How to Drop Bad Habits and Encourage Productivity in Life

At first I was going to call this article, “10 Tips for a Productive Work Day.” But the more I thought about it the more I felt like productivity isn’t just about work. I like having a productive weekend or night at home too. (But, of course, I love a good vacation day spent doing NOTHING as well!) I would really like to have a productive life, but it’s sometimes a bit of a struggle. Here are ten tips that help me stay on track.


1. Make a to-do list. 

I am absolutely lost without a to-do list! I (try) to write out a list every morning just before I begin the day. I’ve also found that if I’m feeling overly anxious about a big project at work or looming deadline I sometimes make my to-do list the night before. This makes me feel like I’m getting a jump start on the day.

2. Give yourself small rewards for completing big tasks. 

I don’t know about you, but I am all about rewards. It might be something as little as, “Once I finish getting through all my emails I’ll go make my afternoon cup of coffee.” Little rewards don’t have to be about money or things, get creative and find small ways to motivate yourself to hustle. 🙂


3. Find ways to break up your workday (or night). 

I feel like I have a pretty decent attention span, but I’m not super human or anything. It’s good to break up tasks that take a long time or that are physically demanding in any way. For example, let’s say you’re a photographer and you have about five hours of editing to do one night. Work for three hours then give yourself a snack or paint your nails. 

4. Avoid addictive time wasting activities. 

I recently confessed my love for Candy Crush Saga. I’m no stranger to time wasting activities. Facebook can be a trap. Smartphone or internet games can also get super addictive. Avoid these when you’re trying to get something done. Check your FB during the last five minutes of your work day (maybe as your reward?). Also set limits for mini “time wasting” sessions. It’s ok to need a mental break, but don’t get sucked in. For example, next time you go to check Instagram while you’re suppose to be working look at the clock first. Give yourself only 2-3 to scroll through your feed then stop.


5. Get as much done as early in the day as you can. 

It’s a ripple effect thing. Personally, I’m sort of morning, sort of not a morning person. You know? I have a hard time getting up in the morning! But I’ve noticed that when I do get up and get rolling on my to-do list for the day I already feel so accomplished by nine or ten in the morning that I feel confident about the rest of the day. Start your day with a bang! The momentum will keep you rolling. Then you have the evening hours to relax and unwind.


6. Tackle that really tough to-do first. 

I know. You don’t want to. Me neither. But once it’s done it’s done! I find that I’ll often leave a really tough or bummer to-do at the bottom of my list for days and days longer than it should have been there. And it’s just looming over me the whole time. Just do it. You’ll feel better. And then you’ll only have the easy stuff left to do.

7. Showcase your success.

This is motivation fuel for the future. It’s ok to feel super pumped and proud when you complete a tough goal or finish a super long to-do list. Tell your significant other. Instagram that finished project. Call your mom. Pump your fists in the air. Celebrate—you did it!

8. Tell someone your goals. 

Now they are your accountability partner(s). Boom. I don’t know about you, but I am WAY more likely to finish a goal if I’ve told someone else about it. This can be as public as you like. You could tell your sister a personal goal. Or you can start a monthly blog series where you share your goals for the month (like 4 Simple Goals) and then you share progress. You decide who you want to tell, just tell someone.


9. Be realistic. 

We all need breaks. Plan to come back to difficult or frustrating tasks later. Sometimes things don’t come together like we’d hoped. Sometimes a task turns out to be way more physically demanding than we thought. Be honest with yourself. Take a break if you need. Just be sure to make a specific plan to come back to the project, maybe seek out some help if you need.

10. Make goal setting a habit. 

Maybe the whole to-do list sounds annoying, or cheesy, or overwhelming to you. Find what works for you. And don’t worry if it feels weird or even scares you a little at first. It will start to feel like a normal part of your daily life. And you’ll start to feel weird/off if you miss it. It’ll become habit, like brushing your teeth. It’s not overwhelming or annoying to remember to do this simple task twice every day. But it wasn’t always a habit, probably your parents had to remind you a lot at first. Let goal setting become a routine and positive part of your everyday life.

7 Dos and Don'ts For Becoming a Billionaire

Becoming a billionaire seems like a great goal, but unfortunately, it's only a dream for most of us. The thing is, many billionaires didn't start as such. Some indeed had economic and educational advantages, but even without those, their smart decisions and business choices—plus a few key characteristics—led them to their billions.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Billionaires can often fall into two classes: those who have invented something new; or those who do something else better than anyone else.

Being a billionaire takes an extreme work ethic and for many, quite a bit of patience.

Billionaires are always learning and if you have the chance to ask them, they will almost always say they are the student, not the teacher.

The most common traits among billionaires are work ethic and refusing to give up.

7 Real-Life Ways To Become A Billionaire

Do: Invent

Inventing is a challenging career path to take. But if you've got the smarts to create successfully, patent, produce and market a product that people need (and thus, will buy in droves), you can build your future billionaire life on it. Successful inventions aren't necessarily complicated or high-tech items but can improve existing items. For example, James Dyson invented a better vacuum cleaner, and Gianfranco Zaccai invented a better mop, the Swiffer.

Do: Innovate

Innovation is the fine art of considering a current mainstream market and finding a creative way to improve the current offering.

Successful innovators will identify the real needs behind customer demands and meet them with a smarter, better, more efficient product or service that provides more than its competitors. Others may develop a business that works in a way just different enough to stand out from the rest. IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad is an excellent example of someone who used innovation to yield billions.

Furniture doesn't seem like a fascinating market. Still, his approach of providing modular, economical pieces with a modern flair from Sweden and other European designers and manufacturers to a global market proved fruitful.

Do: Invest

Self-made billionaire Warren Buffett is famous for his frugal ways and smart investments. Investing, of course, requires a little seed money and some accurate insight into which investments are smart and which could result in a loss. If you can follow in the footsteps of billionaire investors like Buffett, then this might be the route for you.

Do: Be an Entrepreneur

The third option for becoming a billionaire is the time-honored tradition of entrepreneurial pursuits. Starting a business and taking it to success isn't always easy. Still, for those with good business sense and the ability to spot start-ups that have the potential to be great, entrepreneurship can be the vehicle to great wealth.

Billionaire entrepreneurs might work in one of two ways: either by coming up with a great idea and taking it all the way, as in the case of Bill Gates and Microsoft, or by spotting someone else's good idea and investing in it early on. Both are viable ways to reach the success that can get you billions of dollars for your net worth.

 Long-term holdings in the stock market may be a better bet than popular high-risk investments, according to billionaire Warren Buffett.

Don't: Think You Know It All

The moment you think you have nothing left to learn is the moment you kill your potential for becoming a billionaire. Especially if you're interested in building your wealth through inventing or innovating, you have to be curious, open-minded, and always learning. Those qualities allow you to look at old things in a new way, to see the potential for change and profit where others see only what already had been done.

Don't: Make Flashy Investments

The latest and greatest investment opportunity may be fun to talk about, but one of the pitfalls of would-be billionaires is to jump in on the "next big thing," which doesn't always turn out to be so big. Investors who make billions from their investments avoid flashy, fun, and high-risk picks and instead choose those with long-term potential to provide great returns. Real estate, energy, steel, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, and energy are among the picks, while high-tech and intriguing but risky options may go either way.

Don't: Quit Too Soon

Entrepreneurial types who succeed realize that success rarely comes overnight. One business idea might not pay off, but the next might. It's not easy to build something from scratch, especially when your something is a fortune of billions. Time is on your side if you don't rush it.

How Can I Become a Billionaire?

It isn't easy to become a billionaire especially if you haven't already made millions. You will need time, patience, investment savvy, and entrepreneurship to become a billionaire unless you are born into a family with billions that you stand to inherit.

Who Was the First Billionaire?

John D. Rockefeller may have been America's first billionaire, as reported in 1916. However, there are historians who argue this fact, stating Rockefeller came close but did not achieve the status of a billionaire. Some say Henry Ford earned the title.

Is Warren Buffett a Self-Made Billionaire?

Warren Buffett is a self-made billionaire many times over thanks to his keen investment and business acumen, and hard work.

The Bottom Line

While some billionaires started out that way via inheritance, many did not, earning their billions through inventing, entrepreneurship, and smart investments. Though it may end up being a dream for many, some, such as Warren Buffett, have managed to make that dream a reality.

Getting Rich From Stocks: Millionaire Stock Market Rules

Investing in companies through the stock market is often touted as a way to make real wealth for yourself, and even wealth for your family through generations. But how do people get rich from stocks, especially when the stock market is so volatile?

How to Get Rich in the Stock Market?

1. Understand the Stock Market and Stay Focused

stock market investingWhen it comes to growing your wealth in the stock market, you need to have a working understanding of the stock market itself and be comfortable with long-term investing. Very few people become overnight millionaires off of a lucky stock pick, so don’t count on that happening to you. You can use financial advisor if you need help getting started. The Paladin Registry, for example, is a service that connects investors with certified advisors who are fiduciaries (that means they are required to act in your best interest).

Stay focused on your investment goals and stay calm in down periods. Let the market work for you.

2. Budget for Investing

BudgetingBudgeting your income is a powerful tool for your investments. Include your investment contributions in your monthly budget so you can track your investments over time.

Look for areas that you can cut back in your spending so you can increase your investment amount. Whatever amount you already contribute to your investments, cutting back on another spending could mean investing even more. There's no shame getting help in organizing your finance.

3. Use Index Funds

Index Funds InvestingPicking one stock that is going to make you rich is a bit unrealistic. That’s why index fund investing is so popular.

When you invest in an index fund you are broadly diversified. By investing in many different companies in one fund, your investment in each fund is automatically smaller. This means you earn less from each company. But that way also, should some of the companies turn out to be lemons, you don’t lose as much money.

Rather than seeking the one stock that will change your life forever, index fund investing is good for the buy-and-hold strategy and getting rich in the stock market over time.

4. Buy and Hold

Buy and HoldWhat the Apple example clearly shows is that buying and holding a stock can be enormously beneficial for your finances. “Buy and hold” refers to buying stock shares and holding on to them for the long term, even when the stock market is down.

Most legendary investors preach the glory of the buy-and-hold method. In 2016, Warren Buffet said, “The money is made in investments by investing and by owning good companies for long periods of time.”

5. Short Selling

Short SellingShort selling is the opposite strategy of buy and hold. People are looking to make money in the market in a shorter time frame, and they do that by “shorting” stocks.

Here’s the gist: You borrow stocks and sell them at current market prices and receive a cash payment. But since you’ve only borrowed the stocks, you need to replace the stock that you sold. And you are responsible for paying dividends for the length of time that you borrow the stock.

When people short sell, they want the stock to drop sharply so they can buy it back at a much cheaper price. This means they can take home the difference. And sometimes the difference is a lot of money, which makes short selling a way you could get rich in the stock market.

Shorting the market requires a knowledge of the market and an educated guess on when the stocks will go down. You don’t want to borrow them for too long, because you’ll end up owing a lot in dividends. If you're interested in short selling, you can buy and sell stocks through a brokerage firm like E*TRADE.

6. Contribute to Your Portfolio Consistently

Contribute to Your Portfolio ConsistentlyContributing to your investments consistently over the years is a great strategy to grow wealth in the stock market. It's one strategy that works for the average American paycheck. Many people don’t have huge amounts of money at any one moment to invest but do have smaller amounts that they can consistently contribute over the years.

Consistency is a strong investing move. Say you start with an initial investment of $3,000. Invest $500 a month over 30 years at 6% interest, and you’ll have $523,022 in your accounts.

At $1,000 a month, you’d have $1,027,897 at the end of 30 years.

You can use a calculator like this one to see how different levels of monthly contributions can make a difference in your investment results, and If you’re just getting started, you can use an automated investing service like Betterment. For those with a bit more experience, try Personal Capital. It not only lets you keep track of all of your finances in one place, but also has a stellar wealth management service.

Know The Math Behind Getting Rich in the Stock Market

When Apple went public in 1980, the price per share was $22. If you had invested $5,000 and held on to it until August 2018, you would have watched the share price grow to more than 10 times its starting price, to $227.63 per share. But even more important, the stock split 56 times during that time.

With $5,000 to invest, you could have bought 227 shares in 1980. By 2018, after Apple had split its stock and changed its business model a few times, you would have 12,712 shares in the company. At $227.63 per share, your initial $5,000 investment would have grown to $2,893,632.56.

That’s using the stock market to get rich. Really rich. Long-term investing like that, over the course of 38 years, would have made you a multi-millionaire from just one company.

So how do you make that much money from the stock market? While there is no one right answer, there are a few things you can keep in mind.