What It Means To Have A Successful Life And How To Have One

Sometimes it only takes one event in life to get you to ask an important question: "What does it take to have a successful life?" It seems like a simple question, but the more you dig into it the more complex it becomes. For example, success isn't as simple as winning. It can mean one thing to one person and something else for another. That being said, throughout history, those who have become successful have had specific themes in their lives. Sometimes they needed a mentor or an important figure in their lives. Others had a particular mindset. With this in mind, let's explore what it means to live a successful life and how you can obtain it.

What It Means to Be Successful

Before diving in further, let's explore Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. It's a motivational theory in psychology that consists of five tiers. The first four tiers are simple: physiological needs, safety, a place to belong, and esteem needs. The last tier is where you want to focus right now: self-actualization. Self-actualization is the idea that there is more to life and that we aspire to a purpose. Whatever this purpose is, we'll be pursuing it to feel whole. When it comes to a successful life, it's easy to say that self-actualization is merely satisfying four aspects of our lives. These are the four pillars that create our success:

• Personal health
• Strong relationships
• Financial security
• A passion for your work

1. Personal Health

Personal health is one of the pillars because, as we get older, things start to function not as they should or would normally. We begin to lose our strength as we pick up unhealthy habits. Not only that, but the negative aspects of poor health impact many areas of our lives. Furthermore, if you want to help others (yourself included), you need to have strong mental and physical health. That's not to say you need to be incredibly buff, but rather physically capable to do what you want to do.

2. Strong Relationships

From romantic partners to friends and other connections, we all have social needs.((NCBI: Interpersonal Mechanisms Linking Close Relationships to Health)) When it comes to romantic partners, it's important that they complement you, your goals, and the life you want to live and how you want to live it. You want them to support you in your search for a successful life. This mentality also applies to other connections. Strong relationships form when both people are getting something out of these relationships.

3. Financial Stability

Financial stability doesn't mean the same as being rich. Having financial stability can mean being comfortable living with what you have right now or living within your own means. The whole idea here is focusing on the things in your life you do have over what you don't. This changes your perspective as you won't be focused on accumulating items for the sake of it. Another way you can look at this is similar to retirement. Retirement is the idea of living with the money you have and still supporting the life you want without working as much.

4. Passion for Your Work

The final pillar is passion for your work. Being passionate about something is huge, but it can be difficult to pin down to specifics. When you start thinking about what your passion is, you will probably discover several topics or ideas that drive you. Whatever you decide to go for is up to you, but you want to make sure that it allows financial stability in due time. Overall, your work should:

• Get you out of bed in the morning.
• Be something that makes you excited and gives you energy.
• Be something that you know you'll enjoy doing for many years to come.

How to Have a Successful Life

With the four above pillars in mind, you have an overarching view of what it means to have a successful life. And while all of these things are simple on the surface, these aspects aren't always so simple to achieve. Some of these things can take a few years or more to achieve, depending on where you are in life. However, there are some specific traits to help you along the way. When you develop these particular traits, obtaining your successful life will become easier in many ways. We know this because these are habits and traits that many people have portrayed time and again to obtain a successful life.

1. Self Belief

The first is an obvious one, but it's one that can be left behind when you face challenges. During those times it can be easy for us to give up and stop doing what we're doing. When we have self-belief, believing that we'll have a successful life is powerful. After all, how we view ourselves is a big contributor to whether we will succeed or fail.

2. Setting Goals

Another habit is the idea of setting goals. Everyone needs goals as these are treated as your compass and give you a direction to work in. I would, however, encourage going beyond setting goals. Instead, try focusing on systems. James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits((James Clear: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones)) realized over time that the goals that he was setting weren't the source of his success. Instead, it was the systems that he put in place.((James Clear: Forget About Setting Goals. Focus on This Instead.)) For example, if you're a musician, you'll set a goal like learning a new piece once per week. To make that goal a reality, you'll develop a system. You'll practice daily for an hour or two and begin looking for feedback regularly. Another example goal is improving your relationship with your spouse. A system for that is perhaps researching relationship tips and applying some of them within the relationship soon after. Creating these systems can ensure that you achieve your goals so long as you develop that habit and stay consistent with it. As you can also tell, these systems can apply to various parts of our lives.

3. Time Management

Another valuable skill for a successful life is time management. Everyone has 24 hours in a day and can only do so much in it. Time is the most important resource in our entire lives and shouldn't be squandered. There are several ways to manage your time, of course. One of the tried and true methods to stick to is having a schedule or a system in place to give you tasks. Similar to a day job, there is a structure and things flow well because people go to work and immediately know what they need to be doing. This time management trick works the same way. If you know what needs to get done or what you want to work on, it's easier to get into it as opposed to pondering what's next. Time management also entails knowing what is worth your time. This is a skill that is built up over time and comes with experience. It's a valuable skill, and one of the ways to develop it is looking at the amount of work and effort that needs to go into a task versus the potential rewards you can get from it.

4. Money Management

The second most valuable resource is money. Whether you like it or not, money is often needed in order to live a successful life. Money is what we need to survive. However, the key to it is knowing how much you need in order to live that life. It's a similar idea to retirement, where you're living the life you want without working as much. To improve money management, you'll want to learn financial lingo and create a budget to stick to. It's not a matter of being conservative but being able to live within the means of your lifestyle.((Academy of Accounting and Financial Studies Journal: Attitude Towards Money: Mediation to Money Management)) When you're not lacking money, it's easy to spend money without thought and enter financial arrangements where you don't know what you're getting into. So many people go into massive debt without considering financial alternatives or considering whether something is worth investing in. To avoid these situations, put together budgets and take note of your spending habits and other behaviors.

The Bottom Line

Success isn't defined entirely by what you read in a book. Every person has their own definition and views of success. I believe that we can agree, though, that satisfying these core principles is important to everyone. If we are healthy, we can enjoy our success. If we're around people we love, it makes the road to success easier. When we are financially stable, we can afford to live the way we want to live. Finally, when we have a passion for our work, we will continue to prosper.

More Tips on Creating a Successful Life

• How To Be Successful In Life: 13 Life-Changing Tips
• 16 Simple Rules to Live by for a Successful And Fulfilling Life
• How Self-Reflection Gives You a Happier and More Successful Life

13 Keys to Living Your Best Life

Twenty years ago, my husband and I had an experience I will never forget. While on our way to Nairobi, Kenya, a mentally-ill passenger broke into the cockpit and tried to crash the plane. For five harrowing minutes, the plane did acrobatics in the air. In those moments of life hanging on a thread, what living the best life really means for me suddenly became crystal clear. But I’ll get to that in a minute. Because this article isn’t about me. It’s about you and your life. Do you have a strong sense of what you want out of life, but find it challenging to achieve that in the face of your day-to-day responsibilities and stresses? If so, you are not alone. Recent research has revealed 13 keys that can help us strike this balance between the big picture of what we want out of life and navigating everyday distractions. But first, it’s important to figure out what living the best life means to you.

What Brings You a Sense of Meaning?

When you think of living the best life, what do you think of? Perhaps achieving happiness, reaching your potential, or making the world a better place? What are the inner standards by which you judge your life? The following three questions might help.

3 Questions to Ask About Living the Best Life

For me, in the moments we faced death during that harrowing experience on the plane, I became intensely aware of these three questions by which I was judging how my life had been up to that point.

How Am I Experiencing Love?

The love I felt in that moment for my husband, our loved ones who were on the ground, and all others in the world was truly profound. I became aware that love—both my ability to receive it and share it—matters more than anything else.

How Authentically Am I Sharing My Unique Gift?

We each have a unique gift—the unique energy and essence that is who we really are. Each person has a unique gift to offer that no one else can or ever will again. Living our best life means finding creative ways to share our best selves, whether in our work, our creative hobbies, or simply how we live.

What Am I Grateful For?

It’s easy to focus on our worries and anxieties or the distractions of everyday life. However, when we remember our own mortality, we realize that each moment is a gift. What matters most in the big picture perspective of our lives is very personal. However, figuring it out is how we uncover our formula for living our best lives.

What’s Distracting You from Living the Best Life?

Fast forward to 20 Years Later. Today, my morning starts before the sun came up. Emails, texts, and appointments called for my attention, including requests from my family, friends, coworkers, as well as news alerts about the latest global crisis. To say nothing of our puppy, who was asking to be taken out for her morning walk. A dilemma most of us struggle with is time. How do we manage our time so that our lives reflect what matters most? These 13 keys can help us focus, live with greater purpose, boost our happiness and well-being, and authentically connect with the unique gift we each have to share, even in the face of day-to-day distractions.

13 Keys to Living the Best Life

1. Identify What Matters Most to You

It doesn’t take a near-death experience to reconnect with what matters most. Sometimes, just a few moments of asking tough questions can help us to do the same thing. What matters most to you? What is most important to you—really? If you learned you only had a limited time left, what would you want to do with your time? Have you had a difficult experience that helped you clarify what really matters? What did you learn? What are your answers to the above three questions? What matters most to you?

2. Practice Being Present

Research has revealed that a simple way to be happier and live our best life comes from developing the ability to fully experience each moment. Mindfulness is the ability to observe the present moment without judging it. Mindfulness has many impressive benefits. Diabetic patients who were taught mindfulness skills experienced lower blood sugar and increased happiness.((Journal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences: Effectiveness of Mindfulness on Happiness and Blood Sugar Level in Diabetic Patients)) Mindfulness on the job has been proven to reduce exhaustion and increase job satisfaction.((APA PsycNet: Benefits of mindfulness at work: The role of mindfulness in emotion regulation, emotional exhaustion, and job satisfaction.)) Mindfulness is not difficult to learn and is something we can do in a moment. Right now, take a deep breath. Notice how the breath feels as it is going into your lungs. How does your body feel? Are your muscles stiff or relaxed? Do you feel warm or cold? What do you see? What do you smell? What do you hear? Focus on the noises closest to you, then further away. Now try to hear even beyond that. This is all it takes to be fully present.

3. Savor the Moment

An incredibly powerful technique that I’ve been coaching my clients to do and have been doing in my own life for several decades is something I call Creating a Miraculous Moment. This is very effective when it comes to living our best lives. Here's how you can create a Miraculous Moment, right now. First, become present by looking around and noticing what is happening (ask yourself the questions above in Key #2). Then find something very specific that you are grateful for—perhaps the way the sun feels on your face, feeling safe, hearing beautiful music playing in the background, etc. Combining mindfulness with savoring the moment is powerful, and the benefits are backed by research. Doing these things together can improve your psychological health and life satisfaction.((Springer Link: Being Present and Enjoying It: Dispositional Mindfulness and Savoring the Moment Are Distinct, Interactive Predictors of Positive Emotions and Psychological Health))

4. Listen and Have Empathy

Living the best life has a lot to do with the level of trust, empathy, and intimacy we have in our relationships with those we love.((Springer Link: Close Relationships and Happiness Among Emerging Adults)) In his book, Nonviolent Communication, Marshall B. Rosenburg, Ph.D., explains that learning to listen to others with empathy and presence can dramatically transform our relationships. Being a good listener helps people feel as if we really care about them. It also helps us to understand what they need and want, so we can be of service and come up with positive solutions. His methods are rooted in the idea that “observing without evaluating is the highest form of human intelligence.”

5. Learn to Flow

One of the most powerful ways to connect with our true selves and experience positive emotions is through flow. Flow is sort of like mindfulness in action. Flow is when we are so engrossed in what we are doing that we get into a zone and stop thinking about anything else. We can experience this when playing an instrument, playing a sport, creating artwork, writing an essay, reading a book, etc. Being in flow increases our happiness, helps us reach optimal performance, and boosts our creativity. According to researcher Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and author of Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, one of the best things about flow is it puts happiness in our control.((Psychology Today: Finding flow)) Rather than being happy because of outer events, we are in flow as a result of an inner experience we create for ourselves.

6. Hit the Reset Button (Often)

Sometimes life sends us curveballs we aren’t prepared for. It’s important to know how to get back to the center—to who we are and to reconnect with our goals and priorities. If you ever find yourself feeling off-course or negative, imagine hitting a pause button. It only takes a minute to re-focus. Some great tips for resetting include stretching, taking a deep breath, jotting down a few goals or intentions, then beginning again. Knowing how to reset our energy is important when it comes to navigating minor distractions and major life changes.

7. Be Self-Aware

There is a saying that awareness is the first step to healing. Sometimes we are so busy in life that we don’t take time out to hear our inner voice, which can have negative consequences. We can also become blind to destructive habits that we want to pretend aren’t happening but can have negative long-term effects on our well-being. When we prioritize getting to know ourselves, we gain information that can be extremely helpful in changing our lives for the better. If self-awareness is something you want to improve, consider working with a therapist, coach, journaling, meditating, or regularly sharing from a deep place of honesty with a friend who wants the very best for you.

8. Comfort Yourself

Self-awareness is one thing. What we do with that awareness, however, is even more important. Many of us have learned to be very hard on ourselves and self-critical in the face of challenges or aspects of self we would like to change. However, research shows self-criticism can have a very negative impact on our health, well-being, and the quality of our lives.((Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy: Compassionate Mind Training for People with High Shame and Self-Criticism: Overview and Pilot Study of a Group Therapy Approach)) The good news is, self-compassion and the ability to reassure ourselves can be learned and can lower our risk of depression, anxiety, shame, and stress. Next time you find yourself being overly self-critical, try reassuring yourself, visualizing comforting and calming images, or imagining being comforted by a deep understanding, accepting and empathetic friend.

9. Do What You Love

The benefits of hobbies and doing what we love have been widely accepted, including improving our well-being and reducing stress.((Psychiatry Online: Psychological Aspects of Hobbies)) When we enjoy something, we are more apt to do it often. The more often we practice something, the better we become, and that can also act to boost our sense of well-being, confidence, and success. Activities we love are also those that can help us experience flow (Key #5), which improves our happiness and can provide a direct experience of who we really are, our unique gift, and our true self. Shortly after our near-death experience on that flight to Africa, my husband and I took a three-month sabbatical and traveled around the United States, interviewing more than 100 people about their hopes and dreams, including what they'd always dreamed of doing. The joy on people's faces as they shared their answers showed us that even the act of thinking about what we love to do can be a game-changer. Take a minute now to ask yourself: What are your passions? What do you love to do? Your answers are the key to living your best life.

10. Develop Routines and Positive Habits

One of the reasons the small stuff gets in the way of our big picture goals and intentions is that we haven’t established routines and positive habits. Routines can help us cut through the clutter, reduce distractions and more easily accomplish all the little things that we all must do to survive, such as pay our bills, make our meals, wash and put away our clothes and dishes and yes, empty our email inboxes. Research shows that the better we are at creating routines to take care of our personal lives and healthcare, the better our health and well-being.((Pediatrics: Household Routines and Obesity in US Preschool-Aged Children)) One tip for creating a new habit, which Charles Duhigg discusses in his book The Power of Habit, is building habits on top of each other. In other words, if you already brush your teeth every night without fail, add a new habit to that already-established time and routine.

11. Commit to Your Connections

The COVID-19 pandemic showed us firsthand how important our social connections are. Community is an important factor in how happy we are with our lives, and our long-term well-being and health. If you feel disconnected or like you want to strengthen your sense of belonging, consider calling a different friend each day, joining a church, synagogue or spiritual group, online or in-person support group, book club, or exploring cultural or community events that might be attended by other people with shared interests. To reconnect with favorite friends, try scheduling a weekly hike, coffee hour, zoom call, happy hour, or email/text check-in. We get what we put out there. Show up when people you love ask for help or seek connection. Let go and create healthy boundaries with people who drain your energy.

12. Move Your Body

Exercise is an important key to staying healthy and happy. Research shows exercise can prevent depression, long-term illness, improve our moods, and increase our longevity.((Pediatrics: Household Routines and Obesity in US Preschool-Aged Children)) We now know that it’s not only exercise that matters, but also how we hold and move our bodies when we are going through the motion of our lives, including working at our desks. Recent research shows that simply sitting up straight can make us more likely to think positive thoughts about ourselves and what is possible for our lives.((Science Daily: Body Posture Affects Confidence In Your Own Thoughts, Study Finds))

13. Spend Time in Nature

One of the best ways to live our best lives is to spend time in nature. From the benefits of vitamin D from sunlight, to simply getting outside of our own world and connecting with something greater, the benefits of nature are well-established.((Sage Journals: Benefits of Nature Contact for Children)) The more we learn, the more we realize how important it is to protect our natural spaces, parks, and trees, not just for our enjoyment, but also for our physical and mental well-being.

Final Thoughts

Living the best life requires knowing matters most to us and reflecting this in what we prioritize in our day-to-day. The good news is, with intention and focus, small changes can make a big difference. Look at the list of 13 keys above one more time. Which of the 13 keys for living your best life resonates most with you? Which do you think has the greatest potential to change your life for the better? Lately, I have found #6: Hit The Reset Button to be particularly helpful. When we feel distracted or off-course, all we have to do is remember that each moment is a gift. No matter how far the anxieties or distractions of our lives have taken us from where we want to be, it only takes a moment to reset, shift from distraction to gratitude, remember what matters most and begin again.

More on Living the Best Life

• How to Live Your Best Life Starting Today
• How Self Care Can Help You Live Your Best Life
• 10 Ways to Be Happier, Backed By Science

Productivity Can Be Improved By These 10 Actionable Steps

If there is any challenge that is common to everyone apart from staying happy, it's improving personal productivity. Nothing stimulates joy like getting things done and doing the right things. You become happier when you are focused and productive. So what is productivity and how do we improve it?

What is Personal Productivity?

Personal productivity means different things to different individuals. Some might define personal productivity as accomplishing your milestones without failing, or setting goals and completing them. So what, then, is personal productivity? Personal productivity can be thought of as completing a set of tasks that moves you forward in the direction of your life purpose without causing you to sacrifice other life aspects. Personal productivity can be improved by identifying your key objectives and what actionable steps you need to take to fulfill them. In all of this, it's important to remember that personal productivity is different than workplace productivity. Here's why.

Personal Productivity Vs. Workplace Productivity

Workplace productivity deals with your level of efficiency in accomplishing corporate goals and providing goods or top-notch solutions for customers. For instance, productivity in the workplace could incorporate the speed at which you respond to a query as a customer service assistant or design a website for a web development agency.

The 4 Components of Productivity

Penny Zenker, a notable Productivity Coach, propounded four essential components of productivity: purpose, language, focus, and physiology. Let's break these down.

Purpose

According to Penny,

"When you are on a course or purpose that goes beyond what's in it for you or what you need to do, you gain a higher sense of being more productive and a feeling that you are working on something significant."((Penny Zenker: The Productivity Zone))

One way to find your sense of purpose is by answering your "Whys."

Language

Language is another crucial component. It's how you express yourself in describing the world around you. Any time you utilize negative words during self-talk, you are conditioning yourself to produce negative situations. Productivity can be improved by paying attention to the language you use. That way, you can change your words consciously and then talk yourself into becoming more productive. Therefore, try to change your language to improve your output!

Focus

You only have 24 hours each day. How do you guide your energy within this limited time-frame? The answer lies in being focused. Focus is the art of directing your energy towards your objectives. It is eliminating every form of distraction and achieving your set goals.

Physiology

You need a great body to be productive. That's why your physiology influences your level of productivity. For instance, what you eat affects what you can do. If you continuously neglect the habit of eating healthy, you will continually undermine your performance and efficiency. So what's the way forward? Take good care of your body! Productivity can be improved by eating healthy, exercising regularly, and spending time with nature.

How to Evaluate Productivity

Evaluating your productivity is an important step as it helps you keep track of what you're doing right and wrong on your journey to completing your goals. Try these five proven steps to keep you on track.

1. Review Your Completed To-Do Lists

One of the strategic means of assessing your productivity is by examining your completed to-do lists. You can accurately look at your activities in the past two to three weeks. Find out what you have accomplished. Estimate how many tasks, how long each task took you, and find the ones you failed to complete. Were you distracted? Busy? Or lacking sufficient time? The essence of this assessment is to enable you find a solution that can assist you in completing your objectives on time.

2. Track Your Time

Tracking your time is highly crucial to determining your productivity level. You only have 24 hours, just like any other person. How you spend each second is what differentiates you from the rest of the world. While some are experts at managing their time productively, others retire at night without any significant thing they have accomplished all day. You just can't live your life like that. Track your time to derive an accurate evaluation of your accomplishments and performance in your workplace.

3. Practice Accountability

While you can collaborate with an accountability partner to monitor your progress, Jones Loflin, a keynote speaker and a prolific author, also recommends that you ask yourself some reflective questions daily((Jones Loflin:10 Ways To Measure Personal Productivity)):

• Was I productive today or reactive?
• Have I accomplished any of my short-term goals?
• What took my time today?
• Who is excited that I was part of their day?
• What did I accomplish today that will relieve me of stress tomorrow?
• What did I fail to do that can make my tomorrow worse off?

While you don't have to ask all these questions each day, you can ask them at intervals throughout the week. You can also practice journaling or blog about your experience.

4. Allocate a Time-frame for Your Goals

Establishing a timeline is one of the requirements for creating SMART goals. You can determine if you have accomplished your objectives when you have a time period as a point of reference. You provide yourself a timeline to implement your tasks when you assign deadlines for all your milestones. That way, you can detect when you are not meeting your deadlines and quickly get back on track.

5. Complete a Weekly Review

The best time to audit your accomplishment is the weekend and not the end of the year. Create time each week to evaluate your objectives and track your outcomes. Find out which stage you are in, and determine how you can tweak your schedules and routines to better achieve your aims.

How to Improve Productivity

Tracking productivity is important, but it's all for naught if you're unable to improve your productivity in the face of difficulties. Productivity can be improved by incorporating these simple things into your life.

1. Exercise

Do this first thing when you wake up. According to research, exercise, especially team exercise, can enhance your mood for up to 12 hours after a workout.((ThriveGlobal: This Study of 1.2 Million People Reveals the 1 Exercise That Most Improves Overall Mental Health)) Therefore, if you care to have a productive day, invest your first 20 minutes in physical exercises. Nothing energizes you like physical exercises, and productivity can be improved by a boost in your energy level.

2. Prioritize the Most Critical Tasks

Everyone has specific activities that count the most. An important step is to identify three things that add value to your life's purpose. What three things produce the most income? What three things generate the highest impact? Delete the "additional stuff" as much as you can. This action will enable you to enjoy the importance of focusing on your most important activities.

3. Allocate Less Time for Major Projects

Time is like a new mansion. You fill a new house with furniture and fittings, just as you load each block of your time with activities. So here's a practical approach you can apply. Reduce the amount of time you assign for a critical task. That will help you to focus and stay productive. It will also optimize your energy level and help you get things done faster.

4. Chunk Your House Chores

Now that you are working from home, housekeeping activities can become your greatest distractions. You don't have to worry about that. Instead of performing those tasks at any time of the day, sort them out in an organized block. Then, schedule the blocks and take them out when you are tired or need a mental break.

5. Learn to Say No

That does not mean you are not polite. It's important to protect your time by saying no as often as you say yes. Time is a great asset; you cannot waste it trying to please everyone.

6. Schedule Free Time

Don't let your free time just happen. It should not also be a product of "if you have a chance." Plan it! Set out fun things to do during those free periods. It could be watching a new movie or playing an exciting game. Let it be something that you love so you can anticipate it. Productivity can be improved by an increased level of happiness, which we can improve during those crucial moments of free time.

7. Take a Productivity Nap

A quick nap has the ability to boost your creativity, retention, and focus.((Sleep Medicine: Exploring the nap paradox: are mid-day sleep bouts a friend or foe?)) Midday siestas can supercharge your productivity, so don't overwork yourself; take a nap!

8. Use Your Mind to Think, Not to Recollect

Never clutter your mind with mental lists of things you need to remember. Instead, write those things down and focus your mind on how to do them better. Avoid wasting your mental energy on remembering important ideas, and let papers take care of that.

9. Turn off Notifications

Turn off email dings, phone buzzes, and pop-ups. Every notification distracts you from the most important task, so eliminating them is an important step if you want to focus your energy. Go notification-free, and once or twice each out, check for a few minutes if you've missed an urgent call or a message. Most of the time, you will discover you haven't missed anything and that the time you gained was better spent being productive.

10. Create Room for Reflection

Block about 20 to 30 minutes of your working time for reflection. Close the door and reflect. You can also take a walk during this period. Exercising this way can aid your thinking as it encourages focused energy and relaxation.((Complementary & Alternative Medicine: The Effect of Reflective Garden Walking on Improving Quality of Life, Hopefulness and Personal Growth))

Bonus Point: Use the 2-Minute Rule

In his book Getting Things Done, David Allen recommends:

"When an activity requires less than two minutes, do not schedule it, do not set it aside for a later time, do not set a reminder — just do them instantly."

Conclusion

Productivity can be improved by the ten actionable steps mentioned above. Don't forget to do the most important things first, allocate limited time for them, and focus like a laser to achieve your milestones. Don't forget the two-minute rule! If you can get it done quickly, get it done now.

More Tips on Productivity

• 7 Effective Time Management Tips To Maximize Your Productivity
• 50 Ways to Increase Productivity and Achieve More in Less Time
• 35 Quick and Simple Tips for Better Productivity

20 Easy Home Office Organization Ideas to Boost Your Productivity

Working from home at first sounds glamorous. Making your own hours, being your own boss (in some cases), amongst other things. But when you get to work, you can find plenty of issues. One of the big challenges is productivity. As someone who's been working from home for a pretty long time, I've come to understand how important an organization is. For a time when I was so focused on work, my office would become a mess as I prioritized work over keeping things clean. It wasn't the brightest of ideas once I reorganized my life and my workspace. So to help you not fall into the same trap, here are some tools and home office organization ideas to get you organised.

Before Anything, Do These Things...

But before I get to the suggested items, there are some important things to go over. These tips will help you in determining what to buy and what's worth the investment. Even though many have gotten stimulus cheques, it's key that you spread them out and make them last. With this in mind, here are some ideas:

• Take inventory - Before buying, figure out what you have and what you need. Remove items that don't make you productive or are in the way and assess after that.
• Stretch the tools - Look for items that go above and beyond organizing. For example, bins are great for piling up paper, but getting dividers can save you office space and give you the same results.
• Make sure everything is visible and accessible - Organized means many things for people. To me, all that matters is you organize in a way where you can get easy access and that it's visible.

With these in mind, here are 20 suggestions:

1. For Better Posture, Get A Monitor Stand

When sitting at a desk, posture matters. Speaking from my own experiences, poor posture did leave me to be unproductive as I suffered from back pain. It was unbearable especially when I was working long hours. One simple way to improve your posture is through monitor stands. These elevate your monitor so that it's on eye level. This means you can sit in your chair properly without having to look down or up and strain your neck or back. From boxes to books, you can improvise a monitor stand if need be. Though I'd recommend getting a proper monitor stand like AmazonBasics Wood Monitor Stand with a Computer Riser.

2. For Extra Space, Get Some Shelves

Your desk is where work happens and it can build up with clutter when you least expect it. Clutter curbs productivity so anything that can expand your space is good. One such option is through shelving. The amount of shelving space differs, of course, though extra space is still extra space. If you can, some simple shelving space works. If you're in an apartment or aren't able to nail shelves, there are several nailless options too.

3. For Desks Without Shelves, There Are Undershelf Baskets

Storage is most important but there are some things that you want to be keeping close. Furthermore, you want to have some items off your desk and within arms-reach. While you could use the assistance of drawers, drawers can be used to store larger things. Or if your desk doesn't have any, this particular item will help in this scenario. Enter undershelf baskets. So long as your desk is built to have the basket slide in, you can create extra shelving that's compact and not intrusive. I recommend going to metal under shelf baskets as they are sturdier.

4. Use Drawer Dividers to Divide Supplies

Depending on what you are working on and how you use your desk, drawers are extra space for more than just files. Sometimes you've got office supplies that are thrown in drawers or maybe other tools you use for work. Regardless, having drawer dividers is one way to keep everything organized in one place. At least in terms of the smaller items that you want off your desk. My suggestion for a drawer divider is to get the Amazon Basics brand version as it's cheap, versatile, and simple.

5. Use Binder Clips to Keep Wires Tidy

Depending on the structure of your desk, this idea could work for you in staying more organized. What binder clips have to do with this is that binder clips can be very good at keeping wires off your desk space and out of sight. Since there are so many devices these days that use wires, a desk can quickly get cluttered and can cause undue stress to you. Binder clips - especially ones with different shapes and sizes - are a good alternative to keeping various wires and cords out of sight.

6. Use Labels to Name Important Cords

Another way to organize office space is by labelling them. For those who have a lot of cords, putting cord labels on them can help remove stress in several ways. For example, if you're someone who uses a lot of plugs, a labelling system can ensure that you know what is plugged in at the time. It also helps when swapping out plugs from other sockets. If all the wires and plugs look similar you could pull the wrong one. By labelling cords, you're removing the guesswork and saving time by not pulling out the wrong plug. Labels make it quick and easy to identify which is which.

7. Have Thoughts, Ideas, or Tasks? Jot Them Down

Going paperless is ideal, but not everyone is willing to take that leap. Some people, myself included, enjoy the feel of writing down in a notebook to some capacity. My recommendation is the Productivity Planner as it can serve as a daily planner. Compared to an ordinary notebook, this provides specific space for you to write out what you want to get done. While a typical notebook works too, it can get cluttered, unlike this notebook. Notebooks are essential pieces to productivity as it organizes your thoughts. Similar to a cluttered desk, if your mind is scattered, it'll be distracting.

8. Want to Move Things Around? Try Casters

Casters can be an unusual organizational tool on the surface however they are very good at a specific task. That task being when you need to move your desk for whatever reason. I've also found many start-up companies using this trick as well. These casters are sturdy and make moving a desk around easy. This boosts productivity because you're spending less time reorganizing your home office rather than working. This idea has done wonders for startups since casters have made it easier to move desks together for collaboration efforts. While we're still in isolation, casters can make it easy to move your desk to avoid distractions. Maybe you work near a window where the sun gets in your eyes. Moving your desk to a better location is a solution and it's a lot easier when the desk is on wheels.

9. Need a Designated Spot for Items? A Landing Pad

There is some flexibility with this item as there are many ways to create "a landing pad". What this basically means is a place on your desk where things are permitted to be on your desk. This spot is small, but how you make it is up to you. You can dedicate the desk tray to this spot, or you can use duck tape to mark a spot on top of your desk. By having a dedicated spot to place items and having it loom over you serves as a reminder to keep your space clean. While cleaning does break up your flow, if you're someone who uses things once and doesn't place them away, the pile of stuff can become more distracting and disruptive. By having a specific spot for items after they're used, you can quickly retrieve those items or put them away in little time.

10. Some Greens in the Office Boost Productivity

While plants should remain off your desk, they do boost productivity. Research has found that having a plant in the workplace improves memory retention amongst other things((The Guardian: Plants In Offices Increase Happiness And Productivity)). The biggest reason to have plants is they add more color to the office atmosphere without being too distracting. Paired up with some of the other benefits plants bring, it makes sense to have something small and easy to take care of. My suggestion is these succulent plants along with any other leafy green plant.

11. A Compact Storage Space on Your Desk

I've mentioned various iterations of this through a landing pad or even a drawer divider. That said, a desk organizer is more compact than a drawer divider and a good place to store smaller items - like office supplies - while saving your landing pad for larger items. Amazon Basics has a solid option for desk organizers since they are cheap and a good alternative for the aforementioned methods.

12. A Photo to Remind You Why You Work

In the 80s, people thought the less personal you are the more productive you'll be. That, however, isn't the truth as pictures represent who we are and play a significant role in how well you can work ((Financial Times: Personal photos at work: pictures that paint a thousand words)). One picture should be enough so long as you make it meaningful to you. The reason this works is that pictures invoke emotions and when you have a picture reminding you why you work, it means you're working for a purpose. In other words, a picture can remind you of your goals and give you direction. All that matters after that is getting it in a nice picture frame. Here are some cheap and appealing options.

13. Stay Hydrated with a Nearby Water Bottle

Staying hydrated is essential since our body does need water to survive. Researchers have also found that by drinking water, you are boosting your mental performance as well ((University Herald: Drinking Water Helps Boost One's Mental Performance: Study)). At the same time, dehydration can lead to fatigue and getting less done. So drink up! One way to help with that is to invest in a water bottle with time marker and keep it around your desk. The marker on the bottle indicates how much water you should've had at various points throughout the day. There are other more sophisticated water bottles that do the same thing, but this is one of the cheaper options.

14. A 60 Minute Timer to Practice an Effective Productivity Hack

A common productivity hack is the Pomodoro technique. It's a technique where you spend 20 minutes focusing on a task and then spending 20 minutes on something else. It's an effective productivity technique, though I often find 20 minutes to not be enough during certain tasks. To properly use this technique, you'll want a kitchen timer rather than using your phone. While your phone does the same thing, it can be distracting. By having the Zyyini Kitchen Timer, you can set it up to 60 minutes if need be.

15. Accessorize and Make Shelving With Pegboards

While getting some strong and sturdy shelves is a viable option, you may find pegboards to be a better option. Especially if you are someone who wants to add more flair to your environment. Pegboards are easy to put up, though require additional costs since you'll need to get hooks and extra bins too. This pegboard though is cheap and offers a respectable size for the price. Pegboards serve as a more customizable shelving unit. It's customizable since you can decorate it as well and have it pop out more compared to stacking items on shelves. Of course, this also frees up space on your desk, though significantly more than what a single shelf can do if you're smart about that space too.

16. Shed Some Light With an Adjustable Lamp

Proper lighting to see what you are doing makes sense. The only drawback is having a desk lamp takes up space and can often be intrusive too. To keep up with the policy of having a clean desk, my suggestion is an adjustable floor lamp. They are at a higher pricing point overall, but this option is well worth the investment. Furthermore, the fact you can adjust lighting is good for how you are working as well. The more you able to adjust and customize, the more of a benefit an item can bring.

17. Have Reminders With Bulletin Boards

While this provides the same benefits as both shelves and pegboards, a bulletin board is still a wise investment. They are cheaper alternatives to shelves and pegboards while providing similar functions. And even if you do have shelves or a pegboard, a bulletin board can serve as reminders for daily tasks or a source of motivation. Similar to vision boards, these can be a collection of pictures and quotes to get you excited and motivated.

18. Have Comfort With an Office Chair

One of the most expensive items on this list for good reason. A chair is everything if you are someone who works at a desk. If you are going cheap on a chair, you're losing a lot in both comfort and productivity. If you're not comfortable, it means your body is hurting and if your body is hurting, the pain will distract you from work. While sitting in a chair for several hours is going to affect anyone, you still want comfort to be in mind. And that means being comfortable paying at least a few hundred dollars for a good chair that'll last you for years to come. My suggestion is one of Realspace's chairs. They are on the cheaper end for high valued chairs and provide great comfort.

19. Headphones to Block out Noises and Distractions

Even when working in a home office, there are sounds that can be distracting. These things can break your concentration and momentum if you are deep in thought and focus. One way to mitigate these distractions is by getting some headphones. Ideally, those that cancel out noises since they will muffle your hearing and thus the odds of getting distracted. I'd recommend Sony MDRZX110NC Noise Cancelling Headphones. Also, just because you have headphones doesn't mean you have to listen to music. Actually, it's better if you don't listen to music at all. According to Daniel Levitin, listening to music doesn't help while wearing headphones as is will.((Business Insider: A neuroscientist explains why you should stop listening to music while you work))

20. Add a Little Personality With a Mouse Pad

Everyone knows that color has a psychological impact on both our mood and productivity. While every item mentioned thus far has customization, let's not forget about the mouse pad. Mouses on wood aren't the best. You can scratch the wood and sometimes moving the mouse can be a pain due to the surface. A mousepad makes it smoother and doesn't damage the desk. But you can go one step farther by making the mousepad customizable. You can make it a color of your choice, or it could be used as an extra picture, boosting your motivation by serving as a reminder as well.

The Bottom Line

With more people working out of their homes, organization and productivity are key aspects. With the various supplies, hacks, and resources provided, you can be sure that you'll have a clean and professional space to get work done.

How to Learn Business as an Aspiring Entrepreneur

It's no surprise that many people fantasize about a life where they are their own boss. Being an entrepreneur means living independently without the need to follow orders. Furthermore, entrepreneurship may lead to flexible work hours with no limit on your income and owning your own business empire. However, building a business from the ground up is no easy feat. Only 40% of small businesses are profitable, while the other 60% either break even or lose money continuously.((Small Business Trends: STARTUP STATISTICS – The Numbers You Need to Know)) So how exactly does one master business in this harsh economy? Though there is no fixed formula, but here are some tips on learning how to help you learn business and get started as an entrepreneur.

1. Start Small

Starting small is underrated. Most aspiring entrepreneurs try to hit the ground running immediately, before even learning the basics and pitfalls to avoid. My advice is to take things slowly in the beginning and start small. Going big from day one isn’t always the best approach. My partner and I just got on Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia’s list of honorees((Vulcan Post: Meet The 22 S'poreans Who Are Listed In This Year's Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia)). However, we most definitely did not get there in a day. It took us 7 years to really get the hang of how to run our business, and it’s not something we were able to do from day one. The first presentation I ever did was for a cheesecake shop in the United Kingdom for a few hundred dollars. It was not much, but it gave me the confidence to do bigger things and a happy customer is always good to have at the beginning. Start off by trying to sell cheaper goods or services like selling old clothing pieces you no longer need online or offering graphic design services. These activities may seem trivial, but the opportunities they teach you cost management, basic marketing and how to deliver real value to your consumers (and dealing with challenges along the way) Trying to fast-track your progress and by diving in immediately could lead to a rude awakening, potentially even business failure. 7 out of 10 small businesses are impacted by business failure , and statistics show they end up failing before their 10-year mark. Be it due to poor expense control or a lack of a proper business system, business failure can be minimized once you master the basics early.

2. Model After Success

Reading up founder stories online through feature articles, podcasts, and websites can give you the insights to how these outstanding individuals succeeded in their journey and the pitfalls to avoid on your own. Business leaders tend to leave patterns of success. Modeling after them, learning more about their world views, and vicariously going down the same path they took will give you a powerful head start, possibly clarifying difficult and similar decisions you’ll have to make. Do ensure you pick the right person to model after. Choose someone who has reached the level you aspire to reach. Read up about his or her mottos and visions, their drawbacks and successes, including how they got to where they are now. To quote the old adage: “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself!”” When I first started our business, I reached out personally to entrepreneurs I looked up to, like Ana Foureaux Frazao, who was a keynote designer at Apple at the time. Fortunately, they generously shared their experienced advice and encouragement that really got me through some tight spots. Now, you’re lucky enough to be starting a business in a time where podcasts are all the rage((BluLeadz: 30 of the Best Business Podcasts You Should Listen to in 2020)) and experts share advice for free on Linkedin. Every success story belies a road laden with challenges and pitfalls waiting to creep up on you. Discover more about these founders’ failures, how they picked themselves up, and apply these lessons you have learned to your own personal ventures. Not only do you get to avoid the mistakes they made, but you are also one step closer to your goal.

3. Enroll in a Course to Learn New Skills

Being an entrepreneur requires you to wear many hats, which often means that you have to take on more roles than you would be comfortable with. In a big company, there are a few essential roles that make the company tick, helmed by various people — HR, marketing, accounts, administrative, etc. Starting your own business means you’ll need to take on all of them. Consistently acquiring new skill sets and experiences is the hallmark habit of a great entrepreneur. Take some time to attend classes to improve your skills in areas that need work. Explore in-depth areas that you’re already adept at. By taking a crash course to explore different topics of business, you can hone all your business skills, especially those which you particularly avoided in school. For example, apart from learning hard skills, like programming and design, you’ll also want to pick up soft skills, like negotiation, sales, and presentation skills. Being an entrepreneur does not necessarily mean you need to be good at everything, but it does mean that you need to be willing to try everything and become a jack-of-all-trades. Take the first step to better equip yourself with the most comprehensive duffel bag of skill sets for the long journey ahead because in the beginning, you’ll likely have to do it all by yourself.

4. Master Marketing

Our world is changing. We have children making millions filming reviews about toys((Inc.: An 8-Year-Old Made $26 Million on YouTube This Year, Topping a 5-Year-Old Who Made $18 Million)) and teenage influencers earning more on good months than entry-level bankers. Attention is becoming scarcer, and if you know how to command it, you’ll be in a good position to profit massively. As a starting point, you’ll want to master a few key elements and skill sets to begin learning marketing:

Platforms and Social Media

Get intimate with various new social platforms like TikTok, tackle professional audiences on LinkedIn, and get familiar with the old-but-gold Facebook channel for advertising. These will be your bread-and-butter channels that you’ll own apart from your own websites and will be crucial in getting the word out about your business.

Blogging and Publishing

Whether you’re using WordPress or Medium, the ethos is the same. Share valuable content for free that your audience will love and develop a community and expert identity. In turn, they’ll potentially purchase what you sell and spread your message. Years back, SlideShare was the go-to platform for our niche before they got acquired by LinkedIn. I regularly put up PDFs there, which, in turn, got us hundreds of inquiries and leads. After a year or two, we had millions of people viewing our content. Now that it's almost defunct, we've had to find new channels like LinkedIn to market.

Audience Personas

All the marketing tactics and strategies available will be for naught if you do not have a clear idea of who you’re targeting, what they want, and the best ways to reach them. Take time to first understand your audience inside-out — understand their desires, fears, and aspirations.

Pricing Strategies

Marketing should lead to you getting noticed. It should also lead to you getting paid. The latter is more difficult to accomplish effectively. Setting the right prices that will resonate with your audience is crucial to developing a successful marketing strategy and business.

5. Meet Other Entrepreneurs

Nothing beats surrounding yourself with smart, like-minded, and driven individuals who are also facing the same struggles as you are. You are not alone in this journey; there are others that can help you along the way! The road to being a successful entrepreneur can be rough and, most of all, lonely. There is a 100% chance that you’ll face challenges and hardship along the way, and having a strong mental game mindset is essential to persisting and staying optimistic. Having an inner circle of entrepreneurs can offer you contextual advice on making difficult decisions and navigating your next steps. Exposing yourself to this new group of individuals is the best opportunity to pick up something new. Using apps like Meetup, joining groups on LinkedIn, or attending business events on platforms like Eventbrite can set you up to meet your future inner circle of entrepreneurs. You never know, you may just learn a little something that can ultimately bring you to greater heights and accomplish even more of the unknown. Aside from that, you can potentially find business partners or collaborators that don’t compete directly but serve a similar customer group amongst your target audience .

6. Identify a Product Niche You Know Well

It’s easier to sell a product that you are familiar with intimately. You understand the pain points((WordStream: Pain Points: A Guide to Finding & Solving Your Customers’ Problems)) that drive you to make a decision, and your potential customers will go through the same journey of decision-making. Understanding the pain points of the product, you know exactly the change you want to bring to it. In the best-case scenario, what you’re selling could be what you’re passionate about. Your interest may be in working out, for instance. As such, starting a business in that space can prove to be more interesting, and due to your intimate understanding of it, likely more successful, too. We started our presentation consultancy, HighSpark, stemming from interest and expertise. Our existing skills in the area made it easier to get our first few clients versus selling a service or offering what we truly didn't understand at all. We were also able to clearly articulate the pain points based on previous clients we helped on a freelance basis before starting the business. Good business ideas hardly just "come to you" by magic. However, that shouldn’t stop you from starting. Start with a passion, pick a pain point, and begin there. Your ideas and business model might evolve over time, but you’ll thank yourself for starting early.

7. Become an Intern

Before you start building your own empire, consider getting some first-hand experience in the real world to have a good kickstart. Without knowing how the gears work behind the scenes, you increase the chances of yourself making mistakes that could have been avoided. Interning at a successful small company can be a good start. It can give you deep insights into the company’s inner workings and how its founders developed their business first-hand. A well-selected internship can expand your horizons, provide an opportunity to work directly with and learn from the founders of the small company. In a larger corporation setting, you might not get the same level of responsibility. You’ll also have the license to make a few mistakes in a safer environment. People are generally more forgiving towards interns, who are usually less experienced than full-time hires. This opportunity will let you capitalize on your strengths and apply lessons learned to your business ventures with greater ease. Best of all, you get a free ticket to be mentored by a professional, so there is no need to feel your way in the dark when in doubt. You are not on your own!

Final Thoughts

These tips should be sufficient to get you started, but undertaking the responsibilities to nourish and grow your company takes a lot of courage. With great resolve and continuous learning, you are only a few more steps away from becoming a successful entrepreneur!

More Tips on Becoming an Entrepreneur

• 12 Super Productivity Secrets Every Entrepreneur Must Know
• 4 Money Habits Every Entrepreneur Should Develop
• 8 Characteristics of Entrepreneurship That Will Lead to Success

A Complete Guide to Goal Setting for Personal Success

If there was a rule book of life, there would be one particular page that was highlighted, bold, and titled as most important. It would be the one which told you that you need to have an aim in your mind before you get on with the process. Yes, goal setting is important. In fact, it's more important than achieving the goal itself. This is because it is the sense of direction that is needed for you to fulfill any task in life. You don’t have to feel overwhelmed if this sounds new to you because, today, all the following information has got you covered. Today you’ll find out all about the importance of goal setting, types of goals, and tips to define realistic goals for yourself!

What is Goal Setting?

So, what exactly is goal setting? To understand that, you need to first recognize what goals are and how they are different from objectives, dreams, and expectations. A goal is basically your aim for the relative long-term future. It is the bigger umbrella, the main focus. Objectives, on the other hand, fall under the umbrella of goals. They are the stepping stones that help you achieve your goals. Let’s say you want to learn a new foreign language. Your goal here is to be fluent in the new language. Everything you do to achieve this goal, such as the daily tasks and learning aims, are the objectives. Similarly, your expectations, visions, and dreams are not your goals. If you wish to learn a new language someday, that is your dream. If you see yourself fluently speaking multiple foreign languages, that is your vision. If you think you’re capable of learning a new language, that is your expectation. However, if you aim to fulfill these visions, dreams, and expectations practically, that is your goal.

Why is Goal Setting Important?

Why should you bother with goal setting at all? Wouldn’t it be more convenient to just get on with your daily objectives, follow a dream or vision, and let life take you wherever? Well, if that’s what you want to do in your life, go ahead, but if you actually want to tick off things from your list of goals to achieve, goal setting is necessary. Setting a goal puts your brain to work in one specific direction. Believe it or not, by having a defined goal, your brain does its magic unconsciously, 24/7, with full efficiency, to achieve the desired results.((Confluence: Goal Setting Theory)) Goal setting is important to shift your focus, boost your motivation, and give you a sense of direction. Without formally defining a particular aim that you want to reach, you won’t be able to keep your objectives in line. Hence, this one tiny step can end up saving you a lot of hassle and time while also encouraging your productivity in the right regard.

Types of Goals

Before we move onto the technique of setting effective goals, we need to first take a look at all types of goals. These categories will not just help you brainstorm new goals for yourself, but it will also guide you to list down goals in the right way.

Time-Based Goals

One of the two broad categories of goals is based on time. These goals define how far in the future you want to achieve them.

Daily

There are certain small goals that you can easily achieve in a day or two. In fact, some of these daily goals can be recurring, too. For example, you may want to run for an hour every morning. Now, these daily goals can also serve as objectives for a long term goal. You may be running every day because, in the long-term, you want to increase your stamina. Daily goals are highly effective for people who want to improve their mental wellbeing, time management skills, and stress management.

Short-Term

Next in line are short-term goals. As you would have already guessed, these goals are aimed for the near future. The great thing about these goals is that they are generally easier to achieve. This is because short-term goals are set for the foreseeable future. You are aware of the circumstances and have an idea of how much the situation can change. That is unless, of course, something extremely unpredictable happens, the chances of which are quite slim. Just like daily goals, short-term goals may also serve as objectives for a long-term goal. Your short-term goal may be to lose 5 pounds in one month. That could be a goal in itself, or maybe it is just one objective to fulfill your goal to adopt a healthy lifestyle in the next 2 years. Another example of a short-term goal is to fulfill the checklist for promotion within the next 6 months. Or, you may want to reduce your screen time within the coming week.

Long-Term

Lastly, we have long-term goals that are meant to be completed over a stretched period. Whatever you want to achieve in a later stage of life is a long-term goal. An insurance plan, for example, is a long-term goal. Some long-term goals don’t have any time frame at all. They are goals that you want to accomplish at some point in your life. So, something like traveling the whole world is a lifelong goal with no specific time constraint at all. There’s one thing about long-term goals that isn’t great. They are the hardest to keep up with since you’re not seeing any huge achievements regularly. This may take a toll on your motivation. To tackle this problem, it is best to divide a long-term goal into various short-term and daily objectives so that you’re always tracking the progress you’re making.

Life-Based Goals

Moving forward, you can also categorize goals based on the results you want to achieve instead of the time period.

Career

Like all humans, you will always want to succeed and excel in your career. No one wants to stay where they are forever. Anything that has to do with this intention, regardless of the time frame, is a career goal. You can learn more about how to set successful career goals here.

Personal

The past few years have all been about emphasizing your personal health. So, when it comes to goals, how can we forget the ones that have to do with our personal gains? From health to finances to relationships, everything that brings you happiness and composure as a person is a personal goal. Whether you want to get rid of your debt, quit smoking, start a side hustle, get married, or have children, all these goals are personal and very important to have in your list of goals.

How to Set Goals

The best way to guarantee the fulfillment of goals is to set them the right way. Here’s how to do that.

SMART Goals

Every goal you define has to be smart.((University of California: SMART Goals: A How-To Guide)) No, we don’t mean the adjective. We’re referring to the acronym here. SMART stands for:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Time-Bound

In summary, every goal should be very well defined. It shouldn’t be generic or broad. Every detail should be clarified. If you want to start running, how often do you want to do it? How long will each session be? For how long will you continue this habit? There has to be a connection between your goals and beliefs or you’ll never be able to achieve the results you want. Most importantly, do not be unrealistic. You cannot learn to fly, and forcing yourself to try it is only going to demotivate and stress you out.

Some Rules

Whenever setting goals, keep a few things in mind. First and foremost, prioritize your goals. Things that you want to achieve the quickest should be worked on first. Never be selfish. There are people around you who will be affected by the things you do. Keep them in mind when defining goals. Lastly, do not let yourself forget the bigger picture. Whether it is the long-term result or the connection of the goal with your desire, keep it in mind to keep yourself from getting distracted.

How to Reach Your Goals

You can ensure your progress by following some foolproof tactics. The use of relevant helpful tools can also keep you on the right track.

Tactics

Now that you’ve set goals, you might be expecting some magic to happen and voila! Your goals have been achieved. Sorry to burst your bubble, but there’s no magic involved. You’ll have to work hard yourself. One rookie mistake that most people make is that they work on too many goals simultaneously. Focus on one thing at a time. Divide your goal into smaller, easily achievable tasks. Taking it one step at a time makes it way easier. However, do not break them down too much. For example, for long-term goals, you should go for weekly checkpoints instead of daily ones. Also, keep track of your progress. This will keep you motivated to work harder.

Tools

With so many categories of goals and so many aims, it is almost impossible to remember, let alone work, on all of them. Luckily, numerous goal tracker apps will help you keep track of your goals, as well as your plan to achieve every single one. Have at least one installed in your smartphone so that your plan is always within reach.

Bottom Line

In conclusion, goal setting is not rocket science. All that it takes is strong will power along with all the knowledge that you’ve learned so far. Try out the tactics and tips mentioned above to be able to set successful goals so that you can achieve the life that you want!

What Is Gratitude and Why Is It Important?

On a general scale, gratitude can be thought of as a mental state of mind: you're consciously grateful for things and people in your life. Gratitude can also be thought of as small acts of acknowledging what and for whom you're grateful, such as calling up your best friend and telling them how much they mean to you. It's an act of expressing your gratitude that many may resonate with. You may have read or heard about gratitude in high volumes when it comes to positivity, health, and wellness. It has become one of the cornerstones of living a mindful life, and a tool used by many to achieve happiness, peace, and wellbeing. This article will dive into what gratitude is, why it's important, and how you can more concsciously implement it into your daily routine.

What is Gratitude?

According to Robert Emmons, a leading scientific expert on the topic, gratitude is "an affirmation of goodness. We affirm that there are good things in the world, gifts and benefits we’ve received"((Greater Good Magazine: What is Gratitude?)). This suggests that gratitude is more than just actions; it is an intention that we speak to ourselves that affirms the good things and people in our life. Emmons goes on to explain that gratitude is also acknowledgement that the good things in our life often come from external sources. If you happen to believe in a higher power or are of a spiritual nature, gratitude becomes an offering of thanks to whatever you choose to believe in. Think about something or someone you're grateful for. In a moment of offering thanks for this thing or person to have come into your life, imagine where that "thanks" is being offered to: perhaps God, Universe, something esoteric that you believe watches over you, etc. This is what Emmons means when he's talking about external sources: in gratitude, we're offering our thanks for what we have in life, knowing that people and things come to us from seemingly divine places or chance. Emmons also calls gratitude, in this context, the "relationship-strengthening emotion." It reminds us that we're constantly supported and loved by others, and showing gratitude for those people is affirming their support. Therefore, gratitude can also be thought of as an emotion, since it is from our emotional state that we feel gratitude and are able to express it. Lastly, gratitude is also about "paying it forward." Sociologist Georg Simmel calls this act "the moral memory of mankind"((Oxford University Press: The Psychology of Gratitude)) It goes hand in hand that when we're feeling grateful and sharing that with others, it encourages the energy of gratitude to be passed down from person to person. It inspires us to keep the loving momentum going, and thus "pay it forward" to someone else. Simmel believes that this is how gratitude has existed over the years: in strengthened bonds between people who shared their gratitude with others.

Why Is Gratitude Important?

Now that you know what gratitude is, why is it important? According to a plethora of positive psychology research, gratitude has been strongly correlated with greater happiness and joy((Harvard Health Publishing: Giving Thanks Can Make You Happier)). If we subscribe to the theory that thoughts create our reality, we can easily see how this research plays out. Think about something or someone who brings you pure joy. When you think about this person or thing, begin to notice how you feel in your body. Likely, you'll feel a great opening sensation in your heart, or butterfly feelings of excitement in your belly. These physical sensations lead you into feeling grateful for this specific thing or person. In fact, you may feel lighter, more at peace, and happier. Practicing gratitude in such a way leads to more joy without a lot of effort: it's easy to be happy when you're grateful. Now think about something or someone who brings you pain or sorrow. Notice how this person or thing makes you feel, even if it's unpleasant. Do you get sensations of heaviness? Do your thoughts and feelings spiral into negativity? Focusing on the negative brings about more negativity. One feeds the other in the same way that gratitude brings about more joy. Therefore, from a perspective of mental health, gratitude plays a huge part in how we cater to our positivity and, therefore, our happiness. Additionally, mental health closely ties in with physical health. When we're mentally and emotionally in a good place, our physical health follows: we have more energy, we sleep better, we make better dietary choices, we breathe easier, etc. Likewise, when we're deep in negativity, our mental health suffers. We're more prone to depression and anxiety, and this causes high blood pressure, insomnia, body aches and pain, and a slew of other symptoms and diseases. Practicing gratitude is a tool by which we ensure our wholesome, optimal health.

How to Practice Gratitude

Now that you know what gratitude is and why it's important, it's worth noting some ways of practicing gratitude in your daily routine. These suggestions need not be complicated or take up too much time: the simpler the better. It's the intention that counts!((Happify Daily: The Science Behind Gratitude (and How It Can Change Your Life)))

1. Start a Gratitude Journal

Whether you do this at night or first thing in the morning, make a list of everything you're grateful for. Start by listing 3-5 things, and you can work your way up later if you wish. You'll be surprised at how this can change your perspective and shift your day for the better.

2. Make a Gratitude Jar

For every moment of gratitude, write a note on a piece of paper and toss it into a jar. On New Year's Eve, open up the notes and remind yourself of all the wonderful moments you were grateful for throughout the year.

3. Write a Letter

Take some time to write a letter to someone you're grateful for. Handwritten letters carry so much loving energy! Not only are you sharing your gratitude with this person, but that person may be inspired to pay it forward to someone else. Some days, you may find yourself unable to express gratitude. This may be because you're going through a hard time or facing an unprecedented challenge. Take this moment to practice gratitude anyway. Identify the challenge you're facing and think about what silver lining or life lesson lives in this challenge. Then, offer your gratitude for giving you wisdom, strength, and courage((Inc.: 7 Easy Gratitude Exercises That Make Even the Most Pessimistic People Happier)).

Final Thoughts

Gratitude can be thought of as an emotion, a mental state of mind, or an affirmation of something or someone good in your life. Whatever way you choose to define it, is a personal choice that is meant to bring you closer to joy and happiness. The importance of practicing gratitude, in small steps throughout your day, is a vital tool in maintaining optimal mental, physical, and emotional health. It also acts as a ripple of positivity in your relationships, social circles, and community. We can all practice gratitude and pay it forward for a better, kinder world.

More Tips on Gratitude

• 6 Ways To Implement More Gratitude In Your Life
• Why an Attitude of Gratitude Is Essential (And How to Develop It)
• 32 Things You Should Be Grateful For

How to Attract Like-Minded People to Inspire You

Do you have key people in your life that influence your success? You know, those like-minded people who inspire you to be, do, or have more in your life and career - do you have those? If you answered no, why is that? Because the reality is, if you go and talk to any highly successful person, you’ll likely find that they’ve got several people like that in their lives. So, it’s clearly important. However, although we know it’s important to connect with like-minded people, doing it is a separate issue. Perhaps you’re not sure where to start or exactly how to do it. I’m going to share with you why connecting with like-minded people is so important, as well as 3 tips on how to do it in fun and effective ways.

Why Is Connecting With Like-Minded People Important?

Tony Robbins frequently talks about how “success leaves clues.” What he’s referencing in that statement is the fact that if you want to be successful, you should model those who are already where you want to be. And you know what? He’s right. Success is not an independent journey. We’ve all had to rely on others to get us to where we are, and we will continue to have to lean on others, in some way, shape, or form, to get to where we want to go. Now, if having role models in life can impact your success, imagine actually having a relationship with them. As the old African Proverb says,

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

Connection breeds confidence, and confidence breeds results. Therefore, your ability to surround yourself with people who motivate, inspire, and hold you accountable is important to your success. We can see this by the growth of the mastermind group concept and people collaborating together. There’s no disputing the importance of connecting with like-minded people. So, if you’re on the bandwagon and are ready to connect with others who will inspire you, hold you accountable, and push you to higher levels of success, then keep reading.

1. Define Your Values

Think of connecting with others like going to the grocery store. When you go to the store with a list, it’s quick and easy. But, if you don’t have a list, it can be frustrating, time-consuming, and you may walk out feeling like you never want to do it again. What this example points out is that clarity is key. One of the reasons so many people get frustrated with traditional networking or connecting, in general, is because they feel like it’s not bearing fruit. They spend all this time meeting people but don’t really connect with them. Well, part of the reason they run into this issue is that it's not yet exactly clear for them who they’d like to connect with. And more importantly, they haven’t done so from a value perspective. There’s nothing worse than getting into a friendship or relationship with someone, only to find out later that the two of you don’t value the same things. That can often signal trouble for the relationship because we often avoid being around people who have different values than us. That’s why Jim Rohn famously said, “you become the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.” It’s critical to define your core values because they are the things that are most important to you. If you want to connect with like-minded people, you have to know what would make them like-minded or not. But to do that, you must define your values first.

2. Create a Plan

Call me crazy, but I’m a sucker for a good plan. The assurance that comes with knowing that you’ve got a process or map in place helps to alleviate the stress that can come with not knowing what to do. Because, for many, not knowing what to do, or where to start, is a big hurdle to overcome when it comes to connection. Once you’ve gotten clarity on exactly who you want to connect with, based on your core values, the next step is to create a plan. This will be your roadmap of sorts - it’ll ensure that you’re on track and doing the right things according to your goals. A few things to keep in mind when it comes to creating your connection plan are:

• Determine where your like-minded people hang out.
• Decide which means of connection resonate with you.
• Figure out how much time you want to dedicate to connecting with them.

Where Are They Hanging Out?

An essential component of connecting with people you want is knowing where to find them. For example, if you’re someone who values being a family person, you’re not likely to find your tribe of people at a bar or club frequented by singles. Get clear on where the people you want to connect with are hanging out, so you can then determine which places you want to meet them in.

How Are You Going to Connect?

Once you’ve determined where your like-minded people are hanging out, you then have to decide how and where you’re going to engage with them. Chances are, there are going to be multiple ways you can connect (i.e. in-person networking events, seminars/live events, mastermind groups, other online forums, etc.), so you can determine which one best suits you. If you’re an introvert by nature and want to ease into connecting with people, then starting online through groups and forums may be right up your alley. On the other hand, if you’re looking for that in-person connection around a shared passion, live events and seminars are great options. And if you’re a total extrovert and want to connect with people in your local area, networking events are a possibility. The key is to pick the options that you think will allow you to be comfortable so that you can genuinely connect with people.

How Much Time Will You Spend?

The last thing you want to determine when creating your connection plan is how much time you want to dedicate to it. Are you going to try to attend a live event a month? Perhaps you have to be present and engage for an hour in some online group. Regardless, connecting with like-minded people is just like anything else you want to be successful at - it requires action. If you’re serious about really attracting people who inspire you and will allow you to transform your life, then you can’t leave it up to chance. Figure out how much time you want to dedicate to this, and stick to it.

3. Put Yourself Out There

The last step to attracting and connecting with like-minded people is to put yourself out there. We have this innate fear of judgment, and we hold ourselves back in so many ways from living the life that we desire. But in the words of Bruce Lee, “courage is not the absence of fear, it is the ability to act in the presence of fear.” For most people, just the thought of connecting with strangers and potentially being judged is enough to stop them in their tracks. But you have to be willing to push forward despite that fear. Having connections is essential to a quality life, and it can be transformative to your success. But you have to be willing to face the fear and do it. Once you’ve done connection tip two, and have created your plan, stick to it. Treat it like it’s a contract that has a stiff penalty if you break it. In fact, you can even come up with some penalties of your own to ensure that you stick to it. For example, a friend of mine, who is a huge New York Giants football fan, wrote a check for an uncomfortable sum of money to the Dallas Cowboys - the arch-rivals of his beloved team. He then gave his best friend permission to mail that check if he didn’t follow through on building his business. Accountability works wonders when it comes to creating a result. So, if you’re serious about wanting to attract and connect with like-minded people who inspire you, consider creating an accountability system of your own. Either way, you have to be willing to get out there and actually connect in order to attract the right people.

You Can Attract Like-Minded People

Making connections can be intimidating if you allow it to be. But, if you do the things I’ve outlined above, it will be a lot easier to do without all of the potential fear and overwhelm. Remember, start by getting clear on who you want to connect with and attract based on your core values. You have to know what you value to know whether someone actually is “like-minded.” Secondly, create a plan for connecting. So much of the overwhelming feeling when attracting the right people into our lives is from not knowing where to start or what to do. But like every other thing you want to be successful at, if you create a connection plan, things will be so much clearer for you. Lastly, you have to take action and put yourself out there. Don’t let the fears of potential judgment or rejection hold you back. If you do those three things, you’ll have no problem attracting and connecting with like-minded people who inspire you.

More Tips to Help You Connect with Others

• 10 Best Ways To Build Long Term Connections With People You Сan’t Hold With
• 5 Questions Professional Relationship Builders Ask To Connect With Anybody (And Move Beyond Chit-Chatting)
• 7 Types of People You Should Connect With On LinkedIn