I wish I could grow back down and be young and carefree again. Life was so simple when I was in elementary school. I had no concern for time. Time was forever. There was always more time or enough time. As an adult, I’ve learned time is everything. Time is a non-renewable resource. Without a day being limited to 24 hours, we would care nothing about productivity. And productivity is all about the wise use of our time.

There are two types of productivity: one is vertical and the other horizontal. Vertical productivity is about how you can perform a specific activity as quickly as possible. On the other hand, horizontal productivity is how you fit everything you want into your life – work, family, and hobbies – and organize them so you can get to it all. But there is a contradiction. If we do everything in the most productive way possible, doesn’t that mean we will spend less time in some of the most enjoyable activities? What if the Sunday football game could be played in only 15 minutes? What if you could see and do everything you wanted on your summer vacation in one or two days?

Let’s do some soul searching. As adults, we are over scheduled. We have too much demand on our time from everywhere, not to mention all of those things we want to do for ourselves. It’s this feeling of being overwhelmed that’s a sure sign your life needs to change.   What I found works is to sit down in a quiet place, and in your mind’s eye, throw your whole life into the trash bin. Then reconstruct your life from nothing. What would you really take from your life today and add back? What new things would you include? How would you really spend the day tomorrow? The reason this is important is that often people are trying to optimize productivity for activities that they don’t want to be doing or shouldn’t be doing, so why do them? I often question why people want extreme productivity. If you work a lot and you love what you do, why do you want to do your work as quickly as possible?  Wouldn’t you rather continue working? Or is it that you really don’t like your work?

Now that you’ve determined what it is that you need to do, let’s look at being more productive by stopping those time leaks. Those things that seem to steal away your precious time, and before you know it, nothing you truly wanted has been accomplished.

1.Don’t allow work to drip into your to-do list.  I come from a computer software background, so for those geeks out there, don’t be interrupt-driven.  It’s easier to lump similar tasks together and do them at one time during the week, then to handle every request as it comes in. It’s easier and more efficient to pay all your bills on Saturday then when each arrives in the mail or inbox. Many tasks can be handled in this way. The trick is to keep the requestor happy and this can be done by simply telling them when they will get what they want.

Schedule everything or set aside blocks of time to do things. It’s the only way to get everything you want into a busy schedule. It’s more efficient to hold to your schedule and not allow exceptions except for absolute emergencies.  The reason is there are always exceptions.

2. Learn to say ‘no’. Don’t let other people make their problems, your problem. As you get older and more successful, there isn’t enough time in a day anymore. You can anything, but you can’t do everything. You need to pick and choose. Don’t speak at every meeting, don’t attend every networking event, don’t go to every conference, and don’t agree to every play date for your child.

3. The 80/20 rule applies to almost everything. It takes 20% effort to get 80% of the work done. How much of that remaining 80% of work effort are you willing to do to get to 100% completion or perfection? Is the incremental effort worth it? In my experience, perfection is rarely required so when is it good enough?

4. One of the hardest rules is to not let other people’s dreams and goals take priority over or eliminate yours. This is particularly difficult where you have an emotional bond such as children, spouses, or significant others. Children will demand 100% of your time. Spouses have their own sense of what’s important and what’s not, and it won’t always align with your view. It’s easy to fill your time doing things for others. You need to consider them, but you also need to follow your heart.

Ultimately, enhancing productivity boils down to thinking and planning what and why you are doing something, and then actually doing it.

Cynthia Kocialski is the founder of three tech start-ups companies. In the past 15 years, she has been involved in dozens of start-ups. Cynthia writes the Start-up Entrepreneurs’ Blog www.cynthiakocialski.com. Cynthia has written the book, “Out of the Classroom Lessons in Success: How to Prosper Without Being at the Top of the Class.” The book serves up tips, insight, and wisdom to enable young adults and parents of kids to know what it will take to forge a successful career, no matter what their academic achievement.

What makes you happy?

Money? The newest iPhone? The good health of your family? A promotion at work?

Some interesting work by University of California, Riverside researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky not only suggests where our happiness comes from, but shows how to get more of it.

Pieces of the happiness pie

Dr. Lyubomirsky proposes that there are three components to happiness:

• A genetically-based “happiness set point”
• Life circumstances
• Intentional activities and practices.

She has broken these three areas into percentages regarding how much they are responsible for your happiness.

Although the variability of the happiness set point is currently undergoing more research, Lyubomirsky cites studies that indicate the set point is responsible for 50% of your overall happiness.

Life circumstances – things like the aforementioned iPhone, family health, and work promotion – account for only 10% of your happiness.

That leaves intentional activities aimed toward positive emotion providing you with 40% of your happiness quotient.

Now, here are a couple of important things to know:

• Your happiness set point is genetic and therefore impervious to change. The theory is that no matter what happens – good or bad – you tend to eventually settle back into your inherited level of happiness. So, there’s no use trying to make an impact on your happiness set point.
• You could try to improve your life circumstances by getting more stuff, striving for career goals, and finding the perfect partner. But not only do life circumstances only account for a small percentage of your happiness, they are subject to a very human process: hedonic adaptation. In a nutshell, this means that we very quickly adapt to new things in our lives, so our happiness about it is short-lived.

Taking action toward happiness

So that leaves us with intentional activities as the remaining piece of the happiness pie, a piece that creates 40% of our well-being. Lyubomirsky believes it is this component that we have the most control over and that allows us to take action rather than merely react when it comes to creating happiness.

So what are these activities that promote positive emotions and well-being? Lyubomirsky suggests three well-researched practices:

1. Committing acts of kindness. Doing nice things for others tends to up your happiness quotient. Curiously, Lyubomirsky found that doing several acts of kindness on the same day – rather than spreading them out through the week – generated the greatest jump in well-being.

2. Expressing gratitude and optimism. Keeping a list of things you are grateful for really does help make you happier. An intriguing note on this component is the discovery that making a list one time per week created a greater boost in happiness than making lists three or more times per week.

3. Processing happy and unhappy life experiences. This is where it really gets interesting. It turns out that talking or writing about your life experiences is helpful in only one of these conditions: the negative experiences.

Why? Apparently, talking to a friend or writing about difficult times in your life helps you to create a story and structure around the event, an act which helps you make sense of it and adjust to the experience more easily.

Positive experiences, however, generate more happiness if they are thought about privately. This allows you to savor and re-experience them without having to analyze them. It’s perfectly fine to talk with others about great things that happen to you as this will brighten your friend’s day, too.  But be sure to remember and relish those good events in your life in your private time, too.

What makes you happy? Slice yourself a bigger piece of the happiness pie using intentional activities. You’ll be happy you did.

Psychotherapist Bobbi Emel specializes in helping people face life’s significant challenges and regain their resiliency. In addition to seeing clients in her private practice, Bobbi is a well-regarded speaker and writer. You can find her blog at http://www.TheBounceBlog.com

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Self-Help: the act of helping or improving yourself without relying on anyone else.

Luckily for us, there is a large selection of self-help literature written by truly remarkable authors. These authors share personal experiences from their own successful careers or interview others who have unlocked secrets of happiness and achievement. Stopping by your local bookstore or Amazon for a self-help title can be a bit intimidating! So we’ve handpicked five great reads to jump start your journey to the richer life:

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams – Deepak Chopra (1994)

Having sold over 3 million copies worldwide, you can safely assume that Deepak Chopra, an Indian medical doctor, speaker and writer, pretty much has the topic of self-help nailed. Pitched as a book to be cherished for a lifetime, Chopra offers proven ideas on how to achieve spiritual awakening and practical activities that will help you get there faster. Although primarily based on Buddhist ideas, this book offers even the most skeptical of individuals an enchanting read with exciting prospects for success in areas including potential, karma and giving.

The Secret - Rhonda Byrnes (2006)

Rhonda Byrnes was in the depth of despair when she discovered Wallace Wattle’s ‘The Science of Getting Rich.’ Convinced she had stumbled upon a little known secret to success in all areas of life, Byrne set out to prove her theory. Translated into 44 languages and selling over 21 million copies, it’s safe to say she proved it. Through collaboration with the likes of Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul), Mike Dooley (TUTs Adventurers Club) and Bob Proctor (Personal Development Coach), Byrne introduces a powerful process you can use to change any aspect of your life.

The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun – Gretchen Rubin (2010)

Gretchen Rubin’s #1 New York Times Best Seller about happiness may not be pitched as a self-help book, but anyone who follows the guidance in this little gem is bound to feel somewhat improved. In her consistently fresh and compelling narrative, Rubin relates the story of her 12-month journey to happiness. While offering guidance on everything from relationships to parenthood and spirituality to passions, without ever coming across as someone in the tight grip of a personal crisis, Rubin delivers one of the most astute and relevant works on the theme of happiness. Read it or risk being miserable for the rest of your life.

The Four Hour Work Week: Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich – Timothy Ferriss (2008, Expanded 2011)

Another self-improvement offering that reached #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list, Timothy Ferris shows you how to eliminate non-essential work and outsource the remaining in this gripping read. Anyone who has ever wanted to escape the rat race needs to read this book. Readers can’t help but be inspired by his detailed blue-print for successful online businesses. If you’re stuck for ideas as to what to do with all the free time you’re going to have, you needn’t worry since Ferriss covers all that too. The Four Hour Work Week asks that all important, but often overlooked, question: what do you actually want from life?

The Road Less Traveled - M. Scott Peck (1978)

This one has been around for an age, but the musings of psychologist M. Scott Peck have stood the test of time. First launched in the times of I’m OK, You’re OK, Peck took a stand and dared to suggest that life may actually be difficult at times. By sharing intimate case studies of anonymous therapy clients, and offering an insightful look into his own life stories, Peck gives us the courage to deal with our own problems. Considered a spiritual refuge, this book stands out as one of the most honest and revealing approaches to human fulfillment.

Heidi Marks is a freelance writer from Seattle and contributor to Degree Jungle. A keen traveler, she enjoys open mic nights, fine wine and chocolate cake (in moderation).

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Having troubles waking up early in the morning? Always snoozing until the last minute? Often late to work? Well, then you should learn the secret of waking up early. It’s all about the motivation. It is always easier to make an effort when you are really motivated. So, if you want to become an early riser after years of being a night owl, all that you need is to find a good reason to get up early in the morning.

Think of the things you always wanted to do but never had time for. Imagine you can find the time needed every day. Just be smart and use your mornings for that. Do something for yourself. When you come home after a long and exhausting hours of work, you are most likely to skip the things you enjoy only because you are extremely tired. You are so tired that the only thing you want is spend your evening watching TV and there is no more energy for anything else. But what about you and your true desires? Don’t you want to be in a good shape anymore? Don’t you want to finally finish the book you have been writing since college? Don’t you want to spend more time outside playing with your one true friend, your dog, instead of walking him out really fast to do his business because you no longer have time for him?

Well leave this all in the past. Now you will have time for everything! Made a list of things you are going to do for the whole week ahead and stick to the plan. Yes, you are right, you need to write it down. Place it on the mirror in the bathroom and go through your plans when you brush your teeth in the evening before going to bed. Remind yourself of your plans for the next day and visualize them. What image do you have in your head when you do that? I am sure you can see yourself with a big smile on your face. That’s the way to go! Do it every evening and soon you will see that waking up early has never been that easy!

“New you” will have time for everything. Going to the gym before work, practicing yoga, or jogging outside can give you an energy boost for the rest of the day and significantly increase your productivity. Not only you will become fitter and healthier, but you will also notice that you are million times more active and willing to succeed. Besides, physical activity in the morning will help you falling asleep easily at night and your sleep is proven to be deeper. This way you will need less time to restore and you will feel better and full of energy when you wake up early next day. I know, it sounds crazy but you will actually need less sleep to be more active during the day when you start doing sports.

Does that sound like you? If not, I am sure you will still be able to find one true reason for waking up early that will stimulate you to put much effort into it. Everyone is different, so is the motivation that will work for you.

Amber Smith is a time management expert and runs the site How to Get Up Early. The site is about helping people to get up early and be more productive by sharing original tips and innovative products.

Photo credit: twolittlemoos

Do you feel enthusiastic and inspired in the mornings – only to find yourself exhausted in the afternoons? Perhaps you only ever seem to perk up when you’ve got a coffee in hand, or you manage to concentrate for 30 minutes but then find yourself procrastinating.

If your energy levels fluctuate a lot, you might need to focus on achieving more balance. These ten tips should help:

#1: Drink Plenty of Water

Yes, you’ve heard this one a hundred times before. But are you actually managing it?

If you’re slightly dehydrated, you’ll struggle to concentrate. Try keeping a bottle of water on your desk so that you can easily sip while working. If you don’t like the taste of plain water, try buying sparkling or flavored varieties.

#2: Don’t Drink Too Much Caffeine

Coffee, tea and caffeinated sodas will give you a short-term energy boost, followed by a slump. If you’re relying on caffeine to stay alert and awake, you’re probably not sleeping enough.

But … don’t reduce your caffeine intake too suddenly, or you’re likely to get headaches. Try cutting down slowly – if you normally drink six cups of coffee a day, cut back to five.

#3: Eat at Regular Intervals

Your brain needs fuel: if you’re hungry, it’s hard for you to focus. It’s also difficult to concentrate after a heavy lunch – so rather than stuffing yourself, eat smaller amounts at regular intervals.

Many nutritionists recommend eating every three hours; that means having a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack to keep you going between meals.

#4: Don’t Eat Sugary Snacks

Eating regularly doesn’t mean filling up on cookies or donuts. Sugary snacks play havoc with your energy levels: they give you a quick boost followed by a crash.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, try eating fresh fruit instead. On days when only chocolate will do, go for dark varieties (at least 70% cocoa) and eat just a small amount.

#5: Have a Power Nap

Although this one isn’t an option for many of us, a quick nap during the afternoon can really boost your energy. If you work from home (or have a very understanding boss!) then try taking a twenty minute nap to help you over the afternoon slump.

Make sure you don’t sleep too long, though; you’ll just wake up feeling groggy. You might want to set an alarm.

#6: Don’t Skimp on Sleep at Night

Even if you take a power nap during the day, don’t cut back on sleep at night. Most of us need seven to eight hours of sleep to function well – but some people need more.

It’s tempting to sleep less in order to have more time to cram everything in, but if you’re well rested, you’ll have more energy to tackle everything, and you’ll get tasks finished faster.

#7: Take Regular Breaks

No-one can stay focused on a task for hours at a time. You need to take breaks from whatever you’re doing in order to keep your energy levels up.

It’s a good idea to get away from your desk: grab a glass of water or go for brisk walk (even if it’s just round the corridors). At lunch time, make sure you take a real break from work, rather than eating sandwiches at your desk.

#8: Don’t Procrastinate

Taking a planned break is different from procrastinating. If you’re surfing the net when you know you should be working, you’re simply letting resistance to a task build up.

Sometimes, procrastination can look like work: for instance, you might work on emails so you can put off that difficult phone call or tricky report. This will leave you feeling demotivated. Instead, tackle the harder things first – you’ll get a real energy boost.

#9: Exercise at Moderate Intensity

Exercise is good for you in so many ways. One of the benefits of being active is that you’re likely to have more energy: moving around gets your blood pumping. You may also find that you sleep more soundly.

When you exercise, aim to work at a moderate intensity. That means you should be able to hold a conversation, but you shouldn’t be able to sing the lyrics to a song.

#10: Don’t Exercise Too Hard

If you’re just getting started with exercise, don’t overdo it. There’s no point in spending two hours in the gym after work – only to end up so exhausted that you slump on the sofa with a bag of chips instead of cooking a healthy dinner.

For most of us, thirty to forty-five minutes of moderate exercise, five times a week, is about right. You don’t necessarily have to do this in one daily session, either; you could aim for a twenty minute brisk walk in your lunch hour and a twenty minute cycle ride in the evening.

How do you keep your energy levels up during the day? Share your tips and ideas in the comments…

Photo credit: Stephen Vincent

Everyone has up’s and down’s in their love lives, most commonly there are “those relationships” you’d rather forget, but should you forget them entirely? Why not use negative experiences from your love life to prevent you from making similar mistakes in your career? At least you’ll have something to show from those lousy relationships!

Although using a one-night-stand in your work environment isn’t recommended, there are some popular relationship problems which can be likened common career complaints. You can learn from these mistakes to resolve pressing issues in your career.

The Stale Marriage

Much like a weathered marriage, you’ve hit that point in your career where you generally feel BORED. You may feel that there’s no opportunity for progression within the company you work for and getting out of bed to go to work has become more challenging than the role itself. You feel you can’t just quit because you have financial outgoings and a family you need to support but the job is making you miserable.

In this situation you have 3 options: to stick it out and remain miserable and unfulfilled but financially sound; try relationship counselling to mend the damage or file for a divorce.

If you’re constantly miserable you’re not helping anyone; yourself or your family. It can also have effects on your health such as depression and fatigue. Taking no action means things will only get worse.

Trying “relationship counselling” with your boss is a viable option. Speak to your boss and say how you feel your skills would be better utilised in a higher role with more responsibilities. If you work for an organisation which values its employees then they should be open to negotiation (providing you’ve proved your worth), if not then maybe you should consider whether a job elsewhere would be more fulfilling and gain you more respect.

If the counselling really hasn’t worked then it’s time to file for a divorce. Your health and happiness is more important than the money your job brings – you have to take a few risks in life to be successful. To avoid putting a financial strain on your family, continue your employment in your current role until you’ve been accepted for another position elsewhere.

The Comparative Couple

This situation is similar to when you compare your relationship to other friends’ or family member’s relationships, common thoughts are “why’s my relationship not as passionate as theirs?”, “why don’t we do things as a couple like them?” This can also happen in your career if one of your friends or family members gets a new job, jealousy can rear its ugly head and occupy your mind.

This can be a dangerous situation to be in as you may begin to question your career or feel dubious about your job. The first thing to consider is why you are feeling jealous of other people’s jobs. Perhaps there’s more of an underlying issue; are you feeling undervalued at work? Do you need more feedback on your development from superiors?

The key here is to address you own issues and forget about your friend’s passion for their new job. Focus on what drove you to apply for your current job in the first place. Perhaps you’re feeling complacent in your role and need a new challenge, talk to your boss about the possibility of taking on new responsibilities that will challenge you. You’ll soon forget about your friend’s career as you buzz off your new accomplishments.

The Honeymoon Period

When you first start a new job you’re filled with excitement; meeting new people, learning new skills and taking on new challenges can all be exhilarating. Much like newlyweds however, this honeymoon period has to come to an end as normality sets in. For some people this isn’t a problem, for others it can cause them to come down with a crash and feel bored, stressed and even miserable.

As routine begins to set in you have to accept that certain aspects of the daily grind will begin to irritate you – the same commute will bore the life out of you and your colleagues will irritate you beyond belief but that will probably happen with every job and usually wanes with time! If you really feel like you’re not fitting in after a considerable amount of time then maybe you could ask for a transfer or look for a new job elsewhere.

When it comes to relationships there’s plenty to be learned from bad experiences. Rather than dwelling on them and feeling filled with regret, you may as well use them to build on in the future. Prevent the same mistakes from happening in your career as well as your love life!

This was a guest post written by Stephanie Staszko who writes career building tips and advice for Blue Octopus. They can help you to find a job if your current one’s driving you stir crazy.

Whether you have just started in the world of work or a seasoned professional, establishing a successful work-life balance can prove difficult challenge. Having a good work life balance is a huge factor in your general happiness and well being. We all feel pressured to work and worry about work and we are all pressured to be out with friends or family every night. Pressure comes from all around you and before you know it you are stressed at work and not going out.

The outcome is that you will be unhappy and this will affect not just you but your friends and family. Achieving balance will mean you will be happy with your life as a whole and enjoy work and appreciate the time you have when it comes. So with that in mind, here are the three ways that can help you find your work life balance and feel better as a result.

1)Know your boundaries

An important life skill, knowing your boundaries is a instinct that you learn as you age and that you learn to trust. Knowing your limits is a highly respectable trait, one which many wish they listen to. Your body will tell you when something is wrong and listening to these signals is a sure way to helping a work life balance. When I first started work I was always meeting up with my friends after work to chat and have a couple of drinks, it normally resulted in me coming home late and although i always had a great time, I also remember being absolutely shattered everyday for work. Simply put, there was no balance. When your body says you are tired or ill or out of sync, know when to go home and relax. Only going out a few nights a week, will mean that you get a regular routine of sleep, which will help you feel refreshed at work. Also not partying ever night will save you money, this will mean you can buy that item that you always wanted or go to that place you have dreamed of. It is important to plan in advance, not weeks in advance, not even days, but just make sure you set out when you meet up, what you are going to do and when you will be heading home. This leads us onto the next point.

2) Always make time for yourself

We all love those days where we stay in bed and do nothing. Physically and psychologically having time to yourself, where you can reflect, unwind and relax, can be hugely beneficial. Sometimes a busy week can take its toll on the body and mind. A day to relax in front of the TV can do a world of good and allow you to charge your batteries for whatever the future may bring. Knowing that you are the priority means that you will take time to appreciate what you like doing and as a result you will be more independent and less susceptible to peer pressure. This is a huge step to having a work life balance as you will be able to say no and as a result gain more self respect. It would not be wise just to stick to things that you like and never go out, having new experiences is a great part of life, making time for yourself is simply a step to help you manage your time better.

3) Learn to switch off

Once you step out of the office, work has finished, relax and forget about any work issues or deadlines, taking your problems home with you or to work is always going to end badly. It is your time and you should do what you want with it. This does not mean that everyone ends up with two contrasting lives. Simply that taking a fresh look at life and putting things into perspective can mean huge things for your general well being. You could start to worry less and be more enthusiastic about life. Knowing that there is more to life than just work will liberate many people and help them achieve true happiness. I never lose sleep over work now, I turn up to work fresh and enthusiastic and I still go out a couple of times a week with friends and family. As a result, I feel I have achieved my perfect work life balance and I am happier for it.

Everyone should take a step back and ask themselves do I have a good work life balance? Is work affecting you motivation to socialise or is partying all night affecting your work. Either way a balance has to eventually occur and everyone will have a different level, but most importantly it is what works for you and at the end of the day, what makes you happy.

Bio: Written by Tom Tolladay, an event’s organiser for www.chillisauce.co.uk. Tom has also written for sports website caughtoffside and is a contributor for the International Institute of Event Management. You can contact Tom on his blog www.eventsuppliers.co.uk

Distressful situations are a fact of life- a human predicament that seems hell-bent on blocking our attempts towards personal nirvana and impairing our ability to function. Though it may be unpleasant to have to stop and collect yourself in response to a personal difficulty, there may be times when you may not even have that “luxury.”

If you find yourself in an usually stressful or painful situation, yet still need to maintain some level of performance in either your personal or professional life, then keep the following four tips in mind:

1. Give yourself some slack! The very first step towards staying productive when difficulty strikes is accepting the fact that you will likely not be at your peak performance. To the best of your ability, you need to lower the bar. Otherwise, the stress of having to continue producing and performing, can just add to and prolong your hardship, not to mention sap away the strength and energy you need to cope with the situation.

2. Limit the quick pick-me-ups. When stress is high, people tend to reach for quick and easy pick-me-up’s, such as alcohol, junk food, and even antidepressant medication. This happens even though most people are aware of the negative consequences of binging on alcohol and junk foods, and the negative side effects of taking antidepressant medication over the long-term have been well-documented. While these kinds of crutches can be helpful since they provide a temporary “breather” from all the gloom and doom, they need to be used with moderation. If not, then the “side-effects” will far out-weigh any short-term benefits, disrupting your natural ability to cope and stay productive.

3. Your support system is key. The biggest and most effective tool you can have to help you deal with adversity is the network of people you choose to surround yourself with. This network can include close friends, family, mentors, a life coach, and where necessary a qualified professional, such as a psychologist. Not only can these people offer physical assistance and clarity, but they can be a source of inspiration, emotional support, and a place from which you can draw the strength to keeping going.

4. Maintain your physical balance. If you want to give yourself the best chances of staying productive then make an effort to eat and sleep properly and get some exercise. Though this may seem self-evident, often a person’s physical needs are the first to be sacrificed when difficulty strikes and this only adds to the problem. Not only should you try your best to maintain your normal, daily routine, but you should make an effort to avoid exorbitant amounts of junk food, caffeine, alcohol and refined sugars that are low in nutritional value and high in calories.

In short, though a distressful situation may slow you down, with a little care and some common sense, it doesn’t have to completely stop you in your tracks.

Gary Barzel is the manager of business development for Fastupfront. Fastupfront offers business loan alternatives for existing businesses in need of working capital.

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• Every day you will give yourself the gift of an “attitude of gratitude.”

• Visualizing how you would like your day will help release positive energy from within you and you will attract more positive energy from those around you.

• Instead of spinning your wheels in an old way of thinking, each day is a chance to reframe and re-look at things in a different way.

• You can experience each day an awe in the beauty and creation of the world – and the beauty of you who is in it!

• You find yourself shifting from an “”I can’t mindset” to an “I can” mindset.”

• With a focus on positive intentions, you feel more empowered and more like a “victor” than a “victim.”

• You are more mindful of the present, and will be more likely to live fully in the present each moment of each day. After all, the past is a great place to visit, but you don’t want to live there!