How to Be More Productive

We’ve all had those days when, we don’t meet the expectations of our goals. Yet on other days, our level of productivity comes more easily. We meet our goals. We reach the level of expectation. We can focus more.

And you find yourself asking the question, “why can’t I seem to get focused. Why can’t I get in that vain. How can I get more done today.”

Granted, there are many factors that come into play. Some days, you’re more distracted than others. When you sit down to work, you have outside obligations pulling on your focus. Other days, at no fault of your own, there are challenges and setbacks that seem to hold you back, and keep you from reaching that full potential.

But regardless of the setbacks; regardless of the distractions, the outside interference, you can take certain steps to be more productive. That’s not to say, the distractions won’t come, it’s not to say you won’t encounter some difficulties along the way, but you’ll have the momentum in your favor.

One tip that works for me, especially recently when I go to get my day started, is to “go hard” that first hour. That’s just it- that first hour is the most vital hour. If you sit down to work, and you’re checking the latest headlines for the day, you’re back in forward to your email, or you’re checking your phone for text messages every 5 minutes, then that’s the course your day will take.

However, if you set the intention to focus that first hour on the task at hand, and “go hard,” you will see a difference in your production levels.

One thing that may help is to set goals. Have something to shoot for. It’s much easier to focus, when you have a goal or an expectation to meet. Even if you fall just short of the goal, you will be surprised at the increase your productivity will take. I always say, it’s better to set a goal and fall short of it, than to set no goal and be worse than before.

What am I saying? Stretch yourself a bit. Have something to shoot for. Set a standard for yourself. But the key is to start the day off with the momentum in your favor.

There has to be an inner intention; a conscious decision. Be deliberate and say, “Hey, this first hour, will be the best hour. I will do such in such numbers, in such in such time.” You can say it out loud, or say it to yourself. Or, you can say it out loud to yourself, whatever works best for you. The key is to start the work day off with momentum. Dive in.

I love to watch the Olympics when they have the swim competitions. I always find it interesting, when the contenders line up to race the 500 Meters, as soon as the gun goes off, they make a big jump, and glide in the water a few seconds before they began swimming. You see, the jump is key. If you can get a big jump off, you have an advantage.

That jump is the momentum, so to speak. If the swimmers got a lousy jump off, they wouldn’t do so well in the race. That first jump is one of the major factors that determines the course of the race.

And that’s what I’m telling you today. Treat your work day in the same manor. The moment you sit down to do that important task, get a good jump off. Let it work in your favor. It’s the one thing that will matter, over the course of your work day!

I want to hear from you! Leave me a comment down below. Share this blog with others who could use a little “productivity motivation!” And lastly, subscribe to my newsletter below to stay updated on all my posts!

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Why Every Person Should Become a Song Writer (Personal Development)

Every morning before I wake up, I take a few minutes to get my thoughts going in the right direction. I think thoughts like, “I’m so very thankful that there is an abundance of good surrounding me. I’m so thankful, that I have everything I need to fulfill God’s plan for my life. I’m so thankful, that I have the unlimited mind capacity to focus and get every job done. I’m grateful that I wake up every morning invigorated, happy, healthy and with an abundance of energy.” These are the type of affirmations that get me going and in the right mindset everyday.

For about thirty minutes every morning, I’d take time to think good thoughts and focus on everything I’m thankful for.

But one morning I woke up, and I couldn’t help but get this one song out of my head. Even when I began to focus on a good thought or do some reading, I couldn’t seem to shake this song. Fortunately, it was a good song. It was a song of praise, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But I wanted to be deliberate, purposeful. I didn’t want to go on automatic, I wanted to be intentional and to think about what I was thinking about.

Then it got me to thinking, this happens to people all the time. Part of the reason we can’t go to that next level in life, partly, is because we have the wrong programming lodged in our mind. Again, fortunate for me it was a good song, an empowering song, and that’s great. But for many people, the song they have playing over and over again on the radio station of their mind, is a song that’s not empowering. A song that has no benefit. In fact, many times it’s a song that brings them down.

Much of the reason this happens, is because artists will take a catchy beat, and put a catchy saying to it and it develops a repetition in our mind. It’s the catchy-ness of the song, that validates and gets the message across.

Now, there has to become a point, when every person becomes a song writer. In other words, go into the business of writing songs for yourself. Songs that are uplifting. Songs that are inspiring, empowering and motivating.

You don’t have do be the best song writer. You don’t have to be an award winning producer or beat maker. In fact, the less perfect it is, the more room there is to make it your own.

All you have to do is take a positive thought, and develop a habit of making it catchy in your own mind. Put your own beat to it, so to speak. Sell it. Make it your own. It should be so catchy that when you wake up in the morning, it’s your own song that’s lodged in your mind. It’s your own song that you can’t get out of your head. This would be a good problem to have.

Whose song is it? Michael Jackson’s? Whitney Houston’s? No, it’s your own. Whose house is it getting the most play? Your own home.

You can go to a new place in life, when you can develop a song that says, “You are enough. You have what it takes.” To me, that would be an award winning song. A song that’s more than just a beat. A song that doesn’t corrupt, but uplifts.

Let your own song get it’s own air play in the satellite radio of your own mind. Develop a habit every morning of playing your own song of empowerment. It just might be the one thing that makes the difference between a joy-filled day, and a day full of doom and gloom.

If this blog has helped you, be sure to share it. Let it uplift and inspire someone else to have a joyful day and write a happy song!

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The Benefits of Having a Personal Brand

I always say, having a personal brand is the life to any business. It’s kind of like the foundation, so to speak. When you’re branding yourself, you’re taking the focus off a company name, or an individual product and putting it on yourself.

Granted, the company may be a brand all in itself. If you write a book, the book becomes a brand in itself. But you will benefit greatly in the long run, when you develop personal branding all on your own.

For instance, Apple is one of the more popular brands today. When we think of Apple, we think of great inventions like the iPhone. The iPad. They have a great line of iMacs, MacBook Airs and MacBook Pros in which I own one. It’s a great product.

But when we think of Apple, we also think of Steve Jobs. He’s the founder of this brand. No matter what happens to the products, no matter how out-of-date they become, we will always remember Steve Jobs. He can always rebuild more inventions and come out with the latest greatest products because he has a great personal brand. He has a good reputation for the latest cutting edge products. His future is secure.

However, there are many great companies out there, which we will never know the master mind behind the name. We will never know the person who made the awesome discoveries, and came up with the great ideas. And I get it, some people don’t want to be known for there name. And that’s fine, if you so choose to do so. But there are some people who simply don’t know the power and importance in developing a personal brand.

An important thing to know is, people don’t join companies, they join people. You will do your business and yourself a great benefit, when you begin branding yourself. Let people see the brand personality. Your conversions will increase, and you will push more products out the door when people can connect with who you are. Your personality. Your humor and wit.

How to Begin Branding Yourself?

The good news is, anyone can start today and develop a personal branding. It used to be, you had to fork out huge dollars in radio and television advertisements just to get your name out there. But now-a-days, we’re in the era of Social Media. When you can build a following on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, you take the power of advertising into your own hands.

It’s good if you can invest in advertising, but with the tools we have available today, you can do it for free. Why not start by branding yourself on social media?

Too often I hear people say, I like Facebook but I’m not a big Twitter fan, or I’m not a big Instagram or Pinterest fan. My only rebuttal is, while you’re sleeping on one social media tool, someone else is skyrocketing their brand and crushing it. In fact, my biggest following is on Twitter. At the time of writing this post, I’m just over 11,600 followers and growing daily.

The key is to have an open mind. Maybe you can develop a brand personality to your business. Create some YouTube videos showcasing your style and personality. This will allow you to connect with your audience on a personal level. When people can relate to you, and they feel like you’re their best friend, they will buy any product you recommend and be the first to purchase any product you’re launching.

In closing, you can see that there are benefits to developing a personal brand. I’d love to hear from you. Are you looking to start a business? What are some ways you plan to go about personal branding yourself? Leave me a comment down below. Also, be sure to share this blog. Spread the word about the importance of personal branding!

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7 Ways to Have a Good Day

Even the best, most happiest people have a down day sometimes. From waking up on the wrong side of the bed, to having a bad hair day, right down to stubbing your toe, the smallest thing can set one in the wrong direction. These days may come from time to time, but with the right mindset, and by simply changing your reaction, you can turn your day around for the better.

7 ways on how to have a good day: Here you go!

1. Be Grateful – Find something that you’re grateful for. You never know how much worse your day can be, until you’re in another person’s shoes, who is worse off. Take some time out to count your blessings. Instead of finding things to complain about, look for the things in which you are thankful for.

2. Look at what’s right with the picture – Too often we’re looking at what’s wrong with the picture. We’re looking at what’s not going our way. Either someone did something or didn’t do something. Or maybe something happened that rained on your parade. If you’re not careful, you’ll let the doom and gloom of the picture sour your day, and get you in a depressed state. Make it a point today, to look at what’s right with the picture. What did someone do to you that was right? What happened today that was in your favor? You’ll find that when you practice this, in time, your down day will turn into a glad day.

3. Build someone else up – When you’re having a down day, you have to ask yourself, what would I want someone to do for me? How would I like to be treated? When you’re having a not so good day, one of the best things you can do, is to go outside of yourself. Do something for others. Even if it’s a simple “good morning, have a nice day,” decide that you’re going to leave someone else better off than they were before. Practice a random act of kindness. In doing this, you’ll find out that the blessing wasn’t just for the other person, the blessing was for yourself.

4. Choose happiness – Many people will say this is easier said than done. But the truth is, if you don’t choose happiness, you’re going to end up living a miserable life. Happiness isn’t something that’s going to come when life suddenly all comes together. It isn’t something that’s going to come when you find that perfect mate, or you land that perfect job, or the finances come in order- because even when these things come into play, there will always be something else you need. But happiness comes when you decide you’re going to be happy.

I truly believe in the Abraham Lincoln saying, “most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” And just remember, the happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything, they choose to make the best of everything, the good and the bad. Decide today, that no matter what, you’re going to be happy. And let nothing take your joy away from you!

5. Smile – Studies show that when smile, you convince yourself that everything is going to be alright. There have been arguments about the following statement, but I’m of the opinion that sometimes, you have to fake it to make it. If you go around looking for a reason to smile, you may never find one. Let your smile- your inner joy, let it be the determining factor of whether or not you’re going to have a good day. The good news is, your smile will not only impact you, but it will impact others for the better.

6. Exercise – When you exercise, your body releases what I like to call a happy chemical called endorphins. When you make the choice to go out and exercise, you’re doing not only your physical body some good, but you’re doing your inner health and your well-being some good. And what’s even better is, you get in shape and you start to look better. Even if it’s just a few minutes a day, take out sometime for yourself. Take a run around the block. Or do some type of indoor cardio. You’ll feel better and before long, you’ll notice your daily mood start to make a change for the better!

7. Don’t sweat the small things – This ties back with choosing happiness. The other day I witnessed a couple at the elevators, arguing over who should’ve pushed the button.

“You saw I had my hands full.”

“Yea, well you were closer to the door. You could’ve bumped the button with your elbow.”

On and on they went. I was an innocent bystander.

Too many people are letting the small things steal their joy. If you let the little petty things of the day come to steal your joy and peace, you’ll never truly find happiness. There has to come a point, when you choose to rise above it all. Some people get into a gripe over the smallest, insignificant things. What’s interesting is, once it’s all said and done, and we look back in hindsight, we will laugh over how upset we got. It may even be embarrassing.

They always say, “you can tell the size of a man by the size of the thing that makes him mad.” Or maybe you’re a woman; I’d hope you got the point. Here’s the key, choose to be the bigger person!

Will you rise above it all? Will you be one of the ones to keep your joy and peace even when the petty things are tugging at you? Make a good choice today. Keep your sanity. Keep your peace. And keep your sweat. Don’t let the small things get the best of you!

I want to hear from you! Let me know what makes you happy. What helps you get over a bad day? Leave a comment down below!

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How to Give a Genuine Compliment

The difference between a compliment that makes someone truly feel good, and one that makes one wonder, “What do you want from me,” is the sincerity behind the compliment. I always talk about the importance of building others up, and leaving them better than before. And one of the best ways to leave someone better than before, is by giving a sincere compliment, or a word of encouragement.

It may seem like a simple topic. Most people know how to give a compliment. But not all compliments come across as genuine and authentic. A genuine compliment, is a compliment that’s usually deeper. It goes into more detail. There’s usually a reason behind the compliment.

For instance, one day last week, I was walking down the hallway and I complimented someone. Me being the encouraging person I am, the person who wants to brighten someone’s day, I looked for something that I liked. So I told them, “I like your shirt.”

She was appreciative, and said thank you. But as I made my way down the hall in passing, something didn’t settle right within. Although it was a genuine compliment, I felt like I could’ve poured more from the heart.

I’m not saying it’s bad to tell someone you like their shirt. Rest assured, any uplifting words will do. In fact, it’s always better to spread love and light, than it is to spread negativity. But there has to be a settling on the inside. If there’s anything to take away from these words, let this be your take away- to let your heart be felt. Go deeper.

So today, I found myself looking for opportunities to give a genuine compliment. I told one person that I admire their hard work. I’ve been paying attention to their efforts, and I went into details about why their hard work is an inspiration for me. I told another person that they are always so patient and kind. I told them “every time I have a question or need some assistance, you are always ready and willing to help. That hasn’t gone unnoticed, and I just want to tell you thank you.”

The difference between the compliments I gave today, and the other compliment about liking the person’s shirt, was the response. I could really tell that the genuine, more heartfelt compliments I gave today, left the people better than before.

As I left their presence, you could literally see a glazed over look in their eyes. It was like I caught them off guard, they weren’t expecting it.

I’m asking you today- when was the last time you received a heartfelt compliment? When was the last time someone said something to you that turned your day around? Well you can be that person. You can be a person of praise; a person of grace. Leave someone better than before.

The good thing about practicing this is, it forces you to really pay attention to people. It’s easy to say, “I like your shirt.” Or it’s easy to say, “you have a great smile.” And again, these are great surface level compliments and conversational openers, but you’ll make more of an impact, when you go deeper. It takes a lot more paying attention to people to notice things like, hard work and patience. It forces you to open your eyes and see the good in people.

Too often we’re on the defensive. It’s so easy to see what’s wrong with others, but sometimes we should start looking for what’s right with people. And don’t stop there, tell people what you like about them. One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, is the gift of giving to others. (Say that five times fast.) And what better way to give to others, than to give a genuine, heartfelt compliment.

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14 Lies We Tell Ourselves

Much of what’s holding us back in life, are the lies we believe. It’s the limiting beliefs we’ve taken on over the years. What’s even more unfortunate is, we’ve grown such a belief for these negative views that they’ve become our own personal truths.

Here are 14 lies we tell ourselves that have been holding us back in life:

1. I’m not good enough/I don’t measure up – One of the number one lies we believe, is thinking were not good enough. And it’s such a hard thing to overcome. Human nature would have us to look at what others have going for themselves. But you have to believe that you are good enough. See your own potential. Take on a new belief today. You are more than enough.

2. I’m a failure – You are bigger than the failures of your past. The failures are only there to teach you the lessons that will catapult you to the next level. Use the failures as a stepping stone to step into the greatness you were meant to be!

3. I’m worthless – This is perhaps the next biggest lie. Many have believed this lie for so long, for them, it’s become a truth. Realize today, you are a person of great worth and value. When you hear that negative voice of defeat starting to convince you otherwise, stop it dead in it’s tracks. Start telling yourself a different truth today.

4. I have no purpose – One of the reasons most people feel unfulfilled, is because they believe they have no purpose. Don’t let this lie keep you from being all you can be. Start today by looking at what you have going for yourself. What are you passionate about? What do you like to do in your spare time?

Start by doing the thing you love most. It’s the gift that will make room for you. I always say, as long as you have breath in your body, somebody needs what you have.

5. I can’t succeed – The only reason you haven’t succeeded is because you keep telling yourself this lie. You can’t do the very thing that you’re speaking against. So start speaking success into your future. Be bold. If you’ve failed in the past, dare to try again. If you keep at it without fail, you will come into the success that’s meant for you.

6. I can’t own a business – Maybe you’ve had an idea to develop a product, or market your brand or service. Don’t let the lie that has held 97% of the population back keep you from going into business for yourself. As an entrepreneur, I encourage you to go after it. Develop your product. Do some research on how to market your service. You will be surprised at the passion that takes off as a result of it.

7. I don’t deserve it – Many people have given up on the things they desire. They let their mistakes keep them from thinking they can’t have it. They’ve reasoned, “it’s useless. I haven’t been my best in the past. I’ve had a few bad breaks, some wrong turns.” But take up a different reasoning today. Start believing you deserve it!

8. I can’t have what I want in life – This is perhaps the biggest reason many aren’t getting what they want. It’s because they’re believing they can’t have it. If you start singing a different tune, you’ll start to get a few different results in life. Start speaking it into existence. You may not see how it can happen, but let there be a knowing deep down inside that you can have what you’ve always wanted.

9. It won’t work for me – Too many people are looking at what others have going for them, and shortchanging their own potential. Yes others have a lot going for them, but you have to believe you have something going for yourself too. Start believing that it can happen for you.

10. I can’t come up higher in life – Sometimes it’s easy to look at your past, where you’ve failed and the mess you’ve been through. And sometimes we’re our own work critic. But realize today, you are bigger than the labels you’ve put on yourself and what others have put on you. Start by believing your future is bright!

11. It’s worthless to dream big – The only reason most people don’t dream, is because of the limiting beliefs we’ve accepted as children. We were told, “it’s pointless to dream. Don’t get your head in the clouds.” Or, “Come back down to earth.” I’m telling you today, if you want to rise to that next level, dare to get a vision for the great things that are in store for you. Believe in your future. Start dreaming again!

12. I can’t accomplish my goals – This rings true for many failed New Year’s Resolutions. Don’t believe this lie. And don’t give up on your goals just because you’ve fallen short. The moment you quit is the moment you’re three feet from gold!

13. I’m not talented – I grew up as a drummer, and when I would play in church or different venues, people would always compliment me on my playing. They’d then proceed to say things like, “I’m not that talented. I would learn an instrument or take up a craft, but I’ve never had the coordination.”

The truth is, most talented people began uncoordinated. They only became talented after hours and hours of practice. The same rings true for you. If you want to become talented and skilled, rise above the old mentality. Go out on a limb and do the thing you’ve always wanted to do.

14. I’m don’t have the discipline – By now you’re probably seeing a pattern here. Most of the things we lack, are only shortfalls because of what we tell ourselves. If you want to develop the discipline, start by speaking it into action. Then, begin to implement it. Discipline is like a muscle. You’ll be surprised how much strength you have, once you dare do the thing you’ve been putting off for so long.

If these tips have resonated with you, share it with someone who you think may benefit from it. Also leave a comment below. I’d love to hear what lies you’ve been believing, and how you’d like to overcome it!

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Go Get Your Bananas (What’s Holding You Back in Life)

I heard about a group of researchers who put four monkeys in a room. In the middle of the room, was a large pole that extended all the way to the top. At the top of the pole was a batch of bananas.

The first monkey began to climb the pole. He navigated all the way to the top. And just as he was about to reach the bananas, the researchers would pour a bucket of ice cold water on the monkey. He had all he could take, so he made his way back down to the bottom of the pole.

Two or three minutes passed, and the next monkey began to climb the pole. He made his way up the pole. And just as he was about to reach the bananas, again a large bucket of ice cold water was pour on the second one. He wanted the bananas but not that badly, he wanted to get down to comfort and safety.

The same thing happened with the next monkey. Days passed and they tried and failed. They couldn’t seem to reach the bananas at the top.

Then researchers took one monkey out, and replaced it with a new monkey. The newer monkey knew nothing of what happened before. Without hesitation, he began to climb the pole. The moment he began to climb, the other three tugged at his tail, preventing him from making the climb.

This happened again and again. Researchers would remove one old monkey, and replace it with a new one. Every new one that entered, the others would tug at it, preventing him from making the climb.

Days and days had passed and dozens of monkeys filled the room. What’s interesting is, none of the four original monkeys were in the room, they were all new monkeys. None of them knew why they couldn’t climb the pole, but somehow they all accepted the programming that they couldn’t get to the top of the pole and retrieve what they all wanted.

Personal Development 101

And for many people this is the way life has become. We’ve all accepted negative programming and limiting beliefs on why we can’t come up higher. Many parents instill negative beliefs into children, preventing them from dreaming and becoming all they can be. Friends are tugging at your tail, preventing you from “climbing the pole” so to speak.

And over time you’re taught that it’s useless. It’s not worth the trouble. Many have reasoned: “I would become a scientist, but who am I to hold such a legendary, prestigious career?” Or, “I would start a business, but who am I to take up such a great path? I don’t have the credentials- the know how. I’m just the little girl next door. I’m nothing special.”

Like these monkeys, many of us don’t know why we can’t become great. We don’t know why we shouldn’t climb the pole of life, we just know we can’t do it. Our parents couldn’t do it. Their parents couldn’t do it. For generations there has been a mentality that says, “it didn’t work for me, and it won’t work for you.”

I’m telling you today, go get your bananas. You can be the one to break a generational curse. You can be the first in your family to get your doctorate. You can be the first to start your own business. Dare to go out on a limb. Decide that you’re going to reach a new level of self improvement.

Now here’s the thing. When you begin to climb, like the monkeys, life may pour a huge bucket of ice cold water on you. It may feel uncomfortable, it may be difficult to get your bananas, but you have to keep climbing. Even if you slide down the pole, decide that you’re going to make the climb again. There is a treasure waiting for you.

Here’s a personal development tip for you. Don’t let others keep you from being all you were meant to be. No, be steadfast. Be relentless. There is a prize waiting for you at the top!

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