Six Rules To Success

Recently, I have watched this video from YouTube. It is really impressed!

7 Things You Need To Stop Doing To Be More Productive, Backed By Science

Work Hard, Work Smart

Consider a small business owner, who works non-stop. However, working hard won’t help him compete with his multi-million competitors. Time is a limited commodity. An entrepreneur can work 24 hours a day and 7 days a week (the most amount of time anyone can work, really). His or her competitor can always spend more money, build a bigger team and spend a lot more time on the same project. Then why have small start-ups accomplished things that larger corporations couldn't? Facebook bought Instagram, a 13-employee company for a billion dollars. Snapchat, a young start-up with 30 employees is turning down offers from tech giants Facebook and Google. Part of their successes were based on luck — the rest is based on efficiency.
The key to success is not hard working but smart working.

There’s a notable distinction between being busy and being productive. Being busy doesn't necessarily mean you’re being productive. Being productive is less about time management and more on managing your energy. It is the business of life. We need to learn how to spend the least amount of energy to get the most benefits. I am so lucky to work with an amazing team here at Filemobile. Everyone always challenges me and helps me sort my priorities to become more productive. I learned to reduce my work week from 80 hours to 40 hours, and get a lot more work done in the process. In other words, less is more.

Here are 7 I things I stopped doing to become more productive.

1. Stop working overtime and increase your productivity

Have you ever wondered where the 40-hour work week came from? In 1926, Henry Ford, American industrialist and founder of Ford Motor Company, conducted experiments with interesting results: when you decrease your daily working hours from 10 to 8, and shorten the work week from 6 days to 5, your productivity increases.

Source: Calculating Loss of Productivity Due to Overtime Using Published Charts — Fact or Fiction

The more you work, the less effective and productive you are going to become over both short and long term. “Scheduled Overtime Effect on Construction Projects”, a report issued by The Business Roundtable in 1980 states.

“Where a work schedule of 60 or more hours per week is continued longer than about two months, the cumulative effect of decreased productivity will cause a delay in the completion date beyond that which could have been realized with the same crew size on a 40-hour week.”

Source: Calculating Loss of Productivity Due to Overtime Using Published Charts — Fact or Fiction

In an article for AlterNet, editor Sara Robinson referenced research conducted by the US military that revealed that “losing one hour of sleep per night for a week will cause a level of cognitive degradation equivalent to a .10 blood alcohol level.” You can get fired for coming to work drunk, but it is deemed acceptable to pull an all-nighter.

It’s important for us not to overwork ourselves and get enough sleep to maintain a high level of productivity. Next time you’re wondering why you may not be working productively, the reason may be simple as you being one of 70% of people who doesn't get enough sleep.

Did you know?

• Leonardo da Vinci took multiple naps a day and slept less at night.
• The French Emperor Napoleon was not shy about taking naps. He indulged daily.
• Though Thomas Edison was embarrassed about his napping habit, he also practised his ritual daily.
• Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, used to boost her energy by napping before speaking engagements.
• Gene Autry, “the Singing Cowboy,” routinely took naps in his dressing room between performances.
• President John F. Kennedy ate his lunch in bed and then settled in for a nap—every day!
• Oil industrialist and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller napped every afternoon in his office.
• Winston Churchill’s afternoon nap was a non-negotiable. He believed it helped him get twice as much done each day.
• President Lyndon B. Johnson took a nap every afternoon at 3:30 p.m. in order to break his day up into “two shifts.”
• Though criticized for it, President Ronald Reagan famously took naps as well.

Source: 5 Reasons Why You Should Take a Nap Every Day — Michael Hyatt

On a personal note, since I started getting at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep a day, I've noticed a change: I became a lot more productive and got a lot more work done than when I worked 16 hours a day. Who knew sleeping was such a great tool for marketers?

2. Don’t say “yes” too often

According to the Pareto Principle, 20% of the effort produce 80% of the results; however, 20% of the results consumes 80% of the effort. Instead of working harder, we should focus primarily on those efforts that produce 80% of the results and forgo the rest. We will have more time to focus on the most important tasks. We should stop saying “yes” to tasks that bring low or almost no result.

“The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say “no” to almost everything.” — Warren Buffet.

This begs a question: what should you say “yes” and what should you say “no” to? If you can’t figure if something is going to be worth your time, consider running a simple split test. Track everything you do and optimize if it is possible.

Most of us say yes more often than we should because it is so much easier than saying no. Nobody wants to be the bad guy.

In a 2012 study published in the Journal of Consumer Research, researchers split 120 students in 2 groups. One group was trained to use “I can’t”, while the other was trained to use “I don’t”. The results were interesting:

The students who told themselves “I can’t eat X” chose to eat the chocolate candy bar 61% of the time. Meanwhile, the students who told themselves “I don’t eat X” chose to eat the chocolate candy bars only 36% of the time. This simple change in terminology significantly improved the odds that each person would make a more healthy food choice.

Next time you need to avoid saying yes, say “I don’t”.

Another great trick to avoid activities that don’t add enough value into your life is the 20-second rule: give yourself 20 seconds longer for activities you shouldn't be doing.

Lower the activation energy for habits you want to adopt and raise it for habits you want to avoid. The more we can lower or even eliminate the activation energy for our desired actions, the more we enhance our ability to jump-start positive change.

Source: The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work

3. Stop doing everything yourself and start letting people help you

At some point in my career, I was managing a very large community and couldn't handle it. I tried to do everything myself. I burnt out, but the community ended up taking over and managing itself. Surprisingly, members did a better job than I have ever done. I learned the power of community and why brands need user-generated content.

Consumers understand what they want and how they want it better than any marketer. Did you know that, according to Octoly, user-generated videos are viewed 10 times more than brand-generated videos on YouTube? When seeking information about a particular brand,over half (51%) of Americans trust user-generated content more than the content on the brand website (16%) or media coverage on the brand (14%). It’s important for marketers to open up and seek help from the brand’s community.

Source: Earned Media Rankings on YouTube — Octoly

Being a great content marketer is not about creating the best content, but building a great community that will generate high-quality content for you.

It’s important for us to realize we can seek help when needed. We cannot do everything ourselves. It is better for you to let someone who can do a better job taking over some of your tasks. It will give you more time to focus on your most important tasks. Instead of wasting your time trying to figure something out yourself, let the experts help you.

A lot of time, even if your friends can’t help you, having them around can help you become more productive.
Just having friends nearby can push you toward productivity. “There’s a concept in ADHD treatment called the ‘body double,’ ” says David Nowell, Ph.D., a clinical neuropsychologist from Worcester, Massachusetts. “Distractable people get more done when there is someone else there, even if he isn’t coaching or assisting them.” If you’re facing a task that is dull or difficult, such as cleaning out your closets or pulling together your receipts for tax time, get a friend to be your body double.
Source: Friendfluence: The Surprising Ways Friends Make Us Who We Are

4. Stop being a perfectionist

“We found that perfectionism trips up professors on the way to research productivity. The more perfectionistic the professor, the less productive they are,” Dr. Simon Sherry, a Dalhousie University Psychology Professor who conducted a study on perfectionism and productivity, tells University Affairs magazine. Dr. Sherry found a robust correlation between increased perfectionism and decreased productivity.

Here are some problems associated with being a perfectionist:

• They spend more time than required on a task.
• They procrastinate and wait for the perfect moment. In business, if it is the perfect moment, you are too late.
• They miss the big picture while being too focused on small things.

Marketers often wait for the perfect moment. In doing so, they end up missing it.

The perfect moment is NOW.

5. Stop doing repetitive tasks and start automating it.

According to a research study conducted by Tethys Solutions, A team of 5 people who spent 3%, 20%, 25%, 30% and 70% of their time on repetitive tasks respectively reduced this time to 3%, 10%, 15%, 15% and 10% after 2 months of enhancing their productivity.

Source: Using Automation Software To Increase Business Productivity & Competitiveness -Tethys Solutions

A week ago, I spent 15 minutes writing a basic Python program. The idea was to generate content from the data, which I pulled from Twitter API using a Ruby bot, and use Hootsuite to bulk schedule them. While it used to take me an entire day to accomplish, it now takes me less than 5 minutes. Nowadays, whenever I do something repetitively (more than 5 times), I would ask myself if I can find a program to do it for me.

You don’t have to be a coder to able to automate your repetitive tasks. It’s nice to have the skills or the resources, but it’s not a requirement. If you cannot build it, buy it.

People often forget that time is money. People usually do things manually because it’s easy and requires almost no research. It is manageable to moderate 30 images on Instagram for your user-generated campaign. But if you have to manage 30 000 photos and videos from 5 different platforms, you need a good digital asset management software. At Filemobile, we help people to solve that problem generate even more user-generated content. Just like managing rich media, you can easily purchase a software to solve almost all of your problem on the internet.

If you still can’t find a solution, you can hire an expert to help you. Keep in mind that you need to spend money to make money and that time is your most valuable commodity.

Tips for marketers: check out GitHub or Google app script library. Often times, you’ll find free ready-to-use open source code that requires very little programming knowledge.

6. Stop guessing and start backing up your decisions with data

If you can optimize websites for search engines, you can optimize your lives to grow and reach your maximum potential.

There are so many research studies out there that can provide answers in a range of areas. For instance, did you know that most people are more easily distracted from noon to 4PM? This random statistic comes from recent research led by Robert Matchock, an associate professor of psychology at Pennsylvania State University. Even if you can’t find the data you need, it doesn’t take a lot of time to run a split test.

For instance, last week we did a few tests to figure out the best way to optimize images for Twitter in-stream preview.

Keep asking yourself how you’re going to measure and optimize everything you do.

7. Stop working, and have do-nothing time

Most people don’t realize that we’re essentially locking ourselves in a box when we are too focused on something. It’s important to walk away from our work once in a while and have some alone time. Alone time is good for the brain and spirit, according to The power of lonely , an article in The Boston Globe.

One ongoing Harvard study indicates that people form more lasting and accurate memories if they believe they’re experiencing something alone. Another indicates that a certain amount of solitude can make a person more capable of empathy towards others. And while no one would dispute that too much isolation early in life can be unhealthy, a certain amount of solitude has been shown to help teenagers improve their moods and earn good grades in school.

Source: The power of lonely

It‘s important for us to take time for reflection. We often find the solutions when we’re not searching for them.

We don’t become more productive overnight. Like everything in life, it requires efforts. Change doesn't happen if you just sit there and wait for it. It’s important for all of us to learn more about our body and find ways to optimize our energy for a more successful and happy life.

Article Source: https://medium.com/business-marketing/a988c17383a6

12 Most Effective Ways to Take Care of Your Mood Daily

Maintaining your happy index is important, therefore you need good mood almost all the time.

Good mood is something that depends entirely on our perception of the world and you can control it.

The point is that this is not an easy task to accomplish but there is nothing impossible for us, isn't it?

If you are ready to become a new better person, then follow these 12 tips.

Most Effective Ways to Take Care of Your Mood Daily

1. Eat well

When all of your body systems function right and your health rarely fails you, this is a great source of good mood. That is why it is so important to take care of what you eat. A sound mind in a sound body, remember that. You should also eat well daily. When you are not eating enough you are most likely to be in bad mood and even depressed. And that is apart from the likelihood of weakening your health strength. The best way is to eat healthy food in proper amount and balance it with enough exercise. You need to eat enough calories so that your body functions properly.

2. Do exercises

Physical exercise is an effective way to stay active, to mobilize your strength and energy. No matter how busy you are, it's possible to find 15 minutes to do a few exercises. I recommend you to start exercising in the morning. Yes, that sounds completely impossible, but honestly, did you try it? Give it a try and you will see numerous positive results, such as good appetite, even hormones level, burst of energy and a general sense of self-respect which will make you go on and on.

3. Make rest a high priority

I advise you to spend some time during your busy day just sitting, relaxing and thinking of something good and pleasant. You will feel refreshed and full of energy so your work will bring you more pleasure. A good night sleep is also important. So, try to sleep at least 7-9 hours at night. Your getting up in the morning won't be a problem if you do so and as a result you will have a bright smile on your face all day long.

4. Look closer who is around you

Look at the people who surround you, there might be a few negative people who spoil your life and influence your mood. Don't be afraid to eliminate them from your life and have space for good, positive people. You should take care of yourself, your mental and physical well-being, so avoid toxic, sneaky people by all means.

5. Communicate

A human being is a social creature; we live among other people and need to get in contact with others. The psychological need of communication is to be fully satisfied in order to feel happy and be in a good mood. So talk to your friends, co-workers, communicate with your family more than you do now. It would be nice to start conversation with a stranger, do it regularly as a means of overcoming modesty and reserve.

6. Give up addictions

First of all, you have to get rid of the most harmful habits like smoking and drinking alcohol. There are also some addictive foods which do not do much good to your health. Among them are sugar, caffeine, processed foods and, of course, all kind of fast food and semis. Just start reducing the intake of these foods and you will see the improvement in your overall health state as well as in your mood.

7. Keep track of finances

As a rule financial pressure is a source of great stress in our life. To avoid it, you should always keep it in order. Choose the best way of tracking finances for you and use it regularly. This way you will be able to manage all your income and expenses and it will help you avoid possibility of being broken.

8. Eat more vegetables

Adding more vegetables to your diet is one of the best ways to make yourself feel better. They are full of vitamins, nutrients, minerals and microelements, and are super delicious, which is also a very persuasive argument. There are many easy recipes worth trying so you will be surprised how easy and wonderful they are.

9. Include fat

Although you have to exclude a lot of harmful foods out of your diet, you should not exclude fats completely. They are essential for our body systems to function properly, they influence hormone production and guarantee brain health. The best sources of healthy fat are nuts, seeds, avocado and wild fish.

10. Try magnesium

Another useful thing is to get enough of magnesium. It has a positive effect on almost every system in the body. Magnesium calms the nerves and helps with stress. I get it from special magnesium supplements as getting it from regular foods is insufficient. Just make sure you consult your doctor before you start adding it to your diet..

11. Avoid sugar and gluten

What is the first food that comes to rescue when you get depressed? Sure, it is a dessert. Even though when a woman commits such a small crime she blames herself for that, it is a repeated scenario. Sugar and gluten are difficult to digest and are considered to be addictive because you want them more as you keep consuming it. If you start to eat less sugar you will notice that you stop even wanting it.

12. Get enough B vitamins

This kind of vitamins plays a very important role in the body systems. B vitamins help prevent depression, improve metabolism and digestion. So make sure that your food is reach in B vitamins or get it from special supplements. Anyway having a proper vitamins balance guarantees you strong health and good mood.

Taking care of your mood is quite an easy task if you follow these tips. These ways are natural and healthy, I have tried all of them and I can say that they really improve the overall feeling and the mood. Which of these have you already tried and what was the result? Let's share experience and find out if there is something we can add to the list.

5 signs there might be something wrong with your car

You don't always need to visit the workshop to find out if there is something wrong with your car. Just pay attention to the signs.

The cars of today aren't the unreliable, poorly built, rust buckets their ancestors were. In terms of reliability, service life and safety standards, the cars of today are light years ahead of the humdrum econoboxes they were derived from. But because of these reasons, many believe that spotting problems with modern cars is something best left to the professionals.

Though this is true when it comes to engine and gearbox performance, other issues don’t require a degree in Mechanical Engineering to figure out something is wrong. Here are five signs that there is something's gone wrong:

Sign 1: Difficulty in turning the steering wheel

Has it become increasing difficult to turn the steering wheel? There could be a number of reasons why this happens. The first could be due to having under inflated tyres. Pump them to recommended levels and you should notice a difference.

If your tyres aren't the problem than it might be more serious than initially expected. It could be that there isn't enough power steering fluid (this only applies for hydraulic power steering systems) in the system or that there might be a leak somewhere. If it just requires topping up, take a crack at it but if you aren't confident, take your vehicle to the mechanic.

Sign 2: Difficulty in starting the engine

If it feels as though your engine is struggling to turn over, you might have a weak battery. Neglecting to get it checked can result in a fully flat battery, meaning your stranded. Tips to jump start a car can be found here. How long it takes the engine to turn over depends on how much of charge is left in the battery. If you hear the usual cranking noise but the engine doesn't want to fire up, the problem could be due to a failed fuel pump.

Sign 3: Blue smoke from the exhaust

Occasionally, once you've started up the engine, get someone to sit in the driver’s seat and rev it a few times while you watch the exhaust tip for smoke. If you see faint blue smoke coming out, that’s bad news. This is a clear indication that your engine is burning engine oil.

Engine oil is used to lubricate moving parts within the engine such as the pistons. It is never used in the combustion process. Its only when it manages to seep through the sidewalls of the pistons does it come into contact with the air fuel mixture and burns along with it. That’s why you see blue smoke. Mending it is going to be expensive but needs to be done.

Sign 4: braking power has decreased

There could be a number of reasons but there are two that you most know about. The first, it could be due to worn brake pads. Over time, through continuous use, brake pads loose their thickness. The more worn they become, the further the brake pedal needs to travel towards the floor. The second reason could be due to a leak in the hydraulic brake system. In either case, it’s a serious matter that needs to be tended to immediately.

Sign 5: headlights aren't as bright as they used to be

The simplest explanation for this is that your headlights need polishing. If that’s not it, then it’s a more serious problem. It could be that your alternator has failed and your vehicle’s electrical systems are relying on the battery to keep them alive. Because the alternator isn't working, the battery isn't being recharged. The more you drive the car, the weaker the battery becomes till eventually everything dies on you.

More from Motor Trader on Yahoo! Autos can be found here.

14 Things Successful People Do On Weekends

Spencer Rascoff is only 37. Yet the Harvard grad and father of three has already accomplished so much.

He cofounded Hotwire.com and served as a VP for Expedia EXPE +0.63%; he held the roles of CFO, vice president of marketing and COO at Zillow; and in 2008 Rascoff was promoted to chief executive of the popular real estate information site.

Wondering how the Zillow CEO has achieved and maintained his success? His weekend routine has something to do with it.

“My weekends are an important time to unplug from the day-to-day and get a chance to think more deeply about my company and my industry,” Rascoff says. “Even when I’m technically not working, I’m always processing in the background and thinking about the company. Weekends are a great chance to reflect and be more introspective about bigger issues.”

He says he always spends weekends with his family. “Even if I’m on the road on a Friday and have to be back in that same city the following week, I always come home no matter what.”

Here are 14 things successful people do (or should be doing) on weekends:

1. Make time for family and friends. 

This is especially important for those who don’t spend much time with their loved ones during the week.

2. Exercise. 

Everyone needs to do it, and if you can’t work out 4 to 5 days during the workweek, you need to be active on weekends to make up for some of that time, Vanderkam says. It’s the perfect opportunity to clear your mind and create fresh ideas.

“I know an owner of a PR firm who takes walks in the park with his dog to spark ideas about how to pitch a new client, or what angle to take with the press for a story,” Kurow says.

Cohen suggests spin classes and outdoor cycling in the warmer months. “Both are energizing and can be organized among people with shared interests. For example, it is not uncommon for hedge fund folks and Wall Street professionals to ride together on weekends. It is a great way to establish and cultivate relationships based on membership in this elite professional community.”

3. Pursue a passion.

“There’s a creative director of a greeting card company who went back to school to pursue an MFA because of her love of art,” Kurow says. “Pursuing this passion turned into a love of poetry that she now writes on weekends.”

“Successful people make time for what is important or fun,” Egan adds. “They make space for activities that add to their life balance.”

4. Vacation.

Getting away for the weekend provides a great respite from the grind of an intense week at work, Cohen says.

5. Disconnect.

The most successful people avoid e-mail for a period of time, Vanderkam says. “I’m not saying the whole weekend, but even just a walk without the phone can feel liberating. I advocate taking a ‘tech Sabbath.’ If you don’t have a specific religious obligation of no-work time, taking Saturday night to mid-day Sunday off is a nice, ecumenical time that works for many people.”

6. Volunteer.

“I know a commercial real estate broker who volunteers to help with cook-off events whose proceeds are donated to the Food Bank,” Kurow says. “The volunteer work provides a balance to the heavy analytical work she does all week and fulfills her need to be creative — she designs the promotional material for the nonprofit.”

Cohen says a lot of successful people participate in fundraising events. “This is a great way to network and to meet others with similar interests,” he says. “The visibility also helps in branding a successful person as philanthropic.”

7. Avoid chores.

Every weekend has a few have-to-dos, but you want these to take the minimum amount of time possible, Vanderkam explains. Create a small window for chores and errands, and then banish them from your mind the rest of the time.

8. Plan.

“Planning makes people more effective, and doing it before the week starts means you can hit Monday ready to go, and means you’ll give clear directions to the people who work for you, so they will be ready to go, too,” Vanderkam says.

Trunk agrees. She says successful people plan their month and year because “if you get stuck on short-term lists you don’t get anything big accomplished.”

9. Socialize.

“Humans are social creatures, and studies of people’s experienced happiness through the day finds that socializing ranks right up there, not too far down below sex,” Vanderkam says.

Go out with friends and family, or get involved in the local community.

“It has been demonstrated that successful people find great satisfaction in giving back,” Cohen says. “Board membership, for example, also offers access to other successful folks.”

10. Gardening/crafts/games/sports/cooking/cultural activities.

This is especially important for those cooped up in an office all week.

“For the pure joy, some folks find great satisfaction in creating beautiful gardens,” Cohen says.

Kurow knows an attorney who uses her weekends to garden and do mosaics and tile work to satisfy her creative side. “Filling her life this way enables her to be refreshed on Monday and ready to tackle the litigation and trial prep work. Artwork for her is fulfilling in a way that feeds her soul and her need to connect with her spiritual side.”

Bridge lessons and groups can also sharpen the mind and often create relationships among highly competitive smart professionals, Cohen says. “I once saw a printout of a bridge club’s membership list; its members were a who’s who of Wall Street.”

Theatre, opera and sporting events can also enrich one’s spirit, he adds.

11. Network.

“Networking isn’t an event for a successful person, it’s a lifestyle,” Trunk says. Wherever they go and whatever they do, they manage to connect with new people.

12. Reflect. 

Egan says truly successful people make time on weekends to appreciate what they have and reflect on their happiness and accomplishments. As Rascoff said, “weekends are a great chance to reflect and be more introspective about bigger issues.”

13. Meditate. 

Classes and private instruction offer a bespoke approach to insight and peace of mind, Cohen says. “How better to equip yourself for success in this very tough world?”

14. Recharge. 

We live in a competitive world, Vanderkam says. “Peak performance requires managing downtime, too–with the goal of really recharging your batteries.” That’s how the most successful people get so much done.

Successful people know that time is too precious to be totally leisurely about leisure, Vanderkam concludes. “You’re not going to waste that time by failing to think about what you’d like to do with it, and thus losing the weekend to TV, puttering, inefficient e-mail checking and chores. If you don’t have a busy workweek, your weekend doesn’t matter so much. But if you’re going from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day, it certainly does.”

Full article at Forbes

18 Ways to be more positive at work

Commute
Listen to  audio books, podcasts or inspirational music on your commute.

Arrive Early
Arrive early and focus on the tasks required today.

Emails
Avoid checking emails first thing. Focus on tasks in hand and periodically check emails through the day.

Time Usage
Are you making the most of your time? Focus efforts on what matters most.

Planning
Schedule your day and set out achievable objectives.

Break Times
Plan breaks into your day to allow recovery and re-focus on your tasks.

Meetings
Walking meetings help focus. Leave the meeting with clear and achievable objectives.

Health & Well Being 
Exercise is proven to reduce stress and the resulting feel good factor can boost your productivity, while leaving you in a healthy mindset

Pace Yourself
Rushing tasks will create more errors that inevitably you will have to re-do.

Be Positive
Infuse positive emotions into your work and colleagues and enjoy the contagious nature.

Support
Share your achievements with others and support the results of colleagues.

Compassion
Remain compassionate to negative colleagues. People are usually negative for a reason.

Collaboration
Never to be afraid to ask for help. Collaborate with others to achieve mutual goals.

Office Politics
Don't get bogged down in office politics. Focus on what is needed to move forward.

Boring Jobs
Bite the bullet and face mind numbing tasks head on.

Criticisms
Understand any criticism aimed at you and use the feedback to improve your work.

Holiday Days
Try different activities on your days off. Variety is the spice of life and leave you in a more positive mood.

Adapt
Business changes to survive. Make sure you are open and adaptable rather than resisting change.