How To Choose A Good Domain Name
Feb 29 by Marcus Hochstadt | Posted in SEO, Traffic Generation
Ever wondered how to choose the right domain name for your Internet business?
Choosing a good domain name can make us gripe especially in terms of SEO. What I mean is when you want to have your Site Concept keyword in it as well. Depending on your site’s theme, the domain name may become very long, making it difficult to remember properly.
Let’s say you target the audience of tennis, therefore your Site Concept keyword (i.e., the keyword you focus on on your site) may be tennis. tennis.com is already taken, so you end up searching for a good alternative. And to decide upon that alternative may take a little while.
Here are the rules I follow when searching for profitable domain names in my Internet business endeavors…
- If possible, include your Site Concept keyword. It shall give you a 20% ranking nudge in terms of SEO.
- Keep the domain name as short as possible. Every character counts (more often than not!)
- OK, I agree it depends on your Site Concept keyword, because when that is “bed and breakfast” you already have three words—15 characters—plus any additional characters that make the name fairly long already. Still, keep it as short as possible or word of mouth may not work so well.
- Use a memorable, perhaps even remarkable name. Is it easy to remember? Or do people ask you several times to repeat the name?
- Is it easy to spell? The more difficult it is to spell the more names you’ll need to register (in order to “get them all”.) Speaking of which…
- How many equivalents does it “contain”? For a good live example… You do know the most popular video sharing site, don’t you? Yes, youtube.com. Now, did you ever happen to enter utube.com instead? I assume lots of people do. Go to alexa.com and take a look at utube.com’s 3-year history graph. (Link goes to alexa; once there click on the “3y” link in the history graph.) Speaks volumes, doesn’t it? So make sure you register the “misspelled versions,” too.
- Does your name stand out from the name crowd? Does it have some sort of uniqueness? Google was fairly unknown five years ago. Nowadays?
- Does the name make people click through to the site? Is it “attractive”? Are they curious to know what’s behind it?
- Is it “you”? Does the domain name describe you in some way?
- Does the name convey a clear message? Does it give them an idea of what to expect once they clicked?
- If you use 2 or more words, register both the hyphenated and the non-hyphenated version (using the non-hyphenated version for the content site.)
- The best TLDs regarded by surfers are .com, .org, or .net.
Here’s an Exercise…
With three (or more) possible names in hand, ask 20 people for their opinions in terms of memorability, uniqueness, and meaningfulness.
The results may surprise you. ;-)
(It took me 2-3 months before I decided upon MyGermanCity.com. I had a bunch of shorter names, but MyGermanCity.com surpassed them all big time.)
Using Two Domain Names?
Some folks say one could register a longer name for the Search Engines and a short “non-keyword” name for use on business cards and in e-mail.
Hmm, just imagine this…
You hand out the shorter name that has no content but simply brings visitors to the longer SE friendly name with all the content. Though, these folks may only be aware of the shorter name, so they start linking to that one. What happens?
SEs assign PageRank (PR) values to that shorter name. Although it has no content, yet still, folks link to it. (SEs seems to love honest human activities like this.)
With this in mind, I would use only one domain name in both cases so I don’t miss out on any “link love gifts.”
Bottom Line?
Keep it short. Make it memorable. Make people want to click through.
The most important of all though is to do proper market and keyword research BEFORE you register a domain name for your Internet business!
—Marcus Hochstadt
16 CommentsPermalink Tags: domain name, keyword, SEO
Free Blog vs. Your Own Blog
Feb 28 by Marcus Hochstadt | Posted in Business
Are you wondering whether you’re better off running a free blog or your own? Do you want to know the advantages and disadvantages of both?
Today, I’m talking about some Pros and Cons of having a free vs. your very own domain name when running a blog. This is not a full list, though it may give you a rough idea.
Many people opt for creating an account on one of the free blog services. You certainly know the following top 3. Speaking of which…
- Blogger.com (aka blogspot.com)
- Wordpress.com
- TypePad.com
These are well and good, and they may give you a slight ranking nudge at the beginning. However, you usually do get a very long URL which can make it difficult for people to remember your address properly. Secondly, you do not own that domain name.
The reasons that people choose these services is because most of them are free and very easy to set up. All you need to do is fill out an automated setup form and you’re good to go.
On the other hand, too many people are put off by the idea of using their own domain name, yet this is actually surprisingly easy, bringing more rewards long-term.
The only “disadvantages” of using your own domain name is that you will have to pay a very small fee for registration and hosting, and the set up process may mean a slight learning curve.
Still, when building an Internet business, owning your own domain is a prerequisite.
Besides, domain names are pretty cheap. Registering your own name cost around $10 per year, which isn’t exactly excessive. You could then point this to your free blog hosting account at WordPress or any other service, or you could go down the more professional route of running it all on your own hosting account (which I recommend in any case!)
Signing up to your own hosting account will give you much more flexibility over what you can do with your blog, and it will make your site and your Internet business much more professional. You can install many of the popular pieces of blogging software on your own server for free. The most popular being WordPress.
Search the Internet and you will probably be able to find blog hosting for a mere $6,95/mo.
If your hosting provider uses Cpanel then you can install WordPress very easily with a mouse click through Fantastico. Simply go to: http://www.yourname.com/cpanel, log in and then use Fantastico to install WordPress.
Otherwise, WordPress can be downloaded from wordpress.org and installed following the instructions there.
Although having your own domain name does involve slightly more work and cost a few bucks, it’s definitely worth the extra effort. Giving someone the address mysite.com is much easier to remember than saying things like myowndomainname.blogspot.com.
There are a lot more advantages to using your own domain name though.
For instance, you can have countless of very unique and individual e-mail accounts with your domain name. This means that you can bin your free e-mail accounts and instead use yourname@yoursite.com which, again, makes your site and your online business and presence look more professional, therefore you stand out from the “free crowd.”
—Marcus Hochstadt
Video Site Review
Feb 25 by Marcus Hochstadt | Posted in Reviews
I’ve come to the end of the Video Site Review of readytoberich.blogspot.com.
Fitz, you already got my e-mail with the link to your video package (3 videos – 160MB – 50:19 Min.) Enjoy watching and learning from them. :-)
Now, since I promised to give a short written review on my blog (so others can learn from it too,) let’s go straight to the meat…
When talking about Internet business, working at home, and how to get rich, I love sticking to simplicity and focusing on content. Flashy layouts and blinking banners are distracting. They push visitors away from your MWR (Most Wanted Response.)
You do have a clean layout, using black & white as the basic colors. You do use the color blue occasionally, which is OK since it’s not overly used. So principally, I like your layout.
Very roughly and distilled from the three videos, here are some of the improvements I would implement when your blog would be mine…
Layout
- Increase font size of headline slightly – The headline is the most important part of a blog post.
- Decrease font size of the post date slightly and move that line below the headline – Right now it seems the post’s date is more important than its headline.
- Have the “Comments” link appear more prominent.
- Separate posts from each other using horizontal lines (for example)
- Avoid long 5-7 sentence paragraphs – A paragraph shall consist of 1-4 sentences max. (on average)
- Instead of justifying text, have it left aligned – Studies prove text is easier to read when left aligned.
- Have a bigger smile on your face – That you have a photo of yourself on your blog is great! And smiling more deeply and out of your heart can have an infectious and captivating effect to your audience. (I know, need to update my own…)
Keywords & Traffic
Since one of your goals for improvement was to get more traffic from your target audience, I gave you two resources you can use to research and find a bunch of high profit keywords.
The goal is to focus on one keyword per page, distributing the keyword 4-7 times throughout an article. This is also called “Keyword Focused Content Pages.”
With this approach, over time you’ll likely attract lots of traffic from the Search Engines. (SEO can be a science, that’s why I use the word “likely” here since there’s much more to it than high profit keywords alone.)
There are three more strategies to get more traffic from your target audience. One is commenting on blogs in your market or niche, another is posting on forums.
In the second video, I go into more detail of these two, and I give you the URL and a short tutorial for another (the third) method.
Marketing & Money
- Get your own domain name! – This is sooo crucial when talking about money and business. Some (or more) folks think one couldn’t afford the $6,95/mo it cost to host an own domain.
When having an own name, the picture it portrays to others is a much better and more professional one. Not to forget that an own domain name, usually, is easier to remember.
- Get a unique favicon. Stand out from the browser crowd. Be memorable and remarkable. Right know, your blog has the default blogspot.com favicon.
- Less is more – My guess is some of the monetization models you currently use are a waste of valuable virtual real estate. Or in other words, they bring near to zero in return financially (i.e., below $50/mo.)
By removing these, your other revenues usually increase. (Fortunately, your blog isn’t full of banners and distracting “By Me Now” buttons. Yet there may be certain things you may want to remove in order to increase income.)
I go into much more detail in this third video. To summarize…
Drop those that generate no money, keep the best, and have your MWR (Most Wanted Response) above the fold. Be it AdSense, an affiliate program, or the viral marketing stuff (RSS, e-mail, etc), put that up to the top to have it front and center in your visitor’s eye.
What do you others think? Any additional ideas for improvement? Any tips & strategies to squeeze more out of Fitz’ blog?
—Marcus Hochstadt
SundayTV
Feb 24 by Marcus Hochstadt | Posted in Better-Than-TV
Today’s SundayTV show features Richard St. John, a self-described average guy who found success doing what he loved. He spent more than a decade researching the lessons of success, interviewing 500+ highly successful people.
No worries… this isn’t going to be a 5-hour interview. As you will soon see, the secrets of success can be distilled into 8 words in 3 minutes.
Here we go…
And, are YOU doing what you love?
—Marcus Hochstadt
And The Winner Is…
Feb 23 by Marcus Hochstadt | Posted in Reviews
OK guys ‘n girls, the time has come… It’s noon Eastern (2 o’clock here in North-East Brazil.)
Wow, look at this… 24 entries!
It was a VERY tough task to pick a winner, really. There were so many interesting entries, most of which I’d so much love to see improved. Though, only one gets the free site review today.
NOTE: For all others, after thinking through and because I really want to see other site’s improved, please see the special at the end of this post.
Usually, when you get a site review from someone, all they’ll tell you are thinks like “well done” -or- “there’s a typo in the first paragraph” -or- “your site’s loading too slowly; remove the xyz widget on right hand side” -or- “Add X and Y to your site. You’ll see you’ll make lots of money with it.”
That’s just crap!
Did you ever get your site reviewed? Did the person ask you specific questions up front? Did the person give you exact steps to follow in order to improve your site? No? Well, to me that’s a worthless site review.
What you do need is a detailed review that not only points out minor gripes but the big mistakes leading to year-long failures. What you need are straight to the point solutions instead of finger pointing to the obvious little problems. What you need is a hands-on step-by-step plan on how to get out of the misery you’re currently in, once and for all.
But I’m getting ahead of myself here… ;-)
Again, one winner today, and a 2nd price at the end of this post.
That being said…
The Envelope Please!
<open>
The Winner For A Free World Class Site Review Is…
Fitz Villafuerte from readytoberich.blogspot.com
Fitz, I’m going to give you my review on Monday. I’m going to make a short written review publicly available here on my blog, but my actual review goes a BIG step further.
I’m going to record the whole review on VIDEO. Yes, you read that right. You’re going to receive a site review in video format. That way you get the most out of it since most people learn better and much faster with audio and video, and you can watch it over and over and over again.
I’m going to send you the link to the video(s) using the e-mail address you provided in the comments area.
Now to what I mentioned earlier…
Although my time is very limited, I’m open for five more reviews for the time once I’m back from Costa Rica (middle of March.)
Since my individual reviews take at least five hours of my time, I would charge $700 for a comprehensive video site review. As you may know by now, it’s not one of those “short & nice” reviews.
My video site reviews include lots of tips on how to boost your Internet business, which false steps to avoid, what to get rid of on your site, what to change, which tools to use to boost your Internet business, how to expand (or create) your individual pool of high potential and high profit keywords (hence, how to research your market properly,) how to make more money, SEO, and much more…
In other words, it’s like a private consultation with me. :-)
Now to the special
Because there are others I really want to see improved, I’m going to take my time and review the Web site of five more people. For these, the price will be $250 per video review. If you want to boost your Internet business and receive a world class site review (one that even goes beyond this free one,) send $250 to PayPal@Hochstadt.com and we’ll set you up.
You will then receive a more comprehensive questionnaire that you fill out and submit. It will give me a much better idea of your goals, your target market, and the tips and techniques I give you to boost your Internet business and bring it to the next level. Once you’ve filled out the questionnaire and sent it in, you’re going to get the ETA for your personal video site review.
Again, only five. Those that are too late are going to receive a refund immediately.
For now though, Fitz, TALK to you soon. :-)
—Marcus Hochstadt
Hurry!
Feb 22 by Marcus Hochstadt | Posted in Reviews
There are currently 22 submissions to the free site review.
I’m going to pick the lucky winner tomorrow at noon 12 P.M. Eastern. Yes, that means there are only 16 hours left!
I haven’t revealed it yet but the monetary value of my comprehensive site review is $700. Yes, it’s not a crap one. It is a world class site review you profit from for years to come.
It will boost your Internet business and bring it to the next level, guaranteed.
It is a site review you have never seen before, ever.
But I’m getting ahead of myself here…
If you thought of submitting or not (shy?), now is the time to write it up and click that send button (unless you want to pay me $700 instead.)
Once you’ve done this, stay tuned…
Again, tomorrow at noon I’m going to open the envelope.
Good luck! :-)
—Marcus Hochstadt
Let Me Review Your Web Site
Feb 21 by Marcus Hochstadt | Posted in Reviews
Do you have a blog or a Web site? (OK, a blog actually is a Web site, isn’t it?)
Would you like to improve it? Would you like to get higher rankings at the Search Engines? Would you like to grow your Internet business? Would you like to make more money online? (Silly question, huh?)
This is your chance… :-)
I’m going to review one Web site, for free.
There are tons of Webmasters making a bunch of mistakes when it comes to putting up a Web site and building a thriving Internet business. Whether they just got started or are on the Net for a couple years already, many of them simply have bad habits.
Usually, I don’t do site reviews. It takes quite some time to give a solid thorough site review, one where the reviewee gains the most rewards.
But I have the time of my life these days. :-)
That said, it’s time I pay forward what I received. Yes, we gonna have a mini-contest, sort of.
Here’s what you wanna do…
Instructions
- Post a comment to this entry
- Give the URL of the Web site you’d like me to review
- One URL per comment. If you want to nominate more than one Web site, submit another comment.
- No sales letters
- Give the top 1-3 things you want to improve
- Give the main goal you have with your Web site
- Give your real name (Your artistic name is OK, just not a “keyword name,” if you know what I mean…)
I’m going to pick one lucky winner. I’m going to do my best to post the review on the next day after pickup.
NOTE: Submit your request IMMEDIATELY. Most likely, I will pick a winner sooner rather than later.
Good luck! :-)
—Marcus Hochstadt
Google AdSense Video Tutorial
Feb 19 by Marcus Hochstadt | Posted in Tutorials
Are you an AdSense publisher? Do you run Google AdSense ads on your site? Ever wished to know how to get the most out of the Google AdSense program and turn ad-cents into Dollars? Yes, yes, and yes? Well, then I have something for you…
I just finished a new video for SiteSell. You can watch it over here…
http://www.sitesellvideos.com/
Scroll down to where it says “DAY 10″ and you shall see a [male voice] video link next to “Google AdSense”. Click on that.
If you are on dial-up, there’s an option to download the video package. Simply click on the “Download Center” link/button.
NOTE: The video refers to certain tools of SBI!. Don’t let that distract you. Simply focus on the AdSense optimization tips themselves.
Enjoy! :-)
—Marcus Hochstadt
P.S. Don’t have AdSense ads on your site? Don’t wanna know how AdSense works? OK, understand… But you’re curious how my voice sounds with that German accent, aren’t you?
Watch it. It’s my voice in that video. :o)
How To Get New Clients Using E-mail
Feb 18 by Theda K. | Posted in Business, Tutorials
This is the first time I invited someone to write a guest post for my blog. Theda K. Rogers is a professional writer. I encourage you to read and bookmark her post. It’s an excellent tutorial on how to get new clients using e-mail.
As a work-at-home-mom, I’ve found it particularly challenging to market my freelance writing business. Cold calling is a tried and true method for getting new clients, but when you have a toddler at home, talking on the phone (and sounding professional) isn’t the easiest thing in the world.
So I’ve had to be a little creative when it came to marketing my Internet business.
Since I have a website and a blog, I thought it only natural that I use the Internet to also find new clients. Instead of cold calling, I started cold emailing.
My philosophy is that people are busy, so a quick, to-the-point email saves them time. More important, it gives me a more professional way of making contact for a relatively low amount of money. Direct mail would work in a similar manner, but it definitely costs more. Also, I can cold email anytime of the day or night.
Here’s how to get new clients using my cold emailing technique. First, I identify my target market. Then I begin looking at local and nearby chamber of commerce sites to find the web addresses of potential customers. Even if an email address is listed on the chamber of commerce site, I always go to the company’s website. This way I can find out the name of the appropriate contact person, and I can find out a bit about the business.
When I’ve located an email address, I then begin my cold email text.
The most important thing is to have a contact name so you can personalize the email properly. I never say “Dear Sir or Madam,” or “To Whom It May Concern.” If I can’t find a contact person, I generally don’t send a cold email. When I get a free moment I simply call that company and ask for the name of the person in charge of marketing.
The next most important part of a cold email message is the subject line. So that I’m not violating the CAN-SPAM Act, I make sure that my subject line isn’t deceptive. Since I’m looking for information about their need for copywriting, and since I’m offering that service, my subject line usually reads, “Copywriting services information request”.
Okay, let’s get to the meat of the message.
My email truly is a request for information, so I make sure to keep true to my subject line. I tell the contact person why I’m writing, who I am, and what I offer. I also ask if they use my type of service, and request information about how I can be informed when they have such a need. The beauty of the cold email is that I can include a link to my portfolio, so there’s no need for the prospect to ask me for samples.
Here’s an example:
Dear Mr. Smith,
I am a professional business writer, and I’m contacting real estate companies to determine whether you have an occasional or ongoing need for a great freelance writer.
I help companies write web and blog content, press releases, newsletters, and other marketing collateral. You can find samples of my work in the portfolio on my website.
How can I be informed about freelance writing opportunities with [company name]?
Sincerely,
[my name, company name, phone number, web address, blog address]
If their website is particularly interesting, I also try to mention how I like it, or how I noticed their Internet business doesn’t have a blog, or something else to make it more personal.
Now, before you start sending mass cold emails, be sure that you’ve read the Federal Trade Commission’s CAN SPAM Act, so you understand the rules and the risks.
I don’t include an opt-out message, though the Act requires it, because I never email them again if I’ve received no response. I’m not sending an e-newsletter or anything else on a continual basis. I’m simply looking for information.
Also, I don’t include a physical street address because I work from home. When I get a post office box I’m sure I’ll include that, but I don’t think it’s necessary, despite the rules. That’s a risk I’m willing to take, and so far I’ve received no complaints.
How has cold emailing worked for my Internet business? Most of the well-paying clients I’ve had have been a direct result of cold emailing. I usually caught them at a time when they needed my services, and my email was well-received. I’ve also gotten a lot of, “Not right now, but I’ll keep your information on file,” and “Not now, but contact us later” replies. I add those to my “warm leads” list, and I will later use those email addresses or physical addresses for future campaigns.
Cold emailing has definitely worked for me. Have you tried it, or do you prefer cold calling? How do you get new clients? What other methods have you used to market your Internet business when you just started out, or when you have a busy lifestyle?
About the Author
SundayTV
Feb 17 by Marcus Hochstadt | Posted in Better-Than-TV
I found this video a couple months ago and thought it’s a good idea to share it with you guys today. Some of you may have seen it already, some not. It was viewed at least ~24 MILLION times, favored 125,000 times, and it received ~47,000 comments. Awesome.
In either case, it’s a good time to watch it (again.) I watched it several times myself already and my heart’s bumping each and every time.
If everyone would express so much love an care, how much of a better place would our world be?
Without further ado, here is the Free Hugs Campaign by Juan Mann aka PeaceOnEarth123…
What a tremendous impact such a simple thing can have, huh…All the best to you and yours.
—Marcus Hochstadt
P.S. You may also wanna check out one of his Web sites: www.freehugscampaign.org. Thanks.
3 CommentsPermalink Tags: free hugs campaign, juan mann, peace on earth 123, peaceonearth123, sundaytv
Utilizing Link Targets To Your Advantage
Feb 16 by Marcus Hochstadt | Posted in HTML, CSS, Design
Do you know what “link targets” are? I get this question from time to time. It has to do with where you want links to appear (once a visitor clicks on them.)
Whether you link to another page on your own site or to an external one, it is a neat way to “help” your visitors navigating through the Web, and to not lose them when linking to external sites.
Without further ado, here’s what link targets are and how you can use them to your advantage in your Internet business endeavors…
NOTE: You may see curly quotes below due to a certain setting in my WordPress installation. Make sure you always use plain quotes in coding. Using curly quotes in HTML often results in strange symbols in other people’s browsers.
target=”_blank”
target=”_self”
target=”_top”
target=”_parent” -and-
target=”anything”
As an example…
<a href=”http://www.domain.com/” target=”_blank”>Link text</a>
Is old school HTML and was developed for when you use frame sets on your page. It’s commonly used in HTML nowadays and tells the browser where exactly should that other content be displayed when someone clicks on the link.
In other words, when you use the target=”_blank” it’s going to open in a new browser window. Whereas when you use any other word (and not the underscore at the beginning,) like target=”new” it will target the browser window that has been “tagged” with the title “new”. This is not necessarily a new browser window though!
For instance, you have plenty of photos on your site. You show them as thumbnails on your pages. When someone clicks on them, you want the larger version of that thumbnail image to open in a new browser window.
Now, to avoid that your visitor has 50+ windows open just from browsing your site and looking at the countless images you offer, you can “tag” that new browser window specifically and individually. Meaning, if you want all those large images open in the same new browser window then use target=”photo”. Then all other large photos will appear in the window that you tagged with “photo”. (The word ‘photo’ is just an example; you can use any other word. Just make sure the target attribute is without the underscore at the beginning, in this particular case.)
On the other hand, in cases where you rather want a completely new browser window to open you shall use the target=”_blank” though. For example, you use affiliate links and want them to open in a completely new window, and you want that new window to open up right in front of your visitor’s eyes. That way, you won’t loose your visitor, leaving your Web site underneath the new window. (The target=”anything” may appear underneath the current window.)
By the way, when going through my Internet business blog, you’ll see that I often use target=”external”.
—Marcus Hochstadt
Top 4 In 43 Days
Feb 13 by Marcus Hochstadt | Posted in Business, SEO, Traffic Generation
My blog is #4 on Google for its main keyword internet business after only 43 days.
Yes, you read that right.
If you ever researched keywords and/or markets and niches, you probably know that internet business is a highly competitive niche market. Yes, it’s not a niche, it’s a market. Some folks wouldn’t even consider entering that industry. They think they would never make it against the “big guys.”
I’m about to beat ‘em. :-)
As a disclaimer, when you go to Google you’ll likely see different results. The screenshot above (click on it to see the large version) was made on the Brazilian version google.com.br. On the U.S. American portal google.com, my blog is on #847.
Still, as you can see I compete against 179,000,000 (!) other Web sites, and I’m on #4. Cool… (It has a reason my Alexa Ranking in Brazil, as of today, is at 15,675…)
I’m going to share my tips and strategies that I think are responsible for this with you soon, so stay tuned.
Just wanted to give you a quick heads up. :-)
—Marcus Hochstadt
12 CommentsPermalink Tags: alexa ranking, google, high rankings
Do You See The Footsteps In Front Of Mount Everest?
Feb 12 by Marcus Hochstadt | Posted in Business, Strategies
Do you have big dreams? Do you know of people who have?
I know people with big dreams. Each and every single one of those dreams involves making a significant change in the way these people are currently living their lives.
Have you ever asked yourself why so many people spend all that time dreaming, but so few actually manage to live the life of their dreams?
The way I see it, the world is split into two camps: the world of people who actually get things done and the world of people with wishful thinking. So, what really makes the difference?
The answer to that question is twofold… It depends on peoples’ level of commitment to their goals and the way they go about achieving them.
Your Level Of Commitment
Big, ambitious goals demand a lot of energy, passion, commitment, determination, and persistence.
Why do you think Michelangelo took four years out of his life to carve the famous statue of David? Why do you think NASA keeps sending astronauts into space? Why is the tallest building in 2020, the planned Al Burj on Dubai’s waterfront, going to be over 1,000 meters high?
All these big projects were and will be achieved because they have one very important thing in common. The people behind them cared enough about them to make them happen. Tackling the question of what the source of true commitment is, then, becomes quite simple.
Commitment always starts with identifying a dream that is truly worth having, one that makes you stay up at night.
What do you really care for?
What is it that you really want, from the bottom of your heart?
How much does your dream mean to you?
Does it mean enough to you to commit yourself to it?
It’s something you need to become clear about before you embark upon achieving your goal. I cannot stress that enough.
How Do You Go About Achieving Your Goals?
Turning to the issue of how to go about achieving ambitious goals…
I often come across extremely driven, determined people who just don’t seem to be making any progress. Most of the time, it’s because they fail to find the correct balance in setting their short and long-term goals.
In other words, they set short-term goals that are too big, and long-term goals that are too small.
Setting big, even huge, long-term goals is nothing to be afraid of. You can make your ultimate goal as big as you like, as long as you stay conscious of the fact that anything worth having does take time, passion and determination.
You cannot earn a degree, master a musical instrument, or have a thriving Internet business in a couple minutes. Just like Rome wasn’t built in a day. Instant Gratification is a virus that needs to be stopped.
On the other hand, setting short-term goals that are too big can be detrimental to the achievement of your final goal. Motivation is vital for getting things done. So, when you fail in one of the shorter term goals, you risk losing your nerve and abandoning your dream completely!
Here’s a wonderful technique to avoid that from happening…
Cut the big picture into small, very small and doable pieces. Transform your journey towards the final goal into a series of tiny, mini-steps. Make sure each of these steps is so small that it makes you think they’re too easy—they might not even look like actual steps!
Write down every single one of them in a list. Tackle each step, one at a time, and check it off on the list once you’re finished with it. Ticking things off is a very powerful technique to motivate yourself. You are giving yourself a personal reward of sorts every time you complete a task. This will keep you going until your dream finally materializes.
Sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it?
Well, one could say Simplicity was the father of Archievement. ;-)
Bottom Line
The right strategy is to think big, but execute small. After all, the only way to get from here to where you want to be is by taking all the little steps in between.
Give yourself permission to motivate you.
—Marcus Hochstadt
Why And How To Avoid TV
Feb 11 by Marcus Hochstadt | Posted in Better-Than-TV, Challenges
I think the television is one of the greatest inventions of the last century. On July 20, 1969 it allowed humankind to witness Neil Armstrong step out of the Apollo 11 and be the first person to walk on the surface of the moon. It brings what happens in our world directly into our living rooms and is supposed to serve as a medium of information. Some people might even go so far as to claim that it educates and enlightens us.
Though, I think life is better without the tube.
The television itself isn’t the problem. It’s the current state of television viewing and its effect on modern society that is worrisome. It has, on many levels, become a cultural necessity, even an addiction, for that matter.
According to a report by Nielsen Media Research, the average North-American watches four hours of TV daily. This report also revealed that North-American children watch 1,023 hours of TV on an annual basis while they only attend 900 hours of school in a year. It comes as quite a shock when one reads the statistics.
More and more, the disadvantages of watching TV just seem to outweigh the benefits of avoiding TV.
Common Habits And Their Effects
Many people come home from a day’s work and “relax” in front of the tube. Little do they know that the rapid flickering, the constant changes in images, and the glowing pulse on the screen actually reduces their energy level.
On the other hand, if they were to go out and jog or have a workout in the gym (or write a new Web page ;-), they would become more energized. Ironic, isn’t it?
Watching TV also inhibits your imagination and has a numbing effect on your mind. This is because TV viewers passively take in information as opposed to actively doing research and thinking about what they are watching. You sit back and watch what is essentially somebody else’s imagination.
Ever noticed how come we don’t exactly remember the whole movie we watched 24 hours ago? On the other hand, we do remember very well and a lot of details of a vacation we took a couple months or even years ago.
Even when you make it a point to watch a worthwhile program, how long do you actually spend changing channels and playing “zap” with the remote control in order to avoid the boring advertisements or out of fear you’d miss something?
Which brings us to the next problem: the extent of how television stations and the networks use TV to bombard the public with advertisements and product promotions. TV has become a medium for mindless consumerism. Even if you think you are not effected, remember that there is a whole industry of educated and trained specialists whose job it is to get you to want to go out and buy that latest SUV or anti-wrinkle cream.
Do you really think advertisers would waste billions of dollars on TV advertisements that don’t work? Come on, who are we kidding? It’s a jungle out there.
By now, the debate on TV violence has become widespread enough, and frankly, quite mundane. Although a consensus has yet to be reached, one cannot deny the adverse effect that the portrayal of violence has on our youngsters.
Human beings are social animals and our behaviors are shaped by societal influences. Unfortunately, TV forms a part of modern-day society. That alone is a reason for me to avoid TV.
Reflect
Look at all the things you could do if you would switch off the TV and choose to use your time more wisely. You could read an inspiring book, go out and get to know some interesting and resourceful people, learn how to build a Web site, master a music instrument, take part in family get-togethers, reflect upon how you want to grow personally—the list is endless.
You do get the point I am trying to make, right? I manage to avoid watching TV about 98% of the time, and my life has become better and more fulfilling as a result.
There are certain things you could do to kick the habit and avoid TV. They are simpler than you may think…
Methods On How To Avoid TV
- For starters, you could throw away the remote control. It would amaze you how much less time you’d spend in front of the tube if you had to get up to change the channel or adjust the volume every five minutes.
- OK, if that is too much, you could give the remote control to a friend for, say, 21 days. At least you could realize how silly it would be to visit your friend and ask him or her for your remote control…
- What about a TV-watching plan where you choose to watch only certain shows in a week. You watch only these shows and immediately turn off the tube when they are over. It might be hard at times due to the fear of loss, but this method served as my first step towards successfully avoiding TV.
- When you are eating, turn off the box at all times.
- How about making it a point to devote at least 15 hours a week to reading?
- Ultimately, if all that fails, remember that you can always give your TV to a charity!
Here’s to a better life.
—Marcus Hochstadt
15 CommentsPermalink Tags: avoid tv
SundayTV
Feb 10 by Marcus Hochstadt | Posted in Better-Than-TV
In today’s SundayTV show we’re going to see Bob Proctor; author, philosopher, entrepreneur and teacher preaching the gospel of positive thinking, self-motivation and maximizing human potential.
Here is an interesting short video in which he shares what was responsible for his success, and a few other profound messages. Don’t be misled by its simplicity, okay?
Enjoy! :-)
—Marcus Hochstadt
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