| 7 Tricks to Write Faster, Better, And More Insightful Articles … Right Now Posted: 30 Jan 2011 10:59 AM PST  I finished . I looked up at my friend sitting across from me. I was in school. It was 1st grade and I had just finished writing a story in my small, blue and white notebook. Back then, I had an affinity for writing short stories where animals could talk, and most of them died in every story, much like Kenny in Southpark. Since writing those short stories, I've always loved writing.
It wasn't until 2007 that I wanted to start making a living with my words, specifically through websites. It took me a few years to get the hang of it all, but it finally clicked. All it took was the willingness to keep moving forward, and have faith in the fact that I would learn what I needed to learn.
There are still many out there that want to try, but just don't know how, or maybe you write fine, but would like to get even better, and even faster. That's what this article will do, if you apply what you learn. Consider these:
- Outline
It's easy to get lost in your writing. In order to maintain focus, I always try to outline my articles. Sometimes I outline in more detail, and sometimes I just jot down a few sub-headings that will guide me through it all.
Once in a blue moon, I may write without having an outline, but that's for shorter articles. I live and die by the outline, and it works beautifully for me.
- Freewrite
Once you've got your outline in place, throw the editors hat on the shelf and just start writing. Don't censor yourself; let it all come out. It doesn't matter if what comes out is rubbish. Write, and write some more until you have more than you need.
Don't worry about spelling, grammar, or flow.
- Rewrite
Once you've got your lump of text in front of you, it's time to rewrite what you've got. Now you take off your creative writing hat, and grab your editor's hat. Rewrite your article once as best as you can, then sleep on it, and come back in 24 hours. This simple rule works wonders.
- Observe
Now, for the insightful part; observe what you think about and what happens during the day. There are a lot of things that happen to you that you take for granted. Many of those things are nuggets of gold for your readers, because not everyone is you.
You may have the solution to a pesky problem many have, but it's second nature to you that you don't even think about it.
- Read Books
I love reading books. Books are a great place for inspiration and new ideas. You see, books are carefully researched and written, which means you can borrow a lot of ideas, and you can improve your writing by leaps and bounds if you pay attention.
- Kill Your Comfort Zone
We all want to be comfortable, safe, and secure, but the truth of the matter is that the more we go out of our comfort zone, the more ideas we have. The more you break through your fear, the more inspiring and interesting you become.
Break your patterns, do something new, and inspiration will hit you like a brick wall. You can't miss it.
- Be You
Last, but definitely not least, give yourself permission to be you, with quirks and all. The more you try to hold back, the harder it is to write, because you're trying to be someone you're not.
Think of it like this: the more you can be you, the more of the people you really want to hang out with you will attract.
What's your take on this? Do you have any secrets to share on how to write faster, better, and more insightful articles?
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| How to Finally Get Better Sleep Posted: 30 Jan 2011 10:35 AM PST  When it comes to being healthy and living a vibrant and energy filled life, sleep seems to be one of the most elusive aspects to conquer. Certainly we know that getting a good night's sleep is important - crucial, even, to good health. But it's not as simple as just deciding that you are now going to start sleeping better. At least that's how it often seems. Want to eat healthier or with more variety? All it takes is some planning and follow-through. Want to exercise more? It's just a matter of making time for even 10 minutes a day, and scheduling it in. But you want to sleep better? Well that's another story, isn't it?
Isn't it time to say enough is enough?
Allow me to share with you the things that I have found to be most powerful when it comes to regaining your control over the night. The following points have worked wonders for me (certainly some more than others, or for different periods of time), and I trust they'll be of benefit to you.
10 Ways To Improve Your Sleep And Take Back Control
- Increase your Vitamin D levels
I wanted to start with this point because I suspect it may be one of the less obvious techniques to resting easier. You've probably heard a lot about Vitamin D lately – a lack of it is being linked to an increasing number of health complaints, the reason for which is the fact that nearly every cell in your body has Vitamin D receptor sites. This means that it can affect every cell dysfunction in your body, as well as every hormone.
One hormone that is crucial to good sleep is melatonin. Melatonin should be released as you wind down for bed – think of it like your body's natural 'off-ramp'. Well, with insufficient Vitamin D in your body, you make it virtually impossible to produce adequate melatonin. You can increase Vitamin D by exposing yourself to a little early morning sun (bright light sparks melatonin production) each day, by eating foods high in it (although it's tough to get enough through diet), or by discussing a supplement with your health practitioner.
- Cut back on the stimulants
Common sense, right? And yet how often do we find ourselves reaching for the (extra) cup of coffee far later in the day than we know we should? Couple that with a little more sugar than would be considered ideal, or perhaps even something as potently disruptive as an energy drink, and you know you're setting yourself up for another vicious cycle of poor sleep and a sluggish next-day start.
It takes at least 4 hours for half of the caffeine in your system to be metabolized, another 4 for half of that, and so on. So you can see how drinking coffee late in the day can disrupt sleep. My recommendation is to cut the caffeine and stimulants after 2pm. Be strict on this, and it will pay off for you!
- Have some tryptophan for dinner
There are certain foods that will help to improve your chances of sleeping well. When your Mom told you to drink a glass of warm milk before bed, she was on the money – that works for many people (although not a good idea if you have dairy issues!). The reason dairy works is that it contains tryptophan – a natural sleep agent also found in oats, bananas, turkey, and almonds.
Aside from foods high in tryptophan, many health experts advocate foods high in complex carbohydrates (oats, bananas, root veggies, wild or brown rice) as being helpful for sleep. The only catch is that this may not be a great idea if fat loss also a goal for you.
- Avoid eating or drinking alcohol closer than 2 hours to bedtime
This is practical advice that a lot of us know makes sense – yet for some reason it can be a tough one to follow through on. Often we associate downtime (TV time!) with snacking, and this can go on right up until bedtime. Logically it makes sense that if your body is focused on digesting food or alcohol, it cannot simultaneously wind down and enter a state of deep sleep.
The process of digestion may also inhibit the release of growth hormone, an important hormone for deep sleep as well as for building lean muscle and burning fat. Proteins and healthy carbohydrates (such as root vegetables, brown or wild rice) tend to leave the stomach faster than what fats will do.
- Relax your senses
There's nothing like bright lights and pumping noise to help you get a great night's sleep, is there?! Not! It stands to reason that overloading your brain with 'daytime images and noise' is not really a great recipe for rest. Let me be clear – watching television and using the computer right up until bedtime is a sure-fire recipe for night-time twitching. If you must watch your shows, try to choose comedies over dramas or violence- those will excite your nervous system more. Ideally, turn off the technology an hour or so before bed and enjoy some conversation or reading.
- Set the bedroom mood
I'm not talking about any hanky panky, although if that gets you nodding off then by all means! What I meant though, was creating an environment for sound sleep. A pitch black room is optimal for melatonin production, and even that red light on your alarm clock can be disruptive without you realizing it. Either get technology out of the bedroom, or wear a sleep mask. I'd suggest doing both. It's also important to consider the temperature of your room, and making sure you're comfortable (if you hate your pillow, invest in a new one rather than 'making do'). If noise is an issue you may need to use earplugs.
- Still your mind
A busy mind may keep you focused and productive during the day, but you're not doing anyone any favors by running your to-do list while in bed – not least yourself. One of my favorite tricks for quieting the mind is to jot down 10 things I'm grateful for before bed. Another technique, which I also learned from my mentor Charles Poliquin, is to write down one thing you learned for the day, one kind thing you did for someone else, and another kind thing that somebody did for you. It's very effective.
- Drown out your thoughts
Try using a sleep or relaxation track like this free one over at pzizz.com. Pzizz offers a full system, but you can grab a free 15-minute sample of their sleep or energizing track and download it to your iPod. This worked very well for me for about a month steadily, and after that I continued to use it off and on. There are many equally great sleep tracks out there on the internet, so do a search and try several of them – if writing your grateful list doesn't work then listening to sleep audios may just drown out that busy mind!
- Have a morning workout
We are designed to be at our most active and energized first thing in the morning. As a former insomniac I know how tough it can be to get motivated to get going after a horribly restless night. Your eyes feel like they're full of sandpaper, and your head is pounding. Every muscle feels weak and exhausted. Oddly though, you seem to come alive by night-time. This is a classic sign of a reverse cortisol curve – your circadian rhythms are back to front! Rather than supporting the perpetuation of this situation (try saying that 3 times fast!) you can fight back by reminding your body when energy should be 'up'. Try working out in the morning – even for 10 minutes – and your body will thank you for it. Creating an ideal circadian rhythm will help you to wind down naturally at night, and wake up feeling fresh in the morning.
- If all else fails, seek professional help
If you've tried all of these steps and you still struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep, consider getting professional help. To paraphrase sleep expert and author William Dement, "even 2 or more nights of poor quality sleep is a serious issue and demands treatment"! Don't do what I did, and determinedly push through for weeks, months or years on end, thinking that you can manage or that you will get over it.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, remember that most people find that it's the combination of several sleep techniques rather than just one thing which gets them through – so if there's something on this list that you've never tried or perhaps forgotten about, then give it a go. It's worth a try!
Do you have any favorite sleep techniques that you'd be willing to share? Bring it in the comments – as weird and wacky as you'd like!
 | Written on 1/30/2011 by Kat Eden. Kat is a Personal Trainer from Australia. Visit her blog Body Incredible to be inspired with the latest nutrition tips, weight loss advice, and motivational thinking. | Photo Credit: wiros |
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| 5 Lessons That Professor Failure Taught Me About Success Posted: 30 Jan 2011 02:24 PM PST  Failure has become a faithful friend throughout the years. Early on in my life I thought failure was my mortal enemy. But life's experience has taught me that Professor Failure is on the academic staff of my personal University Of Success that I attend. He is a vital necessity for my training, in order to become someone who will reach his full potential, and even go beyond what he personally thought possible. And why is that? Because I have learned to ask a simple question of my professor after every failure, 'What is the most important lesson that I can learn from this mistake?'
Those lessons then become the building blocks for the success I have experienced to date, and the success that will accompany me for the rest of my days.
So please allow me to share with you just 5 lessons that Professor Failure has taught me about success.
- The Importance Of Obsession
If you ever want to make your mark on this world, you are going to have to break free of mediocrity and be obsessed.
If I was to ask you as to what is your magnificent obsession, how would you answer?
It must resemble a burning desire, a fiery ambition, something that keeps you up at night and wakes you early in the morning. It's the thing that if you don't do it, while you're alive on planet earth, it just won't get done. It's your unique mission and contribution. It's your executive orders issued to you by the General of the Universe to complete.
Wishy-washy, directionless human beings have filled our graveyards for centuries. But may I challenge you to step out from amongst that company and be the extraordinary human being that you were created to be, and make your mark.
Let the personal graffiti of your life be plastered on every door post, declaring, 'I am, I was, I conquered.'
Others may call you weird, strange, out of the extraordinary, single-minded, and one-eyed. But it is the obsessed of this world who have brought us the motor car, flight, freedom, the Internet, Facebook, and so much more. They have changed our world. So be obsessed and be a world changer.
- The Need For Persistence
I recall the time when I'd written my first book and was about to self publish it. My first book sale yielded me more than $100,000. At the time I was filling shelves at our local super market. Even before I knew that I had made that sale I continued to work late nights and early mornings with a joy in my step.
I made it a point to be the best shelf filler in that organization.
Why was I so happy?
Because I knew, because I knew (yes I've doubled those words for emphasis) that I was born to succeed. Sure, failure had knocked me down on a number of occasions throughout my life, but I was destined to succeed because I understood the power of persistence. And that persistence paid off. And what joy success was when I handed in my resignation and invited some of my shelf-filler buddies to my first book launch.
- The Necessity Of The Dream
Without a dream and without a vision you are nothing but a lifeless void.
Dreams are not just for the confines of your sleeping hours. Dreams should be the invaders of your waking moments. Upon these dreams, for a better future, are based our hopes, and at the same time they're the fuel that will drive your productivity and the profitability in everything you do.
My dream is the guiding compass that has carried me through packing shelves, cleaning houses and factories, mowing lawns, publishing books, being CEO of my own web design company, business coaching, professional speaking and now being the owner of multiple businesses.
I have never been overly concerned as to what I did, but rather how I did it. Happiness has accompanied me as much while cleaning toilets as it has conducting board meetings.
Why?
Because of the dreams planted firmly in my heart and mind.
- The Vitality Of A Plan
Without an architecturally designed plan a builder cannot build a structurally sound house. So too for life. You must take out some time to construct a plan for your life. For as someone once wrote, 'If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.'
There are many words that I could write about planning, goal setting, and life goals, mission statements and more. But let me simply share 6 points in brief that Napoleon Hill – the author of Think and Grow Rich - wrote way back in 1937.
- Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire. Be definite as to the amount.
- Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire.
- Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money you desire.
- Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire, and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action.
- Write out a clear, concise statement of the amount of money you intend to acquire, name the time limit for its acquisition, state what you intend to give in return for the money and describe clearly the plan through which you intend to accumulate it.
- Read your written statement aloud twice daily, once just before retiring at night and once arising in the morning. As you read – see and feel and believe yourself already in possession of the money.
- The Power Of Faith
Any great man or woman, who has ever lived, has had to pass through the refining fire of failure in order to rise as the Phoenix – to become those whom we call successful.
Faith sees things as they are not. So it is during the periods where things seem impossible and insurmountable that faith is provided the perfect platform for development.
As I cleaned dirty factory floors and toilets I dreamed that I would one day reach a global audience with the creative gifts that lay dormant within my being. I wanted to live a life of influence. I wanted to help those who may currently be in the depths of despair, depression and debt – and yet through my words lift them up so that they too can be instructed by Professor Failure and rise and obtain 'High Distinctions' in the University of Success.
So that is my call to you today. Do not allow failure to destroy you. Use failure rather to build you, to transform your character, crystallize your dream, and transfix your determination to succeed through the power of persistence and the fortitude of faith. This is your greatest hour. Grasp it with both hands and be the butterfly – and fly, fly, fly.
Are there any other lessons that Professor Failure has taught you, and could help others to graduate from the University of Success?
Motivational Memo: A High Distinction obtained in the University of Success is yours if you allow the seed of failure to do its work within you.
 | Written on 1/30/2011 by Peter G. James Sinclair . Peter is in the 'heart to heart' resuscitation business and inspires, motivates and equips others to be all that they've been created to become. Receive your free inhalation of 'motivational' life by subscribing to his Motivational Memo Blog today! | Photo Credit: Paul Keller |
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