Better you

Achieving Your Dreams Through Goal Setting

Goal setting meaning

Smart GoalsWell, another year bites the dust. Here we are in approaching a brand new year. I wonder how many of my readers resolved to ‘finally lose the weight they want to lose?’ Resolutions are great! The truth is, they hardly ever are carried through to a successful conclusion. Why is that?

Speaking from personal experience, when I used to make resolutions, I did so without a plan. Oh sure, I had a purpose in mind. What I didn’t have was a plan.

What I did have were a bunch of things I wished to accomplish without knowing whether I could or how to accomplish these wishes. What is my goal in life, setting goals and not thinking about wishes is the key.

One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to get physically healthier, specifically to lose or gain weight. But, that is not enough. Having a long-term goal is only the beginning. Now, you need to set incremental goals. The incremental goals are like mile markers on the freeway. They focus on progress toward the ultimate goal.

In this hypothetical case, I would set my incremental goals at six pounds. So your first measurable goal is 174 pounds, the next is 168 pounds, and so on.

By setting incremental goals you are providing moments for celebration. You’ve reached a point on your journey that you decided is important. Now celebrate and resume focus on your next incremental goal.

Losing Weight and Goal Setting Meaning

Another problem is when so many people make New Year’s resolutions. They do so in the plural. They make a whole series of resolutions. I will lose weight, I will quit smoking, and I will get a new job. I will be nice to people. On and on goes the list. That is a recipe for failure. We should think in terms of a single 2023 New Year’s RESOLUTION.

There is nothing that will derail your plans as making too many of them at a time. One Goal at a time is all we can handle when making a lifestyle change. So, for the past few years, I made it a point to only focus on one change. When that goal is reached, I then focus on another. That way, my focus is not interrupted by the noise of other resolves.

Smart Goals 2And most of the time, it goes like this:

1. Their smart goals are fueled to the max for the first two weeks and they’re consistently going to the gym and eating healthy.

2. They break their gym streak because their days were too busy or they weren’t in the mood to go.

3. They become miserable with their diet.

4. They give up and go back to their usual routine.

5.  What is my goal in life

Whether it’s a physical health goal or not, most people fail to achieve their resolutions, and there could be several reasons why. Lack of discipline, not setting specific goals, having unrealistic expectations, etc.

Goal setting meaning

But yesterday, I watched a video where this guy talked about his weight loss journey, and how he lost 30 pounds in 10 months.

He went into things like his eating habits, his exercise routine, and how he kept himself motivated throughout his journey.

The last part is what I want to talk about because the advice he gave was so simple and so obvious, but you don’t see most people doing it.

It worked for him, and his appearance showed it. If I compare how the guy looked one year ago to what he looks like now, goal-setting is incredible.

What he said was this:

Instead of telling yourself, “This year, I want to eat healthier and exercise more,” you say, “I want to lose X number of pounds by Y date.”

Of course, this isn’t anything revolutionary. It follows the principles of SMART goals Setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives is a good way to plan the steps to meet the long-term goals of your grant.

It helps you take your commitment from ideas to action:

SpecificSet real numbers for smart goals

MeasurableThe goal is trackable

AchievableThe goal is realistic

RelevantWhether or not the goal aligns with your overall objective and life goals

Time-basedSetting a deadline

This is something that was taught to us at some point during our dreaded schooling days, yet people tend to forget to set deadlines for themselves and understand the goal-setting meaning.

As I mentioned before, we humans procrastinate, and if we don’t have deadlines to meet, then nothing will get done.

Plus, it’s not less daunting to think about life goals examples and maintaining an exercise and diet routine for 10 months versus doing it for the rest of your life. And by the time you push through those 10 months, that new routine will become a habit.

Hopefully, that’ll be a good refresher for you and will help if, or when, you’re setting your 2023 smart goals.

 

Goal Setting
It means Pride, Satisfaction, Happiness, Celebration, Love, A Sense of Well Being …all the Joys of Living.

 

Better you

Planning the Perfect Holiday Party

Holiday Party Planning

So, you’ve been tasked with planning your Company’s Holiday party. Maybe you’ve been putting it off? Or, you’re just not sure where to begin? Don’t worry, we’re here to help! Not only will your associates have a fun and meaningful experience, but you’ll look like a superstar for planning an awesome event!

Holiday Party PlanningCompany Holiday Party Planning- Let’s Get Started Because the holidays will be here SOON!

Decide on your Holiday Party Style! Questions to ask yourself:

  • Who is invited? Just the staff or spouses & family too? Will you be inviting any clients to the Holiday Party?
  • Is this an extravagant affair, or would something more laid back and relaxed suit your company better?
  • What’s your décor style? Will you pick a holiday party theme, such as Winter Wonderland or A Christmas Story?
  • When is the best time to have this party? Is it a luncheon in the middle of the week, or is a Saturday night better suited for your vision?  When taking Date & Time into account, make sure you consider this: Luncheons are great ways to ensure that staff will attend the party and they usually tend to be more budget-friendly.  Cocktail Receptions or Weekend Evening parties are a great way to get staff to unwind, however, they usually come with a heftier price tag.  Speaking of the price tag…
  • What is your budget? Knowing how much you have to spend is crucial to nail down before getting started.  Know what your limit is so that you can plan accordingly.  Don’t forget to consider that some items may come with Taxes, Services Charges, or Gratuities!

Let’s talk about The Venue!

  • Your budget will go a long way in determining what kind of venue you can afford. Keep in mind, that if you are late to get started planning, several venues may already be booked- especially for Friday & Saturday nights.  If you run into trouble, consider hosting your party on a Thursday night as an alternative.
  • Will it be at the Office? Your Boss’ house? A RestaurantHotelLoft?  Consider the Vibe you want the party to have- your venue may go a long way in creating that feeling.
  • Make sure your venue can accommodate the number of guests you are inviting, as well as the space you may need for entertainment, catering, bar services, and/or staff.

Food & Beverage:

  • What’s your food service style? This should be reflective of the general theme and feel of your party.  If it’s a more formal affair, look towards full-service catering with a sit-down dinner.  If this is a more casual & relaxed holiday party, lean towards food stations.  Take your budget, venue, and number of guests into consideration here, as all of these factors affect the type of catering services you provide.

Pick your menu! Keep it fun, keep it simple!  Remember, not everyone will have extravagant tastes- while you may love the idea of a Raw Bar– your budget and Guest list may not allow for this.  Select items that the majority of your guests will enjoy.  If you need help, ask your caterer for suggestions!  Sometimes catering companies will have already come up with a select few holiday menus- these can be the perfect solution for coming in on budget while ensuring the food pairs well with each other.

Holiday Party Planning 2Beverage Service:

  • Here’s another area that can prove to be costly for any event.  Decide ahead of time if you will have a Premium or Top-Shelf Bar Service, or if you will limit it to a few selections (like Whiskey, Vodka, and Tequila) along with Beer & Wine.  Another option is to serve Beer & Wine only while offering 1 or 2 Signature Cocktails.  You can jazz these up with fun garnishes and give them a catchy holiday name, such as “The Clark Griswold” or “Mistletoe Madness”.  Again, refer to your budget and the number of guests attending!  If you are hosting your Holiday Party at a venue where you can Bring Your Booze, refer to our article Beverage Cheat Sheet here for tips on quantities and service.  And, don’t forget to offer Sodas, Water, and Coffee for those guests who will not be participating in the adult beverages.

Holiday Party Planning for All

Holiday Entertainment:

  • What kind of entertainment will be provided? Consider your Holiday Party Style and/or theme- what will keep things festive and fun?  If it’s an evening party, will you need to hire a DJ or Band?  What other activities might you want to offer your guests?  Get creative!  You could have different stations and offer items such as Wine Tasting or Cigar Rolling.  Maybe you’d like to have a Selfie Photo Station or a photo booth?  Or, consider hiring a professional photographer for the evening.
  • Awards & Recognition: determine ahead of time if anyone will be honored at the holiday party. Consider who will be speaking and how long they will need the spotlight.  It is a great opportunity to highlight key players or teams for a job well done, as well as to recap the year and your company’s achievements.

Will you need to include any Rentals for the holiday party?

  • Consider if you need to rent any tables, linens, or chairs. Depending on your selected venue, they may already be included.
  • If you have the room available, consider adding a few Lounge Areas. You can rent sofas, chairs, coffee tables, and more to create seating pockets around the venue.  These create special areas for your guests to sit in and add a fun element to the décor and vibe of your holiday party.
  • What do you need for entertainment? A stage?  Dance floor? Speakers or audio system?  If hiring a DJ, make sure you confirm what they will be providing and bringing with them for your event.  In some cases, they may expect you to provide them with tables, chairs, or a sound system.
  • Décor items: will you be renting these from a shop or purchasing items for the event?
  • Catering items: make sure you check with your venue or caterer to confirm what items they are providing. Does this include plate ware, flatware, or glassware?  Does it include place settings or centerpieces & décor for your tables?  If they are not providing these you can rent them from a local shop.
  • A/V & Lighting- will you be playing a slideshow? Video?  Consider if you need a screen, TV monitor, etc.  Perhaps you’d like to add some special lighting around the room for an added effect?

YestBuy 4 Tier Cupcake Stand Acrylic Cupcake Tower

The Details!

Design your Venue Layout! We cannot stress how important this is!  Work with your event planner to determine the exact room layout.  You need to determine ahead of time where guests are going to sit, where the bar(s) will be, the entertainment, and more.  Your Event Planner will have the tools available to design the perfect room and give you printed copies for you and the other vendors.  There are so many factors to consider here- the number of guests, size of the room, and more- don’t leave this to chance, there’s nothing worse than having a cramped room or having to move the bar to the hallway because you didn’t plan your room design before the big day.


Invitations: How will you promote your holiday party? And more importantly, how will you make sure it’s well attended?  Whether it’s a small or large office party, it is imperative to get the word out!  This is a perfect avenue to use to invite guests and it’s easy to use.  Simply select your invitation, add the details, upload your guest list and send it!  Your invitees will have a fun holiday invitation sent right to their inbox, and the best part?  They can RSVP online, keeping it easy for you to see who is attending and who’s not.  For added measure, consider creating a holiday poster or flyer and hanging it in the break rooms.


  • Gifts: it is that time of year again!  Will your company be giving a little something to the staff at the party?  Employees love to feel appreciated, especially during the holidays.  Consider a little something they can take home.  Or, instead of a gift, perhaps a charitable contribution on the company’s behalf?

  • Create a Timeline! You need to plan ahead of time so that your event runs smoothly.  Lay out arrival and set-up times.  Make sure you include all Vendors, Guest arrival times, and tear down & clean up time after the event.  Other items to include in your timeline are when the bar opens/closes, food service times, and any entertainment and/or speakers that will be on-site during your holiday party.

  • Contact Sheet: Include a Vendor Contact sheet and have multiple copies printed out with you. You never know whom you are going to need to reach a moment’s notice and the last thing you want to be doing is digging through your bag or laptop file to try to find someone’s name & phone number.  Also, make sure you have an alternative contact & phone number for each of your vendors.  For example, if your Florist is running late and not answering her cell phone, make sure you can get ahold of someone else at the shop to ensure that your items are being delivered and handled according to the level of service you agreed upon.

The Week of:

  • Review Vendor Contracts
  • Confirm services, arrival times, services to be rendered, and clean up/tear down schedule
  • Confirm who your Point of Contact is on the day of your Holiday Party.
  • Review your Venue Layout, Timeline, and checklist
  • Lastly, Get ready to enjoy! By this time, you’ve put a lot of thought, time, and energy into planning the perfect Holiday Party for your company.  Take a moment, relax, and do something to treat yourself- you’ve earned it!

Follow these guidelines and your Company’s Holiday Party is sure to be a success. Wishing you good health and lots of love this holiday season.

 

 

Better you

A Garden in a Box: The Wonders of Planter…

Planter Boxes

Raised Planter Box

Planter boxes come in all shapes and sizes. Teeny-tiny plant pots, hanging baskets full of cascading miniature plants, and even huge, wild gardens tucked away in woodsy areas. Whether you are planning out your very first foray into miniature gardening, or if you have been living amongst the fairies for some time now, there are always decisions to make. How big will your garden be?

Where will it grow? Who will see it? This year, I have been experimenting with miniature gardens in reclaimed wood planter boxes, and I think I have fallen in love! Small containers and flower beds still have my heart, but planter boxes are my new favorite location for building picture-perfect fairy gardens. Planter Boxes3

 

 

 

Sure, planter box gardens look nice, and they offer plenty of room to plant a variety of miniature plants and miniature trees, alongside fairy houses and accessories. But they also help me out in one big way. They are elevated! The boxes come up to waist height, so there is no need to crouch on the ground or get my knees muddy when caring for the miniature garden.

If you have never experimented with planter boxes before, now is the time! They make creating and maintaining fairy gardens a breeze. Drainage holes at the bottom ensure that your miniature trees and plants will have just enough moisture, and the box can be placed in the yard or under a patio roof to help control the amount of light. The accessible height makes planning out the garden, along with the “get your hands dirty” planting activities, a snap! A large box offers plenty of room for a neighborhood full of fairy houses, gravel paths, and sitting areas.

Planter Boxes

Some gardeners prefer to fill their planter box fairy gardens with fewer accessories and more miniature plants. In the summer, when leaves are green and flowers are blooming, a box full of miniature trees and plants can be an amazing showpiece for the yard. A smaller, sunny planter box could also be filled with succulents or cactus’s. A desert garden or Zen Garden would look spectacular in an elevated planter box. When planting a more traditional fairy garden or mixed container of miniature plants, I like to abide by the “thrill, fill, and spill” rule I learned many years ago. In the back-center of the box, plant a “thriller” miniature tree or plant. These are usually tall and feature bright colors, interesting textures, or impressive foliage.

After the “thriller” has been planted in the box, you will want to select “filler” plants. These are shorter and may spread or creep. Colorful flowers like coral bells or petunias make excellent filler plants. Then, of course, you choose a “spiller.” These are miniature plants that spill or cascade down the sides of the planter box. Vines and sedums are great spiller plants. Planter Boxes2

Come to think of it, in a tall planter, a spiller plant can also act as a ladder for the garden gnomes and pixies. They can just shimmy down the vine whenever they want to explore the rest of the yard on foot. Remember, you will have to inquire with your local fairies when it comes to creating a miniature garden in a planter box. They need to be comfortable up high, closer to the clouds. But something tells me, if you choose the right mix of miniature plants and fairy cottages, the garden residents will enjoy their new home as much as you do.

Happy Gardening!

Grow a Fairy Garden in a Planter Box allows you to grow miniature plants, accessories, fairies, garden tools & dollhouse furniture to create enchanting miniature landscapes for containers or your yard. Storytelling and imaginary fairy garden from ‘Miniature Gardening’ bring the playful kid out in all of us.

Filled with intrigue and mystique each little garden in planter boxes scene you create is a snapshot of such a dream.

 

 


Planter Boxes

Better you

Unlocking Your Business Potential with a Business Coach

Business Coach, a Mentor, or a Consultant
Difference Between a Business Coach, a Mentor, or a Consultant2

Whether you want to expand your small business to another country, kick-start your career as an entrepreneur or hone your marketing skills, you may be looking for some outside support.  If you look at top business achievers, you will find one common denominator: They didn’t do it all alone.

High-performing entrepreneurs and small business owners know that if they want to truly excel, they need guidance and support. But what’s best for your professional development? a coach? a mentor? a consultant? How do you even begin to choose?

Great professional development options:

Working with a mentor. You’re getting someone who’s already walked in your shoes. They are experienced in your field and can help fast-track you along your growth path. They can offer guidance, friendship, and support; there is usually a level of personal connection as they serve as a role model to help an individual reach their potential.

This can be super valuable because it saves you from having to go through a steep learning curve and make a bunch of mistakes along the way.

Difference Between a Business Coach, a Mentor, or a Consultant4Some of the advantages include:

Getting an outside perspective. Often, we are too close and emotionally tied to our business to see what’s truly happening. It can be beneficial to get a bird’s-eye view of your situation. Often, we’re too in love with our work to know about areas that need a little work. Your mentor will probe to uncover some problem issues that may not be instantly apparent to you.

Enabling you to reach higher. Sometimes we do things for other people that we wouldn’t do for ourselves. When you have the accountability of a mentor, you may push harder to reach your goals. Because you know that you have to report your results during your mentorship, can make you go the extra mile.

Gaining business experience.  Even if you have years of corporate experience, running your own business is a new challenge. You probably know a lot about your industry, but you may not know enough about running and growing a business.

When you hire someone with experience in creating systems, marketing, delegating, and growing a business, it helps you avoid costly mistakes and grow further, and faster. And they often have proven blueprints and templates to boost your results.

Being your cheerleader. You probably know that being a business owner can be a roller coaster! Some days you’re on top of the world, and other days you doubt yourself. Maybe you wonder if you should throw in the towel because everything seems to be going wrong. Mentorship can help you stay positive and motivated, so you can keep your business moving forward.

Working with a coach. A coach takes a slightly different approach. He or she serves as an expert guiding you in a very specific area of performance. If you Google “coach” you’ll see results for performance, marketing, financial support, sales, business growth, social media support, and more.

A business coach is trained to help you figure out your roadblocks, holds you accountable for your business success and shares their tried-and-true experiences and processes to help you get ahead in your business.Difference Between a Business Coach, a Mentor, or a Consultant

 

However, it’s important to note that many coaches are self-appointed experts. They may present themselves as highly successful and knowledgeable, but many could just be one step ahead of you. Read the fine print in any document.

While they may “talk the talk”, you don’t know if they have the skills or experience to help you succeed.

Leadership Coaching to uncover people’s hidden and natural talents and assess individual skills, capabilities, and/or behaviors that impact them positively and negatively. This helps her clients understand the actions they need to take to move in the right direction to get what they want.

Working with a business coach can help you in many of the same ways mentorship can, but they’re less of a “friend” and more of a “guide.”

  • Hear more objective opinions • Increase your networking opportunities.  • Lead more strategically • Develop your personality and leadership style • Better understand yourself

Read: 30 Things Business & Marketing Coaches Wish Entrepreneurs Would Stop Doing, on our website

From the economy to the weather, struggling entrepreneurs have all sorts of reasons why their product or service isn’t selling. But have you ever considered that you might be doing things all wrong and that’s why you’re not reaching the success you’d like to see?

Here are some valuable insights from 30 successful business coaches. They’ve observed what frustrates them to no end, and these are the things that could very well be thwarting your success!

Working with a consultant. A consultant is often an expert in their field and provides you with advice. While they may sound similar to a mentor or a coach, consultants don’t work with you to improve your skills or guide you in your professional development. They usually work within your defined metrics and deliverables.

A coach A mentor A consultant

When you work with a consultant, you’re getting valuable advice from someone with niche experience and industry understanding. While a business coach or a mentor will encourage you to do your best, a consultant will focus on identifying what you need to do to accomplish your goals. 

The most common consulting methods are:

  • Strategic Advice: When a business has specific problems, a consultant can create a strategy to solve them. 
  • Done-for-you Service: Some consultants have a team to support them, so this option makes sense if a small business requires a solution, they aren’t skilled in implementing. 
  • One-Time Training: Say your management team hasn’t been meeting a certain objective. A consultant could offer them training to help them get back on track.
  • Ongoing Coaching: You can’t expect amazing results by meeting with a consultant once for four hours. Many small businesses will work with a consultant over months or years on things like a marketing plan or expanding the company globally.

Difference Between a Business Coach, a Mentor, or a Consultant3Your unique needs will determine whether you need a mentor, coach, or consultant to enhance your professional development. But each one has the power to prevent you from making bad decisions that will leave you in financial distress and conducting self-sabotage to your success, whether you realize you are doing it or not!

 

Better you

Get Your Finances in Order with Debt Consolidation

Debt Consolidation to Clean Up Your Finances

Debt ConsolidationA significant challenge that many people experience as they get older, especially those who are not the best at managing money, is the mounting debt that is against their name.

Perhaps you paid for private college or university, or you had to spend a lot of money on a car or other expenses. While you may have thought that taking out loans was responsible, as they were relatively low interest, you are now having to deal with the aftermath.

Between significant loans and regular credit card debt, you likely have a lot of monthly payments to get through. Below is a guide that explains how you can use debt consolidation loans as a way to get out of such a hole.

What is Debt Consolidation?

The concept of debt consolidation in the United States is that you are taking all the money that you owe, and combining them into a single, low-interest loan. People find this advantageous, especially if they have a lot of money to repay that could take them several years to get through.

If you were to make a list of all the money that you owe each month as a result of loans or credit card bills, you are looking at a significant percentage of your monthly income. People who are giving up 50 percent or greater of their income to debt will have a very hard time making ends meet, or saving any money.

Debt consolidation loans can come in handy during such situations. By engaging in debt consolidation in the US, you can lower the amount of money that you have to pay each month to a manageable level.

Extend Your Loans

Taking longer to pay back loans, on the surface, may not appear like the smartest way to get out of debt. The issue for a lot of people is that their monthly loans are not manageable anymore. You may have taken out two or three long-term loans, while putting money on your cards, thinking that you can handle the minimum payments.

The problem is that minimum payments can add up very quickly, and if you are only paying a modest sum on each loan, you are incurring a lot of interest charges. That puts pressure on you to quickly pay off your loans, which can eat into your monthly earnings.

Taking out a single loan that you can handle with your present earnings will make life a lot easier. Depending on your current job and credit history, you may be eligible for a debt consolidation loan that is lower interest, compared to many of the loans that you are repaying.

Rebuild Your Finances

Arranging your loans into a single, manageable payment is only the first step in getting your finances in order. Limiting how much you have to pay in loans each month will make your life easier, but does not solve the root cause of the problem.

What you must tackle is your spending, as it is overspending that likely got you into this problem. To find a solution, start by spending two months tracking every dollar you spend. Assess where you are spending the most money, and what expenditures you could eliminate without damaging your quality of life too much.Debt Consolidation3

Perhaps you are spending a lot of money when you go out on the weekends, or you love ordering take-out or delivery food. Such indulgences are great when you have a very high-paying job, but if you are struggling to save money, you may need to cut back on some luxuries to secure your long-term future.

Take Control of Your Life

Allowing debt to take over your life is not pleasant, and can have a significant impact on your personal and professional life. Not only will you find it difficult to focus at work, but your relationships with friends and family may be impacted by your constant stressing about debt.

Rather than letting the cycle of repaying various loans each month take over your life and consume your thoughts, debt consolidation offers an out. You still have to pay back the money you owe, but you can do so using a single, manageable loan.

Debt Consolidation2

You take the money from that loan, pay off all the loans and credit card debts you owe, and then start making monthly payments on the consolidation loan. Within a few years, you will be debt free. If you have made changes to your spending habits in the meantime, you will likely have significant savings by then as well.

 

Better you

The Destruction of Love: How to End a Relationship

Destroy a Relationship Destroy a Relationship

Why being mindful of clients’ perspectives can keep them supporting your business

We all have them.

Days when everything pisses us off.

I doubt there’s a human being on this planet who hasn’t been in a bad mood now and then.

And for a variety of reasons too.

But there’s one thing we business owners have an unwritten rule about (well probably it’s written somewhere by someone) is that no matter what, we don’t bring our bad mood with us when communicating with clients.

Would you agree with that fundamental principle?

But how many times have you, as a client or customer, been on the receiving end of someone’s the bad mood?

It happened to me recently and that single instance destroyed a 30-year working relationship.

I had a hair appointment with the same gal that I’ve been seeing for decades. She works out of her home and lives about 25 minutes away from me. I know exactly how long it takes for me to get to her place and am typically on time, every time.

Except for the last two appointments.

The time previous to this last visit, I had an emergency come up just before heading out the door. It was something I had to take care of or faced dire consequences (as in having a very angry client on my hands!)

It meant I was going to be about 5 minutes late for my appointment. I texted her when I was leaving stating I was hurrying over and will be a few minutes late.

She didn’t reply and never said anything when I got there. We had our usual girl talk that I very much looked forward to.

This recent time I needed to do a quick errand before my appointment. I completely misjudged how much time it would take me to get from that other location to my stylist’s place. Plus… I got lost finding my way there since I was coming from a different direction.

I didn’t want to risk taking any time to stop and text her and honestly thought I was just a minute away… except it was more like 15 minutes before I finally got there.

I’ve never been 15 minutes late for anything and I felt terrible. I apologized profusely but unfortunately; she wouldn’t hear any of it.

Destroy a Relationship3She was pissed.

So angry in fact, she first lectured me on “always” being late, citing my text from the previous appointment, and that she was sick and tired of constantly hearing, “sorry I’m late” as if I’m the only one that says that every time I walk into her room.

Stunned at how mad she was, especially knowing it was the last appointment of the day, I apologized again and tried to explain why I was late and even offered to leave with my hair wet to make up for the lateness so we would still end in time.

I didn’t know what else to do to rectify my error. She was so angry; she gave me the silent treatment and only grunted her “hold your head here” and “move to the sink” commands throughout the entire time there.

I did leave with wet hair, 15 minutes earlier than what our appointment time would have ended had I been on time, vowing to never return.

I fully realize I was the catalyst that set off her anger, and I also realize she had to have been having one hell of a bad day before I arrived, and I got the brunt of her wrath. I get it.

But as a customer, a loyal one for 30 years at that, there’s no excuse whatsoever to be treated like that.

Never.

When I have bad days like what she must have experienced, I set aside whatever is going on and treat anyone whom I speak with that day, whether it’s one of our team members, a client, a lead or even chatting on social media, with the utmost respect and kindness.

Even if they are the reason for my having a bad day. It serves no purpose whatsoever to make the other person feel worse than what I am feeling. I found this experience to be so distressing, I posted about it on Facebook.

I received a variety of responses, ranging from my owing her an apology (which I did) to justifying why she blew up, right over to demanding I fire her on the spot (which I ended up doing).

These kinds of responses go to show how we are all human and all look at experiences from our lens and history. For me, I was taken straight back to elementary school when I was the victim of bullying quite a bit. A feeling I never want to experience again! Destroy a Relationship

Others empathized with her where time is very important to them and get angry themselves when someone disrespects it. (I’m the same way – being punctual is a huge deal for me.)

One thing I have done as a result of this experience is to find the lesson behind it all. For one, I will plan my time better and ensure I give myself enough time to do what needs to be done in time!

I also learned just how fragile our relationships can be. She lost a client of 30 years – and I lost any further opportunities to visit with someone I’ve known for a long time to get some of the much-valued girl time I look forward to with each visit.

It doesn’t take much to destroy a 30-year working relationship.

Yes, I realize I could reach out and try to mend the fences but I am choosing not to. At least not right now.

At the end of the day, this lesson goes to show how important it is for us all to keep our anger in check. To realize our anger is being received by the other person, and be aware of how they are receiving it with their response. They won’t always understand where you are coming from because they’re looking at things from a different perspective.

So, what do we do when we’re having a bad day and business must go on?

If you ever find yourself feeling angry, whether justified or not, here are eight tips on what you can do to avoid creating irreparable situations with your clients:

  1. Exercise. Go for a walk, head to the gym, and box with a punching bag. Whatever works for you to do some venting.
  2. Meditate. Or just sit quietly and practice deep breathing.  Destroy a Relationship
  3. Yoga. Nothing is better at centering our emotions and getting back in touch with our bodies than practicing yoga.
  4. Watch a funny show or listen to a positive podcast. It’s amazing how quickly your anger can turn around when you’re laughing or receiving positive energy from someone else!
  5. Use anger as motivation. If you can control the scenario that’s causing your anger, then you can do something about it!
  6. Focus on something more positive. A great thing to do here is to think of something you are grateful for and focus on why you’re so grateful for it. Putting yourself in a state of gratefulness will trigger those happy endorphins and will get you out of that crappy mood fast.
  7. Get productive. Feeling on purpose can be quite energizing. If you have something that’s calling your name, get busy and shift your attention to that.
  8. Write in a journal. A great way to release that negative vibe from your body is to write it out. Keep writing until you’ve vented everything that comes to mind. Even if it’s not the same thing that got you angry in the first place – just let it all out!

I’m curious if you have ever experienced someone either getting angry with you in a business relationship or did you lose your cool and get angry with a client or service provider? How did it turn out? What lesson did you learn? And do you have any other tips on how to let go of anger to share?

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:

  1. READ: Learn effective communication principles from an expert. This book from communications specialist Yvonne Douma is a must-read. It will be available on June 8th but you can get yourself on her notification list and grab some great bonuses if you purchase on launch day: REFRAME: How to Change Your Conversations to Resolve Those Messy Conflicts.
  2. WATCH: Have you ever been frustrated by the lack of customer service from another company and vowed to never do business with them again? And most certainly never told anyone else about them?
  3. READ: I guess all of us have been on the receiving end of a situation where we are not satisfied with customer service. But how do you respond? Read this great piece from Kindi Gill who shares excellent insights on managing difficult client situations: Five Tips for Managing Customer Complaints.

 

Better you

The Incredible Health Benefits of Cabbage

According to Ancient Roman healers, breast cancer could be cured by rubbing on pastes made from cabbage. Not long ago, modern scientists would have considered this practice as Folklore, but now they are not so sure.

Jon Michnovicz, president of the Foundation for Preventive Oncology in New York City says: “Studies have shown that if you make cabbage into a paste and rub it on the backs of laboratory animals, you can prevent the development of Tumors.

But the best way to absorb the health properties of cabbage is to eat it, of course.

Cabbage can fight off breast, lung, and prostate cancer. It also contains a wealth of nutrients that can protect you against heart disease, birth defects, and digestive problems, and lowers the risk of cataracts. One study found that eating four servings of cruciferous vegetables, like cabbage, per week, reduced the risk of dying from any cause by 26 %.

 Healing Properties of Cabbage Cabbage, like other cruciferous vegetables, contains several compounds that can help prevent cancers, according to studies. Researchers reviewed almost 100- studies that showed the relationship between brassica vegetables, such as cabbage, and cancer. They found that in 70% of the studies cabbage consumption was related to a lower risk of Cancer.

Scientists found that there are two compounds in Cabbage that make it a cancer-preventing food. The first one, Indole-3-Carbinol, or I3C, is especially effective against breast cancer, according to research. The compound act as an Antiestrogen, which means that it removes harmful estrogens that have been linked to Breast Cancer. “There was no doubt that if we gave women pure I3C, it would work,” says Dr. Michnovicz. But for the average person, eating cabbage or another cruciferous vegetable, such as broccoli, would have the same effect.

The second compound in cabbage, named Sulforaphane, proved to protect against breast cancer, by inhibiting carcinogens and aiding in DNA repair. Women in Poland eat three times as much cabbage as women in the United States 30 lbs a year compared to 10 lbs in the US. Women in Poland also use to eat more raw cabbage, sauerkraut, and short-cooked cabbage as a side dish, instead of boiled or slow-cooked cabbage. Compounds in cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables are also protective against Lung Cancer. A study of Chinese women in Singapore, a city with a high level of air pollution, found that non-smokers who ate cruciferous vegetables reduced their risk of lung cancer by 30%.

Smokers who ate cruciferous vegetables reduced their risk of lung cancer by 69%.

savoy-cabbageCabbage also protects against Prostate Cancer. A study at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle found that men who ate three or more servings of cruciferous vegetables each week lowered their risk of prostate cancer by 44 percent. Cabbage is a cook’s best friend. It’s versatile, inexpensive, readily available, and easy to prepare. The only thing is the unpleasant smell. But there is a remedy against it. Next time you want to cook cabbage, add a Celery stalk or a whole English Walnut (in the shell) to the pot. This will neutralize the smell.

Or, cook the cabbage quicker, stir-frying it in a wok or skillet, rather than boiling it for a long time. To preserve the beneficial compounds in cabbage, experts recommend eating cabbage raw. If you must cook your cabbage, steam it lightly, (5 minutes or less), to retain the phytonutrients and maximize their availability. Don’t microwave cabbage, because it decreases the amount of Sulforaphane. Don’t boil cabbage either. In one study, 90 percent of the glycosylates were found in cooking water. 

Don’t buy halved or shredded cabbage, because it loses its Vitamin C content quickly when cut. When you get your cabbage home, place the whole head (in a plastic bag) in the fridge. To promote the production of the most glycosylates, slice or chop cabbage and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes before cooking.

Antioxidant Protection. You have read about antioxidants in presiding articles, like Vitamin C and E and Beta-Carotene. They do an excellent job by protecting you and neutralizing free radicals, which damage healthy tissues throughout the body, causing heart disease, cancer, and other serious conditions. All cruciferous vegetables are loaded with these antioxidant compounds. Researchers found that a half-cup of red cabbage contains more antioxidants than a cup of Green Tea, which has long been considered to be a super antioxidant source.

bok-choyTwo cabbages, Bok choy, and Savoy are also excellent sources of Beta-Carotene, a nutrient that other cabbages don’t have in abundance. High blood levels of Beta-Carotene are related to fewer cases of heart attacks, certain types of cancer, and cataracts.

These cabbages are also excellent sources of vitamin C, which has proved to boost immunity, as well as reduce blood pressure and heart disease. A half-cup serving of raw Bok choy provides 16 milligrams of Vitamin C, 27% of the Daily Value (DV) for this Vitamin, while the same amount of raw Savoy Cabbage supplies 11 milligrams or 18 % of the DV. These same cabbages are also decent sources of B Vitamin Folate. Half-cup of either of those provides about 35 milligrams, or 9 % of the DV.

Your body needs Folate for normal tissue growth. Studies have proved that Folate also may protect against certain forms of Cancer, including Cervical, Colorectal, and Lung Cancers, Heart Disease, and Birth Defects.

Also, research shows that women are at high risk for Folate deficiency, especially if they take Birth Control pills.

-Adrian Joele

Better you

Winning the War on Our Money: A Psychological Battle

Our Money: Fighting a Psychological Battle

Fighting a Psychological BattleAcross the world, governments and populations alike are encountering the same challenges – namely, how to treat the coronavirus and prevent its spread.

But this is just the beginning. Certainly, in the here and now – in the immediate future – bringing the virus under control is the priority, and we salute the legions of scientists, medical personnel, and key workers who are making that happen every day. But what comes next? How do we deal with the economic depression that follows such a crisis? How do we avoid global recession? There is one thing we must do: We must not give in. We must not roll over and simply accept the worst case as inevitable.

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

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

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

Fighting a Psychological Battle3Practical Solutions to Winning the Psychological Battle

We often hear the phrase “it’s all in your head,” as if a psychological problem is somehow less valid than a physical or external issue. In the 21st century, we are pushing back against this – not only recognizing that psychological issues need real consideration but also understanding that there are real steps we can take to overcome them. So, if you’ve found yourself hounded by money worries and anxiety as a result of this crisis, how do you overturn the negativity?

Develop a complete understanding of your situation

Much of the anxiety and worry we feel daily comes from uncertainty and a lack of knowledge. If we do not know what we are dealing with, we assume the worst. And, these negative feelings build and build until we are overwhelmed. Fight this tendency. Fight it with knowledge. Sit down and work out how the virus has affected your incomings. Then, work out what adjustments can be made so not only can you keep yourself moving forward, but you also can actively set yourself up for a thriving future.

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

Begin to diversify

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

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

Fighting a Psychological BattleBuild a positive attitude

Negativity will get us nowhere. Instead, it erodes our psychology and makes it difficult to gain perspective and understanding of our situation. Our minds become clouded by doubt and other such thoughts. But, by making small positive changes to our mindset, we can counteract this. Make these small incremental changes – by reframing setbacks as challenges and opportunities, for example, or by putting certain minor hardships in a broader context. Get used to doing this, and witness big changes in your psychology.

Be proactive

Change cannot happen by itself. Your aims and objectives won’t be achieved without effort and action. This does not mean mistaking movement for progress and rushing around like a headless chicken, though. Rather, it means outlining what you want to achieve in the long and short term, thinking about what you need to do to achieve this, and then putting one foot in front of the other until you get there.Fighting a Psychological Battle4

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

Seek assistance

There is help out there, so make sure you get the help you need. This may come from talking to friends and co-workers, or from engaging with webinars, video media, or insightful articles. The truth is, there is no single “correct” way to educate ourselves and grow our emotional and psychological resilience. We are all in this together, so let’s help one another. Let’s accept the help that we need to win the psychological battle, and come through this crisis stronger than ever.

-David Love

https://universalsoullove.com/founders

electric vehicle

Harnessing the Sun: Exploring the Top Five Benefits of…

Top Five Benefits of Going Solarsolar-system (2)

With many families beginning to realize the current system of paying exorbitant amounts for electricity is not sustainable, they are looking for alternatives. In the past, solar systems may have looked like faraway options that only the very rich could afford. But that has not been the case for years, with residential solar more viable and affordable than ever.

  • Saving Thousands of Dollars

Even though residential solar systems do have an upfront equipment cost, the homeowner is going to save thousands even within the first few years. How? Because most solar systems are purchasable using a financial package where only a small or no down payment is required. The rest of the outlay is financed through a loan that is paid back in installments. Even when considering those monthly installments, the figure would be lower than what most families are currently paying as their monthly energy bill. And when everything is paid off, the savings are even greater for years to come.

  • Boost in Home Value

While you may not have any plans to sell your house in the short or medium term, it is always in the back of a homeowner’s mind. And doing something such as adding solar to your home is going to significantly increase your home’s value. Whoever ends up buying the house in the future would know they have a readymade energy system that may only need a few tweaks and repairs to be up to shape!solar-system-terracotta-roof

  • Heating Solutions

The beautiful thing about solar systems is that they can also be used for home heating. There are methods where solar panels can be used as part of a water heating system, which can save the homeowner even more money.

  • Low Maintenance and Repair Costs

The beauty of the modern solar power system is that it does not constantly need to be tweaked or upgraded. This is not the type of tech where something better is going to be out in a few years, and a homeowner would need to spend another few thousand dollars to have that installed. These solar power systems are designed to be in place for many years to come. They are durable, and reliable and will only require a small amount of maintenance every year. That means the majority of the expense and headache is at the beginning – and then it is all sorted.

  • Environmental Boost

We all talk about how we can have a positive impact on the world, and doing something good for the environment will achieve that. Solar power is a renewable energy source that will be around for a very long time. Using it to power your home is the “greenest” way that you can live. It will have a huge impact on the planet, not only in the present but also for the future generations that will have to live here. 

Most people aren’t aware, but not all solar panels are created equal. Names like a polycrystalline or thin film, may not ring any bells, but there are clear differences between the types of solar panels and which jobs they are good for. We are going to look at which ones are the best solar panels for your needs. Lets cover the types of panels, as well as their most common uses.


Now Types of Solar Panels


photovoltaic-systemPolycrystalline Solar Cells

The typically blue spotted solar cells you see are of the polycrystalline variety. This type is slightly cheaper to produce – they are simpler to create, and there is less silicone wasted in their construction. Raw silicone is poured into a square mold and then cut. However, the overall quality of the silicone is usually less. This change in quality typically leads to polycrystalline cells having a slightly less efficient output when compared to monocrystalline; they must usually be larger to produce the same amount of energy. They also have less overall heat tolerance, meaning their lifespan in warmer climates may be reduced from their counterparts. That said, compared to many of the other solar types, polycrystalline remains very popular due to their cost efficiency

String Ribbon Solar Cells are a subset of polycrystalline panels since they use the same silicone – the creation procedure, however, is entirely different. Wires are pulled through molten silicon to create thin strips which are then layered together. This process uses much less silicone but typically creates a panel on the lower end of the polycrystalline efficiency bracket. Though cheaper, they tend to require the largest surface area to produce an equivalent amount of power.

solar-power-ground-mountMonocrystalline Solar Cells

Monocrystalline solar cells are on the more expensive end of photovoltaics (method for generating electric power by using solar cells) to produce, but give out a slightly more efficient energy output in the end. They also tend to have slightly longer lifespans. Their higher efficiency also makes them suitable for smaller surface areas.

You can differentiate monocrystalline pretty easily from polycrystalline by looking at the panel. Polycrystalline will have perfectly rectangular pieces of silicon; monocrystalline will have a square shape with rounded edges.

Thin-Film Solar Cells

Thin film cells are typically thin layers of photovoltaic materials placed over a surface. They can be made from different materials and may vary in their overall energy output. This is a type that is growing both in popularity and technological advancement. Their nature allows them to be more easily mass-produced and generally allows them to be purchased for less. If space is not an issue, they are a popular choice.

solar-on-farmsWhile it can be hard to determine what the best solar panels for your needs are, there is no shortage of options. While we covered the more popular types, remember there are still others such as Amorphous Silicon solar cells and Copper Indium Gallium Selenide solar cells which may also be worth looking into.

A great option to temporary batter is a Portable Power Station.

 

My friend has this system on a large garage at his home. He installed himself with a little help from his son. It has save so much money and powers everything in the shop. SAVE MONEY. NEVER WORRY IF YOUR USING TO MUCH POWER that runs a regular bill up sky-high.

Solar works!

 

Better you

Seafood: The Key to a Longer Life

Live longer eating Seafood

Live longer on seafood 2It’s no strange coincidence that many of the fish-eating populations located within the Arctic regions of the world have experienced fewer occurrences of heart disease.

This is primarily because seafood their main dietary food which is highly recognized for its high concentration in omega-3 fatty acids is widely renowned for not only lowering the cholesterol levels of the blood within the body but additionally for protecting the heart from diseases.

Research into the benefits of seafood discovered that individuals who consumed an extra portion of fish each week were found to lower their risk of heart disease by more than fifty percent.

Consuming fish reduced the risk of thrombosis (clotting of the blood) by improving blood circulation through the omega-3 oils which reduces the need for the body to produce the hormone-like substance eicosanoids which have been primarily responsible for inflammation and blood clotting occurring within the body.

Individuals who include seafood as a regular dish whether by dining out or via seafood delivery service as a balanced diet were generally shown to experience significant relief in their rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, a severe medical condition resulting in the inflammation of the joints within the body resulting in severe and often unbearable pain.

Alaska Smokehouse Jumbo Smoked SalmonThe link between the omega-3 fatty acids found within the seafood and its ability to relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis has been confirmed through medical research resulting in a strong medical recommendation that eating more seafood will prevent the occurrence of this and other health-related diseases.

Live longer on seafoodSeafood has been globally renowned for providing the human body with a vast number of nutrients including zinc, iodine, potassium, and selenium.

Selenium is renowned for its production of enzymes that serve in protecting the human body from cancer, and iodine which is a vital ingredient for the thyroid glands to reduce the risk of slow heart rate, dry skin, depression, weight gain, and several other illnesses.

Shellfish such as lobster, shrimps, and crabs and fish traditionally found in dishes such as Vermicelli Crab, Grilled Salmon, and Steamed Crab Lobster Assorted Platter also contain a form of vitamin-A known as retinol which is popularly recognized for improving vision at night. Individuals who suffer from age-related macular degeneration causing deterioration of the eyesight resulting in blurred vision often referred to as AMD when introduced to a regular diet consisting of such seafood cuisines were able to experience some levels of restoration of their sight.

This has led to a large majority of local health practitioners recommending including seafood as a healthy diet in keeping the eyes bright and healthy.

Seafood not only has been proven through medical research to relieve the symptoms of asthma in children but has shown remarkable signs in preventing the illness from occurring. Families who have customarily eaten large quantities of seafood were observed to possess stronger and healthier lungs with age when compared to those who were found to eat less seafood.

Live longer on seafood 3Depression today remains one of the most widespread illnesses globally affecting millions of men and women today.

In a recent study, it was confirmed that individuals who maintained a diet rich in seafood containing omega-3 oils experienced a lower rate of depression, Seasonal Affective Disorder, and post-natal depression.

Fish which has traditionally been a great source of protein is recognized for providing the human body with the essential ingredient collagen, a chemical substance widely known for keeping the human skin flexible and firm.

The skin additionally has been scientifically proven to be protected from the harmful effects of ultraviolet damage by the omega-3 oils found in seafood. Many dermatologists and local physicians confirmed that by eating an increased amount of seafood, patients suffering from illnesses including psoriasis and eczema were provided with continuous relief from their symptoms once a regular seafood diet was maintained.

A seafood diet rich in omega-3 fish oils safeguards the individual from severe inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease additionally slowing the progression of inflammatory bowel disease suffered by many patients today.

Sea Best NY Strip Steak and Warm Water Lobster Surf

The human brain is composed of approximately sixty percent omega-3 fat. In a recent study, individuals who routinely ate a lot of seafood were found less likely to be affected by memory difficulty and dementia as they approached their senior years.

During the research, it was discovered that the omega-3 fat DHA found within seafood played a vital role in the development of reading skills, attentiveness, and behavior in children additionally improving instances of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

 

 

 

Where can we get seafood delivery?

Live longer on seafood crabMany popular restaurants around the world have as a mandatory rule included a wide variety of seafood dishes within their menu and delivery service due to the exceptional taste and vast health benefits of the meal.

Restaurants such as the American-based California Pizza Kitchen, Seafood Fettuccine, Hard Rock Café, and Tony Roma’s Cajun Shrimp and Scallops.

Pasta is known for a wide and extravagant range of seafood cuisines such as Clams, shrimp in calamari rings, squid, and sweet and spicy soy sauce,

Tender scallops and shrimp cooked in lemon wine among several other exquisite dishes.

Chinese, Indian, Italian, Korean Lebanese, Vietnamese, and several other countries host several fine dining and takeout restaurants and are continuously finding new ways to include more and more favorite seafood cuisines within their menus for their customers. Enjoy steak and lobster today!

 

Better you

Ready to Reopen: Back to Business This Fall

Back to Business This Fall

Back to Business This Fall2As the days continue to get shorter and summer comes to an end, there’s no better time than now to do some much-needed planning and ensure you can get back to business this fall with renewed confidence.

For many businesses, the summer months tend to be much slower, and this makes it easier to neglect the business planning process when what we should be doing is kicking things into high gear in preparation for the upcoming holiday season.

I know some of you are probably wondering, “Why is she going on about business planning? Isn’t that something you do before you’ve even launched your business?”

That may be true, but writing a business plan isn’t something you just do once and never think about again.

A business plan is supposed to define your company’s objectives and determine how you plan on achieving those goals, right?

So, what makes you think the business planning process is something that ends the second your business is launched?

The truth is your business plan shouldn’t be some static document that always remains the same.

Instead, it should be a fluid strategy that morphs to meet the ever-changing needs of your business, and that means it’s a never-ending process.

At a minimum, you should be re-evaluating your business plan at least once a year, and what better time to do it than before the holiday rush?

In any case, after reading through the list of tips we’ve laid out below, you should be able to get back to business this fall armed with great ideas and inspiration to help you cap off the year on a high note.

Back to Business This Fall3Tips to Get Back to Business This Fall

  • Review & Strategize Many small business owners spend so much time working on their businesses, that they often don’t take time to work on their businesses by planning, reviewing, and strategizing.

At any rate, as the summer comes to a close, you should try to schedule some quiet time away from the office to think, dream, plan, strategize, and review.

With that in mind, here are some questions for you to ponder:

Have you met your objectives?

If so, what allowed you to do that?

If not, what was it that got in your way?

Did you reach your revenue goals?

How many new clients did you gain?

How did those clients find you?

What areas of your business were the most profitable?

Are there any undue expenses you need to keep an eye on?

Which marketing activities are giving you the best return on investment?

Is every member of your team on the same page about your business objectives and what needs to be done to achieve them?

Are there people you need to follow up with who is coming back from vacation or about to go on vacation?

  • Make Goal Cards I’ve always been a firm believer in the power of focus and intention.

That being said, writing down your business goals and reviewing them as much as possible should help you keep them top of mind, while staying excited about achieving them, and avoiding getting sidetracked by things that are not in alignment with your priorities.

I love to set aside time each morning to visualize each one of my goals as if it’s already come true. This gets me engaged and enthusiastic about doing whatever it takes to make those goals materialize.

  •  Organize Your Tasks Another way to maintain that enthusiasm and stay on top of all your business goals, and the tasks that need to be completed to reach them is to break them down into action items with deadlines.

This means you need to define what you’re going to do yourself, what you can assign to a team member, and what you can outsource.

Aside from determining who’s going to do what, you’re also going to have to ensure everything’s organized in a way that’s comprehensive and easy to understand.

For example, Asana and Basecamp are excellent project management tools that make it easy to track, manage, and follow the progress of tasks, especially for teams that work remotely.

Here at eVision Media, we use EGroupware to manage all of our projects and it helps our virtual team to be more organized and productive.

This platform offers a multitude of project management tools and allows every member of our team to find whatever they need to know about a particular task using a single intuitive interface.

So, whether you choose to use one of these platforms, go with another one, or decide to use a completely different method, the important thing is to find a way to organize all your tasks so you can ensure every member of your team stays on the same page about what needs to be done when it’s due, and who’s supposed to do it.

  • Identify Required Resources If you want to ensure you’re firing on all cylinders this fall, you’ve got to take stock of everything you need to make that happen.

I know this can be incredibly overwhelming, but it’s better to do it now when you have some breathing room instead of doing it on the fly in the middle of the holiday season when there’s no time to plan.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to make sure you’re not forgetting anything:

Do I need to learn any new skills?

Do I need to hire new team members?

What do I need to make my goals happen?

Are there any industry events I should attend?

Are there any networking groups I should look into?

Should I hire a coach or mentor to help keep me on track with my goals?

Should I invest in new equipment or software so I can get things accomplished faster?

Whatever questions you end up asking yourself, the purpose of this reflection is to make sure you’ve armed yourself with everything you need to make your goals a reality.

So, make sure to go over everything meticulously and consider every possible scenario so you can be sure you’re not overlooking anything.

READ: Simplifying & Demystifying the Business Plan by simplifying-demystifying-business-plan-pamela-chatry2

Creating a business plan can be one of the most intimidating things you’ll ever do. There are a ton of things to consider, and once you start getting into the financial aspects, it can end up being downright terrifying. So, if you want to come up with a business plan, but you want to learn more about what goes into it, then this is definitely for you.

In this video, strategic business advisor and planner, Pamela Chatry, and I discuss what goes into a business plan, including what your sales and marketing should look like, determining hiring and outsourcing criteria, and much more.

  • Update Your Website Something else you can do to adjust your business plan at this critical time of year is to review your website.

This means looking for anything that’s out of date, updating it with new information about things like upcoming promotions or product launches, and changing anything else that is no longer applicable to your business.

For example, one of our clients is a Texas-based human resource and leadership consultant who runs a business called Quantum Ascendance.

Over the last several months, her business has shifted to focus mainly on helping American business owners who’ve been affected by pandemic restrictions to apply for what’s known as the employee retention credit.

So, once she made us aware of this change, we got straight to work making a banner for her website, so this new service could be featured prominently on her home page.

We also worked with her to update her site with fresh blog content related to the employee retention credit, so she can highlight her expertise and let potential clients know that she’s offering this service.

Truth be told, she was already connecting with a lot of clients through other means, including referrals and social media, but it wouldn’t be right to not showcase this service on her website, as well.

At any rate, with the holidays just around the corner, now is the time to stop neglecting your website, update it accordingly, and get it working for you instead of against you.

  • Holiday Planning If you’re planning on taking some time off over the holidays, now would be a great time to ensure all your ducks are in a row so you can relax and enjoy your vacation instead of wasting your time worrying.

First and foremost, this means making sure every single member of your team knows what’s expected of them and they understand all the protocols they’re required to follow.

That being said, no matter what kind of business you run, it’s incredibly important to have a solid set of standard operating procedures (SOP).

With this in place, even if you’re unable or unwilling to answer inquiries from your team while you’re on holiday, they’ll have something to refer to that will tell them everything they need to know.

I recently took three weeks off, which was a bit scary at first, not least because my team had to launch a website in my absence.

But I made sure to finalize our SOP before going on vacation, which ensured they knew exactly what to do, and as a result, I experienced only a few minor interruptions during my time off.

  • Scheduling If you’re running a business, you’ll probably end up with a mile-long to-do list, and that means it’s going to be very difficult to remember everything.

And if you’re anything like me, you won’t rest until everything is scheduled and organized, so you can stop worrying and get back to building your business.

If you’re looking to do this sort of schedule, two things I would recommend are creating a content calendar and a promotional calendar.

This involves planning out all the content you’re going to publish and all the promotions you plan to offer well in advance, using some sort of calendar or spreadsheet.

Everything I need to know to write each article can be found on this sheet, including the topic, due date, keywords, and notes to explain exactly what needs to be written.

But before you can do all that, you’re going to have to determine what kind of content and promotions you want to offer.

As of right now, there’s still time to have a back-to-school sale, plus Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Christmas are coming up, so you should try to take advantage of this window to sit down and figure out exactly what your plans are for these holidays.

This way, instead of scrambling to come up with ideas at the last minute or stressing about when your next article is going to be published, you can just kick back and relax with your family during the holidays, knowing everything is planned out and ready to go.

  • Advertising One way to quickly grab holiday sales is to capture the attention of potential customers by setting up ads that correspond to each holiday you’re looking to target.

For example, you can retarget people who visit your business’s Facebook page using a custom audience retargeting pixel on your website.

This means if someone is looking at gifts for dad on your website, you can retarget them with ads on their Facebook feed that feature the best gifts for dad.

Most social media platforms offer this same kind of functionality, as well, so make sure to take some time to think about where you’re getting a lot of engagement on social media so you can make the best decision about which platforms you want to target.

No doubt, social media can be an absolute goldmine for ad targeting, but despite having accounts on most of the major platforms, I still prefer advertising through Google Ads and other forms of paid search, so keep this in mind.

Paid search allows you to target users similar to how you would on social media, but instead of the ads being served to them on their social feeds, they’ll show up on Google when they search for whatever keyword(s) you’re targeting, and your link will be prominently placed within the search results.

Not sure how to do all this stuff? You should get help from a marketer who knows how to get the best results from these kinds of advertising.

  • Consider Some Cards Despite being immersed in the world of digital marketing for more than 20 years now, I will never discount the value of tried-and-true old-school marketing tactics, like sending out greeting cards.

You could just buy some greeting cards and send them out to your customers, colleagues, staff, and vendors, or target specific areas and have them delivered door-to-door, but you’d be missing out on the perfect chance to showcase your brand.

Instead, why not take this opportunity to leverage your visual brand with some custom-designed cards?

I know it sounds like a blast from the past, but greeting cards are still a great way to let your clients, colleagues, staff, and trusted vendors know how much you appreciate them.

One idea to stand out from the crowd is to send Thanksgiving or New Year’s cards instead of the typical Christmas card.

And speaking of cards, with all these holidays coming up, it’s also an appropriate time to start offering gift cards, if you’re not doing that already.

Even if you are, you can always entice people by featuring specific imagery on your cards for each holiday.

In any case, gift cards provide a terrific option for people who are shopping for those hard-to-buy-for individuals, so it’s something to consider.

  • Book Your Vacation Time Now I know this one seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many business owners leave this stuff to the last minute and allow their teams to do the same, only to end up with one massive headache right before the holidays.

Aside from booking your own vacation time as soon as possible, you should encourage team members to put in their vacation requests early, as well.

This way, you’ll have more time to work out any scheduling issues, and this will make your holiday time less stressful.

In any case, I hope these tips have inspired you to come up with some creative and profitable plans that will help you to build your business as we near the fall season.

Putting this kind of thought into your business plan, and updating it regularly, can produce truly amazing results if you go through everything in detail and make sure to cover all your bases.

Remember, the more you plan now, the easier and more successful your business will be for the rest of the year.

Do you have any further tips you can share about how you’re trying to get back to business now that summer is almost over?

Are you wondering how you’re ever going to figure out all this stuff on your own? We’ve been helping business owners to build their brands for more than 20 years, and we can help you, too. Contact us today to learn more about what we can do for you.

To your business success, Susan Friesen

 

Better you

Start Your Career as a Bookkeeper

Become a bookkeeperBecome a bookkeeper

Bookkeeping is one of the oldest and most important professions in the world. Bookkeepers maintain accurate company records, financial transactions, and statements.

This article provides some tips on how to teach yourself how to become a bookkeeper. It will also give you some information on the skills needed to succeed in this profession.

 

Roles of a Bookkeeper

To become a bookkeeper, you’ll first need to understand what a bookkeeper does and the education and skills required to become one.

A bookkeeper’s work is to keep track of company finances by creating financial records for all transactions that occur in the company. They also maintain the company’s books and records by calculating taxes and payrolls, paying bills and invoices, reconciling bank statements, preparing financial statements and budgets, and managing investments or other assets such as stocks or bonds held.

They do this by using accounting software such as QuickBooks or Xero and following generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

As a bookkeeper, you’ll have different responsibilities depending on the size of your employer. For example, if working for a small business, you might also be responsible for handling payroll or managing inventory. If you work in public accounting, you may also be responsible for preparing tax returns.Become a bookkeeper

 

 

Skills Needed to Become a Good Bookkeeper

The main requirement for becoming a bookkeeper is knowing how to keep books. A four-year degree in accounting is not required, especially if you possess the following skills;

  • Organized and detail-oriented
  • High level of accuracy and organization
  • Ability to handle multiple tasks at once, such as bills and daily transactions
  • Ability to use computer software and adapt to new programs easily
  • The terminology and procedures involved in financial record keeping
  • Basic math skills, an understanding of debits and credits, and a working knowledge of double-entry accounting.

How to Become a bookkeeper

Step 1. Learn Accounting

To become a bookkeeper, you’ll first learn basic accounting skills. If you don’t know how to balance your checkbook, start there. Learn the difference between a debit and a credit, the difference between cash and accrual accounting, and how to use the various reports generated by accounting software.

You can practice these skills on software like QuickBooks or Quicken as you learn them. These programs are often available at local libraries or on the internet. Once you feel comfortable with these basic skills, you can seek more advanced training.

Step 2. Take Free or Low-cost Online Bookkeeping Courses

Bookkeeping coursework covers general bookkeeping principles and the specific accounting software used by many businesses. Accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, trial balance, and journal entries are covered in typical bookkeeping classes.

Free/low-cost bookkeeping courses includeBecome a bookkeeper2

  • Coursera courses

Coursera is a large online learning platform. Many free online courses are available, including courses in accounting and bookkeeping. Most of these courses are done in partnership with other online universities, are accredited, and have certificates of completion.

They offer various courses in different subjects. Some of the courses are free, and some are pay-as-you-go. You can learn and expand your knowledge on bookkeeping at Coursera at a minimal expense.

  • Corporate Finance Institute

Corporate Finance Institute is an online community college that offers specialized training in corporate finance, including stock trading and investing. You can learn from the world’s best instructors in just three months. Corporate Finance Institute also offers new students six months of free access to their online course materials. This includes a large selection of free video training courses covering topics such as stock trading and investing and bookkeeping and payroll.

  • Intuit bookkeeping basics

Intuit is the bookkeeping division of the software giant Intuit Inc., formerly QuickBooks. The QuickBooks bookkeeping software is a great place to get started with bookkeeping, but if you want to advance your career and learn more advanced techniques, you should consider enrolling in one of the company’s online courses. There are several different courses available, designed for beginners and advanced users. You can learn QuickBooks fundamentals and more advanced topics, such as the payroll module.

Step 3. Enroll In Internship ProgramsBecome a bookkeeper3

You may also want to look for an internship with a company in your area that uses bookkeepers. This will give you some hands-on experience.

Once you have completed formal training and gained some practical experience, you will be ready to seek employment as a bookkeeper for a company in your area or even as an independent contractor working from home.

 

Better you

Unlock Your Inner Artist: Learn How to Draw

Learn How to DrawLearn How to Draw

Drawing is an art that requires special skills. It’s why some people struggle with basic things like drawing a simple circle or a straight line, even after several attempts. The good news is that anyone can learn how to draw.

You can teach yourself how to draw and improve this skill. Sure, it’s easier to improve this skill for a talented person. But even if you are not, you can perfect your drawing with time and dedication. This article shares some insights on learning how to draw by yourself. Read on to learn more.

Can You Learn to Draw at Any Age?

Anyone can learn to draw regardless of their age. Well, it’s usually easier to perfect your drawing skills at a young age. However, you can still do it even if you are older. What matters is that you are dedicated and motivated to learn this skill. Contrary to what many people think, drawing isn’t only for kids. Adults can perfect this skill and use it as a hobby or even a source of income.

So, how long will it take to perfect my drawing? Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple answer to this. It could be a few minutes to a few hours or even many years, depending on the individual. It is a matter of prioritization and how complex the object you want to draw is. But once you master a concept, you can keep practicing and improving on it.

Steps to Teaching Yourself How to Draw

Step 1: Collect Your Art Supplies

Of course, you cannot start drawing without the needed tools. But don’t trouble yourself buying expensive art supplies since you are only starting. A simple pen, pencil, and paper will get the job done.

Step 2: Sketch Anything You Want

Choose any subject you like, preferably one that you can currently see. Please choose a meaningful subject like a flower or a pet. Also, note that drawing what you can see is much easier than using your imagination. A visible object improves your focus, and you can capture all the detail.

Step 3: Start by Drawing Short Lines

Begin to press your pencil very lightly against the paper. Pay attention to the line you are drawing without worrying about your subject. For instance, if you have picked your cat, don’t think about it yet. Instead, focus on outlining first. Your cat’s edge will be represented by the line between it and the environment.

It’s also advisable that you avoid drawing continuous lines. Rather, opt for short strokes. The shorter the strokes are, the easier it will be to draw. Also, avoid critiquing your work at this stage. Just draw fast and finish your strokes.

Step 4: Fill in the DetailsLearn How to Draw4

Now that you have an outline of your subject, you can begin working on the interior. Identify the landmarks or distinguishing marks on your subject to help you know where to draw the next line. Using the same cat example, look out for marks like a tuft of hair on the cat.

Step 5: Time to Shade in Shadows

Shading is challenging for many people, but it’s an essential step as your drawings will have more depth and light. Start by observing how the sun shines on the subject, then with a sharp pencil, shade lightly on the object. Remember to make even marks on your subject’s dark areas. As your pencil tip starts to wear away, shade shadow areas. Here, you’d want to press harder to make the marks darker.

You can perfect your shading using a shading bar. Move your pencil back and forth, starting from one end of your drawing paper, and moving across it to the other end. Remember to put more pressure when transitioning to darker marks.

Alternatively, one can use value bars. Divide a rectangle into five sections leaving one end white. Darken the other end and layer lines in the squares in between. This will bring out a different shade of gray.

How to Draw Your Art Style?Learn How to Draw2

Now, the above steps are for drawing a subject that has already been created. But to be a true artist, you must also learn to come up with unique drawings from your imagination. Here are the steps for drawing an original piece;

Step 1: Draw several shapes with your hands shaking; like you are feeling nervous. Do that until your hand relaxes. Try to draw 3D shapes as much as you can. (Skip this step if you already know how to draw perfect shapes).

Step 2: Combine blocks to form figures. Join the objects that you’ve outlined to form one imaginary object. For instance, you can make several rectangles, cylinders, and circles. Then imagine which of these blocks can join together to form an object. Once you have that picture, start linking the blocks up.

Step 3: Design a reference sheet. It’s unlikely that the first trial would be perfect. In that case, you want to make it a reference sheet that you can refer to when doing another attempt. Arrange forms to form a subject’s shape. Erase meaningless lines and refine useful ones to give the subject shape. Once done, try drawing your subject from different angles. For instance, if drawing a horse’s side view, most people would draw the nose from a square, the chest from a circle, and the ears from a triangle. However, there are various other ways you can draw this object.

Step 4: Perfect you’re drawing. Go back to the sketches and check where you made a mistake. Once you identify, draw the subject again, paying close attention to all detail. Start by drawing shapes to outline the subject, then bring out the other details.Learn How to Draw3

Step 5: Practice and more practice. The more you draw, the better you’ll become. So spare time every week to perfect your drawing skills.

If you want to go beyond being just a beginner at this or any other skill, and work toward developing a real mastery, then you are going to need a deeper and more powerful strategy. What you need is a way to hack your brain so you can develop a winning mindset. Learn How to Draw5

 

Better you

Exercise for Optimal Health

Healthy for Life 

If people would realize how many health benefits exercise can offer, there would be no hesitation in getting started with some form of exercise.

https://amzn.to/3OnaiI9Especially older folks are harder to get motivated because they think the exercise will cause an injury. On the contrary, exercise will keep their overall fitness level and muscle strength in optimal form. It’s a matter of choosing the right form of exercise.

Swimming, walking, and gardening are very suitable for older people. Swimming has the advantage that their body weight will be partly supported by the water, which makes it possible to exercise without risking any bodily harm.

Walking is the best exercise you can have because it’s natural. Good long brisk walks give a lot of benefits- the whole body begins to respond. You breathe properly, your circulation and heart benefit, and it’s good for the mind and positive thinking.

fitness-running (2)Fitness gurus have recognized the supremacy of brisk walking. Contrary to jogging, brisk walking provides a lot of benefits without any problems. Walking is almost as important as the right food. You need to eat properly and exercise properly, the two together give you the best results. The internal organs of the body need tone and for this most of them depend almost entirely on physical activity.

Exercise produces big results whether we’re 40, 60, or 80. According to the Human Physiology Laboratory at Tufts University Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, we respond well to exercise at any age. Muscles grow, bones strengthen, and metabolism increases. Our body fat decreases while blood sugar and balance improve. I proved this to myself when I taught strength training at a retirement residence.

https://amzn.to/3OnaiI9With modest effort, exercisers in their 80s grew stronger and more vital. We were all delighted. Reduced muscle strength is associated with age-related disability. The most common cause of muscle weakness is inactivity. After three months of high-intensity muscle training, healthy men over 60 experienced gains similar to those reported for younger men training with similar intensity and duration. Stronger people remained more independent and less burdened by advancing years. Any type of exercise helps, but combining aerobics, strength, and flexibility works best. For most people, aerobic exercise is an easy place to begin.

As we breathe deeply, the diaphragm – which separates the chest from the abdomen – rises and falls repeatedly, massaging all the internal organs, particularly the stomach, small intestine, bowel, lungs, and liver. The stretching and relaxing of the intestines are vital in preventing that widespread form of ‘self-poisoning’: constipation. Exercise does keep you regular!

In the mid-eighties, a vital clue to the right exercise for lifelong health was uncovered by brilliant research in biochemistry. Biochemists established that all cell replication in the immune system and therefore all immune strength is dependent on the availability of the amino acid glutamine. Your immune system uses a ton of it. But immune cells cannot make glutamine. Only muscle cells can do the job. So your muscles have to supply large amounts of glutamine to your immune system every day to maintain it. That’s it! The mitochondria of muscle are the furnaces in which most of your body fat and sugar are burned for fuel.

Muscle is what stresses your skeleton to maintain your bones. We also know that muscle is the vital link that also maintains your immunity and hence your resistance to all diseases. Muscle is the health engine. Which so much overwhelming evidence that muscular exercise is essential to health, what are we doing about it? A big fat zero.

Healthy for Life with Exercise3Muscle is the health engine. It’s a proven fact that the right exercise not only maintains your heart, your lungs, your muscles, your bones, a healthy level of body fat, and even your intestinal function but also some more subtle functions, like insulin and your body’s dealing with sugar. It has been known for more than fifty years that a lack of exercise leads to glucose intolerance.

However, not long ago research has shown that getting off the couch and starting moving, not only maintain insulin function to deal with the sugar but also can reverse decades of damage. Insulin-dependent diabetics, for example, using the right exercise program, can increase insulin efficiency so much that some patients, who have used insulin daily for years, no longer need it. In healthy people, the right exercise completely protects glucose tolerance against the degenerative changes in insulin metabolism that lead to adult-onset diabetes.

Healthy old men who maintain a lifelong exercise program, have the same healthy insulin efficiency as young men. A high-sugar diet, which progressively destroys insulin metabolism, makes it virtually mandatory to exercise if you want to avoid glucose intolerance as you grow older.

Most physicians believe that hardening of the arteries, a degenerative process, is inevitable. The National Institute on Aging Research Centre in Baltimore is showing in ongoing experiments, that regular exercise maintains arterial elasticity and even reverses arterial hardening that has already occurred. I could fill many pages citing numerous bodily functions which are maintained by regular exercise. But I will keep it short.

runners-for-fitnessResearch recently undertaken has revealed the major way in which exercise protects you against all diseases. It started with the evidence that exercise increases the overall number of white blood cells. Followed by more precise findings that moderate exercise increases bodily production of lymphocytes, interleukin 2, neutrophils, and other disease-fighting components of the immune system. There is no doubt that the right exercise strengthens your immunity. And it also strengthens your resistance to all forms of damage, decay, bacteria, viruses, toxins, and even radiation.

 

Closing with the wise words of Louis Pasteur, the father of modern medicine: “Host resistance is the key.”

 


16502 1417167

Wishing you a cheerful holiday season!

 

Cooking

Unlock the Benefits of Dumbbells

Using Dumbbells in your Exercise

If you have ever exercised in a gym, you have probably used dumbbells to do strength training. You may have dumbbells set laying around your home.

Dumbbells in your Exercise

Dumbbells are smaller hand-held weights resembling single-piece mini barbells. Dumbbells are available in various weights, beginning with those less than 5 lbs. These are best used throughout aerobic exercises or when using an exercise bike or treadmill. Heavy dumbbells allow you to build muscle mass.

Dumbbells are versatile, affordable, and easy-to-use weights that allow you to do a range of exercises to enhance your fitness. Based on the weight amount you use, the number of reps you do, and the pace at which you work out, they can help you enhance cardiovascular health, build muscles, burn fat, or improve muscle endurance for sporting activities.

In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of using dumbbells for your fitness routine.

Helps Burn More Fat Overall

For beginners, if define exercise isn’t what you’re aware that frequent strength training using dumbbells, while mixed with the usual cardio workouts, may help burn more fat overall? One study suggests that women who included dumbbell training in their exercises a minimum of 3 days a week were able to lose more fat during usual activities, thus allowing them to fulfill their weight and fitness goals more rapidly. This occurs because in addition to the fat you burnt when you were doing a strength training workout, the body also keeps burning extra fat after you finish your workout since more calories are needed to develop muscle than to lose fat.

So, even when you are not looking to burn fat anymore, strength training or dumbbell workouts make it simpler to keep your ideal body weight besides improving your muscles.

Helps in Preventing Diseases

There is also evidence to suggest that frequent strength training with dumbbells can help in preventing some diseases. For instance, women who experienced menopause in the past can lessen their chance of having osteoporosis (which may cause bone fracture and breakage) by doing a dumbbell training workout as suggested by their doctor. Also, dumbbell training has been proven to help keep glucose levels in the blood in control for countless people having diabetes.

Improves Balance and FlexibilityDumbbells in your Exercise 2

Besides helping you keep an ideal weight and prevent some diseases, frequent dumbbell training may also enhance your overall balance, flexibility, and coordination at a level that cardio workouts cannot do simply. Many dumbbell training workouts need you to naturally maintain a balanced posture, which eventually helps with coordination and balance. In addition, the included range of activities in many dumbbell training workouts is perfect for improving flexibility.

Protects the Muscles and Bones

Dumbbell training can aid to protect the bones and overall muscle density. Nevertheless, are you aware that after people complete puberty, they slowly start to lose bone mass every year? It is a surprising revelation for most people; however, the good thing is that by using your muscles in workouts frequently (minimum 3 days a week), you may save bone mass and save the muscles during the process.

Improves your Self-Esteem

Although a body-mind relation indeed exists, this is greatly true when someone uses dumbbells (or any kind of workout) to exercise. As dumbbells add resistance to one’s body, soon this causes your body to get fit and tone rather than building bulk. As “tightness” is what everyone desires from their outlook, soon this becomes a reality and therefore it makes the individual feel good. This in turn develops confidence and provides them with a good feeling about their bodies.

Improves the Metabolic Rate

As exercising with dumbbells will slowly improve your body’s strength while developing muscle and losing calories at a rapid rate, this happens because with dumbbells you lose more fat when compared to calisthenics.

Fast Results

Maybe this one is the biggest benefit of using dumbbells rather than freehand and cardio workouts, and you can merely finish your dumbbell exercises in just an hour and call it a day while burning similar if not more fat.

FAQ’s

Are dumbbells effective?

Dumbbells are greatly effective to target particular muscles, and can contribute majorly to overall performance and resistance to injury. There are huge values and returns of investment to exercising isolation movements, no matter what your objectives are. Dumbbells can improve muscles to a level you simply cannot do with barbells.

Do dumbbells burn belly fat?  Dumbbells in your Exercise 4

Dumbbell workouts are a great way to burn body fat, including on the stomach. Although you cannot target specifically belly fat, however, losing calories all through your body will also aid you to lose fat on the tummy. Developing muscle and doing dumbbell circuits (probably with hex dumbbells) is greatly effective for burning belly fat.

Do dumbbells build muscle?

Yes, as long as you raise the weight over a period. You can surely build massive bodies with dumbbells; however, you may face a roadblock if you do not keep increasing your weight. 

Should you use dumbbells every day?

Weight lifting daily is safe as long as you’re giving rest to other muscle types. Split workouts, where you work different muscle types on different days, are ideal for this. In case you don’t, you will have the risk of a plateau or injury.

How long should I use dumbbells?

If you are a beginner 30 minutes a day is ideal. You can exercise with weights such as a 20 lb. dumbbell even longer, however, never over-train your muscle, three workouts per muscle type is enough (advanced). In case your dumbbell train for over 60 minutes you are perhaps doing one of these things over-training or speaking too much.

Dumbbells in your Exercise 5Final Words

Regardless of the level, you are in your fitness journey, you should keep dumbbells a part of it. Not just they are easy to store and use, but dumbbells are comparatively cheap and because they are versatile, they can be used for a wide range of exercises.

Considering all these dumbbells can be a wise investment for your fitness goals.


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Better you

Beyond the Impossible

Impossible is Just a WordImpossible is Just a Word

Everyone, at some point in his or her life, has dreamed of being somebody special, somebody big. Who hasn’t fantasized about being the one who hits the game-winning homer?

Who hasn’t dreamed of being the homecoming queen?

And how many times have we dreamed of being rich, successful, or happy with our relationships?

Often, we dream big dreams and have great aspirations. Unfortunately, our dreams remain just that – dreams. And our aspirations easily collect dust in our attic.

This is a sad turn of events in our life. Instead of experiencing exciting adventures in self-actualization, we get caught up in the humdrum of living from day to day just barely existing.

But you know what? Life could be so much better, if only we learned to aim higher.

The most common problem with setting goals is the word impossible. Most people get hung up thinking I can’t do this. It’s too hard. It’s too impossible. No one can do this.

However, if everyone thought that, there would be no inventions, no innovations, and no breakthroughs in human accomplishment.

Impossible is Just a Word2

Remember that scientists were baffled when they took a look at the humble bumblebee? Theoretically, they said, the bumblebee couldn’t fly. Unfortunately for the bumble, bee no one has told it so. So, fly it does.

On the other hand, some people suffer from dreaming of totally outrageous dreams and not acting on them. The result? Broken dreams, and tattered aspirations.

If you limit yourself with self-doubt, and self-limiting assumptions, you will never be able to break past what you deem impossible. If you reach too far out into the sky without working towards your goal, you will find yourself clinging to the impossible dream.

Try this exercise. Take a piece of paper and write down some goals in your life. Under one header, list down things ‘you know you can do. Under another header, write the things “you might be able to do”. And under one more, list the things that are “impossible for you to do”.

Now look at all the headers who strive every day to accomplish the goals that are under things ‘you know you can do. Check them when you can accomplish them. As you slowly can check all of your goals under that heading, try accomplishing the goals under the other header-the one that reads ‘you might be able to do.’

Impossible is Just a Word4As the items you wrote under things I could do are accomplished, you can move the goals that are under things that are ‘impossible for you to do to the list of things ‘you might be able to do.’

As you iterate through this process, you will find out that the goals you thought were impossible become easier to accomplish. And the impossible begins to seem possible after all.

You see, the technique here is not to limit your imagination. It is to aim high and start working towards that goal little by little. However, it also is unwise to set a truly unrealistic goal.

Those who just dream of a goal without working hard end up disappointed and disillusioned.

On the other hand, if you told someone a hundred years ago that man could be on the moon, they would laugh at you. If you had told them that you could send mail from here to the other side of the world in a few seconds, they would say you were out of your mind. But, through sheer desire and perseverance, these impossible dreams are now realities.

Impossible is Just a Word 10Thomas Edison once said that genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Nothing could be truer. For one to accomplish his or her dreams, there has to be work and discipline. But take note that 1% has to be a think-big dream, and not some easily accomplished one.

Ask any gym rat and he or she will tell you that there can be no gains unless you are put out of your comfort zone. Remember the saying, “No pain, no gain”? That is as true as it can be.

So dream on, people! Don’t get caught up with your perceived limitations. Think big and work hard to attain those dreams. As you step up the ladder of progress, you will just about find out that the impossible has just become a little bit more possible.

 

 

Impossible is Just a Word3Impossible is Just a Word

 

electric vehicle

The Ultimate Guide to Electric Vehicles

Guide to Electric VehiclesYour Guide to Electric Vehicles. If you were introduced to driving in a petrol or diesel car, electric cars may seem like they’re a whole world apart. Many drivers find themselves clinging to the familiarity of a fuel-powered engine, when in fact, electric engines are usually cheaper to maintain, drive and insure.

If you’ve just leaped electric, you might be wondering what exactly you’re dealing with. Luckily, we’re here with our essential Guide to Electric Vehicles.

What Is an Electric Vehicle?

An electric vehicle, also known as an alternative vehicle, is a general term for any vehicle which is driven by an electric engine, as opposed to conventional vehicles which are powered by petrol or diesel. A vehicle that uses both electricity and petrol/diesel is known as a Hybrid.

The fact that there are no fossil fuels involved makes electric cars more environmentally friendly, as they release few to no carbon emissions. They are also fume-free, cheaper to run, and can even earn driver tax incentives and other benefits from the government.

The Basic Guide to Electric EnginesGuide to Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles are driven by an electric motor, which is powered by a traction battery pack (also called a stack). Each axle is controlled by one motor, so EVs are usually front or rear-drive. Some manufacturers, however, add an extra motor, which makes the vehicle a four-wheel drive.

When the driver puts their foot down, they can adjust their speed using a controller. The controller manages its speed by regulating how much power is directed to the motor.

The batteries can be charged either at a selected charging point or home charging setup. Some electric vehicles can also be charged using the energy that is generated when the vehicle is moving.

Common Maintenance Issues

As a general rule, electric vehicles contain fewer parts than cars with internal combustion engines. This means that they are usually easier to repair and require less maintenance so you can shop at Pegusas Marketplace.

However, as with any car, there are a few mechanical issues that you may need to watch out for:

Brakes

An electric car decelerates using a system called regenerative braking; kinetic energy is transformed by the motor into stored energy for later use. This means that the car is not as reliant on the brakes to slow down. As such, there is much less wear and tear on the brake pads of an electric car versus a petrol or diesel car.

However, you still need to regularly flush out the brake fluid; electric cars use the same gyroscopic hydraulic fluid found in combustion engines, so unless you regularly flush out your brakes, your system is still at risk of corrosion.

You will also need to replace your brake pads and discs, just the same as with a conventional combustion engine.

Battery

The battery of an electric car is an essential component. As nearly all parts of an EV are reliant on the battery to operate, the battery must be in top condition. This means that you should not allow your battery to run completely flat, and keep your car charge above at least 20%. You should perform regular maintenance on the battery of your vehicle.

If you are having problems starting your car, there are two batteries that you should check: the twelve-volt battery which powers the dashboard and electrical components, and the lithium-ion battery.

The twelve-volt battery can be jump-started from a petrol or diesel car, but the lithium-ion battery cannot. You also cannot jumpstart the twelve-volt battery car using another electric vehicle.

If your lithium-ion battery breaks down, you are better off investing in a new vehicle. The batteries for electric cars are worth tens of thousands of dollars, plus labor costs, so it is more financially viable to replace the whole car, instead of just the battery.

Tires

Just like a standard vehicle, your car’s tires will get wear and tear issues over time. Many electric cars are prone to erosion of the tire tread, due to the heavy weight of the vehicle. You should get your tires replaced at least every 6-12 months for your car to stay in top condition.

Just as with a petrol or diesel car, you should check your tire pressures and pump up where needed.

Fluid Levels

Electric cars don’t use radiator fluid or automatic transmission fluid, so the only fluid levels that you have to worry about are your coolant, brake, and wiper fluids.

Replace your coolant regularly, and then you only have to top up your brake and wiper fluids when necessary. How often you have to change your coolant may vary from model to model, so check your driver’s manual.

Coolant should be replaced by a qualified technician, as EV cooling systems are usually sealed.

Servicing

Electric vehicles generally need to be serviced just as regularly as conventional cars, however, there is usually less that needs to be done, meaning that you will still save money when getting your car serviced.

Guide to Electric Vehicles-3It may, however, be more difficult to find a mechanic who specializes in electric vehicles, so look for big chains, as they are more likely to be experienced in servicing electric cars.

A huge decision that one needs to make at certain points in their life is what car to buy. The ideal automobile will usually look good while being reliable at the same time. But it shouldn’t end there. You also have considerations such as safety concerns, along with whether the car suits your lifestyle.

Nowadays we can add another important detail to the equation. Whether or not the car is gas-powered or electric. The proliferation of electric vehicles is still in its infancy, so one can expect this to be more of a concern in a few decades than it is now. But like it or not, electric cars are here, and buying one has a bunch of benefits attached to it! Let’s see what they are.

Electric Vehicles are the Future

The fast-growing consensus among experts is that the current fossil fuel-based paradigm isn’t sustainable. The use of petrol and other fuels is contributing to the looming climate change crisis. And on top of that, at some point, we are going to run out of fuel. We need something to take its place, and now we have it. Electric cars (EVs) are set to take over out of pure necessity.

The growing dominance of EVs There are still road bumps in the path to Electric vehicle dominance, but they are being smoothed out. For one, the issue of charging stations and their availability is being sorted with more and more charging stations popping up.

It costs the average motorist a lot of money to keep their gas guzzlers guzzling gas. Electricity is going to turn out to be a far more economical solution. The battery ranges are also improving all the time. As more and more people turn to electricity for their automobile needs, parts and repair options for them will become more and more accessible. The reliability level of electric cars is only increasing every year.

Are Electric Cars Safe?

Electric automobiles are just as likely to have the appropriate safety features on them as gas-powered ones. They will also go through the same rigid testing that is required for them to be sold to the public. Let’s look at the Tesla Model X as an example. It has been tested and tested again. The result has been a safety score that can only be described as perfect.

Electric-Vehicles

 

Camping

Get Ready for Perfect Cigar Storage: Setting Up Your…

Set Up Your Humidor

The purpose of this article is to educate readers about the proper setup and maintenance of humidors. How to set up a humidor, aspect is often misunderstood: and thus, performed wrong. This is strictly about humidor setup, maintenance, humidifiers, and hygrometers. This article is specifically about a key component in cigar accessories.

Set Up Your HumidorOnce you have purchased your humidor it is critical that you set it up properly. Many people think that once buy it you can just set it on your shelf and that it will work by itself. This is not the case. You must be patient and willing to put some effort into properly setting up your humidor. Do it right the first time so that you don’t have to do it again.

Remember, the purpose of this machine is to re-humidify the wooden material of the device. The chances are high that your device has been sitting in some type of storage for a while not being used. Therefore, it makes sense that the wooden material composing the humidor is dry. Once you put a couple of fresh cigars in the container the moisture from the cigars will then transfer to your humidor. This will ruin your cigars. So, no matter what type of humidor you purchased, or where you bought it from, you must still take the time to set it up correctly.

The amount of time required for the proper setup varies. It can be a month or a couple of days. Regardless, the process is simple. There are multiple ways to set up your storage device but we will stick with one method for right now.

First, you must properly calibrate your hygrometer. For those who don’t know, a hygrometer is a measuring tool that is kind of like a thermometer. Instead, it measures the level of humidity. You want to aim for a consistent humidity level of about 70%. Some humidors will come equipped with a hygrometer, but more experienced people will recommend buying a digital hygrometer. The reason for this is that the digital hygrometer is more accurate than the default analog hygrometer. The analog version can be off by nearly 10%. This can destroy your stored product.

If you can’t afford to invest in a quality hygrometer then that’s understandable.

Just use the analog measurement. Now we have to calibrate the hygrometer to measure the humidor. First, get a small plastic cap, like the one on a bottle of soda. Put a teaspoon of salt into the cap and add just a few drops of water to the salt. Don’t overdo it with the water, you simply want to dampen the salt. Next, you will place the plastic cap with your hygrometer inside of a zip-lock bag. Close the bag securely and make sure there is air inside the bag. Let the bag sit for about 6-8 hours. After this amount of time taking a look at the hygrometer, the measured humidity should be exactly 75%.Set Up Your Humidor 2

If it doesn’t read 75% then look for a dial on the side or back of the hygrometer so you can adjust the reading to 75%. If there is no dial available to change the reading just remember what the humidity percentage was so you can calculate the difference later. Now, the next step in setting up your humidor is to place a clean container filled with distilled water inside the box. You can use a small glass to do this. A shot glass will suffice. Be sure to use distilled water because you do not want any contaminants to spoil the smell or taste of your cigars. Water from the tap may contain some type of toxins that can penetrate the wood of your humidor. This will ruin the process.

You can however clean the humidor with a cloth that has been dampened with distilled water. Quality humidors will be easy to clean with a damp cloth. Poor-quality humidors may succumb to the warping of the wood when coming into direct contact with moisture. This will render your humidor useless. Good luck trying to return it after that. The next step involved is to charge the humidifier. It is common for the humidor to come equipped with a humidification tool, if not then you will need to purchase one. To charge the humidifier you need to remove it from the humidor. Then lightly dampen it with a solution that is half distilled water and half polypropylene glycol. You don’t need to make this combination yourself; you can buy it pre-made from your local cigar store.

Dampen the humidifier by gently hitting it with a couple of drops of the solution. This will be enough to keep a charge that will last you a couple of months. If at any point your cigars start to dry up then that is a sign you need to recharge your humidifier. If you need to perform a recharge then repeat the process. Remember to use distilled water to maintain the purity of your device and products.

Everything here has its purpose. How to season a humidor. Propylene glycol will absorb moisture inside the humidor, and the distilled water will evaporate so that the humidity level can reach 70%. The propylene glycol will kick into action again by prohibiting any additional moisture from accumulating in the humidor. Propylene glycol acts as a regulator because it can also absorb excess moisture that may be present. This will in turn bring down the humidity level to the desired 70%. If you don’t use propylene glycol in your mixture then your humidor will require much more attention. This is not worth the headache.

Set Up Your Humidor 4After you charge the humidifier, put it back in the humidor. The next step is simple. Just wait for the process to handle itself. It will take time for the humidor to achieve 70% humidity. This can range from a few weeks to merely a couple of days. This all depends on the natural environment and the quality of your humidor. I strongly recommend waiting until the hygrometer is consistently reading 70% before you store your cigars. And remember to adjust for your hygrometer error reading if the adjustment dial was not available in the previous step. If you performed this process correctly then your humidifier will only need to be recharged once every couple of months.

As a side note, do not store different cigars together in the same humidor. The aromas and taste can mix, but this is not a good idea because it compromises the original essence that was created by the master blender. Now with this knowledge, you can confidently set up, manage, and adjust your humidor.

 

We support, do not endorse, nor encourage tobacco use or sale of any type, but simply encourage those who do partake in this niche to do so with the knowledge that is commonly overlooked. 

 

With this belief, he hopes to educate the public about the historical significance of this practice and the legacy it has given birth to.

 

 

Better you

Conquer the Board: Play Chess and Other Games

Play Chess 

6 Reasons to Play Chess & Other Board Games6 Reasons to Play Chess

When it comes to games, you not only play for physical fitness but also to build your mental fitness. If you are looking for the best games with these qualities, then chess is of course the first choice (there’s a reason that everyone knows of the game of chess), but other board games can serve this purpose as well.

A board game involves a ‘board’ of course and a defined area where the competition will take place – and pieces that represent you, your army, your resources, or whatever is necessary for the game you are playing. In many board games, there may be dice and ‘money’. In chess there are no dice, only pieces to represent your army that you deploy against your opponent.

Winning in chess depends solely on the player’s skills, other board games may involve luck as well as skill. Despite being old-fashioned, board games continue to be popular and are a great way to socialize. So, the top six reasons to play chess and board games are:

  • Board games are easy to learn and tough to master

Board games involve rules, usually, the rules are easy enough to understand that only a few minutes are necessary before you can begin playing. However, mastering any game is hard and takes time, regardless of your skills in other areas. This means that you keep learning as you play, which makes it interesting.

  • Playing games increases the function of the brain

Playing a board game involves critical thinking, which stimulates the area of the brain that is responsible for memory formation and complex thoughts. This stimulation stretches your brain cells, strengthens your memory, and builds your thinking skills. Studies have shown that playing board games reduces the chance of developing Alzheimer’s, so it is especially important to make a life-long habit of playing board games if you want to stay sharp in your senior years.

  • Board games strengthen relationships and bring people closer. 6 Reasons to Play Chess2

Sitting together with family or friends without interruptions may, at times, seem like an impossibility. However, playing board games gives you an activity to engage in while building social bonds. Board games involve two or more people, and whether those people are family, friends, or strangers (such as at a chess tournament), it is a social activity. You will be spending time together, and sharing a common, casual activity. That is the best way to connect with others, naturally.

Board games are especially good for couples. They build connections and help to discover new depths in the relationship.

  • Board games enhance self-confidence and creativity

When playing board games, you tend to open up and come out of your shell as you have to take an active role in the game. Board games are also relaxing, which makes it easier and more natural to interact with others. Being noticed or included in the game gives a sense of fulfillment and raises one’s self-esteem. Therefore, for timid adults and shy children, playing board games is a fantastic way to develop a strong sense of individuality and self-confidence.

  • Board games reduce stress and make us laugh

It is impossible to play board games and not laugh. Laughter is a natural side effect of playing board games. Laughing helps reduce stress. According to a study by RealNetworks, more than 50% of people who play board games do it to relieve stress.

  • Board games help you build life skills  6 Reasons to Play Chess5

While a board game may seem simple to play, they all teach patience. You have to wait for your turn, and sometimes it takes considerable time to achieve the objective of the game. You not only learn to be patient during games but the skill transfers to other aspects of your life.

Board games teach you how to be fair and honest and build a sense of compassion and empathy as you engage with other players.

Strategy games such as monopoly and chess help you to develop quick responses when faced with tough decisions in real life.

Our Conclusion

Board games are not limited to the elderly or the young, the poor or the rich, they are for everyone and they are enjoyed around the world… for good reason.

6 Reasons to Play Chess4

ENJOY!

 

 

Camping

A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing

Teach Yourself How to Fish

Gather the Right Fishing Gear

While fishing is a business for some people, some do it as a hobby. Irrespective of the purpose, finding fish is the goal of any fisherman. But fish are intelligent and they hide in the lake sensing that traps are being used to catch them.

The best fish finder will help fishing enthusiasts by showing the hiding place of the fish, such that they can get the best fishing experience. They will feel enthralled at the end of the fishing day as they will capture a lot of fish when they get home from the lake.

Fishing lessons for beginners, before you even step close to a lake or river, you’ve got to get the right fishing gear. You don’t have to buy expensive gear to learn fishing but if you can afford it, well and good. The most important things a beginner needs are a rod, line, and reel.

When shopping for fishing gear, choose a very good line. This will make learning a lot easier. We recommend the 300 to 400 yards spool as they hold high-quality monofilament. Avoid the 1,000-yard spools as they hold lower-quality mono.

Other important things to purchase include:

                  • Rain jacket
                  • Wading boots
                  • Leader
                  • 4–12-pound monofilament fishing line
                  • Fishing hooks (number/size 6 to 10)
                  • Cork or plastic bobber

 

You’ll also need a selection of fishing lures or live bait.fly-fishing-lures

You will find three basic kinds of fishing reels:

Fly-fishing reels

Bait casting reels

Spinning reels

Fly-fishing Reels

Fly-fishing reels have already been considered both science and art. Of the three kinds of reels, fly-fishing reels are the highest priced. For those who have already purchased a costly fly rod, you might be inclined to save a few bucks when buying a fly reel. Technically, you can purchase a fly-fishing reel at a variety of prices. However, if you buy one at of cheap price, in that case, your purchase is going to be worthless.Fishing lessons for beginners

The most crucial area of the fly-fishing reel is to secure your line. Therefore, quality is of much importance. When examining fly-fishing reels, ensure you will find no plastic parts. Plastic will fail if you have a big fish at risk and you will lose it when the plastic snaps. Therefore, ensure your purchase is constructed of excellent-quality aluminum or graphite.

 

 

 

You will find three various kinds of fly reels:

Single action

Multiplying

Automatic

For newbies, your selection is straightforward: the only action fly reel. The only action fly reel is easily the most popular of the three types due to its simplicity. Also, you will find only a few parts within the reel that will break down. Two other benefits of single-action fly reels are they get more capacity than other fly reels and changing the spool is comparatively easy.

Due to these advantages, practically all serious veteran fishermen use single-action fly reels. In case you are seriously interested in fishing and wish for a fly reel that could save you from serious headaches and last for many years, then consider buying a single-action fly reel.fishing-rod-Fly-fishing

Get a License, and again get a license with a fish stamp

Knowing where and when to fish influences the outcome. The where and when varies with your target species. Whether you prefer to fish from the shore of a stream, pond, river, or by the dockside, understanding the target species helps you determine the type of gear and line. 

 

We highly recommend using a small piece of Nightcrawler. They usually come in counts of 12 to 24 available at Walmart or your local tackle shop. You can also dig for smaller worms in the garden. To do so, find moist areas under rocks or leaves.

Bait Casting ReelsImpossible is Just a Word

In contrast to fly-fishing reels, bait-casting reels are incredibly complicated. These reels usually are not created for beginners or children and can result in serious headaches.

Bait casting reels are utilized by experienced veteran fishermen who catch big fish like salmon, bass, and pike. Even though these reels are ideal for catching large fish, it will take significant time for you to perfect the casting technique. But bait casting reels have the benefit of farther casting, better leverage, and much more precise lure placement. Bait casting reels are created for catching bigger fish as they are designed for heavier lures and heavier lines.

Heavier lures enable the fishermen to fish at higher speeds as well as heavier lines are ideal for fighting big fish like salmon. It is possible to put more pressure at risk without having to be scared of it snapping.

A primary reason that beginners have trouble utilizing a baitcasting reel is simply that the reel sits over the rod. For this reason, anglers need to use their thumb to manage the spool and lure placement. Beginners likewise have trouble with backlash. Backlash is exactly what takes place when the line gets tangled within the spool.

Cast your line into the water and once your bait is in the water, your hard work should start paying off. If using a bobber, you should see it halfway submerged. However, if the bobber is completely submerged without a bait, then you added too much weight to your sinker. Or, the bobber is too small. Replace with the correct bobber.

Teach Yourself How to Fish3

learn how to fish near me

 

 

If you follow the steps above, you should land your first fish in minutes. Remember, be patient and keep practicing to hone your skills. 

 

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