Artificial intelligence–it seems that you cannot go anywhere online without running into the term AI or ChatGPT. If you are confused, don’t worry. This post describes what AI is exactly and the different types of artificial intelligence currently in use. Despite its potential, AI is still a relatively new technology, and many people are still unfamiliar with it. It is important for everyone to understand the basics of AI and how it can be used in their daily lives. Learning about AI can help people understand how it is used in the modern world and how it can potentially benefit their lives. If interested, here is an link to Wikipedia’s page on Artificial Intelligence–(warning)it is long and dry, but very thorough.
What is AI?
AI, also known as Artificial Intelligence, is a type of technology that allows machines to learn from their environment and complete tasks with minimal human intervention. In recent years, it is becoming increasingly popular and is used in various industries and applications.
Where is AI being used?
Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the way we live and work. AI makes it easier for businesses to automate mundane tasks and increase productivity and also creates more efficient and accurate customer service.
Chatbots provide customer service 24/7, allowing businesses to save money on hiring employees. Additionally, it is used for predictive analytics, which helps businesses make decisions based on data-driven insights.
How does that affect online users?
AI is also becoming increasingly popular in the online world. It is being used to create more personalized experiences for online users. The algorithms are being used to make recommendations based on a user’s search history and interests. It is also being used to create virtual assistants, such as Alexa and Google Assistant, which help people manage their day-to-day tasks.
What does the Future of AI look like?
The future of AI looks very promising. It is expected to continue to revolutionize the way we live and work. It will be used to create more personalized customer experiences and automate mundane tasks. AI will also create smarter and more efficient robots, which will be used in various industries. AI is also expected to be used in the healthcare industry, which can help doctors diagnose illnesses more accurately. Additionally, AI can be used to create autonomous vehicles, which can help reduce traffic and make transportation safer.
Some of the AI currently available include:
1. Natural Language Processing (NLP)
NLP is a type of AI that allows processing and understanding of human language. NLP uses algorithms to analyze text and other forms of language to understand the context and meaning behind the words. It is used in applications such as virtual assistants, chatbots, and search engines.
2. Computer Vision
Computer Vision is a type of AI that is allows the processing and analyzing of images. It uses algorithms to recognize objects and patterns in images, as well as to identify faces. This type of AI is used in applications such as facial recognition, autonomous vehicles, and medical diagnosis.
3. Machine Learning
Machine Learning is a type of AI that uses algorithms to learn from data. This type is able to find patterns and make insights from data, as well as to make predictions about future events. Machine Learning is used in applications such as predictive analytics, pattern recognition, and recommendation systems.
4. Robotics
Robotics is a type of AI that allows the control of robots. It uses algorithms to understand the environment and to complete tasks with minimal human intervention. Robotics is used in applications such as manufacturing.
I know that this article is dry and seems more educational than entertaining. That is because this is fast becoming a major player in our lives and we need to know exactly what it is and what it does for us. Once upon a time, the type of AI that we have right now was considered science fiction; but
as with most science fiction, there is always a bit of fact and truth in it and if you live long enough you will see it come to be.
In my 20’s I was a avid science fiction reader. Today’s use of artificial intelligence is reminiscent of the book, I, Robot by Isaac Asimov. Not the movie but the book. I encourage you to read it and see if you agree with me.
This is the first post about AI, but if you are interested in affiliate marketing, goal setting, or any art type activity, check out my previous posts here.
oDogs make your life so much better. If you know me at all, you know that I am an avid fan of dogs but of all animals really. Both of my babies are rescues and my children all have rescues. I believe that the number one reason dogs end up in shelters or in rescues is because they have never been trained to live correctly with people. Dogs, like babies, need direction, love and encouragement to learn the proper ways to act so they can meet our expectations. Here is an article that describes the most common reasons dogs end up in shelters.
My Babies!
There is a product available now that addresses these needs and to follow her program does not require long, time-consuming periods of training. She helps you train your dog in short bursts which really matches with the dogs attention span. By building positive experiences upon more positive experiences, your dog understands what you want and expect from him. Check it out and see what you think. It is affordable, so that objection doesn’t count.
Below is an article written by the designer of the training program. If this resonates with you, go ahead and check out her product today. Your dog will truly thank you for this help.
Is your dog giving you deaf ears? When this happens, avoid repeating the command over and over and imposing yourself until you get a response; instead, take a step back and consider the following scenarios which are some of the most common issues encountered when training dogs.
1) Low Value Treats: Are Your Treats Worth Working For?
It’s a romantic and hard to debunk myth that dogs work for us just to please us. In reality, as opportunistic beings, dogs are most likely thinking “what’s in it for me?” according to the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT). The right use of treats can really make the difference between a dog who is eager to work and one who couldn’t care less. The use of low-value treats (such as kibble) can be detrimental if your dog isn’t excited by them, especially during the initial stages of learning or when there are distractions around, so make sure your treats are worthy of attention.
Also remember to stick to treats which are soft, smelly, and in small bite-sized pieces. This allows your dog to quickly gobble up the reward and focus his attention back on you, rather than being distracted by a longer-lasting treat.
A suggestion? Try to use what respected veterinarian, trainer and writer Dr. Ian Dunbar calls the Ferrari of dog treats: Freeze-dried liver.
2) Low Rate of Reinforcement: Are You Missing Out on Rewarding?
In the initial stages of learning or when there are lots of distractions around, your dog may find sniffing the grass, looking around, marking territory and pulling on the leash more rewarding than training. Why is that? It’s probably because there are stimuli that are extra interesting and are worth paying more attention to. If your dog has received little training in the past, he may have been doing this for a good part of his life. Increasing the rate of reinforcement during this time by giving your dog more treats for his training efforts may help to motivate him, and will teach him to pay more attention to you than to the distracting environmental stimuli.
A low rate of reinforcement can also cause your dog to get frustrated and give up trying; remember, during the initial stages of learning you need a continuous rate of reinforcement (giving rewards for every success), and only once your dog shows signs of responding well can you move on to a variable schedule (only giving treats for success every now and then).
3) High Criteria: Are You Asking Too Much at Once?
This is where the saying “be a splitter and not a lumper” comes into play. It is often tempting to try to teach new behaviors all at once in a single evening. When your dog stops working for you, you start thinking: “Am I asking for too much at once?” Truth is, often when dogs fail to respond to a command it is because it is too hard for them. So try not to ramp up the difficulty too quickly; rather, break the objective down into several attainable steps to help your dog succeed. As an example, if you were trying to train your dog to touch the tip of a target stick with his nose, you could reward him for touching ANY part of the stick at first. Over time once your dog gets a hang of this, you could then move on to rewarding him only for touching the rounded tip at the top of the stick.
Try your best to prevent your dog’s progress from stalling, and do not make your training sessions too long – keep them short and sweet!
4) High Level of Distractions: Is there too Much Going on?
Dogs learn best when there are little to no distractions around, so be sure to start your training sessions in a quiet room where there is not much going on.
Once your dog is able to perform the behavior in the quiet room, build from there and gradually start asking your dog to perform the behavior in a noisier room. Then, progress to the yard, a busy street, the dog park and so forth.
If you start on a busy street or at the dog park right away, your dog may not respond because you have not yet built a foundation for the behavior.
5) Lack of Training: Has Your Dog Ever Been Trained Before?
If the handler has a history of being inconsistent and not following through with the dog, there’s a chance the dog may have learned he could get away from certain behaviors and has learned to ignore the handler. Dogs who have never been trained and have been allowed to do as they please for a good part of their lives often find the initial stages of learning difficult, since the concept is entirely new to them. It is up to the handler to become interesting and worth listening to by investing in reward-based training methods, like the ones taught in Adrienne Farricelli’s Brain Training for Dogs course.
6) Unclear Cues: Are You Confusing Your Dog?
Dogs thrive on consistency, so make sure you always use the same command cue and that all other people training the dog are on the same page. If you ask for a command and your dog just stares at you, consider if that command has a history of being used consistently.
In classes, it is not uncommon to encounter a family where the wife uses “come” to call the dog, the husband uses the dog’s name, and the kids just say “here!” Don’t ask for behaviors in multiple ways, and make sure your body language is congruent with the verbal command. Dogs find body language more salient then verbal cues.
Also, try your best not to repeat commands over and over, otherwise your dog will learn not to listen to the first time you say it, but will wait for you to finish your sentence instead!
7) Frustration Buildup: Are you Getting Frustrated?<
/strong>
Dogs are masters in body language and they can easily detect frustration. When the handler’s frustration builds up, dogs often shut down instead of becoming more compliant. In this case, it helps to ask the dog for a behavior he knows well (such as a sit) followed by a reward to end the session on a positive note. You can try the exercise again a little bit later, possibly further splitting the exercise into smaller sections if it was too hard for your dog.
Also, keep in mind that if you start raising your voice, bending down or getting into your dog’s face, you are intimidating him dog and he will feel the need to send you appeasement signals and default behaviors, rather than listening to your commands.
8) Emotional Problems: Are Emotions Getting in the Way?
If a dog is fearful, anxious or nervous, his emotional state may interfere with training. This is because the dog is often in a fight or flight state which affects his cognitive function, impairing his ability to learn. In such a case, you may need to work in areas where your dog is less likely to be frightened and then gradually introduce more and more stimuli in a way which does not cause him to react.
As an example, if your dog was frightened of thunder, instead of immediately exposing him to recordings of thunderstorms on full volume, you should first play them at a very low volume, where he acknowledges the sound but does not become scared. After rewarding your dog while the sound is played, you would, over time and numerous training sessions, increase the volume at which you play the recording. This process is known as desensitization and is a common technique used in dog training.
9) Health Considerations: Is Your Dog in Pain or Uncomfortable?
If your dog ignores you, he may be feeling unwell or uncomfortable. If your dog has always been obedient and is now slacking off, it is best to have your veterinarian rule out any medical problems. Sloppy sits or a reluctance to lay down may be indicative of orthopedic problems.
Aside from medical problems, some dogs may not like to be trained on certain surfaces, or perhaps the weather is too hot, too windy or too cold – there are a multitude of possibilities. Often, a distracted dog may simply need to relieve himself or get a drink of water. Consider how well you could perform in an exam if you were busting to use the bathroom!
10) Are You Forgetting to Brain Train Your Dog?
Many owners are not aware of this, but when it comes to dogs, idle minds are the devil’s workshop. Yet many owners are happy to leave their dogs bored by the fireplace all day, leading to untold behavior problems. The simple secret to a well-trained dog is engaging their mind and getting them thinking.
In the wild, before domestication, dogs would spend much of their lives performing tasks necessary for survival. Even in more modern history, dogs had special roles to perform in their relationships with humans. You can still see these natural drives in dogs today! For example, you will notice how beagles love to follow scents, how some terrier breeds love to dig, and how treeing coonhounds bark upon noticing prey up a tree. Unlike humans who perhaps dread the 9 to 5 grind, dogs actively WANT to work, and when they do not, they become prone to behavior problems, disobedience, and poor psychological well-being. Many owners spend THOUSANDS on dog training when the solution could be as simple as providing Rover with more mental stimulation!
There is a solution to all these issues:
Fortunately, Brain Training for Dogs offers a solution to this problem. Written by professionally certified trainer Adrienne Farricelli CPDT-KA (who’s work has appeared in USA Today, Everydog Magazine, Nest Pets and more), Brain Training for Dogs is one of the first training programs to not only teach obedience, better behavior, important skills and tricks, but to also work on increasing intelligence and engaging the dog’s brain too. Through 21 fun and simple games, the novel and scientifically-proven methods taught by Adrienne are sure to improve the lives of both you and your dog! By the end of Brain Training for Dogs your dog will be able to tidy up his toys, play the piano (yes, really), and identify his toys by name – all while being a better behaved and more obedient dog.
Here is a short video showing one of the trick she uses to teach your dog:
Want to get started with brain training? You can check out thecourse by clicking here:
As seen, there are many reasons why your dog may not be listening to you. Don’t quickly label your dog as stubborn, don’t begin shouting commands like a drill sergeant, and don’t give up training altogether – instead, try to give your dog a break and consider what may really be going on. A better understanding of how dogs learn should pave the path to better training.
Affiliate marketing is a great way to earn money by promoting products and earning a commission for each sale that you generate. It can be an especially effective strategy for those who have a website or blog with a large audience. In this blog post, we will outline five steps to help you get started with affiliate marketing, including tips on how to use SEO to boost your affiliate marketing efforts.
Find a niche with an affiliate marketing program
The first step in making money with affiliate marketing is to find a niche that you are passionate about and that has a large potential audience. This could be anything from cooking and recipe websites to fashion and beauty blogs. You need to research products and services that would be a good fit for your audience. Do this by looking at popular products or services and identifying gaps in the market, or by identifying a target audience and their needs. Once identified, it’s important to research the competition and see what types of products or services are already being offered. This helps to determine if there is a demand for the niche, and if there is room for competition.
Additionally, new affiliate marketers need to also research the potential profitability of the niche and look for affiliate programs that align with their niche and audience. It’s also important to build a website or a blog to promote the affiliate products, and create content that is engaging and informative for the target audience. (There are several ways to do this that cost you nothing, so don’t let this stop you.)
Sign up for an affiliate marketing program
Once you have found a niche, the next step is to sign up for an affiliate program that offers products or services that are related to your niche. With so many different affiliate programs to choose from, take the time to research and find one that is a good fit for your needs. Some popular affiliate networks include Amazon Associates, Commission Junction, ClickBank, ShareASale, AWIN, JVZoo, or Warrior. You can Google affiliate marketing programs and find so many it may take you days to decide on a product.
Create high-quality content to market
One of the most important aspects of making money with affiliate marketing is to create high-quality content that promotes the products or services you are promoting. This could include blog posts, product reviews, and video reviews. Make sure that your content is engaging, informative, and provides value to your audience. It should educate and inform the reader while also promoting the affiliate products or services. To write good content, new affiliate marketers must first understand their target audience and their needs.
You need to research the market and identify the demographics and interests of the target audience. Then your content will address the needs and interests of that audience. You need well-researched, well-written, and easy to understand information. Additionally, it needs optimization for search engines by using keywords and phrases that the target audience is already searching for. Make it visually appealing and easy to read, with images and other multimedia elements used to break up the text and make it more engaging. Finally, update regularly to keep the readers engaged.
Use SEO to boost the affiliate marketing efforts
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of optimizing your website or blog to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This is important because it helps your content to appear before more people, thus increasing your potential for sales. Some tips for optimizing your content for SEO include using relevant keywords, creating high-quality backlinks, and publishing regularly. There is so much information on the web about this subject that we will not go into it further here. There are videos, articles, blog posts, and even courses available to learn this very important step. Please take the time to learn the basics of SEO if you want to make any money at all. Here is a great starting point in learning SEO.
Market your affiliate products
The last step is to promote your affiliate products to your audience. This could include including affiliate links in your content, creating banner ads, and sharing your affiliate products on social media. Make sure to track your progress and adjust your strategy as needed. Promoting a product correctly as a new marketer involves finding the right audience and using the right channels to reach them.
One effective way to do this is through content marketing, which involves creating valuable and informative content that educates the audience about the product or service, and positions it as a solution to their needs. Another way is through social media marketing, where the marketer can use platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to connect with the target audience and promote the product or service. Additionally, email marketing can also be effective, where the marketer can send personalized emails to a targeted list of subscribers.
It’s also important to follow the guidelines and terms of service of any platform you use for promotions, as well as to not be too aggressive in the promotions, not to use false claims and be respectful of the audience time and inbox. To avoid spamming, marketers should avoid sending unsolicited messages or emails, and should always include an opt-out option for the recipient. Additionally, marketers should be transparent about the nature of their message and should always include accurate and relevant information about the product or service they are promoting.
Warning!
There is a fine line between being an affiliate marketer and being a spammer on the web. To market, you provide information and value to your audience before you ask them to click the link. To spam, you just ask them to click the link without first beginning any type of relationship with the audience. Don’t spam; it gets you banned from both your product and the platforms you spam on.
In conclusion, affiliate marketing is a great way to earn money online. By following these five steps, you can start making money with affiliate marketing today. Additionally, by incorporating SEO tactics, you will be able to give your marketing efforts a further boost, which can increase your audience and ultimately your earning potential. Do some research, and start promoting products or services you believe in and that fit with your niche. This will help ensure that your audience trusts your recommendations and will be more likely to make a purchase through your affiliate links.
There are other articles on this topic on this blog and you can find them here and here.
Affiliate marketing has been around for quite some time and if you search YouTube videos, you will find many good and not-so-good videos on this subject. This type of marketing is just word of mouth marketing. What that means is that you tell someone about a product and they check it out and they buy it. When they do that, you get money if you are an affiliate for the product. You will see this in just about any blog post or any article on the internet.
Make money online
It is no different than when you go see a movie and it is spectacular, so you tell all your friends about this movie and they go see it too. The only difference is that you don’t get paid for telling them unless they buy you popcorn or something. If you see a good sale on something you know your friend has been needing, don’t you tell that friend about the sale? In this example again, you don’t get paid money but your friend really appreciates your help. It is really no different with affiliate marketing.
Getting Started
Affiliate marketing is relatively easy to do and relatively easy to get started doing. It does require work on your part and you do have to do your research. You don’t want to be referring your friends and family members to something that is rotten or unsafe. But other than that, it is much easier than any other type of side hustle.
Affiliate marketing is a great way to earn money by promoting products and earning a commission for each sale that you generate. It can be an especially effective strategy for those who have a website or blog with a large audience. In this blog post, we will outline steps to help you get started with affiliate marketing, including tips on how to use SEO to boost your affiliate marketing efforts.
Find your niche
The first step in making money with affiliate marketing is to find a niche that you are passionate about and that has a large potential audience. While this sounds easy, it may take you a bit of time to accomplish this step. As I said earlier, you need to do your due diligence; you need to check out the product, the company that makes it, the reviews and the rules to sell it. You could choose anything from cooking and recipe websites to survival type blogs. You are not restricted in your choice of niche. Once you have identified a niche, you can begin to research products and services that would be a good fit for your audience.
Sign up for an affiliate program
Find your niche
Again, this sounds like a no brainer but there are some programs that require quite a bit from the affiliate. There are programs that are very difficult to get approved to sell. Th
ere are programs that take quite a long time to allow you to become an affiliate for them. But once you have found a niche, you need to sign up for an affiliate program that offers products or services that are related to your niche. There are many different affiliate programs to choose from, so take the time to research and find one that will be a good fit for your needs. Some popular affiliate networks include Amazon Associates, Commission Junction, and ClickBank. The issue is to check out is the rate of pay and how often you can get paid.
Create high-quality content
Create quality content
Some people are under the assumption that all you have to do is post your link somewhere and you make money. Not so. Affiliate marketing requires you to develop good and honest content about the product. You cannot just go around posting your link everywhere and expect to make money. That is spamming and will get you removed from the program you signed up for and may even get you booted from most platforms. One of the most important aspects of making money with affiliate marketing is to create high-quality content that promotes your
products or services. This could include blog posts, product reviews, and video reviews. Make sure that your content is engaging, informative, and provides value to your audience.
Use SEO to boost your affiliate marketing efforts
Affiliate marketing requires eyes on to make money, therefore you need to make sure you are getting views. No one wants to think about SEO (Search Engine Optimization), but if you want anyone to find your offer it is a MUST. This is the process of optimizing your website or blog to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). Itis important because it will help your content to be seen by more people, thus increasing your potential for sales. Some tips for optimizing your content for SEO include using relevant keywords, creating high-quality backlinks, and publishing regularly. Again, there are many videos available that will give you the information you need to do this right and that will help you make money.
Promote your affiliate products
The next step in your affiliate marketing is to promote your products to your audience. This could include placing affiliate links in your content, creating banner ads, and sharing your affiliate products on social media. If you choose social media, be sure to read the rules on the platform about affiliate links. Many of these platforms do not allow affiliate links, so you either have your post removed or get banned. If that happens, you will have to start all over on the platform with a new account which is not what you want to do.
Track your progress
Make sure to track your affiliate marketing progress and adjust your strategy as needed. You need to know which post worked and made you money, you need to know which type of platform is the best for your product. You also need to keep track of the money you make for taxes. A simple spread sheet works fine. You don’t need anything extra fancy to keep track of all this.
Track your progress
In conclusion, affiliate marketing is a great way to earn money online. By following these steps, you can start making money quickly. Additionally, by incorporating SEO tactics, you will be able to give your marketing efforts a further boost, which can increase your audience and ultimately your earning potential. Do some research, and start promoting products or services you believe in and that fit with your niche. This will help ensure that your audience trusts your recommendations and will be more likely to make a purchase through your affiliate links.
Here is an example of a landing page that promotes an affiliate product. These are easy to set up and will help you stay away from trouble on the various platforms.
Here you will find another post about how to use Pinterest for affiliate marketing.
Affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought by the affiliate’s own marketing efforts. If you are looking to make money online and have a passion for promoting products, then affiliate marketing could be a great way for you to earn some extra income. In this article, we will take a closer look at affiliate marketing and how you can get started.
work from home
What is Affiliate Marketing?
As mentioned above, affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing in which a business rewards affiliates for each visitor or customer they bring to the business through their own marketing efforts. In other words, affiliates earn a commission for promoting a company’s products or services.
There are two main parties involved in affiliate marketing: the advertiser (also known as the merchant or retailer) and the affiliate (also known as the publisher). The advertiser is the business that is selling the products or services, and the affiliate is the individual or website promoting the products or services on behalf of the advertiser.
The process of affiliate marketing can be broken down into three simple steps:
The affiliate signs up for an affiliate program with an advertiser. This is typically done through an affiliate network, which connects affiliates with advertisers. The affiliate will then receive a unique affiliate link, which they can use to promote the advertiser’s products or services.
The affiliate promotes the products or services to potential customers through their own marketing efforts, such as through their website, social media, email marketing, or other channels. When a potential customer clicks on the affiliate’s unique link, they will be redirected to the advertiser’s website.
If the potential customer makes a purchase or takes a specific action (such as filling out a form or signing up for a newsletter), the affiliate will earn a commission. The amount of the commission will vary depending on the terms of the affiliate program.
The sign
How Do You Get Started with Affiliate Marketing?
If you are interested in getting started with affiliate marketing, there are a few steps you can take to get started:
Choose a niche:
The first step in getting started with affiliate marketing is to choose a niche or topic that you are interested in and have knowledge about. This could be a specific product or service, or it could be a broader topic such as personal finance or health and wellness.
Build a website or blog:
In order to promote products or services as an affiliate, you will need to have a platform where you can share your unique links and content. This could be a website or blog. There are many platforms available for building a website or blog, such as WordPress or Squarespace.
Join an affiliate program:
Once you have a website or blog set up, the next step is to join an affiliate program. There are many affiliate programs available, and you can find them through affiliate networks such as Commission Junction or ShareASale. When joining an affiliate program, be sure to read the terms and conditions carefully and choose a program that aligns with your niche and target audience.
Promote products or services:
Once you have joined an affiliate program and have your unique links, you can start promoting the products or services to your audience. This can be done through your website, social media, email marketing, or other channels.
Track your results:
It is important to track your results as an affiliate to see what is working and what is not. This can be done through tools such as Google Analytics.
Affiliate marketing has many moving parts, but is the easiest way for anyone to make money online. If you follow these steps, you have a really good chance of making extra money from affiliate marketing. However, you may not make a lot of money initially but don’t let that discourage you. Just keep going and keep putting your affiliate marketing links out on the net. There are many ways to post your links without spamming, so be sure you learn how to do it correctly. You don’t want to be banned from sites. There are several videos on YouTube that can help you find places to post your links. I would recommend you start here, as this man will walk you through everything you really need to know about this subject. Here is a video you might want to watch:
There is another post on my blog that explains how to use Pinterest for affiliate marketing and you can find that here.
Goal setting helps us determine our priorities, get organized, make big decisions, and realize our dreams. The act of merely setting a goal brings about positive change for many people. When you set a goal you are creating an exciting challenge for yourself. Almost all motivational experts incorporate goal setting as an important part of their programs. The effectiveness of goal setting can be seen in the incredible accomplishments of people such as: Henry Ford who wanted to make cars affordable for everyone, Bill Gates whose goal was to have a computer in every household, and John F. Kennedy who set out to put a man on the moon within a decade.
There is a famous story about Jim Carrey who, while struggling as an actor in 1987, drove his car up on Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood hills to think about the future. While sitting there overlooking the city of Los Angeles he wrote a check made out to himself for “acting services rendered” in the amount of $10 million. He dated the check for Thanksgiving of 1995. Jim’s Goal turned out to be conservative because by the time 1995 rolled around he was making $20 million a movie.
The goal setting process entails the following requirements:
Well formed Goal Statements
Breaking goals down into manageable Steps
Motivation and Commitment
Reminders and Keeping on track
Frequent Review and Re-assessment
Goal Setting requires thought
1. Well formed Goal Statements
A goal statement forms the basis for the entire process so careful attention should be placed on formulating a clear and accurate goal statement. A good way to remember how a goal statement should be defined is the S.M.A.R.T. acronym used by many experts in goal setting. SMART stands for:
Specific
Measurable
Action-Oriented
Realistic
Tangible
Write down your goals and set an action plan.
The goal should be specific enough so that we know exactly what we are striving for, measurable so we know exactly what is to be accomplished and when it has been reached, action-oriented with positive activity that will produce results, realistic in that it is practical and can be achieved given the limited availability of resources, and tangible meaning concrete and not vague. The goal statement Increase sales 25% by the end of the fiscal year without increasing advertising spending is an example that follows these rules.
2. Breaking down Goals into manageable Steps
Once we have a well-formed statement we need some direction to follow to achieve this goal. The creation of steps gives us an “Action Plan” that when completed will lead toachievement. Steps also allow for tracking of progress towards the goal. steps should be positive and not used to list obstacles that must be overcome which focuses on the negative. Negativity can kill motivation but there is power in positive thinking.
3. Motivation and Commitment
Sharing with others can be beneficial and help you reach those goals.
Motivation and commitment are what make us strive to achievement. They give us the push, desire, and resolve to complete all of the other steps in the goal process. This motivation can be obtained by developing a personal statement that creates a high level of emotion and energy that guarantees achievement. One self help expert said that as a child he was kicked out of his local country club pool because he was not a member, in response he later made a goal that he would one day have a pool that is one foot bigger than that country club’s pool. The motivation of being asked to leave the pool provided the necessary fuel for him to achieve this goal.
Commitment creates more accountability and is what sets us on direct course to reach our goals. It may create costly negative consequences upon failure to attain a goal. Making a commitment might be something like having invested your savings in your new business which you will lose if it fails. Motivation and commitment are specific to your situation and life and only you can form statements that will ensure you reach your goal the quickest. The more personal you make your motivation and commitment statements for each goal, the more motivated you will be to accomplish your goal.
4. Reminders and Keeping on Track
Reaching our goals requires persistence and regular attention. We need some sort of system to keep us reminded and accountable. You need to use a combination of things like reminder emails, calendars, and reports to keep you organized and on track. Sharing goals with others who can give you help and support is a highly effective way to increase your chances for success. If some accountability system is not used then we are likely to lose sight and fail.
5. Goals require Frequent Review and Re-assessment
When we first sit down and start to define goals it can seem like a difficult and daunting task but over time it begins to get much easier. Patience is required. Goal setting is definitely an ongoing process that is accomplished over time.
If you define your goals and then ignore them and you will fail. All goals due in the next year should be reviewed at least once a week and daily if possible. The great thing about frequent review is that this forces us to make big decisions and determine priorities in our life. We should keep watch for goals that are not being achieved on time or for goals on which we keep extending the deadline.
This is the fourth part in this series, so if you missed the others, you can find them here, and here, and here. You can also get a free worksheet to use in determining your SMART goals here. Or you can get a book to use for all your goals here.
SMART goals are the way to get things done. Goal setting is equal parts art and science. You real
setting SMART goals
ly have to think and focus onto the things that you need to improve or the things you really want to accomplish when setting these goals. Setting goals is not a passive activity and requires much thought to actually get this right.
Many people create goals that simply don’t work, but if you’re in business, you don’t have the luxury of creating goals that don’t work. You need to work effectively and you need goals you help you do it.
Here is a great way to create SMART goals that work that keep you on track.
They’re called SMART goals and the acronym SMART will help you to remember the things that each goal needs to be:
Specific:
Your SMART goal needs to be stated in a way that is clearly defined. Saying, I should work more, is not a goal that will be kept. However, saying, I am going to work a total of 8 hours each day, is a goal that is much clearer and specific.
What are SMART goals?
Measurable:
This is closely related to the above attribute except that it also includes a way to make sure you are on track. A SMART goal that says, I want to make more money, isn’t measurable. However, a goal that says, I want to earn $3000/month, is a far more measurable goal. Its easy to see, at the end of the month, whether or not you achieved it.
Actionable:
This means that your SMART goal should be something that you need to do yourself in order to accomplish it. If you want to increase your income this year, its not realistic to say, I’m going to win the lottery this year, because you have no control over whether you will win the lottery or not. However you might say, I’m going to increase my sales efforts by cold calling 10 people each day, which is something you can take action on yourself.
SMART Goals that are actually achievable are much better and far more motivating. You’ll feel better about yourself when you do hit goals than if you constantly shoot for them and fall short. Realistic goals should not be so easy that you hit them every single time but should not be so hard that you never reach them at all.
Time-oriented:
Similar to the measurable attribute, your SMART goal should have a timeframe for you to accomplish it in. Deadlines help people achieve their goals. If you anchor your goal to a time, you’ll be able to watch your progress.
You can remember this with the acronym, SMART, so that when you’re creating goals, you can create better goals for yourself. This is a popular goal-setting acronym in business, although occasionally the words are changed slightly to reflect the needs of the business.
This worksheet above can be downloaded by clicking the link beneath it. Using such a template can really help you understand SMART goal setting and help you stay focused on making them correctly.
If you missed the previous posts in this series, you can get them here and here.
Most of us know that we have goals but get lost in the achievement of them sometimes. Distractions come in all forms and colors, they interfere with the plans you make to achieve your goals. Sometimes, however, it is the goal itself that sets us up for frustration. If the goals are not right, no amount of effort will bring them into reality. Today, let’s look at how to actually set goals for ourself.
Do you have your goals set?
There is a lot more to goal setting than just picking a goal and moving forward. While that is important, it’s also important to ensure that you are setting the right goals at the right time so that you can truly be successful. In order to ensure that you are setting the right goals for yourself, answer the following questions:
Are You Setting Specific and Realistic Goals?
It takes a little research to set a goal that is realistic. If you’re not sure if something is actually achievable then you’ve not done enough research. Once you’ve set a goal that is indeed realistic, then you need to be specific enough in your description of it so that it’s also easy to take the goal, and work backwards to create a schedule of actions needed to succeed.
Are these applied to your goals?
Are Your Goals Multifaceted?
Focusing on only one part of your life is a bad idea. People live multifaceted lives and need to set goals for all areas of their lives in order to feel successful. If you have a wonderful business and career but your personal life suffers, then no matter how successful you are, you will not feel successful. Something will always feel as if it’s missing from your life if your goals aren’t inclusive. Therefore, set goals to include something from each aspect of your life.
Is Your Scheduling Representative of Real Need?
Once you create the schedule for yourself to reach each set goal , you need to truly consider how representative it is of reality. Say your goal is to be healthy and reduce your cholesterol by 10 percent in six months. But, you haven’t set aside the time needed to exercise and eat right. If you don’t schedule in the time needed, you won’t succeed because something will always be in your way taking time away from you. It will be very frustrating to practice your schedule because it doesn’t represent reality.
For instance, if you are going to exercise 30 minutes per day, setting aside only 30 minutes isn’t going to be realistic. You’ll probably need to set aside an hour to account for getting ready as well as cooling down or getting cleaned up to go back to work.
Are You Learning from Failure?
Many times when we set goals and schedules, instead of learning from failure, people give up. Using the example above, once you implement your schedule to reach the goals that you have set, when you notice there are things you’ve forgotten to take into account, don’t give up. Learn from the failure and change the schedule to be more realistic.
This is the path to reach goals.
You might find that in practice you have to rewrite all your goals and your schedule, but this is perfectly acceptable. Many people believe failure is something negative, but the truth is, if you don’t fail sometimes you’re not going to learn much and it’s likely your goals are too easy.
Do Your Goals Represent Your Needs and Wants or Someone Else’s?
A lot of people set goals that represent what someone else wants instead of what they want. This can really cause a lot of bad feelings and resentment which can derail the best laid plans. As you set goals for your life, ask yourself if they’re really what you want for yourself or what someone else wants for you. Ask yourself if you’re okay with any goal you make being for someone else before you embark on your journey.
It’s okay to do things because of someone else, but it’s important that you are honest about that and make some goals for yourself too that don’t involve anyone else’s needs or wants.
Are You Checking in Often to Stay on Track?
Schedules are very important to the success of reaching any goal in life. To do lists pale in comparison to a well laid out calendar of tasks and activities that get you from point “A” to point “B”. Ensure that you look at your schedule every morning and every night and note when you succeed on sticking to your schedule and where you don’t. Noticing a pattern of activity can be helpful in fixing a poorly written schedule as well as staying realistic about whether or not you’re sticking to the plan.
Are Your Goals Focused Positively?
When writing a goal it’s important to write them in a positive way, or at least a way that feels positive to you. In the quest to improve your life, try writing down a goal and then changing the words to sound more positive to see if it isn’t more motivating. For instance, “losing weight” seems like a good goal, but for some people it might signify deprivation. So instead, the person might frame the goal as “improving my BMI by 10 points” or “improving my cholesterol by 10 percent.”
Are you on the way to meet your goals?
Just as setting too few goals can be a problem, so can setting too many. Everyone has a personal life and a career life and points in between. If you have set goals in too many areas of life at once, you might tire yourself out and get overwhelmed. Instead pick one personal goal, and one other type of goal to focus on until you reach them, and then you can add more goals as time goes on. You don’t need to do everything today. Slow and steady wins the race is a good motto to hang on to.
To set goals for yourself takes some thought and consideration. Don’t try to set all your goals in one day – instead, set some goals in different stages and in different areas of your life and give a lot of thought to why you’re making the goal in the first place.
So next we work on making our goals SMART. Then we break them down into manageable steps. And if you are interested, here is a workbook to help you on your goals.
In case you missed it, here is the first part of this journey to satisfaction with your life.
Disorganization from distractions happen to all of us. We have never been so productive, so busy and at the same time so distracted. Throughout history there have always been issues that have prevented us from doing what we set out to do. But, it’s never been as hard as it is today to try staying organized in this age of distractions. Technology has its benefits but also its drawbacks.
Is this what you are looking at?
The very fact that we have so many choices in terms of technology can also cause problems. Having instant access to family, friends, work and the rest of the noise can be very distracting. Email, smartphones, mobile devices, laptops and other “screens” can get in the way of staying organized, even though the technology was originally created to make you more productive and organized.
Identify Areas of Disorganization
The very first thing to do is take an honest look at your life. Look at your home, work, extra activities and more. Make a list of the areas where you see a lack of organization and then start to tackle them. There are different types of disorganization from distractions to deal with. You can learn to capture what you need to do, break it down into logical steps, prioritize those steps, figure out what’s next and then get to work doing what needs to be done − without feeling distracted, overworked, stressed out, and out of control. You just need to have a plan of action and an understanding of why you need to do things in a certain way. Then you’ll finally really be organized. Here’s a short article on ways to get organized.
Technology
The technology can actually cause you to feel pressure to do even more. No matter how amazing you are, you start feeling inadequate that you cannot do more. The technology ends up becoming more of a distraction rather than a useful helper. Take heart, though; you can learn how to wrangle the technology and make it work for you. You can become more organized even if it doesn’t come naturally. You can give yourself permission to do things differently.
Does this keep you from getting organized?
Life Event
– Circumstances can happen that interrupt your normal way of life, such as a death, a wedding, a birth, or other once-in-a-blue-moon event. This can also happen if you have a special deadline at work or other situation. These things can cause you to lose track of what you planned to do for a short period of time, although usually you can get back on track. Simple things like your family dropping in unexpectedly to visit when you have a full day scheduled, or you get a call from a friend who needs your help when you are working on a big project with an upcoming deadline. All of us have been there. These issues lead to disorganization from distractions while preventing our ability to remain focused on our goals.
Bad Habits
– Many people just develop bad habits over time that get out of hand. For example, you start stacking your mail on the corner of your desk without a plan of action and then before you know it, you have no idea where to find the phone bill and you end up paying it late. Or when you come home, you simply throw your coat on the couch and take off your shoes right then. Unfortunately, they may end up staying there and creating disorganization and distraction for you. Maybe, over time, you have started to stack dirty dishes on the counter in the kitchen and simply forget them until much, much later. Not only is this a health issue (bugs anyone?) but it creates a very disorganized kitchen.
Is this you? Constantly scrolling for something to watch?
Your Upbring
– Disorganization from distractions can manifest in various ways. It can be because of the way you were raised , or the opposite of your upbringing. Some of this depends on your personality and how rebellious you might be. Not everyone lives and grows up in a picture perfect home and not everyone was raised by a family who had the time to teach correct behaviors. Today, most parents have to work just to feed everyone, so children end up spending time raising themselves.
Your Social Network
– These days, we are all encouraged to have a lot of things and do a lot of things, and the people who you hang out with seem to determine what kind disorganization you have in your life. If you hang with the partying crowd, you will not put much emphasis on being organized because having fun is such a distraction. Who wants to become organized when you could be out having fun? While these distractions are temporarily fun, if you live your whole life with this mind set you will find that you may spin out of control. What works for teens and very young adults does not always translate to being productive for the older adult.
Are these your social connections?
Habitual
– If your home or workspace or both are piled high with disorder, there is a possibility that you have a situation called “chronic disorganization” which is a real condition that can require professional help to overcome. There are many people who love to organized and will help you straighten out your environment to help you become a more productive and happier person.
Regardless of your personal situation, the best thing that you can do is to try some of the tips, suggestions, and ideas that will follow. You can prevent disorganization from distractions if you know what to do. Next we will look at goal setting and how that can help with organization.
When you find that you suddenly have run out of ideas, lost your inspiration to try something new, or don’t feel creative t all in life or work, you are facing a creative slump. This is like writers’ block, but not just in writing. It can affect nearly every area of your life, and even halt your work progress.
Luckily, it is possible to get out of a creative slump, with just a few different exercises.
Switch Up Your Routine
One of the best things you can do when you are in a creative slump is to get out of the routine you are in, and switch it up. We aren’t talking about a completely different lifestyle, but just changing minor things. If you typically get up at 8 in the morning and make coffee, why not get up an hour earlier and do some yoga or go for a walk? Find small things in your routine that will make it just a little different.
Stop Forcing the Creative Spark
The more you try to force yourself to be creative and come up with new ideas, the harder it is going to be. This tends to lead to more frustration and stress, which is only going to push you even further from being creative.
When you don’t feel inspired, just put that side and find something else to do. Look for new activities, or just don’t worry about being creative at this moment.
Try Something New
Put aside all the activities you used to turn to, and try something brand new. It can be a creative activity, but it doesn’t have to be. It might be a new workout you haven’t tried, going to a local coffees hop you have always wanted to check out, or reading a new book you picked up from the library.
Spend Time with Friends
Get out of your comfort zone and spend time with friends or family. This is another great way of switching up your routine and being in a different environment. Call up a friend to see if they can meet you for lunch, plan a game night at home with a group of friends, or make Sunday dinner with your family.
Get Outside in Nature
Nature provides wonderful healing and stress-relieving properties that just might be what you need to find your creative spark aga
in. If the weather permits, go for a walk or hike, sit and watch the waves if you are on the coast, or sit by the lake with a book and a picnic if you live in the mountains.
Every little change you can make will open up that creative spark.
Chatbots provide customer service 24/7, allowing businesses to save money on hiring employees. Additionally, it is used for predictive analytics, which helps businesses make decisions based on data-driven insights.
om cooking and recipe websites to fashion and beauty blogs. You need to research products and services that would be a good fit for your audience. Do this by looking at popular products or services and identifying gaps in the market, or by identifying a target audience and their needs. Once identified, it’s important to research the competition and see what types of products or services are already being offered. This helps to determine if there is a demand for the niche, and if there is room for competition.
