Not Getting Anywhere? Have You Established Your Goals?

After having gone freelance for three months, I found myself in a productivity rut. It seemed that I wasn't getting very much work done by the end of the day (or week) that I needed to, and I couldn't figure out why. Also, though I was making money, I wasn't making any more money than I had in months prior. Some income streams had slowed down and no new ones were really working very well.

What I did to attempt to pull myself out of this rut was add more things to my plate. I began to blog more, service more web design clients, participate in various get-paid-to programs, and then market all my services and affiliate programs. I had no set schedule for any of this. What all this multitasking did, in turn, was leave me more frazzled. I was not getting any quality work done or gaining a leg up on anything.

I began to read through some of my favorite productivity blogs. Then, I came across a key question that everyone should ask themselves: "Have you established your goals?"

I didn't have any set financial goals, business goals, nor productivity goals. Thus, I was heading virtually nowhere. Without goals, I had no direction for my freelance work methods.

I decided to make a list of goals.

Any list of goals needs established plans for each goal as well as feasible due dates. After having these things in place, there is room for trial and error and for tweaking... But, the important thing is that you are establishing goals for yourself and for your financial growth plans.

Having goals is essential to optimal growth and productivity. Have you established your goals?

Forget Less By Writing Things Down

Do you find yourself forgetting what your mother, hubby, or boss has requested of you or even worse, missing deadlines due to a slipped mind? Studies show that taking notes helps you retain more of what you read and hear. Whether this means keeping a notepad by the phone or pulling out your BlackBerry for task input, jot down that reminder to ensure it doesn't slip your mind this time.

how to forget less, how to remember more, retain more information, take better notes, how to take notes, how to jot your memory

Be Lazy & Productive At The Same Time

Are you admittedly lazy, but trying to be more productive in your day-to-day activities?

Good news: You can be productively lazy and get more things done without actually doing more work. If you doubt this, think of your office-dwelling boss that shoots off emails telling others what to do to make him/herself look more productive -- delegation is a productivity tool of the lazy.

How To Be Lazy & Productive At The Same Time

Automate Your Life (Take Shortcuts)

Take faster showers. Apply a cream hair remover or spray such as one by Sally Hansen or Nair to eliminate the need to shave.

Coffee drinker? Replace your traditional coffee maker with a single-cup coffee pod machine. You'll never need to prepare coffee bags and filters again nor clean a coffee pot. It's perfect. I own a Senseo coffee machine in Black that makes a perfect cup of coffee or cappuccino every time with minimal maintanence.

If you do a lot of web work, automate your tasks with browser extensions. My favorites include iMacros (perfect for filling out forms) and social bookmarking extensions such as StumbleUpon and Del.icio.us bookmarks. After you've got Del.icio.us bookmarks installed, press Ctrl+D (Windows) to bookmark and tag any page on the web for fast finding.

Delegate Your Tasks

If you're in the office and know you won't complete your deadlines for the day, get the OK from your boss to delegate tasks to the admin assistant. Even better, if your office uses Outlook for company email, you can Assign Task items on your task list to the assistant without having to leave your seat! Convenient and lazy. Don't forget Administrative Assistant Day (in April) if you're a repeat offender.

Get the kids to do it. Teaching your kids to clean and cook when appropriate takes time in the beginning but then allows time for you to be lazy later. This is productive because it teaches them diligence while you have a little time to catch up on emails and other light duties.

Pay someone else to do it. This is ideal for the freelance worker because you can get someone to market your services by paying them a cut of the client lead and everyone wins. If you're behind on household duties, pay a cleaner or that friend/relative that would lend any help for a little extra cash.

Procrastinate

Yes, you can be lazy sometimes to get things done. Hold off on completing items on your task list. One of two things will happen. One possibility is that you'll realize tasks you thought you wanted to complete weren't that important afterall. If an item becomes deadline and you realize you need to complete it at the last minute, you will really get moving to do so. You've had enough time to be lazy, it's now time to work! But once you get your deadline tasks completed, you can relax and be lazy all over again. Ah, the life.

Worried About Someone Stealing Gas From Your Car?

Gas consumers around America are filling up their gas tanks, only to find that by the next morning, there is something like a quarter tank left, although they have not driven anywhere.

Due to all-time high gas prices -- a national average today of about $3.65/gallon -- some "oil pick-pocketers" have begun siphoning gas right from the tank of other's vehicles. The intent ChicSavvy article is not to impose fear, but make you aware of an impending offense that could affect you or a loved one in the near future.

What can you do to protect yourself from gas siphoning and heightening gas prices?

Buy an inexpensive locking fuel cap for your vehicle. I have located locking gas caps on Amazon. These are especially ideal for large trucks, SUVs, and minivans which have a higher chance of being siphoned (the larger the vehicle, the more fuel there would be to steal).

Drive a fuel-efficient car. This will ensure that you get the most mileage for your dollar.

Do not drive unless necessary. Walk to local destinations. Ride your bike. Purchase a public transit pass to get to work and back (which could save you $$$ monthly).

Drive a compact car. Unless you are chauffering a minvan full of children, fill up and drive your smallest car around town. A small car is less likely to have gas stolen or siphoned because there is not much to take. Your large minivans and SUVs hold more oil, therefore are more likely to be siphoned.

gas siphoning, oil prices, gas prices, people stealing gas, gas being stolen from car tanks

How To Work From Home (& Not Go Crazy)

Whether your passion is for freelance work or you're trying to be a stay-at-home mom, working from home can be a freeing -- yet finger-tapping -- experience! Freelancers and at-home-mommies alike may find themselves mercilessly glued to their laptop or kid(s) with little time or motivation to exercise, see friends, or turn themselves off temporarily from their money-making hobby for a moment of peace and sanity.

Following are some tips that may keep you from getting burnt out with your stay-at-home profession.

How To Work From Home With Ease

Exercise. This is probably the most vital component of remaining sane and fit as an at-home worker. Try waking up and going to bed with pilates and/or taking 10-15 minute walks a couple times a day. If time and funds permit, buy a gym membership and hit the weights or treadmill 2-3 times a week. All the better if you have at-home gym equipment.

Make dates with friends. Try to schedule lunches or other affairs with friends or family throughout the week to get yourself out of the house and socializing with those you care about.

Eat healthy. While it's easy to reach for fast food or ramen noodles -- or worse, chips and soda -- for your between time snacks, take the extra time you have to shop for and prepare healthy meals for yourself. You'd be amazed at how much more productive you are when you feed yourself better fuel. Be sure as well to drink plenty of water throughout the day.

Get some sun. Keep your B-vitamin levels high to beat depression or stress and maintain energy. Get out in the sun for a while. Take your vitamin B complex over a glass of water.

freelance work, freelance work from home, how to telecommute, how to work from home, stay at home, stay at home mom, stay at home work, telecommute work, work at home, work from home

Can't Stay Focused on Your Writing? Try DarkCopy

As a school student, blogger, or writer of any kind, writing digital copy comes with it's distractions. Whether your eyes bounce about all around the screen, causing you to lose focus, or other internet browsing tabs (especially social networking tabs) seem to be calling your name... There is a solution!

DarkCopy is a "simple, full-screen text editor for distraction free writing." The background is off-black and the typography is a green serif font, enabling you to focus solely on your writing. The contrast concept is interesting and seems to offer a solution to "bloggers block."


Maximize DarkCopy, relax, and start writing!