What Do You Need To Be Successful?

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Some people in this world always seem to be successful no matter what they do. The interesting thing to note is that these successful people were not born this way, and have not simply been lucky in life. There are certain things that all successful people do that mean their success keeps on coming. If you also want to be successful, then these next tips will help you get there.

They Are Focused

Successful people are always focused on their goal. They direct their energy towards getting there, and they don’t let themselves get distracted. What’s more important is that they focus their work on high-value tasks, tasks that will boost them higher than many low-value tasks would. It can be tempting to take on low-value work because at least it is something, some kind of income, but if you focus solely on the work that will bring in either greater revenue or give you a bigger presence in your sector, then you will be much more successful. Take a look at your to-do list; which of those tasks are the high-value ones? The ones that will bring you the most reward? Those are the ones you need to focus your energy on.

They Prioritize

Successful people tend to also be busy people. However, they don’t become flustered or feel overwhelmed by the amount of work they have to do. They don’t start panicking and lose themselves, the result being that they get nothing done at all. Instead, they prioritize. They know what the most important tasks are, and which ones they should do first. This is what they work on. Everything else will be much lower down the list.

They Learn

Successful people aren’t afraid to admit when they don’t know something, even if they only admit that to themselves. They don’t continue on a task when they don’t know what they’re doing as they know that disaster won’t be far away. Instead, they learn. They take it upon themselves to find out all the things they don’t know so that they can then complete the job. So if they need to understand how magnetic clutches are installed, or which tiles look best on a bathroom floor, or whether it’s best to use a credit card or a debit card, or any number of other things that could be part of their remit, they will make it their job to find the answers.

They Have The Right Attitude

You’ll have heard it said that having a positive mental attitude is the key to a successful, happy life. Negative thoughts can have serious consequences on your physical health (because you will become more anxious and stressed and this can lead to all kinds of issues such as high blood pressure and heart disease) and your mental health. If you can turn your negative thoughts into positive ones and keep pushing forward, you’ll find that you’ll notice many more opportunities. If you’re feeling negative, you won’t see the chances that you could grab. Having a positive mental attitude could be the difference between total success and failure.

The benefits of getting out of the office

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It might feel safe behind that desk, but there’s nothing quite like getting out into the world and just getting things done at your own pace. The office may have everything that you think you need, but you might be amazed by the mental adjustment that occurs when you step into the outside world. Between fresh air and natural light, as well as more control over your working day, there are a number of reasons that make it worthwhile to escape the cubicle. Here then are the top reasons to unchain yourself from the safety of your desk and head to the outside world.

Face-to-face interaction

Of course you can have meetings in a virtual manner, utilizing chatrooms and group video call facilities to make it easier for everyone to be involved no matter where they are. However, there is a lot of difference between seeing a face on a screen and actually being face-to-face. The level of communication changes, and more attention is paid when the person we’re talking is in front of us. There are even suggestions that face-to-face meetings garner more positive results overall, so the benefits far outweigh the tired alternative of yet another Skype meeting.

Control

There’s little worse than constantly refreshing your inbox as you wait for a vital email to land. Often it’s hard to work out what could be taking so long to answer such a simple question, but of course you have no idea what’s happening at the other end of that high-speed internet connection. However, getting out and about means that you can get problems solved and have questions answered in real time, and there’s nothing better than that.

The change of scenery

Stepping outside can do wonders for your creativity and energy levels, which means that getting out of the office is as beneficial to your working life as replying to that errant email you’ve been putting off all afternoon. No matter how open-plan your office and no matter how much natural light there is, nothing beats a bit of fresh air for getting the brain active.

The journey is the reward

Physically traveling to a meeting gives you time to mentally prepare yourself for the discussions ahead. A car journey, whether you’re off to meet a client or if it’s an in-house board meeting, is proven to clear the mind of clutter and can help to re-energize you. Of course, with all of this traveling you’re going to have to make sure your vehicle is up to scratch, and if you haul a trailer, then you need to have access to trailer spares in case of emergencies. It’s worth keeping some in your car, just in case.

The best thing about getting out of the office is that it doesn’t have to be for a long period of time. Schedule a walking meeting rather than a sit-down meeting as usual. That way it’s not just you that benefits from the revitalizing effects of the outside world, and you’ll notice the difference in your team immediately.

How to Improve your Productivity

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Staying motivated and productive can be a major struggle for a lot of people. If you find your attention wavering while you work, then you might just need a boost.

Here are some of the ways that you could boost your productivity, at home and at work.

Reward Yourself

Treating yourself to a small break or snack after you finish a task will keep you pushing forward. Sprint style working, where you work for a set period quickly and then take a break, is big in business for this reason. Treats can be small items, like a snack or a walk around the building, which you can easily fit into your working time.

Set Goals

Setting yourself goals gives you something to work towards. This can be great for keeping you motivated with a larger task, as you can split it into smaller tasks to keep you on track. Being able to check smaller tasks off your lists will make you feel accomplished, instead of slogging towards a larger, overall goal.

Track your Progress

There are lots of online tools that you can use to track yourself and what you’ve managed to complete during the day. Some of them will even allow you to break this down into individual tasks, so you can see which tasks take you the longest. This serves two purposes, you can see what you’ve spent your day on and you can also budget time more accurately for these tasks in future.

Have the Right Equipment

There’s nothing worse than having to undertake a job without the right software or equipment. Even small things, like having the most up to date versions of Word and Excel, can save you time. Dynamics 365 software can be kept up to date by a Dynamics 365 partner to make sure that you always have the right tools to get the job done.

Tackle Undesirable Tasks

The amount of time that you take putting off tasks that you just don’t want to do can be costly. This is a pitfall that we all fall into from time to time, sometimes it’s better for your productivity to face this head on. If you do so, you will get the worst tasks out of the way and you can enjoy the rest of the task with this in mind.

Steer Clear of Distractions

Distractions are the enemy of productivity, so try to keep your workspace clear of them. This could be a digital distraction, like Facebook, or a physical one like your phone. Stay logged out of digital distractions and put any physical ones away where you won’t be as tempted by them. Remember that these are designed to grab your attention, with notifications and pings, so try to avoid them where possible.

Staying productive can be tricky, but if you track your time and push yourself to complete goals then you can keep this motivation up. Take breaks when you need to and come back refreshed, ready to smash the task at hand.

How To Be A More Effective Leader At Your Company

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Being a leader is hard enough, but then you have to worry about being an effective one on top of it, which can, in turn, be incredibly stressful. Your company is counting on you to deliver your best results and you can’t be caught dragging your feet on the job. Being a good leader means you’re willing to step up and put yourself out there with the purpose of benefiting the group.

Always be brushing up on your leadership skills and thinking about what you could be doing better. The minute you start to get comfortable is when you’re going to lose your edge, which may cause you to lose some of your pull too. Your first step is to learn a few tips that will help you be more effective in your leadership position.

Always Make Time for you

Where some professionals get it wrong is that they’re always focusing on their tasks and other people. Remember that being a strong leader comes from inside you. This is why it’s important to put yourself first and take care of yourself. You can’t lead if you don’t feel your best and have the energy to do so. It also includes you taking the time to educate and train yourself on what you need to know to be more effective in your role.

Speak up

Leadership is all about having the courage to speak up and ignite change. If you notice a process that’s in place that’s holding everyone up then address it with the relevant parties. For example, if payroll is failing to provide pay stubs efficiently then tell them to use a company who can provide the service at a low cost and avoid fake paystub maker. Although it’s not your job to implement this change, you’re speaking up and being a leader to help the greater good.

Expand your Circle

To be a good leader you have to step outside your circle and get to know other people from different departments. There’s no room for having clicks and being secretive if you want to take charge at your company. Make time to get to know people in all positions and ask for their feedback regarding how it’s going for them. Have an open door policy and let everyone know they’re always welcome to step in and chat about anything that’s on their minds.

Delegate Wisely

First, you have to know how to delegate, and then you have to do it wisely. This means assigning appropriate responsibilities to others and people seeing you as an authority figure, so the work gets done on time. You must be clear and assertive in your delivery. To be an effective leader you have to be viewed as someone who means business, but also as someone who is easily approachable if there are questions or concerns.

Conclusion

Being a leader is crucial to the inner workings of your company. There’s always room for improving your skills and becoming more effective. The best way to learn is to start practicing new behaviors and getting more experience.

Crucial Investing Tips for 2018

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In the early days of 2018, it’s a good time to consider what’s the same and what’s new as the new year unfolds. With investing specifically, some basic principles remain unchanged, but there are some new kids on the block to pay attention to as well.

Let’s dive right in with a few investing tips for 2018.

Crypto Currencies

Everyone is curious about crypto currencies right now. With the sudden rise in Bitcoin during 2017 and other digital currencies being discussed like Ethereum and LiteCoin, there’s certainly good speculative money to be made. The old idea of “buying on the dips” is likely to prove useful to handle the ups and downs of these internet currencies.

Just be careful about the fees involved with each purchase as small batch sizes sometimes, especially in the case of Bitcoin, become quite expensive to complete. Be aware of how you’re buying the bitcoin and where it’s being stored too.

While it’s common to use an intermediary to make the purchase, it’s possible to hold a balance in a digital wallet like Electrum which is open-source and cross-platform (they have multiple desktop client and mobile apps too). This way, it’s not tied to a digital wallet provider and not at risk from the digital currency robberies that have taken place previously; this is the way Bitcoin was originally intended and set up where an intermediate was not required.

Fast-moving NASDAQ Technology Stocks

NASDAQ stocks are primarily technology based. They’re often quite expensive, but they go through periodic price adjustments where there’s often good opportunities to pick up bargains. At stateschronicle.com, they cover NASDAQ stocks that have recently fallen in price and are worth researching ahead of a possible purchase. Obviously, always perform your own due diligence before diving in.

Re-balancing a Portfolio

When setting up a portfolio, you create allocations for each planned asset class. These are based on your level of equity exposure that you’re comfortable with along with a sensible mix of non-correlated assets where some zig when others zag in the markets. Balancing a portfolio in this manner helps to mitigate steep moves upwards (or downwards) and smooths out the bumps.

For instance, in 2017 U.S. stocks had a banner year having risen over 21 percent. However, investors who put an equal amount into international stocks would have enjoyed over 27 percent return on their foreign investments. A 50/50 split would have achieved 24.5 percent return pre-costs.

 

Rebalancing a portfolio is a semi-regular action that sells down investments that have risen in price and buys more of what has been in the doldrums. While it may seem counterintuitive to sell your winners, the idea is to keep reasonably close to your planned asset allocation while avoiding any whipsaw with inflated investments coming crashing down. By rebalancing, the accepted risk levels of a portfolio are maintained too.

Investing in 2018 isn’t much different to other years except there are more opportunities for smaller investors to buy different types of alternative investments including dabbling in digital currencies. Keeping a sensible eye on maintaining a proper balance to your portfolio avoids overdoing things.