Work Smart

Who hasn’t heard of this philosophy, “Work smarter, not harder.”? How can it improve our lives? What impact does it have in our lives?

For me, this philosophy has impacts both on our finances and our relationship. To work smart means to set your priorities.

On the financial side, it means using your best time to work on something that will bring you more money. On the relationship side, it means putting your most important relationship above all else. How do you determine your most important thing or relationship? Your answer to this simple question will let you know who or what matters most to you. Who would be with you when you are in the most difficult part of your life? I hope you answered family. 

A lot of things may seem to be important but our family occupies the top of these important things in life. Therefore whatever you plan or do, take your family as your vital consideration.

Priorities take centre stage as you pursue your goals and dreams. As you evaluate your priorities, you need to think intentionally to maximize your effectiveness in the things that matter the most in your life.

Remember that there are two kinds of priorities. These are your ideal priorities and your actual priorities. 

Your ideal priorities would be what you value and believe you should be doing with your time. Your actual priorities are what you actually did the last 24 hours, last month, during the weekday and on weekends. Your actual priorities can easily be traced from the last ten transactions in your bank account. Your actual priorities are visible as the top five people listed in your recent calls on your phone.

Evaluate this carefully to help you develop a clear understanding of the gap between your ideal priorities and your actual priorities. Simply put, this gap is where you are today and where you’d really like to be. Once you know where you are and where you want to go, you will be able to leap to your goals; you will be able to work smart because you have clearly identified your ideal priority and can now close in the gap from your actual priority.

I just want to caution you though, to put your relationships especially your family above all else. Your family will be all you will have when you go through the valleys. Your journey to success will definitely include valleys therefore you need someone who is truly concerned about you to help you get back on your feet.

To work smart is to set the right priorities. A successful person follows her priorities. If those priorities are distorted and disordered we will mismanage our schedule and therefore will not be successful. When you don’t have the luxury of time, don't focus on greater efficiency. Rather, evaluate your priorities so you can work smart.

https://dailypay.makemoneyinn.com/
http://fastmoney.makemoneyinn.com
 https://affiliatepay.org/deal/j53q7mz2/news-poster

Change is Desire With Action

I have yet to find someone who would say that they don’t welcome change. If you talk to people, they will always tell you that they are apt for change. But when you closely evaluate their situation you would rarely see that they are truly on the path of change. Change is a desire with action.

You can’t simply desire to change; you must be intentional about it to enable you to take action. Change can best be described as a quest. When you go on a quest, you prepare a plan and do it. When you go on a quest, you don’t just sit on your pan; you implement it. You make it a reality.

Change Starts With Desire
Change starts with the desire. You might want to change something in your present situation. Before arriving to that desire to change, you would have evaluated where you are. What prompted you to want to change? Knowing why you want change will motivate you to change.

Desire Starts With Realisation
You need to know where you are to enable you to get to where you want to go. It is simply like finding your way in a foreign country. You look for a map in the streets or in train stations. The first thing that these maps will tell is where you are. You will find a star that says “You Are Here” and then shows the various directions to various places from your starting point, “You Are Here.”

Where Do You Want to Go?
After knowing where you are, you can now decide where you want to go. Do you want to travel two hours by an ordinary train to get to your destination or you would prefer a bullet train and save you an hour. Do you have the means or the money to take the bullet train? Will going to a certain direction satisfy your desire?

Start Planning
When you have decided where you want to go, you need to have a plan to ensure success. You need to evaluate your resources. If you are starting a business, you should have prepared a business plan and a marketing plan. People who desire to keep improving would normally plan to continue to learn. They plan for a formal education and an informal one. An informal education consists of personal reading of motivational books and books related to their chosen business or interest. They would also surround themselves with successful people and people with common interest and passion. They would detail this plan including the dates and amount of time needed. They would have deadlines for each specify activity or plan of action.

Take Action
A plan to change can never happen unless you are intentional about it. Being intentional means taking action. You do everything possible to make sure you follow your plan. If your plan consists of reading at least 1 motivational book every month then by all means you must accomplish this.

We all desire change...a change for the better. However, change will never happen if you are not intentional about it. If you take a random survey of 10 people you see in a subway, they will always say they want change in their life. But if you ask them they are doing to make that change happen, it is rare that you hear detailed and intentional plans.

Do not be overcome with desire. Don’t switch off your alarm clock and go back to sleep. Switch it off but get up for your 6 a.m. morning jog to have an energised body that will help you get through all your plans for the day. Be intentional if you want change to happen.

The Shortcut to Success

A lot of people will not agree with me that there is a shortcut to success. They would say that success means going through the motions of failure; getting up, failing again, getting up again; repeating the cycle again and again till you make it. There is nothing wrong with this because the failures make you stronger and more capable.

However, why do you have to go through that cycle when you can replicate/copy the success of other people? Why do you have to fail and get up again? Why do you have to go through the maze when there is somebody who can lead you the way without getting the bumps and the bruises? Learn from the mistakes and success of those who have gone before you. This is the shortcut to success.

Clear your mental space and allow it to be filled with fresh off the press information that will allow you to build your business the BEST way, the way your mentor has done.

Yes it is true, lots of information will be thrown your way but they’re good things that you need to stay current in your business. The best way to learn from a mentor is to:

• Come with an open mind to learn and soak up all the new information.
• Always put on the hat of an entrepreneur! Make every occasion an opportunity to network.
• Say to yourself that you will no longer step into another conversation with you mentor and leave the same.
• Have you heard of power dressing? Dress for success always. When you meet clients and prospect, dress in a way that you want to be treated. Let them see and feel that success is in front of them.
• Start FRESH! Forget your failures; you are now successful!

HSM (Helping Single Mums) offers free mentoring services because we believe in you!

Put Down Your Heavy Load

This is one story that says it all. Unknowingly, we sometimes carry our burdens throughout life. We fail to put them down or leave them behind as we continue our journey. Thus, we don't get too far because of the heavy load.

Every night before you go to bed, remember to put down your heavy load. When you wake up in the morning, make sure that you've left your heavy load and will not go back to carry it again. 

A Friendly Reminder

We are half-way through 2016. Let me guess... most if not all of our New Year’s resolutions have been broken L. Let me guess again... top of that list is about health and losing weight!

I don’t mean to rub it in; rather, my intention is to remind you that health is wealth. Our environment has become so polluted that sickness abounds everywhere. You don’t have to live in a third world country to experience life debilitating illnesses. In fact, most of the life threatening illnesses are common in the first world countries. I know you are aware of this; so, this is just a friendly reminder to make you get back to your promises concerning your health.

Here are reminders that will help you regain your health and your life.

Eat more fish. The fatty acids found in fish may decrease the risk of stroke. This good oil improves the viscosity and clotting of blood.

Avoid alcoholic drinks. The key is moderation; more than 2 servings for men and 1 serving for women will have a negative effect on health.

Stress leads to hypertension and definitely other life-threatening diseases. Distract yourself from stress by taking up a hobby, exercising, or meditating. Allow yourself to daydream. Revel in the fantasy and smile; this will put you in a good mood for the rest of the day.

Drink more water. Make sure you have a glass or bottle of water close to you wherever you are or whatever you are doing.

Eat right. Heart disease can be overcome with proper nutrition. Load up on vegetables to remove saturated fat.

Sweat it out. The only way to strengthen heart muscles is to exercise. This should shake off high triglycerides level. Adopting a regular exercise program will strengthen your heart beat by beat.

Here’s to a healthy you this year and the years to come J

If Only

Some words should not be used together. “If only” carry a negative feeling that can be detrimental to your success.

"If only I could get a better break."

"If only I had some money."

"If only I would've married the right person."

"If only I worked for the right company."

"If only I had the right parents."

“If only I was born rich.”

“If only I had more education.”

These are excuses; they pull back from taking full personal responsibility for yourself and your present situation. And when you refuse to take responsibility, you will not be able to create a change in your situation.

Many of us avoid do not want to take the blame.  We think that a parent, a teacher, a friend, a boss, a spouse, the company we worked for, or some governmental program should be responsible in turning our lives into what we want them to be. When problems arise we are quick to say, “Life is not fair.” But the truth of the matter is that life is never fair.

Stop thinking that the world owes you a living. You can never get things done or effect a change by sighing “If only”.  Keep in mind that other people and organizations also have pressing challenges and priorities of their own. Because of this you will always be disappointed when you depend on others for the things you must do for yourself.  It's so easy to justify the temptations of freeloading, to slide into being a follower, to fail to see the hidden price tag in the handout.  Unless you take complete control of your life and assume full personal responsibility for yourself, who will? No one will.

Every single Peso you earn is worth ten given to you.  Earned money creates the self-image of self-reliance; given money creates the self-image of other-dependence.  Money won in lottery does absolutely nothing to the character and improvement of the person. This is why some families never get out of the rut. 

Hangers-on and freeloaders are the most frustrated people on earth because they have created their own frustrations.  You can't be successful and happy until you earn the respect of the toughest, hardest to fool, and most important judge in the world:  yourself.

Boycott these two words and begin taking responsibility for your life. “If only “is a product of a victim’s mentality. Success is when you have a victor’s mentality; that is to take charge and to be responsible. You must stop blame storming other people, organizations or the government. Instead, start brainstorming to help you fix your problems. Rather than fixing the blame, for the breakdown, begin to fix the breakdown and you’ll find your life and career working for you.

An unknown poet left us this beautiful poem that would help us carry our responsibilities and stop blaming others.

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;

Count your gains instead of your losses.

Count your joys instead of your woes;

Count your friends instead of your foes.

Count your smiles instead of your tears;

Count your courage instead of your tears.

Count your full years instead of your lean;

Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.

Count your health instead of your wealth;

Count on God instead of yourself.

Woman Is Not Equal to Man