Every morning, as you open your eyes to see the light of another day, you should ask two simple questions: What am I doing today? Why am I doing it? If you are happy with the answers you come up to both questions, get off the bed and enjoy the day. If you are struggling to find the right answers, close your eyes and go over the items on your “do” list a few times. You may be surprised to discover that the reason you are unhappy is that your list of priorities is upside down. The top of the list may be filled with unimportant and trivial goals, while the important goals have been pushed down to the bottom of the list. Worse, the top of the list may be filled with the right goals — but not for you. For someone else who has been setting your agenda, while the goals that are important for you have been pushed down to the bottom of the list.
Is this what you really want? Now is the time to open your eyes, see the light of the new day, and get your priorities right! That’s the first rule of success and happiness. In a free society, the search for a successful and happy life—whatever set of goals it means to each and every one of us–is an innate pursuit. But resources and energies are limited. Different goals cannot be pursued at the same time. They must be carefully prioritized: the goal to be pursued first; the goal to be pursued second, and so on. And that takes, first and foremost, the freedom in the broadest sense – political, economic, social, and personal – to live your own life rather than somebody else’s. Then comes a careful consideration of the trade-offs, the sacrifice that comes with each and every choice. The pursuit of a business opportunity comes with the sacrifice of a steady pay-check and a good sum out of any pocket money to acquire the necessary resources. The pursuit of a college degree comes with the sacrifice of a full-time job and a good sum out of any pocket money to pay for tuition and books. The pursuit of a career comes with the sacrifice of the time you could spend with your loved ones. The pursuit of a marriage comes with the sacrifice of all the good things you could enjoy when single. The pursuit of speculative investments comes with the sacrifice of the piece of mind that derived from money in the bank. Addressing these trade-offs and coming up with a list of priorities worth pursuing isn’t an easy thing. It takes vision and foresight to rise over the hills of the present and gaze at the future and see the invisible – the challenges the future presents. Ie, to see the things that are important in each and every stage of your life, and the challenges the future brings your way. Do you want to see yourself working for someone else and collecting a steady paycheck a few years down the road, or you want to have your own business? Do you want to see yourself working with your hands or your mind? Do you see yourself married or single? Obviously, there are no universal answers to these questions. Some people will choose the former over the latter, while others will choose the later over the former.This means that success and happiness depend on what kind of life each individual wants to live, and whether that individual is prepared to stand the consequences of his or her choices. People who do not want to make the sacrifices associated with college education, for instance, must be prepared to forgo the job opportunities and the benefits associated with jobs that set a college degree as a prerequisite. Likewise, people who aren’t prepared to assume the risks associated with the pursuit of a business must be prepared to forgo the benefits that come with financial independence. In short, getting priorities right is a mater of basic economics and basic philosophy. Economics sets the objective parameters of the choices we make. It explains and estimates the sacrifices we make when we chose to pursue one goal over another. Philosophy sets the subjective parameters of choice and explains why each goal deserves to be on our “do list,” and whether the sacrifices involved are worth making. Really interesting article, hope you enjoyed it just as much as I did! Source
Is it possible to have both? To be successful and enjoy it? Here are 5 tips to make it happen.
Balance Before even starting up any business,it's a good idea to consider how to balance your business with your life. For example you could use practical tools to be able to work when and where it suits you and automate your business not only to gain efficiency, but also scalability.
Work when it suits you Not everybody is the same, maybe you are a morning person or you prefer working on certain tasks in the evening. Work when it suits you best. Working on what you actually like and at the times you like it, will make you more efficient and happy. Teach others To free up time it is useful to focus on teaching to others and transfer responsibilities. Certain activities can even be done better by others depending their existing skills. You will become much more productive via teaching.
Learn to say NO Prioritise the things you want to do not only in business, but very important also in your social life. Say no to the things in your private live that are taking too much quantity of free time and focus on quality time.
Live in the moment Do not expect happiness to come at the point you succeed. You will sacrifice your time in pursuit of success. Live in the moment and enjoy the journey. "The journey is the reward."
So okay I have been away from blogging on this Blog for some months now. Initially it all started with my little boy being poorly, hospital visits and just general bad feeling. After he got well I took some extra time to rethink what I really find important in life. I have been reading about values in life and I have even finished my first draft version of my personal "Mission Statement". I realized that if I want to be successful in life, I will have to make sure to do it for the right reasons. My search will not only focus on success, but it will be a journey to find a fun, meaningful, successful and balanced life. One that I can enjoy! I hope you would like to follow me on my journey. I have made the first step by creating a draft version of my mission statement, now I will take it to the next level and work on my goals that will be congruent with my values. You can make the first step too, as Tony Robbins says:
PS: As I'm Dutch I also started blogging in Dutch about this subject. If you understand it, go check it out at www.banens.nl.
Hi All, I'm having a break from blogging, as my little boy is recovering from an infection disease. I hope and expect it will be for only a couple weeks more....
Affiliate marketing has become a trending topic in the digital marketing community, and for good reason! This low-risk, high-reward opportunity is great for those who want to monetize their love of a product. Despite some claims, affiliate marketing won’t make you an overnight millionaire. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make a serious profit. Successful affiliates are advocates for the products they’re referring – and they’re reaping the rewards! Keep reading to find out if affiliate marketing is right for you – and tips on how you can become an affiliate all-star. What Is Affiliate Marketing? Think of affiliate marketers as the middlemen between clients and brands. Is there a product or service you don’t hesitate to recommend to family or friends? Partnering with these brands is a great way to get rewarded for your endorsement. Affiliate marketers earn commission by referring traffic and sales to a retailer’s website through their own promotional efforts. Prospective affiliates can join a program through a merchandiser directly or a network that manages multiple affiliate programs. What Are The Benefits Of Affiliate Marketing?
Low-Risk, High Reward: Becoming an affiliate usually doesn’t requires no start-up fees or investment.
Advanced Tracking Tools: A good affiliate program provides you with the tools to measure your campaign’s effectiveness.
No “Selling” Experience Required: It’s as simple as creating good content.
Not Your Average Job: Create a steady flow of income by promoting a company’s products and services.
Choosing A Niche When choosing an affiliate marketing program, first ask yourself a few questions:
Are you knowledgeable in the topic?
Is the content something people are searching for?
What problem are you trying to solve?
Is there room for growth? Can you add value to the content
Your answers will help you identify if a niche is right for you. How Do You Drive Traffic? When you sign up, you’ll receive a unique affiliate commissions code. This is used to track the visitors and sales that were directed from your efforts. But how do you drive traffic to a merchandiser’s website in the first place? Some common affiliate promotional strategies include:
Don’t be afraid to get creative in your approach! Blogs like Affiliate Tip, AM Navigator, ShareASale and ABestWeb are great resources for campaign inspiration. How Do You Build An Audience? There are a number of tracking tools that give you the power to track the reach of your campaigns. Some frequently used services include:
Google Analytics is a free service that lets you measure your advertising ROI, track your social reach and manage your applications. With its suite of features, you can analyze visitor traffic and ensure you’re getting the most out of your marketing efforts.
Page Insights provides information about user activity on your Facebook page. You can view metrics, identify your most engaging posts and gather information on your audience.
YouTube Analytics lets you monitor the performance of your channel, with up-to-date metrics and reports.
9 Ways To Be An Awesome Affiliate
What’s Next? Have a passion for email marketing? Consider using AWeber as your autoresponder to boost your affiliate marketing!.
