5 Ways to Create Reserve Energy Everyday

5 Ways to Create Reserve Energy Everyday
Author: Steve Brunkhorst

Did you ever feel like your "get-up-and-go" got up and deserted you? Has a stressful situation left you feeling drained and unmotivated to perform the simplest tasks?

Most of us have experienced times of stress followed by fatigue. The resiliency to work, play, and enjoy life after stressful times requires enough reserve energy to bounce back.

Bruce Lee said that "… the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind." Flexibility is indeed one key to resiliency.

Those bamboo trees, in bending one direction, build potential energy to bounce back. However, human minds and bodies are not made of bamboo. We might expend more energy while bending under stress than we have in reserve. We can easily break before we bounce.

Depleted energy results in career burn out, depression, and physical illness. Relationships suffer. Periods of intense apathy can steal much of the joy in living. Springing back after stressful times requires a storehouse of reserve energy.

How can we generate and conserve enough energy to keep us resilient in times of crisis or stress?

Choose Equanimity

Webster defines equanimity as a habit of mind that is only rarely disturbed under great strain. Equanimity is the practice of right disposition, stability, and balance.

Energy reserves can be replenished daily through the discipline of balance. Balance provides flexibility, a quality essential for responding in positive ways to events in all of the major life areas. How can we begin achieving equanimity and balance?

Do Something Enjoyable Every Day

Balance includes taking time daily for relaxation and participation in activities that we enjoy. What do you like to do? Take a sheet of paper or open a text file on your computer now, and write ten things that you love most. Then pick one of those things and do it today.

A wise friend once told me that she kept a happy book. It contained hundreds of things she loved most -- things that made her smile, laugh and daydream. Each day, she made sure she did a few of the things in her happy book. This became a great way to replenish the energy consumed during daily living.

Maintain Total Wellness

Wellness is an actively sought state of health. It includes spiritual, mental and physical well-being. We can perform better under pressure, recover from setbacks, and minimize resiliency fatigue by strengthening our spirits, minds and bodies.

If you feel chronically fatigued, see your physician. Regular health care checkups can help to prevent illness and maintain wellness. Physical fitness, meditation, and gratitude-focused prayer increase energy levels tremendously. Always check with a physician before beginning any exercise or nutritional program.

It is easy to resist making necessary changes in our lifestyle. We would rather not acknowledge habits and tolerations that work against us. Change is uncomfortable.

However, it is an unbreakable spiritual law that whatever we resist will persist and thrive by consuming our energy. What are you resisting that could be stealing your energy now?

Discard Time Excuses

"I don't have time," usually means one of two things. It either means the person doesn't manage time, or it means that they have other priorities.

Your priorities are completely under your control. They will either give energy to you or take energy away from you. If your priorities are not in harmony with your values, they will consume your energy.

We are completely responsible for how much time we dedicate to various activities. We either control our schedules or our schedules control us.

If we choose to work ourselves to the bone without investing a few minutes in personal growth, it's not because there is a lack of time. Rather, it's simply our choice. We must live with its consequences.

Keep Nourishing Your Reserve Energy

The ideas I've mentioned will help you to create more reserve energy and resiliency. I work from early morning until late afternoon on weekdays, then exercise, read, and relax or socialize during the remaining hours.

One of my biggest joys is writing Ezine issues and web pages on Sunday afternoons. The computer plays peaceful, uplifting music as I work. Doing things that we love in compelling ways naturally builds reserve energy.

God created us with the ability to be very resilient. However, we must nourish that resiliency. So, He also provided ways to laugh, relax, and enjoy improving our lives.

How will you increase your energy reserve and resiliency today?

We can choose to restore our internal energy reserves and become resilient. We can create equilibrium and flexibility by engaging in enjoyable activities, maintaining wellness, and taking responsibility for our time expenditures. Perhaps we can even become as resilient as those bamboo trees!

© Copyright by Steve Brunkhorst. Steve is a professional life success coach, motivational author, and the editor of Achieve! 60-Second Nuggets of Inspiration, a popular mini-zine bringing great stories, motivational nuggets, and inspiring thoughts to help you achieve more in your career and personal life. Get the next issue by visiting http://www.AchieveEzine.com

Copywriting to promote yourself 5 ways

Monica, a very competent businesswoman, was explaining her new website.

“The headline will be my slogan,” she said confidently. “You know: the part that goes, ‘More impact when you speak, every time.’”

Ouch! Definitely not the way to go.

Naturally I’ve disguised the details but Monica’s not unusual. You’ve got at least 5 ways to brag – all different.

(1) Your slogan usually appears near your logo on your website, on your business card and (often) in your elevator speech.

Your slogan should reflect the benefits you offer your clients, not your own uniqueness. I once saw a slogan on a truck, “We know everything about lumber.” My response: “So…why should I care?”

Better: “We use wood to make your home look beautiful.”

Ali Brown’s “Boost business with your own ezine” does the job.
So does Michael Port’s, “The guy to call when you’re tired of thinking small.”

I’ve used “Promotion with professionalism” and, “If your website isn’t making money while you sleep, we need to talk.” My current career slogan: “From career breakdown to career breakthrough.”

(2) Resource box statement. When you send out articles to promote your business, you need a short signature block – 5 to 7 lines – to conclude your article. You’ll need a brief sentence summarizing your uniqueness, such as: “Mary Jones helps high-earning professionals lose their credit card debt and gain financial security in six months or less.”

Some professionals opt for a simpler version: “Bob Smith helped over 200 authors publicize their books to increase sales” or even, “Jane Doe has been helping corporate executives manage their careers since 1992.”

I recommend a sentence rather than a phrase because resource boxes get chopped when your article gets published.

The expert here is of course Alexandria Brown the Ezine Queen.

(3) Irresistible freebie.

To motivate website visitors to sign up for your ezine, ecourse or podcast, you need a gift they can’t wait to download. Go for broke with this one: if it feels over the top to you, it’s probably just right for your readers.

Typical titles refer to a number of critical or essential tips. “Secrets” sounds corny but it still works. I’ve had considerable success with “7 best-kept secrets of client attracting copy.” Others might be “How to avoid the 5 deadly mistakes made by career changers.”

Tip: I encourage my copy clients to begin a website copywriting project with the freebie. It’s a good way to get in touch with your clients’ pain.

(4) Headline.

Your home page needs a killer headline that motivates readers to keep reading. We could spend a whole article on this topic – in fact, whole books have been written about headlines.
Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero wrote: "Copywriting: The Secret Weapon Your Competitors Hope You Never Figure Out How to Use!" Learn more!

(5) Elevator speech.

Designing an elevator speech resembles creating copy for your website: you focus on the target and demonstrate your benefits. A new book on elevator speeches that’s worth a look. The author lives here in Seattle and I’ve heard her speak:
Give Your Elevator Speech A Lift

I don’t recommend trying to economize on promotion by using the same concept for all 5 bragging opportunities, although you’ll find this formula applied successfully to packaged goods marketing. Purina Pet Foods has a wonderful trademarked slogan, “Your Pet, Our PassionTM.” They use it on everything from their website to ads. We’re different.

Autor: Cathy Goodwin
http://www.copy-cat-copywriting.com

5 ways to optimize your design

Everyday thousands of websites are being created based on the needs of website owners and not the needs of their visitors. Visitors are being ignored which is the biggest reason most websites are not successful; here are 5 ways to optimize your design:

1. Become the visitor
Put yourself in the visitor’s shoes. What would a visitor browsing your website want? The goal of your website should not just be to fulfill your needs, but also fulfill the visitors needs. A good way to figure out what a visitor would want is to survey a few people who are interested in your products and services and adjust your design to fit their needs as well as your needs. This does not always have to cost money, no reason why you can’t just ask a few of your friends.
2. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication
If you look at some of the most successful websites on the web such as Google, Flickr, and Blogger they are all simple. Why add bloated features to your website when 80 percent of your visitors will only use 20 percent of these features. Keep your goals as well as your visitors’ needs in mind when adding a feature.
3. Content is king
Make sure the content on the website is laid out in an effective way. If you just concentrate on the look and feel of a website and ignore the content, how high of a conversion rate do you think you will have? You need a concise, convincing message and solid information architecture if you want your visitors to buy your product or service. And most importantly, make sure that the content is readable and easy to understand.
4. It’s the little things that make a big difference
Every aspect of your website design needs to be thought out and scrutinized. Things such as colors, shapes and even gradients can make a big impact on the overall message. Using colors such as blue, green, turquoise, and silver can create a calm effect. Using rounded corners instead of hard edges within your design can enable a soft and personalized feeling. By combining color, shapes, pictures and effects together you can create a strong message that can help create a memorable experience for your visitors.
5. Guide your visitors
You don’t want your visitors clicking all over your website just to find a product. Reduce confusion and guide your visitors through links, navigation menus, and call to actions. Show them the right path so they only have to make a few clicks instead of 10 to buy a product. By reducing the amount of clicks your visitors make you will decrease their frustration and increase your conversion rate.

These methods of optimizing your design may seem simple, but in most cases they are overlooked. Give them a try; you might be shocked on how effective they can be and how much you can save on advertising by maximizing your design.

source: pronetadvertising.com

5 Ways to Reduce Stress Levels

Stress is an unavoidable part of life, and managing it well is key to having a happy and healthy lifestyle. What I’ve come to realise is that it’s taking care of the little things really make a big difference in managing stress. Keeping the small things at bay, makes sure they don’t build up and come back to haunt you later on.

Here’s a little list to start with, and here are my favourite takeouts from the site:

#4. Don’t rely on your memory - write it down. You will have one less things at the back of your mind, and a perfect record of whatever you need to remember.

#12. Make copies of important papers and store them where you’ll be able to find them.

#14. Ask for help - You’re not alone in this world.

#15. Chunk down big jobs into little ones - Makes things much easier to digest and act on. Definately helps with procastination

#68. Have a “plan B” - That way you know you have a backup plan and can move forward instantly if anything goes wrong.

What are your favourite ways to reduce stress?

10 Ways to Promote Your eBay Store And Get More Bids

If you are serious about making money on eBay you need to have an eBay store. This gives you your own unique URL that you can use to promote your store.

Now it doesn't take a genius to work this formula out. More visitors = more sales.

Here are 10 easy ways to promote your eBay store and gain extra traffic that in turn will lead to more bids.

1. Make sure you provide a link to your eBay store from every auction you run. If someone is not interested in your auction they may be interested in something else you are selling in your eBay store.

Make sure you ask people to click on your link and they will. How many times have you seen the term 'please view my other auctions' or 'visit my eBay store for more bargains' I bet you've clicked on those links sometimes too? I know I have. It's all about encouraging the person to do what you want. After all, if they don't click on your link what have you lost? Nothing.

2. Include a simple email signature in all outgoing emails. Make sure you use a catchy headline to attract visitors. Again, ask people to click your link.

3. Include a link to your store in all winning bidder emails you send to your eBay customers. Just a simple line of text explaining you have many more quality items in your store will do.

4. If you use eBay to automatically invoice your customers make sure you mention your eBay store and provide a link.

5. If you take part in forum discussions and are allowed a signature make sure you provide a link to your eBay store in all forum posts you make.

6. Look for forums related to what you sell, offer advice and take part in discussions and make sure you mention your eBay store wherever possible.

7. If you can set up an auto responder for your customer emails have it say something like:- "Hi. Thanks for getting in touch, I have received your email and will respond soon" then include your signature.

8. Write at least one article per month related to your eBay business and include a link to your eBay store, just as I have done here.

9. Create an eBay about me page and make sure you mention your eBay store. Again, ask people to click your link and they will.

10. Consider upgrading your store to the featured level. If you are a high volume seller the extra cost will be worth it.

There you have it, 10 simple steps to ensure you gain more visitors to your auctions. If you implement these steps into your eBay business you will receive more visitors and in turn more bids.

5 Ways to Make Your Website Quit

When it comes right down to it, a website is like an employee. An employee who works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, never asks for vacation time, and religiously keeps track of every transaction it makes with your customers. But that’s not really where the analogy ends. If your website is abused, it might just quit working for you.

What does it mean for your website to quit?

Oh, it’ll still be there (maybe) - hangin’ out on the internet, showing off for the occasional visitor - but not really invested in your company. It will continue to be a part of your company - but instead of helping you increase your business profile, make sales, find qualified leads, or gain readership it will just be a leach on your finances. How does this happen?

1. You only care what it looks like, and don’t bother making certain it can really get the job done. It’s a very stereotypical sexist scenario in which the boss hires a secretary on the basis of her legs (or other body parts), but it sure seems to apply to websites. An incredibly complex Flash animation with doohickeys and gewgaws may be an incredible looking website - but you better have made sure it can also give your visitors what they need.
2. You’re asking it to do things it might not like to do. Sometimes, an employee might be asked to do something unethical. They might quit. If you’re expecting your website to invade people’s privacy by collecting personally identifiable information, or by automatically adding them to mailing lists, etc., you might find that behavior to backfire. Visitors don’t always like your service enough to put up with the hoops you make them jump through: and unless you’ve got something really great, they’ll just stop coming.
3. You’re not providing the right tools for the job. If your employee is working with a sad old Windows 95 machine which just barely stays running when they’re trying to type out meeting minutes, they will probably be a bit dissatisfied with their lot in life. Similarly, if your website doesn’t have the hosting package it needs, the bandwidth it requires, or a secure certificate to keep your customer’s data safe you might be screwing yourself. Don’t host your business site with a free service: remember, you get what you pay for. (Well…usually. Don’t just jump on the most expensive hosting out there, either.)
4. Don’t explain what it’s supposed to do. If your new employee doesn’t get any instructions, they’ll just be doing random things trying to keep busy. Is that what you want from your website? If you’re developing a site, make sure you know what you want from it. Don’t just add new features willy-nilly, and don’t just throw up your brochure because you think you need to have a web presence. Your website won’t really accomplish anything for you if you don’t have any clear intentions behind it.
5. Don’t change things too frequently. If you throw new job instructions at your employees every six months, expecting them to learn a new filing system, a new business process or a new shipping procedure they might well rebel. And although your site isn’t going to literally fight against your changes, it’ll certainly suffer: if you’ve reorganized product categories, you might cause search engines problems in finding your pages. You can protect against this, so it’s not an argument against ever reorganizing. However, those robots take some time to catch up - if you go through a reorganization too frequently, they’ll never arrive where you are. Your visitors might struggle, too. Some people like change and others don’t. Nobody will rebel against one redesign: but everybody will struggle with too many of them. Change can equal improvement: but not every change will.

Don’t be a bad boss - invest in your website just like you would an employee. And if it’s not doing the job - fire it and get a new one.