The fight for financial freedom isn’t fair. No matter what kind of spin you try to put on it, the path to comfortable living seems either impossible or too long to attempt. Many people these days are spending copious amounts of money going to see professional financial planners for advice on how to get their money situation under control. But let’s be honest, while a financial planner can show you how to prioritize your spending and how to go about consolidating your debt, surely there must be a way to plan your finances that doesn’t cost you visits to a professional?  This article has been written to open some people’s eyes to the fact that it is possible to properly plan your finances from the comfort of your own home.

The main aim when planning your finances is to make everything as simple as possible. There is nothing worse than sinking so far into depression that you can’t see a way out. Whether you are in debt and looking to get out of it of if you are simply looking for a way to keep a little more spending money aside each month, the simpler you make your planning the better the result you will get. From the beginning, you need to be realistic. I’ll start with the example of a single income situation, firstly you need to calculate what your net pay is per month. If you’re self employed or not on a regular pay, always calculate the worst-case-scenario, what is the lowest you might get paid. Then go through your monthly bills and write down the ones that are a fixed amount. Do the same for all other bills but use the worst-case-scenario again, what is your estimation of the most that those bills might be. Add everything up and subtract it from your net income total.

Next onto the incidental expenses you might run into on a monthly basis. These might include petrol, car upkeep, public transport fares, food etc. make a list of all the little expenses you might need money for in a month. Even things that you’re not sure you might need to buy. Don’t add general spending money to the list, be specific. Always add more to the totals if you’re not sure as you can fine tune it later. Again, subtract your total from the money left over from your bills. Don’t worry if you’ve gone into the negative figures here, we can fix it.

Once you’ve got your expenses total in front of you, obviously any money that is left over is your profit for the month. In the event that you have nothing left or have gone into the minus figures, the next step is to minimize your expenses. Pretty straight forward, huh? Any incidental expenses that you might not need, remove them. And any expenses you know you will have, like food and petrol for example, really get down to the lowest spend on them. How much do you really need to spend on them? Your aim should be to save at least £50 per month after spending money. All that extra builds up and gives you a nice petty cash at the end of a few months!

If you are in a multiple-income situation, the same process applies. You need to start building up that petty cash tin. There will always be unexpected expenses, everyone knows that. In truth, the basis of comfortable living is really the knowledge that you can afford to pay for something unexpected.

To finish, all of this can be done on a piece of paper if you want to invest a little time, or you can lay it all out on an Excel spreadsheet. The way that saves the most time is to use a Financial Planning software program, you enter the numbers and the program gives you an automatic monthly planner. Whatever way you choose to go, always remember to keep it as simple as possible. When you’re following a plan, the pressure on you will decrease. What more could there be to comfortable living?

Title:
Do-It-Yourself Financial Planning.

Word Count:
696

Summary:
Instead of spending copious amounts of money paying a Financial Planner, why not learn the easy way to get the same information by doing it yourself? This article shows you how to take control of your financial future.

Keywords:
finance software, personal finance software, personal finance software program, home finance software

Article Body:
The fight for financial freedom isn’t fair. No matter what kind of spin you try to put on it, the path to comfortable living seems either impossible or too long to attempt. Many people these days are spending copious amounts of money going to see professional financial planners for advice on how to get their money situation under control. But let’s be honest, while a financial planner can show you how to prioritize your spending and how to go about consolidating your debt, surely there must be a way to plan your finances that doesn’t cost you visits to a professional?  This article has been written to open some people’s eyes to the fact that it is possible to properly plan your finances from the comfort of your own home.

The main aim when planning your finances is to make everything as simple as possible. There is nothing worse than sinking so far into depression that you can’t see a way out. Whether you are in debt and looking to get out of it of if you are simply looking for a way to keep a little more spending money aside each month, the simpler you make your planning the better the result you will get. From the beginning, you need to be realistic. I’ll start with the example of a single income situation, firstly you need to calculate what your net pay is per month. If you’re self employed or not on a regular pay, always calculate the worst-case-scenario, what is the lowest you might get paid. Then go through your monthly bills and write down the ones that are a fixed amount. Do the same for all other bills but use the worst-case-scenario again, what is your estimation of the most that those bills might be. Add everything up and subtract it from your net income total.

Next onto the incidental expenses you might run into on a monthly basis. These might include petrol, car upkeep, public transport fares, food etc. make a list of all the little expenses you might need money for in a month. Even things that you’re not sure you might need to buy. Don’t add general spending money to the list, be specific. Always add more to the totals if you’re not sure as you can fine tune it later. Again, subtract your total from the money left over from your bills. Don’t worry if you’ve gone into the negative figures here, we can fix it.

Once you’ve got your expenses total in front of you, obviously any money that is left over is your profit for the month. In the event that you have nothing left or have gone into the minus figures, the next step is to minimize your expenses. Pretty straight forward, huh? Any incidental expenses that you might not need, remove them. And any expenses you know you will have, like food and petrol for example, really get down to the lowest spend on them. How much do you really need to spend on them? Your aim should be to save at least $50 per month after spending money. All that extra builds up and gives you a nice petty cash at the end of a few months!

If you are in a multiple-income situation, the same process applies. You need to start building up that petty cash tin. There will always be unexpected expenses, everyone knows that. In truth, the basis of comfortable living is really the knowledge that you can afford to pay for something unexpected.

To finish, all of this can be done on a piece of paper if you want to invest a little time, or you can lay it all out on an Excel spreadsheet. The way that saves the most time is to use a Financial Planning software program, you enter the numbers and the program gives you an automatic monthly planner. Whatever way you choose to go, always remember to keep it as simple as possible. When you’re following a plan, the pressure on you will decrease. What more could there be to comfortable living?

My family had always worked hard for their money, and as a result, I always equated working hard with making money, with no idea that my beliefs could not have been further from truth. As I educated myself on human behaviour and financial strategies, I learned that it’s actually the people who make their money work hard for them, rather than the people who work hard for their money, who end up with more of it. Since creating my millionaire-making program, I’ve learned that I was not alone. There are many people who shared this same myth.

Much like our views about many things — people, relationships, food, and health to name a few — our beliefs came from our parents, our teachers, and other adults in our lives. And it goes back even further, beyond them, back to the circumstances through which they lived, or what they learned from their parents, what their parents learned from their parents, and so on. These beliefs are ingrained, and because they’re usually subconscious, the cycles are continuous — until someone breaks them. You can break the cycle. Beliefs about money are many and varied, but in my research, I’ve discovered that there are a few that predominate.

Money is scarce. Several of us have parents or grandparents who lived through the Great Depression, an era that rooted an entire generation in a scarcity mindset. These people passed onto their children the idea that money was in short supply and that when it did surface, spending had to be limited and saving was imperative. If any of the following ever crossed your mind—“A penny saved is a penny earned,” “Don’t dip into savings,” or “We can’t afford it” — then you have this perspective and rainy days loom ominously. Money doesn’t grow on trees. These threats create a fearful relationship with money.

Money is evil, dirty, or bad. Several of us have parents or grandparents who believe that the road to bad places is lined with green. They’ve only ever seen the drawbacks of the rat race, the downside of the money chase, and the audacity and indulgence of those with too much money. Some even believe that wealthy people are bad people. Novels and films often highlight the idea that it’s the crooked ones who make the money. The meek shall inherit the earth. Such prophecies create a hands-off relationship with money.

Money comes monthly. The most common way to make a living is to be employed, either with a company or as a skilled professional, with a weekly wage or an annual salary. Historically, this provided the safe, sure thing required by heads of households. Yet, that level of risk was usually balanced with an equal level of reward — low and low. For most, even those who do very well, working for a company or as a skilled professional is a constrained opportunity. Except for the outrageous exceptions, the average CEO of the average company making six figures a year will still experience only a small increase in salary during his or her lifetime. Slow and steady wins the race. Such fables create a cautious relationship to money.

Money is not for me. Some people feel that they don’t deserve to be wealthy or that there is only so much of the millionaire pie to go around. Creating wealth and financial freedom is available to everyone. It is our right to be wealthy, and my hope is that people take their space and know they deserve it. By making money, you are not taking it from someone else; this isn’t Bonnie and Clyde Go to the Bank. By making money, you create a greater capacity to contribute, and it’s your duty to do this. Better them than me. Such adages create a defeated relationship to money.

Money is a man thing. There was a time that men made and managed the household money. That time was not so long ago, and some of you may have grown up with such conditioning. Though there are gender tendencies, for example, men tend to carry more money in their pocket than women and are more likely to invest than women, the reasons behind this are not genetic; they are realities falsely fabricated from years of conditioning. Women and men need to understand that money knows no gender. One of my programs that really resonates with up and coming wealth builders is “Wealth Diva: A Man Is Not a Plan.” This is a must-do seminar for every man and woman, and the daughters and sons they love. Let him bring home the bacon. Such perceptions create an apathetic relationship to money.

Money is good medicine. For some people, retail therapy goes a long way; there’s no difficulty a new blouse can’t cure. At the moment, we live in a culture of consumerism, and many of us use money to fill the unsatisfying holes in our lives. Some people grew up with a sense of entitlement about money, assuming their parents or a trust fund would always pay for everything, and in the process, they became careless about what they had. This is a vicious and unproductive cycle. The new car gets old, the closet fills up with clothes, and the toys pile up in the playroom. This is notto say there aren’t wonderful things to buy and spend our money on; after all, money should be fun. But as with overeating, too much spending on the wrong things can get any of us feeling sluggish and sad. Shop till you drop. Such bombarding messages create a disrespectful or nonchalant relationship to money.

Money is always a menace. For too many of us, money was always a problem. Bills were a hassle, keeping up with the Joneses was exhausting, entrepreneurs were considered nuts, and one’s station in life was, well, stationary. And getting rich would be worse. Money can be such a burden, not to mention all that paperwork and responsibility. These views of money create a perspective that money is actually a problem, not a solution. It’s hard enough just to survive, let alone thrive. Such pessimism creates a negative relationship to money.

Money talk is taboo. Many of us have been brought up to believe that conversations about money are in bad taste. Money and financial success, and failures, are considered personal subjects that shouldn’t be discussed and certainly shouldn’t be taught. Few of us asked our parents how much money they made, and even now, there are people who don’t know their spouse’s salaries. The results have unintended consequences and have created a world where very few people are having real conversations about money and finances, the very conversations they need to learn and succeed. These things are not discussed in polite society, dear. Such a scolding creates an ignorant relationship to money.

In each of these examples, it’s clear that unless your parents made a conscious choice to think and act differently, they conditioned you to have the same mindset as them. If you make a decision to break this cycle, you will have the opportunity to teach your children to have more productive beliefs about, and a more profitable relationship to, money. As you come to understand the beliefs you hold, you will work to change them. Through the action steps in this process, and with the help of mentors and respected friends, you will change your behaviour. By sharing your desire for new beliefs and asking your mentors and respected friends to help you spot the subconscious limitations you may be putting on yourself, you will teach your brain to follow your behaviour. Begin now by restating your beliefs. For example, if you’ve discovered that you hold any of the above examples as beliefs, you will

1. Change “money is scarce” to “money is abundant” and support a courageous relationship to money.

2. Change “money is evil, dirty, or bad” to “money is good and acceptable” and create a hands-on relationship to money.

3. Change “money comes monthly” to “money comes from a range of sources” and create an opportunistic relationship to money.

4. Change “money is not for me” to “who better than me for money to come to” and create an empowered relationship to money.

5. Change “money is a man thing” to “I can and will know about and understand money,” and create a thoughtful relationship to money.

6. Change “money is good medicine” to “money is a tool to help make my life better” and create a respectful and concerned relationship to money.

7. Change “money is a menace” to “money is a solution” and create a positive relationship to money.

8. Change “money talk is taboo” to “money talk is vital” and create a knowledgeable relationship to money.

You can see how much better it is to be courageous, hands-on, opportunistic, empowered, thoughtful, respectful and concerned, positive, and knowledgeable than to be fearful, hands-off, cautious, defeated, apathetic, disrespectful and nonchalant, negative, and ignorant. The choice is yours and it looks like you’re well on your way. You’ve already taken a huge step by deciding to actually take the first step. By making the decision to start right now, you have created the opportunity to raise your financial consciousness and change your life.

Title:
8 Money Myths

Word Count:
1623

Summary:
8 Myths about money that harm our financial lives.

Keywords:
Personal Finance

Article Body:
8 Myths About Money
I grew up on a farm in Nebraska. My family had always worked hard for their money, and as a result, I always equated working hard with making money, with no idea that my beliefs could not have been further from truth. As I educated myself on human behavior and financial strategies, I learned that it’s actually the people who make their money work hard for them, rather than the people who work hard for their money, who end up with more of it. Since creating my millionaire-making program, I’ve learned that I was not alone. There are many people who shared this same myth.

Much like our views about many things — people, relationships, food, and health to name a few — our beliefs came from our parents, our teachers, and other adults in our lives. And it goes back even further, beyond them, back to the circumstances through which they lived, or what they learned from their parents, what their parents learned from their parents, and so on. These beliefs are ingrained, and because they’re usually subconscious, the cycles are continuous — until someone breaks them. You can break the cycle. Beliefs about money are many and varied, but in my research, I’ve discovered that there are a few that predominate.

Money is scarce. Several of us have parents or grandparents who lived through the Great Depression, an era that rooted an entire generation in a scarcity mindset. These people passed onto their children the idea that money was in short supply and that when it did surface, spending had to be limited and saving was imperative. If any of the following ever crossed your mind—“A penny saved is a penny earned,” “Don’t dip into savings,” or “We can’t afford it” — then you have this perspective and rainy days loom ominously. Money doesn’t grow on trees. These threats create a fearful relationship with money.

Money is evil, dirty, or bad. Several of us have parents or grandparents who believe that the road to bad places is lined with green. They’ve only ever seen the drawbacks of the rat race, the downside of the money chase, and the audacity and indulgence of those with too much money. Some even believe that wealthy people are bad people. Novels and films often highlight the idea that it’s the crooked ones who make the money. The meek shall inherit the earth. Such prophecies create a hands-off relationship with money.

Money comes monthly. The most common way to make a living is to be employed, either with a company or as a skilled professional, with a weekly wage or an annual salary. Historically, this provided the safe, sure thing required by heads of households. Yet, that level of risk was usually balanced with an equal level of reward — low and low. For most, even those who do very well, working for a company or as a skilled professional is a constrained opportunity. Except for the outrageous exceptions, the average CEO of the average company making six figures a year will still experience only a small increase in salary during his or her lifetime. Slow and steady wins the race. Such fables create a cautious relationship to money.

Money is not for me. Some people feel that they don’t deserve to be wealthy or that there is only so much of the millionaire pie to go around. Creating wealth and financial freedom is available to everyone. It is our right to be wealthy, and my hope is that people take their space and know they deserve it. By making money, you are not taking it from someone else; this isn’t Bonnie and Clyde Go to the Bank. By making money, you create a greater capacity to contribute, and it’s your duty to do this. Better them than me. Such adages create a defeated relationship to money.

Money is a man thing. There was a time that men made and managed the household money. That time was not so long ago, and some of you may have grown up with such conditioning. Though there are gender tendencies, for example, men tend to carry more money in their pocket than women and are more likely to invest than women, the reasons behind this are not genetic; they are realities falsely fabricated from years of conditioning. Women and men need to understand that money knows no gender. One of my programs that really resonates with up and coming wealth builders is “Wealth Diva: A Man Is Not a Plan.” This is a must-do seminar for every man and woman, and the daughters and sons they love. Let him bring home the bacon. Such perceptions create an apathetic relationship to money.

Money is good medicine. For some people, retail therapy goes a long way; there’s no difficulty a new blouse can’t cure. At the moment, we live in a culture of consumerism, and many of us use money to fill the unsatisfying holes in our lives. Some people grew up with a sense of entitlement about money, assuming their parents or a trust fund would always pay for everything, and in the process, they became careless about what they had. This is a vicious and unproductive cycle. The new car gets old, the closet fills up with clothes, and the toys pile up in the playroom. This is notto say there aren’t wonderful things to buy and spend our money on; after all, money should be fun. But as with overeating, too much spending on the wrong things can get any of us feeling sluggish and sad. Shop till you drop. Such bombarding messages create a disrespectful or nonchalant relationship to money.

Money is always a menace. For too many of us, money was always a problem. Bills were a hassle, keeping up with the Joneses was exhausting, entrepreneurs were considered nuts, and one’s station in life was, well, stationary. And getting rich would be worse. Money can be such a burden, not to mention all that paperwork and responsibility. These views of money create a perspective that money is actually a problem, not a solution. It’s hard enough just to survive, let alone thrive. Such pessimism creates a negative relationship to money.

Money talk is taboo. Many of us have been brought up to believe that conversations about money are in bad taste. Money and financial success, and failures, are considered personal subjects that shouldn’t be discussed and certainly shouldn’t be taught. Few of us asked our parents how much money they made, and even now, there are people who don’t know their spouse’s salaries. The results have unintended consequences and have created a world where very few people are having real conversations about money and finances, the very conversations they need to learn and succeed. These things are not discussed in polite society, dear. Such a scolding creates an ignorant relationship to money.

In each of these examples, it’s clear that unless your parents made a conscious choice to think and act differently, they conditioned you to have the same mindset as them. If you make a decision to break this cycle, you will have the opportunity to teach your children to have more productive beliefs about, and a more profitable relationship to,money. As you come to understand the beliefs you hold, you will work to change them. Through the action steps in this process, and with the help of mentors and respected friends, you will change your behavior. By sharing your desire for new beliefs and asking your mentors and respected friends to help you spot the subconscious limitations you may be putting on yourself, you will teach your brain to follow your behavior. Begin now by restating your beliefs. For example, if you’ve discovered that you hold any of the above examples as beliefs, you will

1. Change “money is scarce” to “money is abundant” and support a courageous relationship to money.

2. Change “money is evil, dirty, or bad” to “money is good and acceptable” and create a hands-on relationship to money.

3. Change “money comes monthly” to “money comes from a range of sources” and create an opportunistic relationship to money.

4. Change “money is not for me” to “who better than me for money to come to” and create an empowered relationship to money.

5. Change “money is a man thing” to “I can and will know about and understand money,” and create a thoughtful relationship to money.

6. Change “money is good medicine” to “money is a tool to help make my life better” and create a respectful and concerned relationship to money.

7. Change “money is a menace” to “money is a solution” and create a positive relationship to money.

8. Change “money talk is taboo” to “money talk is vital” and create a knowledgeable relationship to money.

You can see how much better it is to be courageous, hands-on, opportunistic, empowered, thoughtful, respectful and concerned, positive, and knowledgeable than to be fearful, hands-off, cautious, defeated, apathetic, disrespectful and nonchalant, negative, and ignorant. The choice is yours and it looks like you’re well on your way. You’ve already taken a huge step by deciding to actually take the first step. By making the decision to start right now, you have created the opportunity to raise your financial consciousness and change your life.

Copyright © 2006 Loral Langmeier  from the book The Millionaire Maker McGraw-Hill; December 2005;$24.95US/$00.00CAN; 0071466150

Loral Langemeier is a master coach, financial strategist, and team-made multimillionaire who reaches thousands of individuals each year. She is the founder of Live Out Loud, a coaching and seminar company that teaches her trademarked program Wealth Cycles.

Here you’re going to learn several ways to save money every month by lowering your monthly bills.

There are lots of ways to save money, no matter how much of it you have – or don’t have!

Having struggled for many years paying my own bills, I learned many ways to save money. From simple things like food, gas, and clothing, to bigger expenses, like insurance and your mortgage.

All you need to know is where to look to find the savings.

Several Ways To Save Money

The first thing you need to do is eliminate ALL of your unnecessary expenses:

• Eating out on the weekends

• Buying lunch at work every day

• Magazine and newspaper subscriptions (especially those you can get online and at the local library)

• Cable TV (you’d be amazed at how many other ways you’ll find to spend your time once you get rid of cable TV)

• Groceries (you can save lots of money with coupons and specials.)

It’s OK to reward yourself once in a while, but if you are really looking to get out of debt faster, you owe it to yourself to save every single penny you can!

To find other ways to reduce your expenses, take a close look at your checkbook and credit card statements. You should also call your credit card companies to see if they will lower your interest rates, even if it is only for a short time.

You’ll be amazed at how many ways you can save money, especially once you start looking carefully at how you spend your money every month.

Shop Around For The Lowest Prices

For those expenses you can’t eliminate, it’s time to start shopping around for the best prices.

Once I realized you can shop around for just about ANYTHING you spend money on every month, I learned how to save myself SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS each and every month!

In fact, by shopping around I ended up saving myself more than £750 a year on car insurance alone!

The same is true of many of your monthly expenses – like long distance telephone service, internet service, all types of insurance, mortgages, and in some places even your utility bills.

It DOESN’T take any special skills. All it takes is a few clicks and you can save yourself a bunch of money in no time at all!

So, if you’d like to save yourself lots of money every month – and who doesn’t – start shopping around and looking for ways to lower your monthly bills right away!

First off,  create a list of all your monthly income and also a list of your monthly expenses.  When determining income, list all sources including alimony, child support, side jobs, etc.  In calculating expenses, be sure to include housing, food, transportation, utilities, entertainment, etc.  To gain an accurate reflection of actual expenses, sit down each night and write down expenses, just make sure to save receipts.  Determine if your income covers all of your expenses.  If the answer is no, then some expenses need to be reduced.

Adjust expenses.  If it is a small discrepancy, it may mean reducing some minor expenses like entertainment or cell phone plan.  If the deficit is larger, you may need to downsize your vehicle or living arrangements.  If your income covers all of your expenses, you still may want to trim some of the excess fat off your spending habits.  This can free up extra money for things such as vacations or college funds for your children.

Additionally, consider if you need to add new categories.  Some areas that are often overlooked are debt reduction, emergency savings funds, and retirement savings.  An emergency fund ensures there is an adequate amount available to cover unforeseen events (car emergency, etc), should it arise.  This will eliminate the need for using credit which can quickly damage your budget.

There are several advantages to sticking to your budget.  Firstly, most people have set financial goals that they would like to reach in the future.  Sometimes it may be a trip, a brand new car, or a college education.  A budget can help people save money to make these goals a reality.  Additionally, many people are crushed under heavy consumer debt.  Without a disciplined pattern of spending, it is virtually impossible to make much headway in reducing debt.  A personal budget will provide the necessary framework to begin eliminating these inflated account balances.

If executed properly, a budget will allow a person to simultaneously meet their expenses, place money into savings, and pay back outstanding debts.  Therefore, it is anyone’s best interest to create and implement a budget.

 Cut Back on Spending

At first it may seem difficult to limit spending and stick to a budget, however there are a few practical changes that you can make everyday that will cut your spending more than you expect.

Firstly, alter credit car behaviour.  Start to pay cash whenever possible.  This will help you avoid making a purchase unless you actually have the money available.  If you decide to make a credit card purchase, be prepared to pay the balance off monthly.  This will save a lot of money through avoiding interest charges.  If you already have a credit card balance, then transfer to a card with a low interest rate.  Also, find a card that does not charge an annual fee.

Another tip is to pack your lunch everyday.  All of those lunch hours spent at restaurants will add up.  Bringing your own lunch can save you several dollars every day, which will add up over time.

Use your cell phone during off peak hours.  Some people will spend a couple hundred dollars a month on phone charges.  Avoid this by making most calls during off peak times.  Check with your service and plan to find out when you have cheaper or unlimited calls.

Stop throwing away the Sunday newspaper before skimming through the advertisements.  Clip some of those coupons and check out the sales.  This may seem tedious, but the savings are often worth it.  Many stores will double or triple the amount of the coupon.  This technique can save you up to 20 or 30 dollars each time you head to the food store.

Additionally, refinance.  Mortgage rates have been extremely low over the past year.  This has been a great opportunity to reduce the monthly house payment significantly.  If you are planning to have your house paid off prior to retirement, then you may want to factor this in before refinancing.

Finally, bundle your insurance.  Many insurance companies will offer their customers lower rates if they purchase multiple policies.  For instance, some people use the same agent for multiple cars, and others combine their cars and house.  Always keep in mind that a dollar here and there really begins to add up.  Avoid the temptation of thinking that changing your spending habits wouldn’t save that much money.

       Start Saving!

So you are loaded down with bills to pay each month and are wondering how you can begin a savings account for emergencies and other high-expense endeavours.  In other words, where can you find that extra cash to put away for later?

Firstly, when configuring your budge, plan for your savings first.  You will grow richer each month if you begin to pay yourself first.  Before paying any bills, decide on a set amount that you will pay yourself first—maybe five or ten percent—or whatever you decide—of your pay check.  Then, deposit the amount into a savings account before paying any bills.

When you do this at the beginning of the month, your entire paycheck will not suddenly slip through your fingers.  If you wait until the end of the month, there may be nothing left to save.  Paying yourself first will give you a systematic way to make your money grow.  Regardless of your profession or your income, this system will work if you stick to it.

Another technique you may try for saving money is to empty your extra change into a coffee can or a jar each day.  At the end of the month, roll the coins and put them into your savings account.  You may be able to save 30 or 40 dollars each month just with your spare change.

Remember that good money management is more than just a mathematical formula.  It’s too closely tied with the ups and downs of living to be just that.  Your money management plan is always subject to change if your life situation changes.  The object of a good budget is to make your money go the farthest in helping you reach your goals, it is not there to force to you to abide by rules.

Don’t get discouraged if the budget plan doesn’t work perfectly right away.  It may involve some revising and editing until it fits your needs.  Then, make sure to review it often, and be sure it is making the best use of every penny!  Because we know how helpful those spare pennies can be

Avoid Spending Pitfalls!

With all the advantages that are evident from personal budgeting, it is no wonder that more and more people are relying on them to reduce debts and increase their savings.  However, all ‘budgeters’ need to be careful to avoid some common pitfalls that appear often.

Credit cards may seem like small pieces of plastic, however they can cause a great deal of trouble for the owners.  It is common for people to make unwise purchases, which they would have avoided otherwise, because they had the credit card in their wallet.  The best solution for many people is simply to get rid of credit cards and begin paying only by cash, check, or debit cards.  You may want to keep one card handy for emergencies, but it is probably best to keep it out of reach, and far away from your wallet.

Another problem with budgeting is impatience.  There are financial goals set, but people do not have the patience to complete a savings program.  For instance, an individual begins setting aside money for a new car; however, after a few months they discover the car of their dreams.  Rather than waiting, they make the purchase.  This could pose some serious financial strains.  Discipline is a must to prevent impatience from breaking your budget.

Once a person makes a budget, they often fail to adjust it when necessary.  A budget is created using a set of expenses and income figures that are liable to change.  As these figures do change, it is important that the budget changes to reflect the adjustments.  There could be some major deficits if this is not done appropriately and promptly.

Of course nobody forgets about Christmas or Hanukkah, however many people do not consider budgeting for holidays when creating a budget.  Therefore, adequate funds have not been set aside for presents, food, parties, etc.  These items should be factored in and saved for throughout the year.

Finally, many people factor in transportation and accommodations for vacations in their budget, however they underestimate money needed for food, entertainment, and spending money.  Keep in mind that all the resorts and tourists areas are double or triple what you would normally pay.

With a little planning, you’ll be on your way to saving more money than you ever thought possible!

Easy Money-Saving Changes

One of the most obvious and easy ways to save some extra cash is to change some of the way you use products and items in your everyday life.  The key is to make minor changes.

For instance, always buy the cheapest hand soap you can find.  The quality doesn’t necessarily go up with the price and you can use it in place of ‘bath soap.’

Always use the whole product.  Turn bottles upside down and drain to get the last bit from them.  Tear open sugar and flour sacks to get everything; squeeze or cut open tubes to use it all before running out to buy more.  You’ll be surprised at how much there really is left!

Also, never use more than you need.  Just because it says on the box that you need a full cup, doesn’t mean that you really do it need it.  Half a measure of laundry detergent and a half teaspoon of dish soap are examples of what are usually enough, rather than what the manufacturer says.

To save some cash, you can use some of the things in your house in some unique ways.  Instead of spending lots of money on the fancy floor cleaners, try using ammonia.  It does a great job, and you can use plain water in between times.  If your furniture needs some polishing, mix equal parts of white vinegar and vegetable oil and rub on the furniture.  Buff with a cloth until it shines.

For a freezer bag, use empty chip bags and close with masking taps.  Also try a bowl with a lid, such as a margarine tub.

If your skin is feeling a little dry, there are several substitutes for expensive lotion.  Petroleum jelly rubbed into your hands at night after a warm water soak, mayonnaise (rinse w/ cold water after), or any other oil based food.  Just be sure to put it on immediately after your hands have been in water.

To save some money on laundry, dissolve a bar of handsoap in water to replace laundry detergent.  Add three gallons of hot water, mix thoroughly and add a cup of washing soda.

Sure, these are small changes, but added up, they can put some extra change into your pocket throughout the year!

Many decisions are being made that are contrary to both good business sense and building customer loyalty.

Most organizations’ marketing is usually an exercise in figuring out what to do to get current or potential customers to spend more dollars with them.

I’m suggesting that instead of thinking about what to do, figure out what to stop doing. In other words, stop doing the “stupid stuff.”

Not doing the stupid stuff means finding out what prevents customers from spending money with you and making sure that that action or reaction never happens again.

Here’s an example of what I call “stupid stuff.” Some airlines now want to charge customers who want to speak to a live agent.

That’s stupid stuff in two ways. First, they’ve chosen to penalize customers who want to continue getting what they’ve always gotten – one-on-one attention. Worse, they’ve done it by saying they will charge more for this previously standard level of service. How many customers will they lose because of this decision? I know of at least one.

There are more subtle, but no less damaging, stupid things businesses need to stop doing.

Take, for example, the new Wheaties boxes. General Mills recently introduced Wheaties boxes with photos of the U.S. Olympic gold medalists. One was missing: Paul Hamm. Why?

This was General Mills’ response to my inquiry:

“Selecting a Wheaties Champion has never been an easy task, especially when we have witnessed so many outstanding performances by so many championship athletes. But it simply isn’t possible to honor every champion on the Wheaties box.”

So they leave off the first U.S. man to win the Olympics all-around gymnastics championship in one of the sport’s greatest comebacks? His return from a disastrous fall to a near-perfect high-bar routine won near-universal praise and, for most of us, defined the word “champion.”

But there was controversy. As most of you know, a South Korean gymnast claimed that a scoring error cost him the gold and appealed to the Court of Arbitration for sport. The court recently ruled that Hamm can keep the gold medal.

Even though the medal was disputed, it was not because of anything Hamm did or did not do. Still, General Mills decided to do the “safe” thing. But by being safe and leaving out Hamm, Wheaties is alienating the millions of customers who see him not as controversial, but as a hero, and losing customers in the process. Now that’s “stupid stuff.”

So start stopping! Stop saying “No” and start using the word “Yes.” Stop charging for services that most of us think are free.

Find out what exasperates, discourages, hassles or confuses your customers and stop it.

Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert feels like you have the gift of gab or just don’t know how to make small talk, networking know-how is very important for your business success. There is a notion in business that I believe most of us subscribe to that says “all things being equal, people will do business with and refer business to those they know, like and trust.” And the key to this is obviously being able to develop relationships.

Think of networking as the cultivation of mutually beneficial, win-win relationships. In order to be win-win, there must be GIVE and take (notice the emphasis on give). Networking shouldn’t be viewed as “events” where you go to sell your business. When effective networking is taking place, the parties involved actively share ideas, information, resources, etc.

Ok, so you know that you should be networking  because it is one of the most cost-effective lead generation activities when used wisely, appropriately and professionally. But, maybe that seems easier said than done. Here’s a seven step plan to really get going with networking for your business.

1. Check out several groups to find the best chemistry and perceived value.

Most groups will allow you to come and visit at least a couple of times before you have to join. Go and ask around to find out why others have joined and what value they get out of belonging.

Resist the urge to just go join the Chamber of Commerce simply because everyone tells you that’s what you need to do. If that’s not where your target group can be found, then you might just be wasting a considerable amount of time (and money).

I’m not telling you not to join the Chamber. Just be clear about what you’d like to get out of this or any other group. If it’s to find prospective clients or referral sources, then you need to be networking where those resources can be found.

2. When you find a group or two, join and go to all the meetings you can.

Don’t go just once or twice expecting things to happen and then if they don’t quit. Building mutually beneficial, win-win relationships will take some time.

The contacts you make need to constantly see your face and hear your message. Continual contact with others over time will open up opportunities for you to go deeper and learn more about each other’s thoughts, ideas and capabilities in regards to your respective businesses.

Know, like, and trust generally only happens over time. Being regular and persistent will pay off.

3. Get involved – be visible.

Do as much as you can to make yourself more visible within the organization. Volunteer to help with meetings, be on committees, or become a leader or board member.

Being involved does a couple of things for you and your business. First, you’ll get more opportunities to establish connections and get to know some of the contacts you’ve made even better. Secondly, the higher the visibility you have in the group, the less you’ll have to work to make new connections. Instead, as new people come into the group, they will likely seek you out because they view you as a leader within the organization.

4. Keep your circles of contacts informed.

Don’t just assume that running in to someone once a month (or even once a week) will cause them to start doing business with you or sending it your way. You need to let them know what’s going on when you’re not at that particular group in order to inform and educate them.

Send them invitations to your events or open houses. Send them email or letters to share big news or success stories, especially anything of relevance to them or those in their networks of contacts. If you believe that you have valuable ideas, information and resources to share with others, then doesn’t this just make sense?

5. Work at GIVING referrals and sharing valuable information.

That’s right, you need to be willing to GIVE before you get. That means you need to get to know other members and what makes a good prospect for them. What kinds of information might you have access to that could be useful to them?

You may initially think you don’t have much of value to share with others (besides your business and what you provide). Part of the key to getting good at giving is to not make assumptions. For example, don’t assume that some basic resource (e.g., a web site) that you’re aware of is familiar to someone you might be talking to just because they are the “expert” in that field. Be willing to ask if they know about the resource and ready to share if they don’t.

Want to get better at actually giving referrals? Here’s a simple question to ask someone you’re connecting with. “How am I going to know when I meet a really good prospect for you?”

Just the fact that you are willing to explore giving will elevate your know, like and trust factor.

6. Focus on Quality, not Quantity, Quantity, Quantity.

It’s not necessarily about the number of connections you make, but about the quality of the ones you do make. Are they mutually beneficial, win-win relationships?

Quality connections will be identifiable because all involved parties will be actively sharing ideas, information, and resources. Yes, it is true that you need to spend some time and effort getting to know the other person(s) and what’s important to them. But, you also need to be clear and actively thinking about what information or resources you want and need.

Staying in touch with and following up with a smaller number of quality relationships will generally be much more productive than trying to follow up with a larger number of superficial contacts.

7. Be persistent, but be patient.

The goal of a networking event shouldn’t necessarily be to come away with prospects every time you go out, but to come away with great connections. Networking usually takes time to get the relationships developed and nurtured.

Don’t approach networking as a scary proposition or a necessary evil for being in business. Take the pressure off yourself and really focus on how you might be able to connect with someone you meet. Focus on them first and look for ways to be useful to them. As you become known as a connector you’ll eventually be ready to reap what you sow.

A Network Marketing Builder? Yes, I will outline now step by step how you and your downline can use a “Network Marketing Builder”, to create excitement and explode your easy home business, fast. Consider for a moment, the perfect automated recruiting and training system, that will work for you promoting any Network Marketing business or Ordinary Business.

Let me first explain exactly why a “Network Marketing Builder” is the perfect tool for you and your downline to build your business fast. Then I’ll get right to the strategies for success using less time and effort. I’ll insure you’re maximizing your efforts using the “complete” system for your PC while saving you valuable time. Time you need to “get away,” knowing your PC is hard at work for you. Spend this “time” with family, friends and for yourself.

Let me tell you  the “Secret of Network Marketing Success”:

“The fortune is in the follow up!”

Did you know that you can automate the “Key” aspect of successful Network Marketing Online and GROW YOUR NETWORK, STARTING TODAY!

A “Network Marketing Builder” can insure your success, as well as your organization, by providing the tool that will automate the “Secret of Network Marketing Success”:

YOUR FOLLOW UP!

**Plus, you can provide this tool to your organization that will generate excitement, growth and cash! Not only for sales made through your own “Network Marketing Builder” Web Store as a reseller, but cash from ALL orders your Associates and contacts make as well.**

**All while you and your downline are exploding your organization!**

And there’s a brand new Web based version of “The Network Marketing Builder” called  “The Online Network Marketing Builder”.  If you would rather manage your contact base and automated marketing from a Web based interface, and not use PC based software.

More about “The Network Marketing Builder”…

A “Network Marketing Builder” can help you manage your contact database and keep in touch with automatic, personal and consistent follow up, because was originally designed specifically for the Network Marketing Industry.

The biggest problem we see in the Network Marketing Industry is people just don’t have enough TIME each day to build their business. So, they soon get frustrated and quit or move on to the next opportunity promising wealth and freedom, only to find out they have the same problem.

Not enough TIME to build their business!

There are a few keys to the beginning of a successful Network Marketing business.

*  First, above ALL else, you must get started right away. Procrastinating this step will nearly insure failure.

*  Second, realize people DO procrastinate and put decisions off. The first few times you contact a prospect the timing just might not be right. You simply MUST follow up and keep in touch consistently. This will insure when they’re ready you get in touch with them. Don’t miss the opportunity to recruit a player that decided to go with another company because he or she hasn’t heard from you.

This is where the problem comes in. People don’t have the time to follow up with prospects and their downline near enough to be REALLY successful.  You must make it easy for a new member to get started and duplicate your system!

E-mail and the Web are the answers! It costs you about £20 a month to send as much mail as you want; And $300 a year to host an entire web site The cost of phone calls and the postal service can be hundreds of dollars a month. Now, I would never recommend to forget the phone, fax, voice mail or snail mail. These are all part of building any successful business online and off-line and simply must be used.

* The third is a good consistent supply of pre-qualified leads for you and your downline.

This is a Networker’s dream come true! Because you can do it all with less than 15 minutes a day!

*  Copy your sales and training follow ups into “The Network Marketing Builder”

*  Import your prospects and downline members

*  Then “The Network Marketing Builder” does the rest for you, following up and keeping in touch for as long and as often as you want.

INFORMING, SELLING, EDUCATING AND TRAINING AUTOMATICALLY

Imagine an automated system that delivers information to your potential customers and then follows up with them automatically over a preset number of days, weeks, and months. An automated system that nudges, inquires, follows up, reminds and answers questions for each and every contact in due course, over and over…

Having an automated system to send e-mail communication and follow up to your potential and existing customers will save you time and money. Maximize your marketing efforts, stay organized, and make more MONEY in less time.

Systematic follow up will insure all your prospects are walked step by step through your opportunity and your product line. They will receive the whole story a little bit at a time taking them by the hand right to the sign up. Keep telling them about the features and benefits you and your network marketing company can offer them until the time is right for them to join or you strike a chord.

What if you could AUTOMATICALLY…

*  Help train and motivate your downline members?

*  Follow up and keep in touch with your prospect ?

*  Contact your customer to remind them of their reorder cycles?

*  Get new recruits started off fast and started off right?

*  Import your coop leads and begin to further qualify immediately?

*  Make one file of your prospecting letters to send to your members so they can import it into “The Network Marketing Builder” to begin building their business immediately?

Sounds great, but where will you get the sales letters to follow up with?

This is a fair question. But there are many resources to depend on. This is one reason you decided on network marketing in the first place right? The support of a company and your organization!

*  Contact your upline (often the letters you need are ready)

*  Find all your old sales letters and applicable outgoing mail

*  Work together with your upline and downline to assemble a series

*  Be sure to share your series with your members

*  Subscribe to our free Easy Home Business Newsletter, going to the following web address.

“The fortune is in the Follow up”

You can use a “Network Marketing Builder” to expand your organization, then resell it to your downline creating excitement and results right away. Encourage them to resell it to their new recruits as well and earn second level commissions.

Another important benefit is you can send new members one file to import into their “Network Marketing Builder” that includes prospecting and training message series for your Network Marketing all ready to go! This way, your Associates can simply plug new and old prospects or import leads directly into their “Network Marketing Builder”. Then they automatically start sending sound consistent follow up in a timely manner. This will boost their sponsoring efforts and build excitement immediately!!

This is a powerful Network Marketing Builder tool. When a NEW Network Marketing member joins, you can mail them a file to import into their new ” Network Marketing Builder ” program that contains tons of sales letters, follow ups, training and more. They can customize them; then import their own contacts and new prospects into the ” Network Marketing Builder “, and start sending messages that sell the plan and your products. They can now keep in close contact with all their prospects and organization, automatically!

If you have an existing organization that’s even better, you have a built in prospect list and reseller force. Since it will be in their best interest, and yours, this is a win-win situation! Tell them how a “Network Marketing Builder” can help build their business and organization while saving valuable time and money.

Even beginners can simply plug people into the ” Network Marketing Builder ” and let their computer do the lion’s share of the work following up.

This would be perfect for your network marketing business!

Do you see the power with your own personal “Network Marketing Builder ” for your networking business and Associates?

Another very successful strategy is to coop your lead generation and put a system in place to divide up your leads into files and send them to your associates. Using the “Network Marketing Builder ” and participating in your coop lead generation system your downline has access to the perfect downline building system. They import their leads and start building their business right away.

The Industry is growing faster than any other time in our history but competition is fierce….

YOU NEED TO LAYOUT A SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE RECRUITING SYSTEM THE AVERAGE PERSON CAN GET RESULTS WITH. COMBINING A LEAD GENERATION SYSTEM WITH THE POWER OF THE ” Network Marketing Builder ” IS THE SOLUTION NO MATTER WHAT NETWORK MARKETING COMPANIES YOU REPRESENT!

Imagine providing the marketing tool that almost guarantees your new and existing Networkmarketing recruit’s success. You can help them automate their follow up and lead management. This insures you and your downline are doing a TON of work, in just minutes a day.

They can import yours or the company’s pre selected messages right into the “Network marketing Builder” to grow their new business and yours. The “Network marketing Builder” automatically gets your new partner started off right and started off fast!

Don’t forget you earn commission on every order your downline and customers sell as well. The power of duplication at your fingertips. Your new recruits just plug their new and old prospects into their software and off they go sponsoring faster than ever.

Not only can it follow up with hundreds, even thousands of your prospects in a few minutes per day, but you can also …

<1> Send a training series over 12 months or more keeping your downline informed and motivated

<2>Advertise and mail a free “Network marketing training series.” Of course your information covers the benefits of your products and opportunity all right in the same series.

<3> Mail a “getting started fast” training series to all your new recruits.

Let’s review how much time you’re spending on your mail communication. Use minutes or hours in each blank.

1) Keeping customers posted on specials and new products per day_________

2) Following up with prospects requesting more information per day_________

3) Keeping track of your contacts and e-mail communication per day_________

4) Introducing a new product to your contact database per day_________

5) Motivating and training your employees and associates per day_________

6) Educating your customers and prospects per day_________

Total hours spent per day on these activities? >>>__________

Your cost (£££) ? _________

A “Network Marketing Builder” gives you the opportunity to do much of this communication in minutes, not hours.

The last couple of days have been beautiful, the weather near perfect and some of us are suffering from spring fever while others are simply struggling with the pollen levels. This time of the year reminds me that summer is coming and things are about to slow down – in networking. I would like to take just a moment and discuss this trend and what I believe may be the cause of it.

Let’s begin in the fall. At this time of the year we are working feverishly trying to procure new business because we realize that around the holidays things will slow down. As December draws near, some of us become preoccupied with things like parties and shopping and our attention turns from building our business. Others find it increasingly difficult to make contact as people begin long vacations.

Then the holidays pass. We put our marketing and networking efforts into high gear, going to several meetings a week, trying to get things cranked up again. The result is increased business and increased profits. Have you ever noticed that in the early part of February that things begin to pick up almost at a maddening pace? When this occurs, unless we are prepared for growth, we start to back off on our promotions as we scramble to complete the work that has been generated by our marketing efforts.

In effect, we stop networking. We lose contact with those we have been making and asking for referrals, and they begin to feel as if we are not interested in them any longer. When this happens, they may look for someone else to refer when that target prospect comes along.

By early to mid summer, we are starting to crawl out from under the workload and we again look for opportunities. Unfortunately, the vacations have started again as children are released from school for the summer. Thus it is very difficult once again to find the contacts that were out there just before our business picked up again late last winter.

By mid August, school is back in session and people are coming back out into the networking world again. Of course we are seeing some of the same people that were there before, but there are also a lot of new faces as well. Because we had slacked off from our promotion efforts, we were not there to greet the new faces as they started their new business. So the people who have a balanced networking and marketing strategy are there to greet them.

These are the people who have businesses that seem to be growing. They have a marketing and networking plan that is consistent year round. When many businesses are experiencing that new business rush in the spring, these business owners are ready to absorb the new business with new employees or temporary help. They realize that to maintain growth means to be ready for any upswing in the economy that could propel their business to the next level.

So how do we accomplish this? First plan for growth. Have a system ready for when you have more business than you can handle so that there is help you can call. This is managed by building relationships with temp agencies, headhunters, and placement firms. Hire people on a contractor basis if necessary. This saves money on benefits and salaries when thing are a bit slower. It also reduces the amount of paperwork when it comes to payroll processing and taxes.

Next, develop a plan for networking that is manageable. Set a goal for the amount of meetings that you would attend when business is just OK and stick to it when business gets better. Attend functions year round, even during the holiday seasons.

Plan vacations when necessary, but don’t assume that everyone is going on vacation simply because it is summer. Most people have to accommodate the schedules of others and entire companies usually do not go on vacation at the same time. Notice that larger corporations always have staff on hand to do business while an employee is on vacation. Also take note that large corporations do not stop promoting just because it is the month of July or December. They are consistent year round.

The lesson here is that, if you want to grow into a large company, take a look at what large companies do. Emulate them if they are successful and you may be able to duplicate their success. You must be constantly marketing, networking and promoting to ensure consistent business year round. If you decide to slack off now because business is good, I guarantee that when autumn comes you will be working twice as hard to get things going again. If, on the other hand, you keep on consistently marketing the way you did when times were slow, you should be able to experience the growth of both your company and your bank account during the entire year.

I remember when I was growing up, my parents used to become vey annoyed with me when I stated that I could not do my homework or could not do other things I had been asked to do.

They would respond with the advice that I could do anything in life as long as I believed in myself and as long as I was willing to work very hard. The word, can’t, does not exist in my vocab Marsha, I sometimes find certain tasks difficult however always believe that I will be able to succeed, my father would say.

He worked very hard to make me understand and to take on board this message, which would eventually prove to be a valuable lesson for me to learn. It has helped me to achieve many things and to also overcome some of the issues I had in my life.

School and employment

I was not the brightest student at school and as previously mentioned would often say that I could not complete the work through my lack of belief in my own ability. Through hard work and determination though, I left school with an impressive set of examination results. I continued this success into my work life and at the age of twenty-two had passed a number of insurance exams and had become a qualified financial advisor.

Stuttering

From the age of four I had suffered with the speech impediment known as stammering or stuttering. By my early twenties I had had enough of this struggle and went about trying to overcome the stutter. It proved to be very difficult and my progress was slow. I had superb support from my family who would always pick me up when I was feeling down and who also continued to ram home the message of never giving up. During the hours of practice I would regularly state that I could not do it, my family would not accept this and kept on at me to keep believing and to think positive.

After nearly a year of working and practicing very hard I managed to eradicate the stutter which is my biggest and proudest achievement in life.

Weight

Throughout my life I have had problems with my weight. I was never happy being fat and at the age of twenty decided to try to lose the weight. It seemed to take forever to achieve the weight and size I had targeted and as usual there were many times when I was close to giving up. From the lessons learnt and with the support from my family, eventually I did lose the excess fat.

However, by looking at ways of improving the mind can only bring the dreams we have one step closer to reality. With small changes we can all improve the way we live. If we sit back and live the life we have been given it will always stay the same.

Achieving can become addictive, as a smoker for most of my life and tried to pack up more times than one can remember. There were plenty of reasons to quit, children, the cost and health were the top ones. However I always could find a good excuse to start again, an argument with the wife, a special occasion, down the pub with other smokers that was good enough reason.

Then One day and I still don’t know why, I woke up and decided I wasn’t going to smoke again, there wasn’t a last one or last puff I just stopped. I did that 3 years ago, packing up was so easy once I got it into my head.

My head is now programmed to believe that I don’t need them, and since stopping I have continued to look for the next challenge. 3 years ago I would have loved to know how to turn on a computer, I now own 3 of them and have a built a number of websites too! I am always on the look out to find ways of improving myself.

Talking to people is one of my favourite past times but for some reason I get nervous when I have to stand up in front of people and make a speech, that is what I have made my project at the moment, so when I officially marry the woman I already call my wife, I will be able to stand up in front of a crowd and tell everyone how much I love her, without stumbling around for words.

By slowly changing the way our minds are programmed, it is possible to achieve almost anything in life, with confidence and self-belief more and more people are getting out of life what they have only ever dreamed about before.

One of my best friends whose name is Chris turned seventeen around a month before I did. For his birthday his father bought him a very nice and sporty looking car. Chris was very pleased and showed his new present to all his mates including myself. He was unable to take us out for a spin as he had yet to learn to drive. I thought what a great gift it had been and returned home to tell my parents.

I now had it in my head, that I also wanted a car for my birthday. Chris only lived a few doors away from my house and my parents looked out of the window to view his new car. I stated to them that I would love a car for my seventeenth and my parents started to laugh and replied with, I bet you would.

Despite this negative comment, I really believed they were only joking and was convinced that they would not let me down. My birthday arrived and I opened all of their gifts. The main present they had bought me was a pair of trainers. I have to admit they were a quality pair of trainers, however I wondered where they had hidden the car. The car was not hidden, it had not been bought.

An ungrateful young man went to bed, not best pleased. I then started to take driving lessons and on the second attempt managed to pass the driving test. I came home to inform my parents of the good news. My dad congratulated me and seemed proud of my achievement. I stated that I was also very happy, however in reality, what was the point if I had no car to drive. My father did not reply to this comment.

A couple of months later my eighteenth birthday was now approaching. My father told me that because this was quite a big birthday, he was planning to spend a bit more money on my presents this year. He asked me if I had any idea of what I would like. For the second year in a row, I replied that I would love a car. Yet again he laughed and stated that he had said a bit more, not hundreds.

I really believed that because it was in his words, a big birthday, and because I was now legally able to drive, that he would buy me a car. Guess what, he didn’t. Yet again I was not impressed.

I waited a couple of months and then tried the head on approach. I spoke to my parents and told them that I needed a car, they agreed. My dad stated that if I wanted a car, I should go and buy one. I replied that I had no money, and he stated that I should start to save up then.

I started to save and had to sacrifice many things. Eventually I bought a car. It was not exactly sporty but it was my pride and joy. I washed the car every weekend and am sure that I loved it ten times more than Chris loved his car, because I had earned it.

Whenever I want to achieve something in life, I am aware that I have to work very hard and am very grateful to the lesson my parents taught me, even though at the time it seemed harsh and cruel.

Title:
Your Life Is What You Make Of It

Word Count:
644

Summary:
This article describes how your life is what you make of it. If you are willing to work hard to reach your ambitions and goals, there is no reason why should not attain them. In my opinion far too many people try to take short cuts or are too willing to expect free hand outs from other people or have the credit card attitude of buy now, pay later. I hope you enjoy the read.

Keywords:
life, money, car, drive, friends, help, save, goals, targets

Article Body:
This article describes how your life is what you make of it. If you are willing to work hard to reach your ambitions and goals, there is no reason why should not attain them. In my opinion far too many people try to take short cuts or are too willing to expect free hand outs from other people or have the credit card attitude of buy now, pay later. I hope you enjoy the read.

One of my best friends whose name is Chris turned seventeen around a month before I did. For his birthday his father bought him a very nice and sporty looking car. Chris was very pleased and showed his new present to all his mates including myself. He was unable to take us out for a spin as he had yet to learn to drive. I thought what a great gift it had been and returned home to tell my parents.

I now had it in my head, that I also wanted a car for my birthday. Chris only lived a few doors away from my house and my parents looked out of the window to view his new car. I stated to them that I would love a car for my seventeenth and my parents started to laugh and replied with, I bet you would.

Despite this negative comment, I really believed they were only joking and was convinced that they would not let me down. My birthday arrived and I opened all of their gifts. The main present they had bought me was a pair of trainers. I have to admit they were a quality pair of trainers, however I wondered where they had hidden the car. The car was not hidden, it had not been bought.

An ungrateful young man went to bed, not best pleased. I then started to take driving lessons and on the second attempt managed to pass the driving test. I came home to inform my parents of the good news. My dad congratulated me and seemed proud of my achievement. I stated that I was also very happy, however in reality, what was the point if I had no car to drive. My father did not reply to this comment.

A couple of months later my eighteenth birthday was now approaching. My father told me that because this was quite a big birthday, he was planning to spend a bit more money on my presents this year. He asked me if I had any idea of what I would like. For the second year in a row, I replied that I would love a car. Yet again he laughed and stated that he had said a bit more, not hundreds.

I really believed that because it was in his words, a big birthday, and because I was now legally able to drive, that he would buy me a car. Guess what, he didn’t. Yet again I was not impressed.

I waited a couple of months and then tried the head on approach. I spoke to my parents and told them that I needed a car, they agreed. My dad stated that if I wanted a car, I should go and buy one. I replied that I had no money, and he stated that I should start to save up then.

I started to save and had to sacrifice many things. Eventually I bought a car. It was not exactly sporty but it was my pride and joy. I washed the car every weekend and am sure that I loved it ten times more than Chris loved his car, because I had earned it.

Whenever I want to achieve something in life, I am aware that I have to work very hard and am very grateful to the lesson my parents taught me, even though at the time it seemed harsh and cruel.

Raise self esteem, gain self esteem, increase self esteem

Many people in life would like to gain more confidence or to increase their self esteem. In this article, I give free tips on how to do this. I myself have managed to change my whole life by implementing the advice given. I hope it also proves beneficial for you.

I am Stephen Hill from England. I had many issues as I grew up from a child, through the teenage years, and finally to adulthood which had a damaging affect on my confidence levels. These included:

• A bald patch on my head
• A speech impediment known as a stutter
• A weight problem, I was basically too fat
• I am quite short at five foot four

Certain people I met would be quite nasty and would try to make fun of me. They would succeed as I would be very hurt from their comments, even though I tried to never show it.

These people were making my life a misery and by the age of twenty-two I had had enough. I decided I needed a big change in attitude and started to read books about life and about positive thinking etc.

• These were the things I had to take on board:
• It is not important what other people think of you, it is what you think that counts
• You need to start to like yourself

There are various things about your person, you do not like but which you can not change. You therefore have to start accepting these things and realising that maybe there are other people in life who are more unfortunate than you.

• You need to have respect for yourself
• Do not accept second best in life
• Be happy

I tried hard to implement this advice and even though it was not easy to change, I knew I had to. I basically live life to the full now and try not to worry about anything trivial.

What is an absolute presupposition? For our purposes here we may define it as a statement that is necessarily, unquestionably, in arguably true. You cannot imagine circumstances under which it can be false. “Two plus two equals four” is a statement of this kind. So is “If you throw a ball up in the air, it will fall back to Earth.” Absolute presuppositions are statements we must accept as true if our world is to make any sense to us at all.

However, as we shall see in a moment, sometimes we mistakenly believe a statement to be an absolute presupposition…and it turns out that it really isn’t. I’m going to suggest that if you are encountering an unusually tough problem in life – whether it be in business, the arts, sports, your personal life, whatever – it is because you are believing something to be an absolute presupposition which really isn’t one. You believe something to be necessarily true and it isn’t even true at all, never mind necessarily so. Let’s look at some instances.

In the Middle Ages people believed that if you sailed a ship out to the line of the horizon, where the sea and sky met, then you would fall off the edge of the planet. Why? Because they believed the Earth was flat. They could not possibly imagine that it could be otherwise because they had no knowledge of the laws of gravity and physics – a round Earth was simply inconceivable. “The Earth is flat,” was an absolute presupposition, and every single person who was alive on the face of the earth believed it to be true. Yet it isn’t true.

Similarly, at one time in history it was thought to be impossible for a human being to be able to run a mile in less than four minutes. People believed this to be true for untold centuries – millions, even billions, of people at one time took “It is impossible for a human being to run a mile in under four minutes” to be an absolute presupposition. Yet it was shown to be untrue when Roger Bannister did it. After Bannister, runners everywhere started beating the time.

So then: beliefs exist in your own life that are similar to “The Earth is flat” and “It is impossible for a human being to run a mile in under four minutes.” These beliefs are what hold us back from our greatest potential. We set up obstacles and impediments by taking for granted, and by not questioning, beliefs that we mistakenly hold as sacrosanct. By identifying these beliefs, and by examining how we might break free of the constraints they impose upon us, we begin to make incredible progress in all we want to do.

Title:
Dreams And Goals

Word Count:
521

Summary:
If you are having trouble achieving everything that you would like to achieve in life, this dangerous kind of thinking may be holding you back.

Keywords:
goal setting

Article Body:
In this short article I’d like to discuss a certain kind of belief that holds many people – people who are quite capable and talented – back from reaching goals, realizing dreams, and becoming all that they can become. The concept of the “Absolute Presupposition” is central to this discussion. (The term was originally coined by the British philosopher R.G. Collingwood, in a somewhat different context.)

What is an absolute presupposition? For our purposes here we may define it as a statement that is necessarily, unquestionably, inarguably true. You cannot imagine circumstances under which it can be false. “Two plus two equals four” is a statement of this kind. So is “If you throw a ball up in the air, it will fall back to Earth.” Absolute presuppositions are statements we must accept as true if our world is to make any sense to us at all.

However, as we shall see in a moment, sometimes we mistakenly believe a statement to be an absolute presupposition…and it turns out that it really isn’t. I’m going to suggest that if you are encountering an unusally tough problem in life – whether it be in business, the arts, sports, your personal life, whatever – it is because you are believing something to be an absolute presupposition which really isn’t one. You believe something to be necessarily true and it isn’t even true at all, never mind necessarily so. Let’s look at some instances.

In the Middle Ages people believed that if you sailed a ship out to the line of the horizon, where the sea and sky met, then you would fall off the edge of the planet. Why? Because they believed the Earth was flat. They could not possibly imgine that it could be otherwise because they had no knowledge of the laws of gravity and physics – a round Earth was simply inconceiveable. “The Earth is flat,” was an absolute presupposition, and every single person who was alive on the face of the earth beleived it to be true. Yet it isn’t true.

Similarly, at one time in history it was thought to be impossible for a human being to be able to run a mile in less than four minutes. People believed this to be true for untold centuries – millions, even billions, of people at one time took “It is impossible for a human being to run a mile in under four minutes” to be an absolute presupposition. Yet it was shown to be untrue when Roger Bannister did it. After Bannister, runners everywhere started beating the time.

So then: beliefs exist in your own life that are similar to “The Earth is flat” and “It is impossible for a human being to run a mile in under four minutes.” These beliefs are what hold us back from our greatest potential. We set up obstacles and impediments by taking for granted, and by not questioning, beliefs that we mistakenly hold as sacrosanct. By identifying these beliefs, and by examining how we might break free of the constraints they impose upon us, we begin to make incredible progress in all we want to do.

Are you looking to arrange an appointment with a life coach. There are many people who feel they need a boost of self-confidence or self-esteem. In this article I write about some of the advice you may receive at these sessions.

I am one of these people who at many times in my life have felt down and depressed about various issues that I have had in my life. I have worked hard and had a lot of advice about how to deal with these problems and am now far more confident and content with life.

I always wanted to be liked by everyone and found it difficult to say no when invited to say a party, even though in truth I did not want to go. If I did decline an offer, I would feel guilty and if for example a friend asked me why I did not want to go and perhaps even called me boring for not going, I would often end up changing my mind. This would be because I did not want to be known as boring by anybody and also because I was quite a weak and fragile person.

From reading life coaching and positive thinking books, I realised I had to become a far stronger person, more care-free and to have more respect for myself. I decided that if I did not want to go somewhere I wouldn’t, whatever anyone said. This new found attitude would not be easy to carry off but I was determined to give it a go.

I was soon to be tested, it was at one of my friends (Ian)houses. He was trying to organise a night out for the following Saturday. I was not at all interested in going out on that particular night for various reasons. Eventually Ian asked if I wanted to go and I said that I didn’t. That answer was not enough for him and he proceeded to question my reasons for not wanting to go. I felt all of the eyes of the people present descend on me and I felt quite awkward. Normally in this situation I would give some excuse but instead I asked him why I needed to give a reason and why my answer of no was not enough for him. He seemed quite shocked at my strong response and moved on to question and nag someone else.

I felt proud of my success and have continued to adopt a similar attitude since.

In this article I write about how we can become content with life by learning to like ourselves and by appreciating what we have in life. There are far too many people who are comparing their lives to that of their friends and neighbours, and who then think that they are not good enough. This can make them become jealous and even depressed.

I have to admit that I was like the people I am describing above. I was not happy with the car I drove, or at the company where I worked, or at how much money I earned per year and even with the girlfriend I had. My friends seemed to drive much better cars, worked for much better employers, earned far more per year than I did and had much better looking girlfriends, sorry Claire!

I have since managed to change my attitude to life and am now very happy with what I have in life. I now look at the bigger picture and instead of concentrating my thoughts at people who I feel are better off than me, I watch the news from around the world and hear about people who are far less fortunate than I am. I certainly now feel that I am actually very lucky compared to most people who live on this planet.

I also did not really like myself, I wanted to be taller, stronger, a better communicator (I had a stutter), and a lot fitter than I was (I was quite fat). I have since accepted that there are various things that I can not change, such as my height and have therefore accepted that I am shorter than the average male. I have also thought about the positive aspects of being short, more leg room on a plane etc. Other aspects of my life at which I was not happy with, but felt I could change or improve, I have worked very hard on, and am now at a weight I am happy with and have overcome the stuttering speech impediment.

I now like myself and if other people choose not to, that is fine by me, I have enough people who do. In any case it is what I think that counts, therefore if they think I am an idiot, thats fine, because I believe I am not.

I now have an opinion that what car I drive or how much money I earn is not important. For me, health and happiness are the two most important things in life and these are things which money can not buy.

I have decided that stressing or worrying about a situation does not help me to succeed; it just makes things a whole lot worse and more difficult. I now think to myself, that all I can do in life is to try my best and if I do that I can be proud of myself.

I used to be very hard on myself, my own worst critic. I am now a lot easier on myself, I have realised that I will make mistakes and always try to learn from the experiences. My body and brain are temples and I need to be nice to them. Hopefully if I am they will reward me with my continued health.

I am now far happier than I have ever been and am determined not to slip back into my old ways of depression and negative thinking.

I hope this article helps you in your quest for a better life.

Who can forget the famous line of Peter Parker (Spiderman’s grandfath0065r)?  He said, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

Society expects Spiderman – a comic book, TV and movie superhero with extraordinary powers – to be responsible for saving his town and the world from the forces of Evil.  And he never let us down. Despite the temptations of owning such powers, he uses his abilities only for the good of the people around him.

Being a coach has similar parallels.  They don’t have superhuman powers such as x-ray vision or flying through the air with magic “sticky ropes”.  But great coaches can have real power through their abilities to help others – and with it, the responsibility – to guide others towards success.  This is REAL power that can be used to help real people in THIS world.  Done well, coaches can help others turn around their lives.  Done wrong, and a coach could guide a client down the wrong path.

So, with this power to coach your clients towards manifesting their personal and/or business vision comes responsibilities.  Great coaches assume them all as part of the professional responsibility. This can include everything from making sure your client is moving in the right direction, getting them back on course when they are not, and developing and tracking their use of exercises to help them along the way.

There are a few things you can do to be a more responsible coach.  Just as important, these same skills can be imparted to your clients to help them lead more responsible, integrity-filled lives.

How to Bring out the more Responsible “You” in Yourself and your Client

#1 – Develop self-awareness.

Learn and know your own strengths and weaknesses to be able to view your behavior objectively.  Recognize your shortcomings, receive feedback, and make changes when necessary.  The more self-aware you become of all your aspects, the more you will know what kind of clients you can coach best and – just as important – those best referred to others.

Dr. Gerard Bell, business consultant and professor at the University of North Carolina in

Chapel Hill, advises us on how to expand our self-knowledge.  He said, “Study yourself closely and practice self-assessment techniques to learn how you behave, and the effects you have on others.  As others for their option, feedback, and suggestions to become a better coach.”

The lesson is simple: the more we grow, the more we can offer, and the more we can help others.

#2: Learn to Separate Responsibility from Worry

When we hear the word “responsibility”, we often think to ourselves, “Another task, another problem.”  However, responsibility is not about worrying over things give to us to work out.  Consider this story:

One night at the end of the second shift, the Head of Operations walked out of the plant he managed and passed a porter.  A porter he passed said, “Mr. Smith, I sure wish I had your pay.  But I wouldn’t want the worry that goes with it.”

Mr. Smith answered, “I give the best I can when I am here.  But I drop the worry when I leave so I can be 100% with my family when I’m at home.”

You, too, can learn to give your best to challenging work, but then “leave it at the door” when you’re off-hours.  Worrying accomplishes nothing except to eat away at us, and actually ends up making us less effective!  Don’t let worry taint your clarity of judgment and ability to take decisive action.  You can learn this as you grow.

Carrying the responsibility of coaching should not intimidate you.  It is the ability to help others that coaching is all about.  Embrace the responsibilities that come with it.

Nothing is gained by worrying about whether your clients achieve their goals or not.  Focus on supporting and inspiring them.  Be their partner in their growth.  Brainstorm with them when it is called for.  But ultimately, it is your client’s responsibility to assume responsibility for accomplishing their goals.  You merely help them see and achieve this state.

#3: Take Calculated Risks and Learn from Your Mistakes

Effective coaches have the courage to ask their clients to take risks when results and success are uncertain.  A willingness to risk failure is a core attribute of all successful people.

As a coach you can help your clients work with risk and possible failure.  Help them learn to analyze their situation and options.  Work with them to list the pros and cons for each option, and then assign each choice a risk factor rating from 1 to 5.  Next, have them determine the likelihood of each occurring.  This will help them quantify and manage the risk-taking process.

Also, lead them to a better paradigm regarding failure.  What is failure other than great feedback that our current course of action isn’t the right path?  Use this information for course correction.  Failure doesn’t happen until we give up.  If you don’t give up, then failure isn’t an option.

#4: Own and admit our mistakes

Our greatest lessons and growth come through our mistakes. Everyone makes them; it is part of life.  Help your client understand this, and they will be able to draw the necessary lessons and take corrective action.  If we do the “blame game”, we don’t even take the first step (ownership) in this process.

Not only does owning our mistakes and failures help us to be more truthful and powerful in our own lives.  Owning and assuming responsibility for them lets others see the integrity and virtue within us, and hence further gain their respect.

As life coaching is gaining popularity, so is interest in becoming a life coach. Many people love the idea of working for themselves and being in a profession that helps others. If you are thinking about becoming a life coach, there are several factors you need to consider.

First, decide what type of life coach you want to become. The word “life” covers a lot of territory so life coaches tend to specialize in specific areas. These areas include career and finance, goal setting, relationships, weight loss/fitness and drugs and alcohol, just to name a few.

What is your passion and how do you want to inspire others to create success in their lives?

When thinking about what type of life coach you want to be, examine your career, education and life experience to find your current strengths.

Once you have an idea of what area you want to focus on, consider what a life coach does. This is tricky because there is no one definition or universal standard so several interpretations exist. You need to develop a format in which you will teach successful actions to your clients.

A qualified life coach can break down goals into manageable, easier to confront steps while showing the client effective techniques for completing them. Just knowing what and how is not enough because clients often get in their own way. The life coach will evaluate their progress and motivate them to implement a plan with consistent action to actually achieve desired results. Before you begin on this path, know that there is a difference between understanding what to do and being able to get someone to do it.

There are three essential elements involved in becoming a life coach and they are training, skills and education. When it comes to training, there are many life coaching academies that offer courses and some even offer accreditation. Many of these courses have actual and practical value. Please note that there is no federal or state agency that has an accreditation for life coaching and schools offering degrees are self-accredited.

If you are considering taking any of these courses first look into the costs involved. Often an inexpensive introductory course is offered only to get you started. Since costs can add up quickly, check into the length of time, the number of additional courses required and make sure to get referrals from other students. Another important point to check for first is whether or not the school provides adequate tools for practical application when working with clients. This will be very helpful for beginners in developing step-by-step methods for life coaching.

There are a few key skills that are absolutely essential. For starters, you need to be a good listener, a creative problem solver and have considerable knowledge of human behaviour. You need to be able to set goals and develop plans of action to actualize them. Life coaching requires that you are organized and can keep meticulous attention to detail to monitor weekly results.

Patience and the ability to deal with frustration are critical. Clients don’t always do what they agree to do and getting people to suddenly give up destructive behaviour patterns can be a real challenge. You need to know how to motivate and be creative in overcoming obstacles and objections. You have to really like and care about people. You must also be able to accept failure as not all clients will change. There are a few more skills involved but these are fundamental.

A life coach should love education in order to stay informed of current advances and trends. The areas that require consistent study are psychology, goal setting, motivation, cognitive psychology, cognitive science, human behaviour, habits of successful people, sleep patterns, relationships, business principles, principles of success, career development, drugs, alcohol, leadership, sales and more. A life coach is a relentless student of these subjects.

Life coaching is a proactive approach to resolving obstacles in an individual’s life and it requires a clear picture of not only why and how, but also of step-by-step implementation and the ability to resolve blocks and setbacks as they come up. You’ll need to combine these factors into a working platform to assist your clients in reaching their goals.

Finally, when you are ready to start life coaching, how are you going to get clients? The idea of working for yourself and helping people may sound great, and it is but it comes with its difficulties. You are not going to simply get business cards made then start filling your appointment book. Schools offering great careers as life-coaches will only be able to give you limited assistance in getting clients. After you spend your time and money either with a life coaching school or developing your own style of life coaching it will be up to you to get clients. You are one hundred percent responsible for your income and success.

You should enjoy networking and self-promoting. You can build a clientele through friends, networking groups, placing ads, professional relationships, and whatever other creative ways you can think of. As you get clients and earn a reputation, your business will grow through referrals. All this takes time, so be prepared.

As you are developing your business, you will have to overcome the obstacle of people questioning what a life coach does. Be prepared by asking yourself why someone would pay you to advise him or her and have a good answer. The answer you develop to that question will be the foundation for your success.

After considering all of these factors, if you decide to become a life coach you will be entering a dynamic field. Being able to actually help people create the life changes they want is a highly rewarding and exciting career. You’ll be helping others gain success while creating your own!

Feeling frustrated by your job is a very common occurrence. Many people feel they are in a lower position they are capable of performing and are not quite sure how to get to the next level of responsibility. Much of this is caused by the way we have programmed our brains to think and react to situations. An NLP training course can help.

 A Brief Definition of Neuro-linguistic programming

Neuro-linguistic programming, or NLP, is a set of models of how communication impacts and is impacted by subjective experience. In addition to being an agent for change, NLP is also used in psychotherapy treatments for problems as diverse as phobias and schizophrenia. NLP also aims at transforming corporations, showing them how to accomplish their maximum potential and achieve great success.

The developers of NLP

The theories and application of NLP were co-created by two men in the 1970’s. One a linguist, John Grinder and his partner Richard Bandler. The initial focus of their experiments in NLP was to discover what gave three psychotherapists the advantage in successfully treating their clients. These three psychotherapists, gestalt therapist Fritz Perls, family therapist Virginia Satir and founding president of the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis, Milton H. Erickson, were more successful in treatment than that of their peers.

Timeline of NLP

1970: Founding and early development

1972: Research of Fritz Perls, Virginia Satir and Milton H. Erickson begins.

1975: Subsequently Structure of Magic Series published

1976-77: Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson published

1979: Frogs into Princes: Neuro Linguistic Programming published

1980: Neuro-Linguistic Programming: Volume I published

1980: Bandler and Grinder go their separate ways

1981:  The first of many intellectual property lawsuits begin. NLP Training courses begin to be developed by many individuals. Given the diversity of developers and trainers, there is no single definitive system of NLP.

1982-87: Grinder and Judith DeLozier collaborated to develop the New Code of NLP.

1984-87: Research reviews in experimental counselling psychology by the United States National Research Council gave NLP an overall negative assessment marking a decrease in NLP research interest

1988-89: Bandler develops Design Human Engineering™ and later Neuro-Hypnotic Repatterning™

1990s: In the UK and other countries certification of NLP courses and providers begins

1996-97: Bandler files suit against Grinder claiming trademark infringement and intellectual property ownership of NLP.

Where the co-creators are now

The end of 2000 achieved a settlement between Bandler and Grinder when they agreed, “they are the co-creators and co-founders of the technology of Neuro-linguistic Programming.”

Richard Bandler is currently with The Society of Neuro-Linguistic Programming™ and John Grinder can be found at The International Trainers Academy of Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

NLP Today

NLP continues to be an open field of training with different trainers and practitioners developing their own methods and concepts. One common thread in NLP is the emphasis on teaching a variety of communication and persuasion skills, and using self-hypnosis to motivate and change oneself. With numerous NLP practitioners advertising on the Internet today, many of their standards and quality of courses may differ. When performing a search for a NLP Training courses make certain to choose an organization with a good reputation.

His publisher called and said, “If you don’t come up with a title by tomorrow morning, I’m going call it “USE YOUR NOODLE AND MAKE A BOODLE.” Distraught, Napoleon Hill began playing with words and throughout the course of the night came up with the classic title, “THINK AND GROW RICH.”

Have you read Think and Grow Rich? [If not, you need to head to your local bookstore, or library, and pick up a copy.]

It is one of the most best selling books of all time – probably due to its name.

Hey, it’s a great book because of what’s inside the book. The contents are incredibly powerful …but, I’m not sure how many people would have bought it with a title like Use your Noodle and Make a Boodle.

Would you have? Not me.

There are many, many other examples throughout history where books were written and published unsuccessfully… until they changed the title of the book.

In fact, some authors have ONLY changed the title of their books and have become best sellers after their first printing sold just a few copies.

I know it’s crazy. I know it’s not right. But that’s life. I’m sharing this with you so you can work it to YOUR benefit.

I’m not proposing that you can put together horrible content for your book, slap on a great title and make tons of money. Although I’ve personally seen it done (unfortunately), I am not suggesting you do that.

I’m suggesting that once you’ve got quality content inside your book, let’s get a great title on the outside of your book and add tremendous potential on your road to success.

Ok, so how can you get a great idea for a title?

Simple: start looking at the Best Seller lists at Barnes and Noble or Amazon.com.

When Jason Oman and Mike Litman wanted to publish their book they modeled a popular book called “Conversations with God” and published “Conversations with Millionaires.” Their book went to #1 on Amazon.com

Another great place to look for outstanding titles is the tabloids in the checkout isle. Those papers and magazines don’t sell millions of copies because they write unique and wonderful content – it’s because their titles are just SO compelling you’ve got to read it.

Now that you know how to brainstorm a book title, here are some tips to help you research content for your book.

Most people know about Google.com as the largest search engine in the world… however, few realize how powerful it is as a research tool.

The key is knowing how to tap into Google’s research powers. One of the best ways to find content for your book is by using the search string called “allinurl.” (pronounced all-in-u-r-l)

You can go to Google.com and type your keyword phrase in after allinurl: – and search its database for sites that have that key phrase in their URL, either in the domain name or in a file name.

For example, if I was writing a book about Dog Names I could use something like:

allinurl: dog name articles

allinurl: dog name

allinurl: beagle dog names

You should find some excellent content ideas using this method.

Let’s check out the real world examples and take a look at what we would find.

#1) allinurl: dog name articles

• “A Dog Name is Something To Be Chosen Carefully”

• “5 tips for finding the right name”

• “Puppy dog name meanings”

Looks like great content for the book. Simply decide which section (from your outline) would be the appropriate section for it to go in.

HOW can you organize your search findings? Put the name of your idea and the Outline Section at the top of a piece of paper.

In the section below put…

Name/Title: The name and/or title of the content you’ve found

Link: URL to the content

Expert (Owner): Who wrote the content

Type: Is the content text, audio, video, etc.

If you have 6 sections to your outline, you should have 6 of these sheets with content information – one for each section.

After collecting all the content you want for your book, you have four options.

#1) You can contact the content owner and ask permission to include their content in your book.

The benefit of including other experts’ content is that when it comes time to market it you’ve got ‘built-in’ partners to help promote it and you are leveraging other people’s credibility as experts in the subject.

#2) You can hire a ghostwriter to write on similar topics to those in your outline.

#3) You could research and write content following the outline yourself.

I’ve come to realize the power and the effectiveness of using existing content from experts.

Unless you have to have the entire book be your words, I’d suggest mixing in expert content with some of your own content. This might be as simple as finding a public domain book on the subjects you outlined and using some of its content as well.

I recently made an important discovery that I just couldn’t wait to share. You can make money by giving your writing away. Yes, it really is true.

This isn’t some “get rich overnight” scheme or some trick to get you to lay out a bunch of money for a “turn key business”. You have to do the work yourself and it will take some time to set everything in place — but anyone with an elementary grasp of the English language can make this work!

Giving your writing away to web sites, blogs, ezines, and newsletters can really make you some serious cash on the internet and I’m not joking. I have been writing professionally for two decades and I never thought I’d make more by writing for free but I am.

In fact, I make more money giving my writing away than I did selling my articles and columns. That’s right. The truth is that I’m making more money writing part-time for free than I did in any of my full-time paid writing jobs and that includes advances and royalties from the publication of three novels.

There are three ways I profit from giving my writing away. They aren’t secrets and you can use them profitably as well:

(I’ve seen traffic triple within a week from some articles)

building for me and my online enterprises which helps attract clients, customers, and visitors  for my advertisers and for me through sales of my own products as well as affiliate income

It really is not a difficult or complicated business model and one any competent writer, or anyone with the ability to string a decent sentence together, could replicate or modify to suit their purpose. I am a writer not a business person, but I know this is working for me and that it could work for you, too.

And let me share one last terrific benefit of this writing business — you can write whatever you want. You aren’t dependent on some editor’s whim or assignment. You don’t need to worry about tightly focusing your work to fit within a publication’s editorial guidelines. You are in total control — you write to suit yourself in terms of topic, approach, and tone. And you’ll make more money doing that then you ever did when you tried to write for someone else. I promise!

Now go out there and give your writing away!