what’s hurting, acknowledge it, and then try to let that hurting continue while I go about my day. I don’t tamp it down. I try to feel it.

THIS IS JUST MY RECIPE

Everyone is different with how they face their day. But in figuring out these few little details, I’ve been able to get more done. As someone working on being the SOB that Liz wants me to be, that’s how I accomplish as much as I can. I’d love to hear your own recipes for getting out of bed on a dark day.

Author’s Bio: Chris Brogan is CEO & President of Human Business Works. We help you learn to do work the way you want to do it. He’s the author of a new book, It’s Not About the Tights: An Owners Manual for Bravery. See him at SOBCon!

Overcoming the three fears of telecommuting

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By Kelly Gregorio

home office space
Is telecommuting right for you?
In today’s digital world telecommuting is becoming more of a common practice. Increased productivity, a “greener” business approach, time and funds saved from a commute are just a few of the benefits. Still, as an employer there are some drawbacks to consider. Below are the top 3 fears of telecommuting and tips on how to overcome them.

Will Everyone Want to Telecommute?

It is important to remember that telecommuting is not the right fit for every employee. Positions that require constant supervision and collaboration are not ideal. However, independent positions that are results-oriented might make a good candidate for telecommuting. Another thing to consider: equipment. Someone who requires a photocopier, scanner and the latest software might not make for an ideal telecommute worker; however a job that simply requires a laptop and access to the internet could work. When making the decision to offer the telecommute option remember it will not apply to the entire company, decide first which jobs are the right fit.

Is Anybody Out There?

As an employer you might be hesitant to allow employees to work from home because of the potential communication gap. Luckily, instant messaging, emailing and texts can put you in direct contact with your virtual workers during normal business hours. Need the face-to-face? Skype is a great (and free) advancement that will allow you to look your employee in the eye while discussing upcoming and ongoing projects. Finally, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly trips to the office are a great way to reconnect and to allow your employee to still feel like he/she is a part of the office team.

How Can I Make This Work?

Before undergoing any telecommuting option it is most important to draw out expectations with your employee. Requiring your worker to send daily follow-up reports of productivity is a smart way to stay on the same page. Routine scheduled phone calls can keep the lines of communication open and objectives on track. By establishing clearly defined goals and checkpoints, you and your employee will be clear on what is expected to be produced in and outside of the cubicle.

Telecommuting is a viable option for the right company. If you feel like your business might be a candidate consider the benefits. Fewer interruptions make for a more productive employee, employee retention and job attractiveness are bound to increase, and temporary inter-office problems such as sickness or power outages are less of a problem for the at-home worker. By preparing for the possible downsides, employers can assess if telecommuting is a feasible option for their employees, creating a happier work environment both near and far.

Author’s Bio: Kelly Gregorio writes about relevant topics that affect small businesses while working at Merchant Resources International. You can follow her daily blog at http://www.cashprior.com/blog.

Image: Flickr creative commons – mccun934

Excelling as a Freelancer – How to Use Online Courses to Boost Your Credentials

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Every day, hundreds and thousands of websites are launched, and each of these websites has the potential to create freelance jobs including web design or development jobs, content writing, search engine optimization, or social media marketing. Looking at the growth rate of World Wide Web, you can imagine the scope in the freelance jobs market. And remember, freelance jobs are not limited to content writing or graphic designing. You can find many different types of jobs at freelance job portals.

The only problem is, for every job, there are hundreds of candidates, and you will have to compete with the best of the best to grab some of these jobs.

Working as a freelancer can be highly rewarding and much more convenient than a 9 to 5 job, however getting new projects and clients on a continuous basis can be quite difficult. You need to be on top of your game, and you will have to stay on the learning curve throughout your career. If you’re looking to work as a freelancer, you must invest some of your time and earnings on learning and keeping yourself in the know of things. Online courses are ideal for freelancers, knowing that you will have to spend most of your time on Internet.

Here are some tips that will help you choose the right online course, degree, or program.

  • Doesn’t matter if you are looking to become a freelance content writer, web designer, or an SEO analyst, you need to have flawless English writing and comprehension skills. In case English is not your first language, and you are not good at writing or speaking English, you can start by taking online courses for the English language.
  • For basics or beginner level courses, you can easily find free programs or tutorials on the Internet. Some will provide you with a certificate, but even if they don’t, you will still learn many valuable things, so make the most of free online courses.
  • Choose a field and stick with it. For example, if you are looking to excel as a content writer, there’s no point in taking an online course for web design just because graphic design appears to be the “in thing”. It’s great to have some knowledge of the related fields; however, you should try to become the master of one trade, such as forensics with a Masters degree in criminology, instead of becoming the jack of many.
  • Before beginning an online course, ask yourself is this course, diploma, or degree is something that you will proudly share on your resume? If the answer is no, drop the idea of paying for any such course that doesn’t improve your credentials in one way or another.
  • An online course is entirely different from “make money online programs”. An online course is quite similar to an offline course, except that you can study from your home. If the course provider makes large claims, and promises big rewards, take it with a grain of salt.
  • Try to find a credible university or institute offering a relevant course, instead of going for the first resource that appears on top of your Google search. Just because a site is ranking on top of Google doesn’t make it a trustworthy source, so you must do the due diligence.

 

Arba Hana has been writing on freelancing and online education topics for more than two years. The Internet provides learning opportunities for all, ranging from the short courses to full-fledged degree programs like criminology masters programs.

Have you outgrown your blog subscriptions?

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By Rosemary O’Neill

So many blogs, so little time. And our RSS feeds and email in-boxes become a one way tube, vacuuming up new subscriptions every day.

How often do you take a moment to prune out blogs that no longer meet your current needs?

My favorite shirt

That surf shirt from high school was so comfy. The t-shirt material was soft and thin from years of use, and it almost conformed to the shape of my body. I loved it for so long. And then one day I realized that I didn’t have enough room in my drawers to keep it anymore. Further, as a 40-something business owner and mom of three, I had no use for a 30 year old t-shirt. It had to go.

Some of those old blog subscriptions are like faded t-shirts too. Perhaps you needed to learn how to start a Twitter account, or the ABCs of Facebook, at one time, but you’ve grown, your perspective may have shifted. Heck, your entire business model may have shifted.

Get some new input

The great thing about tossing the old clothes (or blog subscriptions) is the ability to add new stuff to the drawer. When was the last time you actively sought out new voices for your subscription stream?

Action items for today

  • Each time you get a new blog post (via email or RSS), evaluate whether it is still relevant to you, where you are today. If not, unsubscribe.
  • If you haven’t read the posts from a blogger in more than 3 weeks, time to unsubscribe.
  • Go to Technorati.com or AllTop.com and browse the subject areas that interest you to find new bloggers to follow.
  • Go to the Twitter profile of someone you admire and look at the people he/she follows. Then use their bios to find their blogs and subscribe.
  • Do a Google search for “blog” and your favorite keyword to find new blogging voices.

Are you ready to update your content wardrobe?

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Thank you, Rosemary!

You’re irresistible!

ME “Liz” Strauss

The Right Diet – Eating Your Way to the Online Success

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Getting the riches or recognition via Internet is all about producing great content, making the most of social media, taking advantage of all available opportunities, optimizing your website for the right keywords, so on and so forth. And regardless of how easy it sounds, carrying out all these tasks while not compromising on the quality, and trying to keep it “in line” with Google guidelines is not a walk in the park. The incessant mental labor can drain the last ounce of your energy reserves, the even increasing competition and challenges can ruin your work-life balance, and the small setbacks and rewards on daily basis can initiate a rollercoaster of emotions, which is not healthy at all.

Amidst all this madness, many of us start to neglect something that can be our first line of defense (or attack) for all these challenges, and that is the diet.
While we only associate the notion of balanced diet with the weight management, and the only time we focus on our diet is when we are looking to gain or lose some weight, in reality diet can affect everything from our moods to energy level, and our thought pattern to productivity. To make a long story short, there’s no way that you can perform at your optimum levels with a malnourished mind or body.
Here’s how a wholesome and nutritious diet can invigorate your mind, body, and subsequently your business.

Avoid Work Burnout:

If you have to drag yourself to work all the time, and you hardly feel like focusing on work, it’s supposed to be nothing else but the dreaded burnout? While it’s true that you can a monotonous job can result in a work related burnout, but sometimes lack of energy can also result in the feelings like fatigue or exhaustion, and it might not be something associated with your job. That is why changing job or your work timings doesn’t seem to help. If you are feeling drained or exhausted all the time, you should try eating something healthy, especially in the breakfast. The right food in the breakfast will give you the energy as well as morale boost that you might be lacking.

Obesity & Weight Management:

Eating healthy is not about eating more and it’s not about eating less either, healthy diet is all about including the nutritious food in your meals. You might be eating a lot of unhealthy stuff, but while it takes care of your appetite, it will keep adding to your weight, and before you know, you will be facing the much dreaded problem of being overweight. It takes a short duration of unhealthy eating and working habits to gain those extra pounds, but reclaiming your fitness might take much longer. Obesity and weight problems can seriously dent your confidence. It’s not easy to put your best foot forward in presentations, meetings, and anything you do, when you are not comfortable about your looks. Not to mention the ill effects of obesity on your health.

Procrastination:

Procrastination is one of the biggest problems faced by people who are working from home (e.g. freelance writers, bloggers, and online entrepreneurs). Little or no physical activity and poor diet coupled with the comfort of home can push you into a vicious spiral of procrastination. Not having the “luxury” of a manager or boss to keep you on your toes, it’s so important to complete the day’s work on daily basis without putting it off. And while eating healthy wouldn’t really make you more organized, it will surely help you avoid the low blood sugar level that is associated with short attention span (meaning that you will get distracted more easily).

Fighting the Fatigue:

Last but not the least, having the right food will help you deal with the stress and fatigue, resulting from long working hours on computer and Internet. Food items like almonds, walnuts, salmon, yogurt, and green vegetables can help you deal with the damaging effects of work related stress. On the other hand, consuming junk or unhealthy food can add to your stress levels, let alone dealing with it.

Rahil writes on health and fitness related topics concerning bloggers and online entrepreneurs. You can find best meal delivery program or compare diet plans online at his blog. There’s no doubt that food plays an integral role in our health and overall wellbeing, and the diet plan reviews or coupon code at his website will help you find the best diet plan for weight management at discounted prices.

5 Compelling Business Reasons to Carpool to Work

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by
Paul Ellett

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5 Compelling Business Reasons to Carpool to Work

We’ve all heard those in the eco-climate field tell us about the dangers our cars are using and that we must act now, and we might all be sick of it. There is only so much talk about “being green” that we can handle at any one time. This is why many dismiss car-pooling as one of those options that are always discussed but never so seriously. I mean, who would want to share their car with someone who they only occasionally speak to at the copier at work, right?

Wrong. There are in fact several compelling reasons why carpooling or car-sharing to work is a viable way to travel. Whether you share a ride either each day or a few times a week, it makes solid sense and can grow your business and professional career to do so. Keep reading to find out more.

1: Strengthen Relationships

Because workplaces see many people from various backgrounds come together every day and interact regularly, there can often be little in the way of common-ground which can make for awkward lift-conversations or lunchtime conversations. If you’re in a job for the longhaul, change this outlook now! You may even find that you have a lot more in common with particular individuals than you originally thought;whether it be material things like sports, or deeper circumstances like lifestyle. This bonding can make team-projects or exercises that much easier and smoother. Additionally, if we have someone with which to coordinate with to get to work, we can teach ourselves to be more careful with how we manage our time, if we know someone else is relying on us.

2: Company Incentives

If you do take part in carpool schemes within your company, you may be able to apply for petrol-incentives or have these reimbursed in return. Ask your supervisor, human resources representative or even boss about this. This may be possible if your company pays for public transport travel costs for some employees currently. If you can show that you can save money, the person who you speak to within your company will be more susceptible to that as everyone is looking to save where they can.

3: Your Boss

Some people find it hard to stand out from a crowd which can be a killer when it comes to promotions in a large company. It can be a case of really being able to present yourself on a one-to-one basis rather than in a group or during the general workday. If you can arrange something with your boss, then it might be a grand opportunity to let them get to know you. You might find some common ground you didn’t know you had, and show them qualities that don’t make themselves so clear otherwise. Carpooling can be a lot less formal than being in the office too. If your boss can see from these daily interactions that you are capable, you’ll be more likely to be considered for projects and promotions.

4: Share the Stress

Often road-rage arises from a fear or frustration that we’ll be late for work, but why? Probably because we’re scared that we’ll look inferior to our colleagues and be knocked down the totem pole. If we’re late often, then we can often feel like we’re the only one in the world where we shouldn’t be and it can gain unwanted attention from those higher up if a frequent occurrence. It makes sense that if we’re late with someone else, we share the brunt of this stress and are less likely to feel so on edge that we’re running late. The company we get from having someone else with us in the car, can distract us from stressful situations we would otherwise focus on. It also makes sense that if more people carpooled, there would be less traffic on the road in certain areas, like heavily-congested motorways which join cities to surrounding areas.

5: Can’t Drive?

Often the jobs we apply for depend on how easy or possible it is to travel to it each day. This can limit the options available to us which impacts how we make a living. You may also wish to consider what happens if your circumstances change for the short-term. What if you’re found guilty of a drink driving offense and are temporarily suspended from the road? What if your own car is off-the-road due to repairs? Are you taking any medication which makes it difficult to drive or that requires you to stay away from heavy machinery of any kind? Can you get to work via public transport or would it be easier to speak to someone about carpooling? Will it save you money if you do this? In a large company there should be at least a few others who travel the same route as yourself; you just need to find them. Carpooling may be your only viable option to get to work and save money.

Author’s Bio:

Paul is working with a firm of drink driving solicitors in London and across the UK, who defend those who have been caught speeding, driving while under the influence etc.