Productivity – Launch Digital Freedom

What are the Downsides of Being a Software Developer?

Software is what makes the world go around. Apps and software manage almost every aspect of our digital lives and even our physical lives. But behind these amazing apps are software developers who spend hours and hours designing, coding, and fixing bugs. And although developing apps can be a rewarding career, it also has many frustrating aspects that can challenge even the most dedicated developer.

I will list six frustrations that I have experienced as a software developer in the course of my job, so let’s dive in.

Keeping Up with Technological Changes
Unexpected Technical Issues
Unrealistic Client Expectations
Poor Documentation
Spending More Time Fixing Bugs
Developing Unnecessary Features

Keeping Up with Technological Changes

Technology by definition is about change and advancement. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage. Technology can improve what is possible or what can be done. But technology can also create massive uncertainty because things are changing so fast.

This constant change puts pressure on developers to constantly stay up to date with the latest technologies. This requires constant learning. But also can be incredibly frustrating as often things change without knowing that they have changed.

It is probably far better to specialize in specific fields of technology, or languages in order to keep up with the rapid changes and developments that are happening. It is just impossible to know everything and keep up to date with every piece of technology that is changing.

Unexpected Technical Issues

When developing solutions for customers its is possible to run into software development challenges. These technical issues may not have been expected because of various reasons.

The more diverse the development environment the more chances there are that you may stumble onto various technical issues. Especially when integrating different technologies that you are not familiar with or when applying new technologies.

Facing this kind of challenge needs to be expected, and is one of the reasons that careful planning is needed to coordinate different aspects of a project. Technical input from experienced team members can help highlight possible hurdles that the team may face.

Software is never perfect. It is never fixed and there are always unexpected surprises waiting for developers when tackling a project. It will always be part of the development territory, and part of the job.

If you don’t enjoy the constant hurdling over technical problems, you could be in for a nightmare!

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Unrealistic Client Expectations

One frustrating part of being a developer is when clients want you to make little changes that seem to take forever.

These are usually small things that they see or want to add, but they don’t understand that these small changes can have a big impact on the development process.

Often when trying to communicate the complexities of the changes that the client may suggest, they question your ability. They feel that the changes should be possible, but don’t understand the technical complications of that one change.

If the customer had communicated their needs better and been more forthcoming you could have included the feature in the original project outline.

Poor Documentation

Software development is a complicated process and it can be pretty challenging. Developers have to make sure everything works the way it should. This means following procedures to ensure development is done in a structured and orderly manner. This is why documentation is so important.

Changes need to be tracked and good documentation is there to help developers fix issues down the road. This is especially important for those that are new to an organization. It allows them to go back and see why pieces of code were written, and what problems were encountered.

The problem is, proper documentation is not always available. This means developers have to spend time figuring out why sections of code were included. If you have ever been in a situation where you were working on a project and had no idea why the previous developer wrote code, you know what I’m talking about.

Spending More Time Fixing Bugs

Probably one of the most frustrating aspects of software development is bug fixing. This can be a time-consuming exercise. And what can make it even more frustrating is when the combination of bad planning, incomplete documentation, mixed with demanding clients.

Unfortunately due to the fact that technology is ever changing and environments vary, there will always be bugs that pop up when you least expect it.

If you find spending hours troubleshooting why code is doing what it’s doing, maybe software development isn’t the career for you.

But if you are an analytical mind and enjoy being constantly challenged to solve complex problems, then software development may be a career to consider.

For many developers constantly fixing development environment issues, and project issues can get exhausting over time. It’s not so much the coding, but the associated challenges and troubleshooting that can be very frustrating.

Developing Unnecessary Features

Sometimes you might spend time developing a feature that isn’t used. Perhaps the client asked for a feature that was developed but not needed.

This can be frustrating as it’s time wasted that could have been spent on doing more productive activities. Maybe you could have been focused on other issues that needed attention.

Either way this can happen and is usually due to a lack of communication and clarifying exactly what the client needs. This is another reason why taking enough time for planning software development projects is crucial.

This planning needs to go hand in hand with client discussions. It is critical to ensure that time isn’t wasted on developing software features that are not needed or leaving out features that are needed.

Read about : Affiliate Marketing as a Passive Income Source?

Whould you consider Software Development as a Career?

Software development is a challenging field. It is highly technical and requires a strong desire to learn constantly to keep your skills relevant.

If you don’t enjoy the constantly evolving environment of technologies, or spending hours problem solving, then I’d highly suggest a more stable field.

Long-term the challenges of keeping up with software development technologies can become exhausting, even for the most enthusiastic of developers.

If you’ve reached a point where you are ready to walk away from your developer role, I’d suggest looking into starting a side hustle building an online income stream. This way you can create a new challenge and build a way out of a frustrating position.

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How To Improve Your Productivity when you Work From Home?

Over the past two years work from home has become a buzzword. Not only for employees working for companies but also for those who are self-employed. Although much of the technologies were available prior to the pandemic, many companies were forced to encourage employees to work remotely.

Today many employees have embraced the idea of working from home and being available for their families. But some question whether employees can be as productive at home as they are in the office. So here are some ways you can increase your productivity while working from home.

Designate a Workspace
Clear the Clutter
Get Comfortable
Set the Ambience
Set a Work Schedule
Use a Calendar
Prepare for Distractions
Take Breaks
Change the Scenery
Be Flexible
Monitor Your Performance

Designate a Workspace

The most important part of working from home on a long-term basis is setting up a workspace. The reason for this is to help you be organized. Have everything you need in one place. And help allow you to move into the work mindset when you sit down at your desk.

It will be beneficial if you use a room that has a door you can close. This will help when you need that extra bit of quiet when focusing on critical work while others are in the house.

You want to make sure there is ample light and fresh air. Simple yet important for sustained working. Setting up a pleasant and organized work area is key to helping you sustain optimal performance.

Clear the Clutter

If you like me or most people, clutter can drain you. If your workspace looks more like a storage area than a workspace you might find yourself feeling irritated rather than relaxed. Clear the clutter and ensure your work area is neat and clean. You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel and focus!

Get Comfortable

If you working at your laptop for hours, a comfortable chair and stable desk are essential. Don’t underestimate what a comfortable workstation can do for your back, neck, and productivity! The more comfortable and at ease you are, the more you can focus on your work. That means you going to be getting more done in less time!

Read more about : Why Not To Quit Your Job To Start A Business

Set the Mood

Getting into the work mindset while at home can be tough. You might find yourself feeling like you want to walk away from your desk. Break the mood by playing some music or listening to a podcast or video in the background.

Just hearing other people in the background can help you settle down and get into the work mood. Having décor, paintings, or posters on the wall can also change the feel of the room. Try changing the layout or décor and see if it makes you feel better.

Set a Work Schedule

When working from home you might have the tendency to fall out of a strict working schedule. This can be fine from time to time, but as a rule, might reduce your productivity in the long run. Be strict with yourself and commit to being at your desk by a certain time. This routine will also create a sense of certainty that will further enhance your confidence.

Use a Calendar

Our phones and computers have calendars built-in. They are easy to use and can be set to remind you of events, appointments, or just tasks that need to be done.

Using them as a tool can greatly increase your productivity by ensuring you don’t forget things like meetings and important tasks. Because we carry our phones with us, we can be sure we will get reminders and avoid missing those Zoom meetings you love so much!

Prepare for Distractions

Working from home can be a pleasure, but it can also be a hurdle of endless distractions. If you are a parent you know what I’m talking about. It is one of the challenges of blending home life with work productivity.

Taking time to prepare for the day can help reduce the distractions or help you navigate through them a bit better. Have someone you trust to take care of your children when you know you going to have a busy day that needs your full attention.

Take Breaks!

When you are at home there can be an inclination to keep working relentlessly until you’ve “finished” your work. This might seem honorable but it’s not sustainable. Know when to walk away and give yourself some space to breathe. Also taking time to spend with family at the appropriate times will also help avoid you alienating them and ensure you maintain balance in your life.

Change the Scenery

One of the biggest drawbacks of working from home for some can be the monotony of never leaving home. This became evident during strict Covid lockdowns and frustrated many people.

If you feeling a bit of cabin fever, it might be a good idea to pack your laptop and leave home to work at a local coffee shop or friend. The change might just be what you need to get your edge back.

Be Flexible

Often working from home means you have interruptions as we’ve already mentioned. This is just part of the territory of working from home. So instead of getting stressed out about it, be flexible.

If you lose an hour in the day to deal with issues at home, then add an hour in later in the day, or start earlier tomorrow. We can’t stop things from happening around us, but we can respond to them proactively. So be flexible and adapt your schedule as required, make it okay and you will save yourself a ton of stress.

Monitor Your Performance

Being productive is important. And one way to monitor your productivity is by noting the time you work and what you have achieved every day. In this way, you can gauge whether you are getting things done.

Assess your performance on a week-to-week basis and see how you are doing. Assess what you have achieved and see how you can improve. Often it’s small improvements that can make the biggest difference.

Conclusion

Working from home can be both challenging and positive. The key is really being organized, having a designated work area, setting your hours, knowing when to take a break and when to buckle down. Distractions will happen, kids will demand your attention and yes sometimes you’ll have to drop your work to deal with a crisis.

The ultimate strategy is being prepared for the uncertainty and working in a way that facilitates the highest performance. So, try to let go a little and embrace a flexible work style and you’ll feel more positive, less stressed out, and enjoy working while knowing you are a room away from your family…

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5 Easy Steps on How to Create Work Life Balance

It’s a New Year; Hope you have a successful 2022. Did you get the needed rest over the festive period? Now that you have hopefully relaxed a bit, there is another heavy year ahead (as always). So how do we make sure we get the work done, but also have time to relax and spend focused time with family and friends. I’m sure you’ve heard it before, work life balance. So, let’s see how we can create work life balance.

What is Work Life Balance?

Work life balance is really making sure you fit in all the work and social activities into your 16 hour day. (Of course, we need 8 hours to sleep). This includes eating, hobbies, time with friends and family, reading, work, exercise, playing with your dog, etc. But if you put all the things you want to get done into a calendar, you’ll often find you won’t have time to do them all. At least not at once. And this is where the balancing and trade-offs begin.

Why is Work Life Balance Important?

By not paying attention to your work life balance, you could either focus too much on the fun activities, and achieve nothing, or you could focus too much on work and burn out! If you are spending too much time on your PC without breaks, eating while working, and checking in at work when you are spending time with family, you are probably on the road to burnout. Humans just can’t do more than one thing at a time. If you keep trying to, it will feel like you are always working and getting nothing done. Let’s see some key aspects we can look at to increase our chance of this work life balance.

How to create a Work Life Balance Program

Whenever I find myself losing the work life balance, I force myself to sit back and do nothing for a moment. Breathe a little, and maybe meditate to empty my mind. It’s usually important at this time to go through the following five steps. Probably because I am doing things that I should NOT be doing.

What are the five steps to work life balance?

1. Find Your True Values

If you know your true values it will help you focus only on the things that make you happy right now. There are many values that we would like to have, but they are all too often not our current values. For example, I was part of a chess club and enjoyed it for years. But after time, I was just going out of habit and not getting enough from it. Even though I love chess, it’s just not a value right now. So I eliminated it from my schedule.

2. Plan the Time for your Values

Once you have your current list of values, make sure you eliminate all the non-values from your schedule. Every time you schedule your fun activities, make sure they are in line with your values. You’ll feel a lot better only doing the things you like to do. Make sure you schedule at least one fun activity per week or as often as you think you need it. (Of course if one of your values is family, you need to nurture that daily)

3. Ensure you make time for Stress Relief and Exercise

There will always be stress, but we simply need to find ways to eliminate it after a hard day’s work. For some this may be a conversation with friends, others it might be a glass of wine. For me, there is nothing better than getting on my running shoes and hitting the road. It seems to clear my mind and prepare me for the fun events ahead (Because we scheduled them remember!) It also has a good side effect of keeping me fit.

4. Use Important/Urgent to access a task

This is an important step that is aimed at your vocational work. Whether it is a job or a business, you need to eliminate unimportant tasks. Outsource or delegate anything that takes you away from the important. The way it works, place each task into the relevant grid spot below. If it’s important and urgent, you need to DO IT NOW! If it’s important but not urgent, schedule it for a time you can focus on this. If you are a morning person like me, schedule it in the morning. If the task is not important but is urgent, get someone else to do it. If you can, pay someone. And finally, if the task is both unimportant and not urgent, DON’T DO IT!

Also, schedule focus time in your calendar. A time where you will undertake important tasks each day. In this focus time, you have to remove all distractions. This includes phone, email, meeting requests, people. Only work on the important task at this time.

You can learn more about focus time here.

What is focus time? (5 ways on how to achieve more!)

5. Learn to say NO

By nature, most of us are people pleasers. We have an insatiable need to help others. But if this helping others is taking us away from our work and our values, we need to say NO.

Some tips on how to say no:

Say it in clear terms
Be assertive and polite
Be honest in your reasoning

Conclusion

Next time you feel trapped, as if you can’t escape what you are doing, just breathe and follow the steps above. You’ll start to realize you have more control than you think. Focus on your values.

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How Building Your Venture in Public can be a Competitive Advantage?

Many people struggle to get their business ideas off the ground. It often takes longer than they think to develop their products or services. And this stops many from even launching into cyberspace. But that is changing. More and more entrepreneurs are opting to build their businesses in public. Yes. Even before they have products or services to sell.

This might seem risky or foolish. But there is a method to their madness. They may start by sharing how they’ve been researching their ideas. What they have learned. They may share what other companies are doing, and how they intend to improve the issues of those products or services.

And social media is where many entrepreneurs are talking about what they are building. Sharing their journey of discovery and development with the public eye. Many entrepreneurs actively engage with the public and get feedback, which can be a fantastic way to build an even better business.

Let’s take a look at why building a business in public can help facilitate opportunities for your startup.

Transparency Builds Trust

One of the biggest challenges in building a new venture is establishing trust with prospective customers. People need to be able to trust that you will deliver what you say you will. At the beginning of your business journey, you will start with zero customers. And that means you need to be able to attract interest in your offering. But how do you build trust?

Building in public is a way to establish trust. As people see you online, you will start to build up credibility as you interact with your audience. People will feel like they are a part of your journey, and will relate more than if you simply tried to promote what you were selling.

As you share more of your journey in public and people can see you are consistent, willing to listen, and give feedback, you will establish a strong sense of trust.

Establishes Your Brand

Establishing a strong brand is pivotal to building a successful business online or offline. And it ties in with the previous point on trust. Your brand presence can build a public image that can be a powerful asset to attract customers.

Brand versus Business

Your business is the behind-the-scenes mechanics of your venture. It’s the systems you use, the administrative side, the inner workings of your services, and operations.

Your brand is the public persona or image that people see of your business. It’s how you represent yourself in public, both verbally and visually. It’s the way you market your business, or how you talk to your customers. It’s fundamentally the outward character of your business.

And this is where building in public can help you build a strong brand, whether personal or organizational. The same benefits apply. The voice and attitude of your communication will establish a certain character for your brand. And this will attract a certain type of audience.

For example, if you are developing a service for corporate professionals, considering your audience can help guide how you represent your brand both verbally or visually. Appealing to one group might repel other groups of people. If some people don’t connect with your brand that’s okay. You are not trying to help everyone. If you attract the right audience, that is ultimately what matters.

And that’s where your brand can be a magnet. It can attract the right type of audience that you want to connect with online.

Attracts Your Audience

A problem many entrepreneurs have is selling their products or services once they are ready to launch. This can take a lot of time, effort and even money to do. And if you like many entrepreneurs, you don’t want to be starting from scratch when you are ready to launch your offering.

This is where building your audience before you launch can be invaluable. The advantage to this is that you are building anticipation for your launch. People are getting to hear about how you are building your venture. If you do it right, by the time you do launch your offering, you will have already created awareness and interest. And that means that you will not have to start from nothing.

Better Product-Market Fit

You might have an idea that you think is fantastic. You feel it’s so good it cannot fail. But what does the market think? Does your offering meet the demands and needs of your target audience? This is a challenge for any startup. You just don’t know how people will react to your idea.

And this is where building in public can come into its own. You can share your product or service offering and get feedback. Maybe people offer you constructive criticisms or ideas to make it even better. They might even be able to help you hone your product to meet the demands of your target audience.

If you want to succeed you need to listen to your audience, your prospective customers are a goldmine of information. Don’t dismiss them. You ultimately build something for them. And the more the public sees your openness to embrace feedback the more confidence people will have in you.

Test Your Offering

One advantage of building in public is that you can test your offering with a select number of customers. By gauging the feedback from your customers you can prepare for your launch. And ensure you iron out any issues before you finally go live.

By launching too soon, you might disappoint customers and lose valuable trust that you’ve taken time to develop. So rather take your time to gauge feedback from users and ensure it meets a certain level of quality before you make it available.

Conclusion

If you are considering building a new venture you might want to consider starting even before you have a clear direction. Sharing your journey can greatly benefit your progress and brand awareness.

Before you even have a clear vision of your business, you can start sharing about the area of interest and get feedback on ideas to gauge what people want. This can guide you toward a clearer idea for your offering, it’s really a win-win…

And all at the same time you will be building your online presence, establishing your authority, and growing your audience. This means when you are ready to finally launch your venture, you will have the audience you need to sell your product or service.

So… are you ready to start your journey in public yet?

References :

Entrepreneur Magazine, Building in Public: How Tech Companies Master Product-Market Fit

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5 Secrets to Overcome Perfection Paralysis and Anxiety

You might already know you are a perfectionist. Your friends, family, and colleagues probably drop remarks about how you always need things to be perfect. And you believe its important to always strive for the highest level. Why shouldn’t you? Why do anything at all if you can’t do it one hundred percent! But you know your high standards are causing you to avoid getting things started, and you feel in the grips of perfection paralysis.

What is perfectionism?

Well according to dictionary.com, perfection is “a personal standard, attitude, or philosophy that demands perfection and rejects anything less.”

Its the unrelenting desire to always get things right at all costs, and this is where perfection can be so destructive. Unfortunately, the world is not perfect. Neither are human beings. We are all prone to error and mistakes. It’s part of what makes this world so interesting and full of surprises.

Achieving perfection is… well, an unreasonable standard.

The problem is if we obsess about constantly getting things perfect, we will lose out on all the opportunities to grow, experience new things, and achieve success in new areas of our lives.

What is perfection paralysis?

When being a perfectionist consumes you to the point that you start avoiding all things that you can’t be perfect in, it can lead to what is called perfection paralysis.

No doubt perfection paralysis can affect you at some point in your life. Its often a combination of fear of failure and overwhelm at the task of learning something new.

For example:

You decide you want to start your own business in digital marketing. So you begin researching digital marketing and all the aspects of the field. As you read articles and watch videos about digital marketing you begin to feel overwhelmed by the amount of information you need to learn. But instead of starting your venture, you put everything on hold. You feel you can’t start until you know everything… sound familiar?

And so your dream of starting your business stays a dream, and soon it becomes a forgotten dream. I have fallen into this cycle of perfection paralysis, so many times. But you need to break this pattern if you ever want to achieve your goals.

**What are the symptoms of perfection paralysis?**

Perfection paralysis might not be obvious to at first, but can manifest through our general behaviour.
If you are experiencing some of the below tell-tale symptoms you might very well be in the grips of perfection paralysis!

Four Symptoms of Perfection Paralysis:

Procrastination

Avoiding tasks or projects can be a big sign you are a perfectionist. And the reason that you are not starting is that you believe that you cannot do the task. Rather than just starting and figuring out what to do, you will rather avoid doing the task all together. You feel that if you cannot produce good, or acceptable work, you won’t start. And because of this, you do not meet the deadline as you have an unrealistic standard you have set for yourself.

Anxiety

Perfectionism and anxiety often go hand in hand. It is often fuelled by our focus on what you haven’t done. The more you focus on what you haven’t done the more anxious you get, and so you only make things worse in your mind. You might also be focusing on the past. And this is also wasted energy because the past does not create the future. By constantly focusing on the past we are taking away our focus on the present. It seems so simple, but yet we all do it. You become fixated on the past and so you become frozen and do nothing rather than risk making a mistake.

Shame

One of the biggest reasons you might be stuck in perfection paralysis is you may feel like a failure. You might have done nothing to justify the feeling, but you feel like a failure. And everything seems like an impossibility. Your shame for where you are is so overwhelming that you longer talk about your dreams and aspirations. You don’t believe you can achieve them any more. You are scared that when you put yourself out there, people will laugh if you fail, and diminish you for trying.

New Thing Averse

Shame can lead to you not trying new things. And if you never try new things, you will never learn new skills or experience new things. You will never grow. You will never know what you could have achieved if you just tried to do something you’ve never tried. And the more you avoid doing new things, the more you will avoid them. And this puts you in the perfection paralysis cycle. You will rather be “perfect” by never venturing out to try something new.

The above symptoms give you a good idea of what problems can occur when you try to be perfect. Most people only want to publish their wins to the world. Social media displays an unrealistic view of what others do to succeed. Its not always fact, but often exaggerated and fabricated.

No one gets it right all the time. Its impossible.
Its not reality. People mess up.

When you believe that everyone else is perfect and that you need to be too, you will fall into the perfection paralysis trap!

This leads to fear of failure and we never start.

The ensuing embarrassment, judgment, and vulnerability can lead us to not achieving our dreams and aspirations.

This can lead to you harming good relationships in your life because you no longer communicate your failures and challenges. And those around you will not understand what you are going through in your life.

The 5 secrets to overcoming perfection paralysis and procrastination.

To be honest, these aren’t really secrets, and probably already know them, but sometimes a you need a reminder to help get unstuck and start taking action!

**1 Stop caring so much about what people think!**

Everyone likes to feel successful, and we don’t like to fail. We seem to care what others think. And of course, it’s good to care about that, but not if your perfectionism is leading to negative situations.

The truth is they are so busy with their own lives and their problems, they don’t even notice! Right now, think about your best friends’ failures.

Does it make you want to stop being friends with them? Does it make them look like a failure in your eyes? Probably not, they are human like you (and they are trying their best).

**2 Start by Lowering Your Standards!**

Yes, I know this seems the exact opposite from what most people say, but to have a high standard, you need to start small. Most kids learn to ride a bike with training wheels first. It’s ok to make mistakes, everyone does.

Once you have started working on something, you can higher your target or standard. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Be realistic with your expectation and you’ll stop avoiding what you ultimately really want.

**3 Break It Up into Small Parts.**

Every big achievement is a sum of smaller achievements (with even more failures in between).
For example, if you are trying to write a blog, break it down into a list:

– Find a topic
– Decide on your keywords
– Research topic
– Write an outline
– Fill out the paragraphs one at a time
– Find images
– Have it checked
– Publish!

Perfectionism often is rooted in being overwhelmed by a task or project. To begin with, make sure that each piece of work is small enough and has a definite timeline to it. Once the time is up, you need to move on (come back later to fix it).

**4 Get An Accountability Partner.**

Find someone you know and trust and let them know what you are doing. Have them check in with you regularly. There will be a greater desire to achieve the goal as opposed to explaining to someone why you did not do it. This is a great way to break your cycle of perfection paralysis!

**5 Create a Routine.**

One of the ways of achieving big goals is commiting to doing something every day. When you see your goal as a step by step process you need to do every day, it will become easier to face.

Everyone is different, but I like to get my most important work done early in the day. I get up at the same time every day and follow my routine. This helps me keep my momentum going and get consistent results.

**My basic routine**

Morning: Exercise, Plan, get a quick win
Evening: Reflect and Reward

The rest of the day seems to flow after that. Routine becomes a habit and habits are easy. Small wins are important, they make you feel good about yourself.

And do not forget to reward yourself. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging what you’ve achieved! Rewarding yourself reminds you to stay present and enjoy the journey.

Each day, reflect on what worked, and what did not. Do more of what worked the next day. And keep the momentum going, when you see that you are progressing you will feel more motivated to do more.

**Conclusion**

The reason I wrote this post was that I was suffering from the same symptoms about writing my first blog. I spent 2 weeks researching!

And I could have probably researched this topic for another year and still not know how to do it perfectly!

It was scary to put myself out there.

What if no one reads this? (well, at least no one will see my mistakes!)

What if my spelling and grammar errors are picked up by the Google grammar police scrolling through my nonsense?

What if it gets terrible comments?

But what if someone reads this and gets themselves out of the “Perfection Paralysis Cycle”?

Well then it was all worth all the effort and worry!

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How Your Smartphone is Affecting Your Productivity and Focus?

Technology has become integrated into our lives and has had a massive impact on our relationships. Today we can be having a conversation with people physically yet be digitally focused on another conversation on our phone. This is the twenty-first century connected world. Our family, friends, and co-workers have devices and often are not totally present when we talk to them, simply because something else has their attention. It is something that has definitely escalated during the pandemic as people found themselves isolated and not able to socialize.

There is nothing wrong with reading a blog, browsing through social media, or even chatting to a friend online. But it does become a problem when we cant balance our digital lives with our physical lives. This is the point where we need to take back control.

Notifications, the Concentration killer.

One of the biggest problems with having mobile devices is the constant notifications that distract our attention. We naturally want to respond to them. As if they calling us to take action. It’s human nature. Who is that? What if it’s urgent? And we feel the need to check every beep and ping that pops up on our phones.

In your work environment, it can be difficult to maintain focus when you have multiple apps screaming for your attention. One way is to go into your app setting and disable notifications for certain apps like social media. It’s one way to help you focus more. And if you have a moment you can simply open your app to see if there are any notifications or messages that you need to attend to.

Find out : How Social Media Can Accelerate the Growth of Your Business?

Set Times for Social Media

Whether you use social media for personal or business purposes, it can be addictive! You constantly feel the need to see what’s going on in the world. Or what are our friends posting? And this can waste a lot of your productive time especially while you at work. One way to gain control of the way you use social media is to set fixed times for checking and responding to messages or posts.

This is far better than constantly being distracted by it throughout the day. It will also help you avoid wasting productive time on social media. In fact, setting time aside for just social media will help you be more productive with your time online. It’s all about focus and more focus means more productivity.

Know When to Put Your Phone Away

Smartphones dominate our lives. Everyone has one and we see people around us on them all day. But there is the point where you need to just put them away and focus on the people around you? Having your phone in your hand all the time, around family or friends can send the signal you are not a hundred percent available. So why not put your phone away in your cupboard and ignore it while you spending quality time with people that matter. It will in the long run add more value to your life and show the people in your life you present and care.

It may seem like a small thing, even silly, but breaking away from your phone can make a huge difference to your productivity both personally and professionally.

Why not give it a try?

Maybe you’ll be surprised at just how much better you feel!

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What is focus time? (5 ways on how to achieve more!)

Every one of us has 24 hours in a day. Why do some people achieve more results than others? As a manager in a software business, there are so many different aspects that I must keep my eye on. Project management, team management, client relationships and some more technical aspects. To deliver a project on time and with quality, I must divide my teams time and my time. So what is focus time?

Focus Time is a simple time-management technique that can change your life. The technique, when set up and implemented, requires you and your team members to work several defined short intervals. Outside of that time, you can attend to the clutter (emails, social media and other distractions).

Why do you need focus time?

Being able to focus on one thing for a well-defined period produces better work. It also helps get the work done quicker. With less noise, you also tend to have less stress and worry. If your mind is in a stress-free environment your creativity booms.

To be focused means you need to have goals and objectives defined. Once you know where you are going you can organise your time around achieving the goal is short, focused bursts.

How to get more Focus Time

In a complex work environment like today’s, each person must wear many hats each day. To find the time to focus can be a challenge. Here are some techniques I use myself and for my team. Later, I will show you a tool, RescueTime, that shows you where you spend your time, how much and for what periods of time.

1) Improve Self Belief

You need to believe in your own ability to follow through on a schedule. Focus becomes a lot easier when you can manage up and down and know the urgency at the moment. Most urgent tasks are not important and can wait for later. You need to believe in your ability to make the right call.

2) Get Rest

Not getting the right amount of sleep for you can lead to impaired cognitive ability. To set yourself up for success, make sure you get 7-8 hours of sleep each night.

3) Set Daily and Weekly Goals (Get accountability)

As a manager, setting the tone of what is important for the day or week will help your team to get their focus dedicated to the right tasks. By communicating and providing the schedule, it’s clear what needs to happen. There will be urgent issues that arise during the day and can derail a schedule. Working together and continually defining the focus will keep you on track.

4) Schedule in advance and with set focus periods

Once the goals and objectives are defined, it’s up to you to focus your own time. Getclockwise defines it like this.

Swerve, Stack and Schedule.

Swerve: Learn how to ignore people: Delay your response to incoming messages. Rather have a focus time for that. It will allow you to be more thoughtful in your response and reduce the back and forth of emails.
Stack – Schedule your meetings back-to-back in your calendar: First thing before you start your workweek, re-arrange events to maximize your (and your team’s) productivity. Try to create more meeting zones so that you have larger chunks of time to dedicate real work focus time.
Schedule – Block off Focus Time on your calendar: Once you have the blocks in place, you and your team can look at the week’s goals. Place the focus blocks in your calendars’ and stick to them. Protect your focus time.

To add to this, make sure your focus time is at your peak performance times. If you are sharper in the morning, make sure your plan pushes more focus time here.

5) Declutter your space

I don’t know about you, but I work better when my workspace is clean. Sometimes I find myself cleaning up my space before getting to the focus time. Everyone’s circumstances and preferences are different, so you need to figure this out. For example, if you work at home and it’s too busy to focus, think about going out for periods of time. Have a look at this blog post on how to declutter your brain.

Rescue Time

Rescue Time is an Automatic time-tracking and distraction blocking tool you can run on your PC all day long. RescueTime shows you exactly how long you spend on apps and sites down to the minute.

Find out more and use the free version. Upgrade to premium for 14 days free.

RescueTime

Features

See exactly where your time goes.
“Turn off” distractions like social media and news.
Stay focused on goals all day long.
Keep track of time spent in meetings and calls with one-click.

Summing it up

Focus time can help you and your team achieve your goals. With more time dedicated to the right tasks, you should see more quality work. Your team will also feel less stress and learn skills to manage time more effectively.

So now that you know what focus time is, it’s up to you to find the time.

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Six Tips to Declutter your Brain?

In this modern world, it’s easy for your mind to become overwhelmed. There are a ton of things we must do each day. Trying to keep all these thoughts at the forefront of the brain can be tricky. Add to this, thoughts about past events, and where you want to be in the future, and you have a melting pot inside you. On the internet, there are tons of strategies on how to deal with this, but I am going to focus on the ones that I apply daily to maintain calm. How do you declutter your brain? Let’s first see what the signs are that you might have this problem. And we all suffer from this at times in our life!

Signs of a cluttered brain

1 – Loss of focus

Focus is the ability to look at a task and be present at the moment to get it done. Sometimes for long periods. But if you are easily distracted by other things that need doing, and you can’t seem to prioritise things, you end up doing a few half jobs. This is because your concentration levels are low.

2- Decision Making is difficult

When you can’t decide whether to make potatoes or rice for dinner could be a sign of a cluttered brain. When you have a thousand thoughts passing through your mind in a second, can cause an inability to make simple choices.

3 – Unable to let go

Often a cluttered mind shows up as a cluttered workspace or home. In extreme cases, this could become hoarding. From the above inability to make simple decisions, you end up holding onto everything. Because you can’t prioritise, your workspace will have every paper open on it. Your PC will have hundreds of windows open and thousands of emails you’ll never look at again waiting to be opened.

4 – Creativity/Abstract thinking wanes

A lot of work these days is conceptual and requires you to think and compile solutions in the brain. If you know you are good at this but not able to do it anymore, it can mean your brain is fatigued. Perhaps you no longer have the passion to do your creative hobbies? Perhaps they become too hard and less enjoyable?

5 – “I’m Tired”

“I’m tired” are words of a tired brain. Especially if they are spoken early in the morning.

Tips on: How to Declutter your brain and think better

These are the techniques and tools that I have picked up over the years. When I become aware of the above symptoms, I remember to apply this.

1 – Write it down

Having so many thoughts in my mind can really make me anxious. By writing them down seems to move them on. Once they are on the paper, I can see them for what they are. Probably just a set of tasks that I want to happen. To try and stay on top of this, I manage upfront in the morning by writing and prioritising. By doing this, I know where to start. At the end of the day, I reflect on the list and see if I made it happen. Did something else come up? By tracking what I want to do and what happened, also helps me to understand the real priorities of my life.

2 – Stop Multi-tasking

My job managing a software development team, and managing multiple clients means a lot of tasks coming my way. Sometimes I catch myself doing one thing, see another email, and starting on the next task before I have finished the first one. If I allow this to continue, I know that nothing will get done and I will be anxious about the work not done. In these moments I stop, breathe, and relax for about 1 minute.

What is the most important task? Who can I delegate a task to? Who can help me? Sit back and prioritise.

3 – Breath or meditate

At least once a day, for 5 – 10 minutes, I enjoy the feeling of having to do absolutely nothing. I do this each morning to find peace and gratitude for what I have. It helps to clear the mind of all my clutter. I prefer guided meditation. My favourite expert being Andy Puddicombe from “Headspace”. There is even a “Headspace” series on Netflix that will introduce you to the calm.

4 – Build a Routine

Having a routine can keep you on track. Knowing that this is work time and this is playtime will direct your mind from one activity to the next. You may not follow it perfectly but having it there can bring you back in line. Make sure you include exercise and rest in your routine. Make sure you include family time in there too. Although you must be careful of this as “routine’ing” your family could make them feel like a task. And if you live with a free spirit partner as I do, sometimes you should concede the routine to maintain the love! Check out this post on my Daily Mode of Operation (DMO)

5 – Share Your Thoughts

During a busy day, we can forget to talk to people. There is often a great support structure just waiting for you to connect to. When I feel overwhelmed, I do two things. The first is to talk to my team. We need to be on the same page anyway. Just by talking new ideas are formed, and you might be able to solve issues faster. By doing this you automatically declutter your brain. From an emotional standpoint, I talk to my girlfriend. She is always there to listen and advise. Even if there is no conclusion to an issue, somehow the day feels less cluttered. Sometimes it’s just about letting it go.

6 – Learn to say “No”

As humans, we like to help others. I believe this anyway. But you cannot do everything, and you need to have boundaries. Sometimes there is something fun to do. I too find it difficult to say “No”. But to grow and get the clutter out of my brain, I need to say “No”

Conclusion

It’s normal to have clutter in the brain from time to time but knowing how to move past it is important. Once you start to put in place your ways (there are many more ways than the ones I have mentioned above), you can live a freer life. Things will get done and you will move forward.

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Daily Method of Operation – Simple and Fun

What is a daily method of operation, and why do it?

Your daily method of operation is your daily plan to help you succeed in your business. It outlines the tasks you need to do each day to succeed. Whether you like them or not!

Benjamin Franklin once said:

If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.

Planning ranges from long term to short term. This blog focuses on your daily steps, especially if you are starting and have no money.

Daily method of operation in affiliate marketing.

In any business, no matter how good you are or how good the product is, you need exposure to make money. The adage of time vs money comes in to play here. If you have money, you can pay for marketing and advertising. But if you do not, you will need to spend daily time on marketing. If you have ever been in sales or marketing, you know that consistency is the key to building steady business over time. Consistency at the right activities that is!

For my affiliate marketing business, there are 3 ways to gain exposure:

Paid for traffic (Social media advertising)
Organic growth (SEO, takes time to build income)
Online Networking (make money now)

All need DMO.

I play in the last 2 categories because I do not want to spend money on marketing and advertising yet. Organic growth through blogging will drive traffic to my site over time. But if I want to make money now, I need to talk to people! All business is conversation anyway.

Why follow a daily method of operation?

Following a daily method of operation forces you to track what you are doing daily. If the business is not coming in, you can look back at what you have been doing. You will notice what is working and what is not. Tweak the plan and keep at it. Once you are in a groove, you will start to see the benefit. But always remember to start; the DMO does NOT have to be perfect from day 1.

If you feel you struggle to get started, read this blog on Perfection Paralysis.

What things do I track in my Daily Method Of Operation (Example)

By way of example, I am going to share my current daily method of operation. Through previous work done, I know I will find my average customer on Facebook. So, I focus my time here.

What things do I do to bring awareness to me and my product?

Facebook Story

Here, I share a photo from my day, or an interesting quote or comment. Like most of the items below, it shows friends my human side. It helps to grow trust within my friend circles.

Facebook Friends Post and Story Comments

In this item, I read my friend’s posts, and if I can I comment. If I can’t, I’ll share an emoji. This helps to build relationships with my current set of friends.

Facebook Friends Birthdays

A great way to catch up with old friends and colleagues is to wish them a Happy Birthday on Facebook. Sometimes a voice message goes a long way. I do it the day after because everyone does it on that day. It’s a good way to start a conversation. And all business is a conversation.

Facebook Group participation

Join new Facebook groups in areas/hobbies you enjoy. Participate and add value. For example, I am an Aston Villa Football fan. I am on groups and chat with other fans about the game on the weekend. These can lead to friendships and even business relationships if done in the right way.

Facebook Gratitude Post

No one likes a grinch…sure, we all have bad days, don’t let everyone know about it on Facebook. Rather do a post about the thing that is good in your life. This will attract a positive reaction from your friends (market)

Facebook Participation Post

At the end of the day, I like to pose a question. It can be about anything! It’s to get comments and see who’s active and wanting to talk.

Facebook, Add New Connections

If you do not add new people to your friends, eventually you’ll run out of people to talk to. So, build new relationships each day. Add people you have things in common with. (Even if it’s simply friends in common)

Facebook, Chat to Friends

Start are least 10 conversations a day. I use the LORD approach to assist me in conversation. The formula allows me to get conversations started. Chat about Location, Occupation, Recreation, and Dreams. Listen to them. If you see an opportunity, let them know what your business does.

Phone your new prospects

From my conversations, I might share my business with others. I get emails and phone numbers. Do the hard things no one else does. Connect via voice! Ask them if they have questions, and simply listen to them.

Follow-ups

Business hardly ever happens in one sitting. It can take up to 5 exposures for a prospect to feel comfortable. Only when you have trust and rapport will the business follow. Have a system to remember who to follow up with, and when.

Blog

Finally, to build the business to a point where I do less of the one-on-one marketing. I blog 2-3 times a week to generate traffic to my site. This part done over time consistently will start to build a steady stream of traffic to my business.

My Daily method of operation template

This is my template I follow each day. It is a simple excel sheet that I print out each day and track my progress. If the money is not coming in, I look at what I have been doing and tweak.

Conclusion

Although I have talked about how I do this for my business, it can be applied to anything.

I have touched on a lot in the blog. There are probably another 10 articles I can write just from this one. Let me know in the comment below what you want to hear more of.

In the meantime, start with anything consistently, and build on it.

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How to Manage Two Jobs and a Family?

Why would you want to manage two jobs in the first place? Having a steady income is peace of mind for most people. It gives you the opportunity to live your life to the fullest. You don’t have to worry about financial insecurity or an excessive amount of expenses. Of course, the cost-of-living increases once you have a small family of your own.

You may search for alternative ways to gain an extra source of income. With the extra expenses that come along with having children, that one source of income may not be enough. It is possible to secure a second source of income with the cost of extra effort.

Why Should I Search for a Second Job?

Searching for a second job can seem ridiculous for individuals with heavy workloads! There are many benefits to doing so.

The first thing you should do before job searching is analysing your current work schedule. Identify any available time slots for a second job. Keep in mind that most jobs do not allow 30-minutes or 1-hour shifts. So, ensure that you have at least a few hours available for your new job. Being realistic about your working hours is important because extra work can lead to stress and strain in your personal life.

After you have created a schedule for a second job, reach out to your connections. They know you best. Place your current job details and relevant experience on your resume when you begin to apply to job opportunities. If you have a busy schedule with your current job, consider searching for freelance or contract work. These jobs will work around your schedule and provide a source of secondary income.

Benefits of Having Two Jobs

Having two jobs can be stressful at first but will become rewarding. From a new source of income to new networking opportunities and even a chance of promotion. There are plenty of benefits to working two jobs. Here are a few reasons why you should do so:

1. Second Stream of Income

When expenses and bills feel overwhelming, you may wish for an extra source of income. Throughout our lives, there are many expenses that we incur. These include college debt, car loan debt, mortgage, rent, bills, and recreational activities. Wealth is the basis of society, and we need enough accumulation of money to enjoy life.

Having a second job will provide a steady stream of secondary income. It can rid you of debt or pay for new financial stressors, such as your child’s college tuition. When adding this income to your budget, you may even find that you now have enough funds to plan a new vacation. Or even spare money to buy that car you always wanted.

2. Income Security

The job market is currently unstable but improving by the day. You may worry about the state of your current employment. From budget cuts to the worldwide crisis, there are many factors that can affect whether you will stay employed with your job in the future. If you ever lose your job or resign for any reason, a second job will ensure that you have an alternative source of income.

While you are working a second job, you will have time to search for a new job to replenish lost income. In short, having a second job protects against unpredictable events. It grants income security if something happens.

To find out more about types of income, visit this page Active vs Passive Income

3. Career Opportunities

By working a second job, you will be entering an unfamiliar environment with a blank slate. Always use a good work ethic. This will allow you to connect with other professionals and potential employers. Networking is always great for ensuring that you can gain another job should you lose this one. In your new workplace, there may also be opportunities to grow.

4. Discovering a New Passion

Having a second job in a new field may reveal certain traits about yourself that you had not known. Maybe you work best in a creative environment as opposed to an office? Many people enter different fields of work before settling on the right job for them. Finding the right job is a sort of trial-and-error process. Try and align with your passions. You may find that your second job does not feel like a job at all.

5. Skill Enhancement

Different jobs need employees to have specific skills for employment. For instance, a tech expert may need computer skills. A therapist may need interpersonal skills. By entering a new job, you will be able to gain and hone new skills. This will not only enhance your resume but make you stand out to future employers.

Maintaining a Balance While you Manage Two Jobs

Many employees find that it is already difficult to put all their efforts into one job. To balance two jobs, consider making a planner of important tasks and dates. By adhering to this planner, you will gain better control of your life and manage your time better.

Be sure to allow time in your daily tasks to spend with your family and for yourself. Self-care is vital in ensuring that you do not become overwhelmed. Self-care can include simply taking a long shower or even treating yourself to a fancy dinner.

It is also important to schedule days off from both jobs in advance. While this may seem unorthodox, it helps manage your employer’s expectations. You also have time off to look forward to. Time management and planning are key to managing your time between two jobs.

Check out how I manage my Daily Activity here, Daily Method Of Operation

Keeping Your Family Happy

With most of your time being shared between two jobs, your family may feel as though you are not making time for them. While this feeling is rational, it is important to speak with your family about your new commitments. Provide them with a rundown of the details of your alternative employment and what is expected of you.

Gaining your family’s approval before entering a new job is vital. Even though it is an extra source of income, you also have responsibilities towards them. If you don’t have time during the week, plan weekend time with family. This can include going to the park or eating at a restaurant. Of course, younger children may not completely understand why you need to work two jobs. Be sure to let your family know that you will be there for them even while you are working.

Things That Are Easy to Forget While Working Two Jobs

While working two jobs and dealing with added responsibilities, it can be easy to neglect certain tasks. For instance, tasks, such as exercising may go out the window. Like with your family, you should make time for these activities during your free time. They are vital to maintaining optimal mental and physical health.

1. Getting Enough Rest

With back-to-back work hours, you may not get enough sleep each night. Planning your weekly schedules beforehand can counteract this. By dedicating time, work-related tasks have to finish. If you finish your tasks before their deadlines, use the time to catch up on sleep or get some well-deserved rest.

2. Exercising

The importance of a job differs per individual. Most people can agree that family is the utmost priority. When an important occasion arises, such as a wedding, take time off. You must enjoy the journey!

Gain a few hours of exercise each week to maintain energy. Depending on your jobs, you may not have the opportunity to do so. Pick routines that are adaptive. Running can happen between tasks. Yoga can be practiced at any given time. You can even turn your exercise into a family activity and spend some time with them. If you are into training, try and do it from home.

I got a great hybrid gym plan for this cool site HybridAthlete.

3. Eating Healthy

While engaging in work-related tasks, you may feel tempted eat junk food. It’s easy to grab a packet of chips or an energy drink. While such foods may provide a temporary boost of energy, they are bad for our health. By eating three meals a day, you will have enough energy to engage in both jobs. But these meals should be well-balanced and provide an excellent source of nutrients.

4. Important Life Events

5. Budgeting

With an alternative source of income, you may be tempted to spend your money as it is received. Unfortunately, doing so can cause more harm than good. Align your savings goals with your combined income. Determine whether you have enough money to make unneeded purchases. Try not to spend more than you have. Good budgeting will prevent this and allow you to build wealth over time.

Outlook

Now that you have many reasons why you should search for a second job, the decision lies with you. Do you need a secondary source of income? Do you have enough time to commit to a new workload? Are you unhappy in your current employment?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, it may be time to begin your search for a second job. Be sure to reach out to other professionals or past employers who can provide you with a lead on where to apply. Remember, working two jobs may be stressful, but it has plenty of benefits.

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