My Happy Lists

After starting our new company, Wilson Media Consulting, I experienced what all home-based business owners experience: struggling with discipline and motivation.

Here are some tips on how to be more productive (no matter where you are).

1. 45/15 Split

My background in psychology and experience as a learner and worker has taught me that people have an optimal range of time of which they can learn, focus and be productive. The typical time range is 40-55 minutes. What this means for you: start paying attention to time when you're working. About how long into a task do you start to "fade" or does your creativity or productivity diminish? For me, it's about 45 minutes.

I like to start my work "on the hour" so I can easily do a 45/15 minute split. I start working at 7:00 am and at 7:45 am, I take a planned break. Knowing that I get to take a break helps me focus because I don't create excuses to not work.

When you let yourself expect a break, you'll be more productive in your 45 minutes than if you just take random breaks, get frustrated, and then stop working altogether for a couple hours.

2. The planned break

Before I start my 45/15 split, I have a plan for how I'm going to spend my 15 minutes break. That way, I don't waste time thinking about what I'm going to do when I should be working, or wasting my break time by trying to decide how I want to spend it. For example, I know that in 20 minutes I'm going to get a snack and play with our adorable cockapoo, Mazie. She likes to sleep in, so I won't wake her for a little while.

3. Timing my tasks

Measure, measure, measure! That's how you know if anything is successful. I measure the time I spend every day by using an automatic time tracker. Gone are the days of writing down what you're doing (especially if you spend 80% of your work day at the computer). I use a cool time tracker that lets me add new tasks and then set the timer on them when I start working on them. At the end of the day (or week, month, etc), with a click of a button I can see where all my time went. It also helps me bill clients because it's organized by client profiles. It's a breeze to use, and I've noticed that on the days I don't use it, my productivity plummets. There's something about seeing that little timer on my screen that shouts to me: GET TO WORK!

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The Hubbie and I (commonly known as Team Wilson) are not wealthy by any means. We work in fairly low-paying jobs (in the $10/hour range) despite our advanced college degrees. And yet, despite living paycheck to paycheck, we have managed to end up owing the government an additional $2,000 this year.

Here are 7 reasons why (my UNHappy List of the month).

1. Miniscule pay raise. I actually worked full time for the whole year and we earned a little more money since I wasn’t going to school. But that leads to #2.

2. No longer a student. Those tuition credits came in handy.

3. Debt Settlement = Taxable Income. So poor that I defaulted on a student loan and settled the debt for about 50% of what I owed. Turns out that counts as “taxable income.” Because that makes sense.

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If you are going to see a counselor for the first time, it can be pretty intimidating. No matter what issue you are going to work on, the following tips will help you get the most out of counseling.

1. Drop your guard. We all have walls that we put up to protect ourselves. That wall is going to be one of the biggest obstacles to your growth. By dropping your guard, you commit to being honest and completely open. If you want to get your money’s worth, this is the #1 way to do it. It will be difficult, especially when you start approaching topics that cause some pain, shame, or negative emotions. Remind yourself that you’re in a safe place and that’s what you are here for. So drop your guard and be real.

2. Find the right match. Counselors are human, and they have personalities and therapeutic styles. To get the most out of your time, you must find the right match. That means you might have to hop around counselors for a little while, but it will be worth it. It’s better to shop around than meet the discouragement of delayed and negative progress due to a poor match. So take the time (and money) to find the right match.

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As a parent, teacher, mentor, school administrator, aunt, uncle, or any adult – you may have teenagers in your life that you would like to connect with.  Perhaps you’d like to talk with them, be accepted by them, and have an over-all positive connection with them.  Depending on the teenager, this can be a daunting and potentially impossible endeavor.  Every teenager is different, and these may not work on yours – but it’s worth a shot if you’d really like to get into the lives of your teenagers. If you have additional ideas that have worked for you, please add a comment. Thanks!

1. Don’t try to be cool.  An adult who is trying to be cool looks like an idiot. You may think you’re being sly and natural. You’re not. So stop trying to be cool for your teenagers.  They already think you’re lame – so the sooner you accept that you are (in their eyes) the better. Teenagers tend to prefer an adult who is comfortable with themselves – it puts them at ease. So just relax and be yourself.

2. Stop talking.  I get it, you’re nervous. You feel like you need to feel the air…with the sound of your own voice. Relax. Maybe if you’d just chill for a little bit, your teenager might feel comfortable enough to start talking. But it is possible for angsty teens to sit for hours in silence – just to make you feel like an ass.  So don’t say anything along the lines of, “We’ll just sit here until you start talking.” 

3. Don’t offer them a challenge.  Saying something like, “I can sit here all day until you start talking,” will only challenge them to do exactly that. Beware of trying to intimidate them into talking.  You’ll only make them trust you less.

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I’m currently in the process of transferring all the blog entries over at happylists.wordpress.com over to my new wordpress website, www.MyHappylists.com.

Please be patient while I transfer over the older entries (and update them as best as possible in the process).

Thanks!

~Angela Wilson
MyHappyLists.com Writer & Administrator

Tired of your job?  Ready for something new?  Check out some of these ideas for ways to successfully change careers.

1. Unemployment. Check out the rules and requirements for qualifying for unemployment. Before you quit or get fired, you’ll want to be educated about your options for unemployment. The extra money from Unemployment might be enough to get you through a few months while you’re changing careers.

2. Good Resume. Even if you think you have a good resume, get some help.  Your local college and other professionals are good resources for help with writing an effective resume.  Some places offer this service, but shop around.  You don’t want to pay for something you can get for free or do yourself (with some helpful suggestions or advice from people you already know).

3. Counseling. If you’re not exactly sure what you want to do, invest in some career counseling.  Your local college probably offers this service at a decent price (maybe even free!).  Consider it an investment in yourself.  An effective career counselor will take an integrative approach – including personality tests, career inventories, career educations, and other services.  Ask for what your career counseling will involve when you’re calling around.

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I love making lists (as you all know). So why would I be against the grandest list of all?

 1. They set you up to fail. You write a whole list of them, or maybe just one or two. But there’s a reason you’re waiting until now to start working on them. They’re difficult, and you’ve failed before. You will fail again.

2. Everybody does it. Why would you want to be part of the crowd like that?

3. Losing weight should be a whole lifestyle change. Instead of trying to lose weight every January, actually change your lifestyle – and you won’t have to keep adding “lose weight” to your list of goals.

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When the budget is tight, we all look for ways to save money.  When looking at the bills we have, sometimes the grocery bill is higher than we think it should be.  Obviously you need to eat, but here are some ways to save money while grocery shopping.

1. Actually Go Grocery Shopping.  I realize that cooking takes time and effort, and driving to get fast food seems so quick and easy.  But if you eat fast food all the time (even off the $1 menu), you are wasting money.  Calculate how much money you spend on fast food and go spend that at the grocery store.  You’ll be able to get way more meals out of it.  And if you don’t like cooking, buy meals that are quick and easy.  They may not be the best meals, but it’s better than fast food.

2. Don’t go Hungry.  Everyone knows this one, so why do you keep going when you’re hungry?  Eat before you go!

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If you have problems with circulation (cold feet, cold hands, vericose veins, etc), try some of these techniques to improve your blood circulation.  These techniques are not original.  They are compiled from a variety of sources (links to original sources provided).

1. Hot and Cold Treatments. Hot and cold Showers or Hydrotherapy is a good way of improving your circulation. It is something you can do every day, concentrating on the effected area. Using hot water makes your blood rush to the skin and feeds it. Then when you immediately put on the cold, the blood rushes to your internal organs. You shiver, but what is happening is that your blood is flushing out your skin and leaving it oxygenated. Then, again, flip on the hot water and the blood rushes from your internal organs, so flushing them, to your skin.

Your circulation is increased just by the action of your blood being forced rapidly around your body. This hot and then cold water can be repeated up to 5 or 6 times for optimum results. Do not start straight away on very hot or very cold water. Gradually increase the temperature difference between the hot and cold water over a period of a few weeks so that it is not too much of a shock to the system. This single action can dramatically improve your circulation over time.

You can also do this to a single body part. Use it to improve poor leg circulation or bad hand circulation. It really can make a difference over time.

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We all get criticized, but sometimes criticism goes too far. Here are some ways to respond to the kind of criticism that drives you crazy.

1. Consider the Source. If you’re being criticized by someone who doesn’t matter to you, then why should their opinion matter to you?

2. Recognize online haters for what they are. And what are they? Pathetic. You know who these people are. They get their kicks out of antagonizing others. They think they’re being smart, but really they’re just acting like immature bullies. Recognize them for what they are, and don’t let their poisonous criticism get to you.

3. Just because someone is an “expert” doesn’t make them right. Granted, some criticism you receive may be accurate, but don’t take nasty criticism to heart just because the person dishing it out is perceived as an expert. Other people may bow down to them, but you don’t have to.

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