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5 Questions to Ask Chiropractors Before Getting on the Table
The quality of chiropractic care that you can receive from a chiropractor is based on several factors, such as their level of competence, overall experience, and attitude toward the profession as a whole.
By asking the right questions, before you choose to invest time and money, you can save the misery of wasting those invaluable resources on an incompetent chiropractor. Here are 5 revealing questions that you should ask a chiropractor before you choose to invest in their chiropractic care.
What Can I Expect From a Chiropractic Session?
One of the things that you need to do before you begin your treatment sessions with your chiropractor is to ask them about the techniques that they plan to utilize for your specific situation. It’s important to note that many contractors will use a general guideline for all their patients, while the more competent contractors will come up with a customized plan that suites their client’s specific situation. If you believe that the contractor’s response is too vague or general, then you may need to seek a contractor that will come up with a customized plan to satisfy your needs.
What Made You Choose The Chiropractic Profession?
It’s a well known fact that people tend to be happier when they look at a job position as a career as opposed to a way to make ends meet. Meaning, people who work doing something they love, typically tend to outperform people who hate the job position that they are in. One of the things you can do to see if your chiropractor legitimately cares about the ailments that their clients have, is to determine whether or not they view the position as a career or just a means to an end by asking them about the circumstances on why they choose to become a chiropractor.
How Long Has the Chiropractor Been In This Profession?
Regardless of the fact that a chiropractor may have received an extensive amount of education pertaining to the field, education cannot trump experience. In the end, what determines their ability to successfully deliver a highly quality of service is based on their experience of what works, what doesn’t work and the best steps to take pertaining to a specific situation. Simply said, would you feel comfortable with flying on a plane with a pilot that just started, or would you prefer flying with a seasoned vet?
What Type Of Chiropractic Tools Do You Use During The Examination Phase?
In all actuality, this is a trick question per se. Even though you may assume that all chiropractors perform an examination beforehand, in some cases they may not. So if their response is a blatant “We do not conduct on-site examinations” that’s a red flag. A true professional chiropractor will conduct examinations on site so that they can see first hand, exactly what is wrong with their patients, instead of relying on a third party diagnosis. If they say yes, some of the things you should check to see is if they utilize is an X-ray machine or infrared spinal imaging system, given your situation.
Have You Ever Faced An Ethical Situation During Your Profession?
Never trust any professional that proclaims that they never encountered a situation where they were challenged ethically. You want a professional who avoids moments that indicate a lack of professionalism and not someone who will lie and tell you exactly what you want to hear. By being honest and discussing a moment whereby by they were challenged ethically, it demonstrates trustworthiness and honesty.
This article was contributed by the Bloomington, IL chiropractic office of:
Bly-Hillman Chiropractic
2501 E College Ave. Ste. C
Bloomington, IL 61704
Phone: (309) 661-1155
Contact Online
Connect with Bly-Hillman Chiropractic’s team of Bloomington chiropractors on Yelp and Facebook.
How to Design Custom Tank Tops, Digitally
Designing your own custom tank top is now easier than ever. There are tons of online stores and resources that will allow you to pick from a variety of tank top styles and colors, in addition to guiding you or helping you create awesome custom tank tops.
Whether you have sketched a tank top design by hand, compiled one from templates made available online, or you choose to use a file you created from photoshop; your custom tank top can truly be one of a kind. Below are some ideas and tips to help you create the ultimate custom tanks that resonate with your true personality.
Determine How Many Tank Tops You Want
No longer is it necessary to pay extremely high costs or seek out a design house for the creation of hundreds of customized tank tops. For basically the same amount as a plane tank top out of your favorite store at the mall, you can design a unique tank top that perfectly represents your style or upcoming event.
Whether creating one or one hundred or ordering one or one hundred, the process does not change. Additionally, online retailers for customizable tank tops do not place a minimum requirement for order.
Find a Reputable Custom Tank Top Creator Online
Digitally designing your own custom tank top can be fun and will not extend past the limits of your budget. With modern technology, you are able to achieve store brand quality at thrift store pricings. Most of the online retailers provide several styling options and design tools such as: screen printing, embroidery and the addition of sequence. Should you desire a loose and lengthy option or one than clings more to the body and hugs your waist; you are gladly granted the option by shopping online.
One product offering that has an incredible record for customer satisfaction are the custom tank tops at The Neon South. This U.S.-based company will ensure that your unique design is executed with perfection and expedited to you pristinely. For no additional costs, they are able to provide you with expert guidance as it pertains to your design or vision.
If while you go through the design process, feel as if your vision is not coming to life; they will take over and handle the process for you. Their design process is extremely user friendly and design experts as also available by phone, should that be your preference.
Get Design Help When You Need It
Digital design companies also encourage you to shop around and most will accept designs that originated with a competitor or another source off-line. The only requirement is that you have permission to utilize the design and any imagery included in it.
Therefore, if creating a tank top that may use crests, symbols, etc. from an organization that you belong to, it is imperative that you obtain proper permissions and releases before beginning the process.
The sky is truly the limit and it is attainable easily; therefore begin designing today. Should you have a favorite saving or an adorable picture of your pet or child, you can have is incorporated into a spectacular design on a tank top. The process is as simple as choosing a color and tank style and cropping your design just as you would a photo on a social media site.
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5 Questions to Ask Massage Therapists Before Getting on the Table
In the last few years, massage has become extremely popular in almost every part of the world. In many cities, you can easily find a day spa or massage center. It’s worth mentioning that massages have also become more affordable. Massage schools have also been popping almost everywhere.
Though this can be quite exciting, you need to know how a massage affects you. Thus, you need to ask your massage therapist some questions before you get on the table.
What Kind of Massage Does The Therapist Specialize In?
It’s important to know the kind of massage your therapist specializes in, and the style he chooses. A massage therapist can focus on more than 50 massage styles. It’s possible that a therapist focuses on deep tissue and sports massage, and you might be considering just a relaxing massage. In case you’re unsure about your therapist’s specializations, you should ask upfront. This can help you determine if the therapist is capable of providing your perfect massage.
What Kind of Certifications and Training Does The Massage Therapist Have?
The answer to this question can help you determine the quality of your massage therapist. In addition to this, you need to hire a certified therapist. A therapist should be certified from the National Certification Board established for therapeutic massages and bodywork. It’s important to understand that not every state requires certification. However, therapists who acquire certification are able to provide better services.
What Kind of Testimonials Can The Therapist Provide?
It’s necessary to find out how others evaluated your therapist. The best way to evaluate your therapist is to ask for testimonials. In case the therapist doesn’t have any testimonials on his website, you need to look for other options. When you’re hiring a therapist for a massage at your home, you should also ask for some references. This can help you check the quality of services.
How Can The Massage Therapist Help With Stress Relief?
The most important benefit of getting a massage is stress relief. You need to make sure the therapist uses certain techniques to help you relieve stress. The therapist should also know some relaxation techniques. Most importantly, the therapist should know everything about self care, and give you some tips on the subject.
How Long Has The Massage Therapist Been Practicing?
According to some reports, the average lifespan of the career as a massage therapist is about 2-3 years. In case the therapist has been working for over 3 years, it shows real commitment and dedication. Massage is an art you learn through practice and experience. Therefore, you need to make sure the massage therapist has invested a lot of time in the business. It’s also important to ask how the therapist has improved over the years. The therapist should keep taking classes to improve his skills and talent.
These simple questions can help you find a reputed, experienced and qualified therapist. Last but not the least, a therapist should enjoy and respect the art of massage. He should be willing to answer your queries and questions. In case a therapist never returns your calls promptly, you should look for someone else. A massage therapist should be professional.
This blog post was provided by the massage therapists at N8 Touch Massage in Bloomington, Illinois. You can connect with them at:
N8 Touch Massage
2501 East College Avenue
Suite C
Bloomington, IL 61704
Phone: 309-661-2110
Website
Also check out N8 Touch Massage in Bloomington, IL on Google+
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Top 5 Home Automation Systems in Review
Home automation is all about making our homes better and our life more convenient. Home automation systems can provide greater comfort and safety through innovative technology. Today, home automation software and products can make you feel more secure and comfortable while notifying you about what is going on around your home when you’re away. 
An intelligent investment in home automation is best made by researching and studying an overview of the different types of home automation systems available. Take into consideration all your options and the technology behind them before deciding on which system to buy.
Home automation systems are available from many sources, including home security providers, home entertainment stores, technology and home automation companies, and big box stores. You can also find them in online stores. An extensive range of systems is available for every budget. We will provide you with a reviews of the top 5 home automation systems available on the market today:
1. Total Control Home Automation System from URC
Total Control is an exciting and innovative Home Automation Solution from URC. Total Control provides homeowners with an inexpensive solution to make their home smarter and more comfortable. Its producer, URC, is a leader in advanced programmable remotes. The Total Control system is their first entry into the whole home smart systems marketplace. 
Some of the capabilities of the Total Control home automation system from URC includes:
- Audio / Video Control of your home entertainment systems
- Audio Distribution through amplifiers that can distribute your favorite music simultaneously in up to 32 rooms with at CD quality with zero compression.
- Lighting & Shade Control
- Security & Surveillance
2. SY994i INSTEON
The SY994i INSTEON system comes with Dual-Band PLM and allows users to easily connect to other devices. This is a compatible automation controller device that can control more than 1,024 devices. This SY994i model uses the popular Java-based platform and can be easily accessed from any platform and anywhere in the world. 
By entering the IP address into the INSTEON’s user-friendly interface, the user has the possibility to determine which devices are accessible. Once you set your home automation system, the device will send you emails to notify you of any problem. The system can be upgraded in order to control all ZigBee devices. In order to operate the home automation system no computer is required. You can access the system from any Android or Apple mobile device.
3. VeraLite Home Controller
Your home will become safer and smarter with the VeraLite Home Controller. The system comes at an affordable price and there are no contracts or monthly fees. The VeraLite Home Controller can be installed simply and the technology will work for you to control your cameras, lights, door lock alarm systems, thermostats, and more.
Among the key features of the VeraLite Home Controller are included:
- Access from any device with internet connection and control from anywhere in the world
- Convenient user interface
- Video monitoring to stream live video on your smartphone
- Advanced energy metering capabilities
4. SmartThings Control Your Home Kit
The SmartThings Control Your Home Kit can transform your smartphone into a remote control. With this home automation system you can control and monitor your house temperature, lights, locks, and more. The key features of the SmartThings Control Your Home Kit are:
- Includes 2 SmartSense Presence Sensors, 2 SmartSense Multi Sensors, the SmartThings Hub, SmartPower Outlet, SmartSense Motion Sensor, and all necessary power cord, Ethernet cable, batteries, and mounting system
- Get early warnings about smoke, leaks, and carbon monoxide
- Get notifications when cars, pets, and people come and go
- No contracts, monthly fees, or installation hassles
5. Belkin WeMo Light Switch
Belkin’s WeMo Light Switch is an application that allows homeowners to control their electronics and lights from anywhere from their iPad or Apple smartphone. The key features of the Belkin WeMo Light Switch are:
- Works with your existing Wi-Fi router and any iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch, with iOS 5 or higher Works with one-way connection lights
- Easy to use
- Expandable with additional WeMo switches
Imagine the joy of being able to turn off or on the lights in your house from anywhere in the world, never stumbling around in the dark again, automatically control the temperature in your home, or monitoring a home security system at a moment’s notice. With a home automation system, all this is possible. There are many home automation systems available on the market today, and it is important to ensure that you purchase the right model for your house.
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Choosing A Day Spa & Salon: What To Look For
With so many spas and salons at your disposal, the task of choosing the best can prove intimidating and tedious. This is because out of the innumerable spas, not all can be raked best. It is important to take into consideration every factor that can help you decide on which salon is best for you.
Basically, the kind of services that a parlor offers should be your prime consideration. It is important to note that a wide variety of services are offered in beauty spas and salons. However, some of the beauty spots may not be so diverse in terms services provided. This means that you might not get the stipulated experience from such parlors. A spa that offers a wide range of services should be considered.
Other factors must also be accounted for when choosing the ideal day spa. Here are important questions that should linger in your mind when in the hunt for the best:
Does The Spa Offer Massage Therapy?
It is pretty obvious that massage therapy is one of the core services that any spa should offer. However, you must note that the nature of massage therapy offered in one spa may not be the same as that of another. This means that massage therapy should not be considered lightly but deeply.
The type of massage therapies offered and the procedures followed are among the things that you should guide you. For instance, N8 Touch Massage in Bloomington, Illinois offers a full spectrum of massage services to cater to a wide range of needs.
Does The Spa Offer Manicure and Pedicure? 
Fingernails and toenails are indisputably one of the beauty strong points of a woman. In this regard, you must check if the parlor you have chosen offers both manicure and pedicure services.
Just like in the case of massage therapy, you should be very keen in checking the manner in which manicure and pedicure are conducted in nail salons you have chosen. Needless to say, only the best in this respect should be considered.
Are There Enough Facilities In The Spa?
The kind of services you will get in a salon or a spa greatly depends on the kind of facilities available. You will realize that there are some spas which are really poor in terms of the facilities they feature while others have everything in abundance. It is your obligation to ensure that the facilities available in the spa you have chosen matches your specifications and will serve you in the best way.
How Is The Staff Like In The Spa? 
Another landmark determinant on the nature of services you will get from a spa is the staff featured. To begin with, a salon or parlor should have very professional staff. All workers must be very conversant with matters to do with beauty and overall fitness. Additionally, the staff should have enough experience in the respective field. Dealing with a professional person gives you a full guarantee of great results in the end.
What’s more, the kind of rapport shown by the staff in a spa should shed some light on whether to seek services from them or not. Note that a lot of interaction and general communication is imperative especially when it comes to beauty and fitness.
For information on what defines the top spas and salon, visit this nationally ranked destination in Peoria, Illinoiss:
Five Senses Spa and Salon
7719 North Grand Prairie Drive
Peoria, IL
(309) 693-7719
www.fivesensesspaandsalon.com
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7 White Hat SEO Tips for 2015
SEO is a touchy marketing endeavor. Because Google frowns upon keyword stuffing and manual link building, almost all forms of SEO are on the fringe of black hat. Further, if these slightly more sketchy forms of SEO are not performed correctly, they can result in a de-indexed website (bye bye rankings.)
In short, keeping your SEO strategy purely “white hat” (or other words: natural, legit and penalty risk-free) makes it tough to be competitive. Almost everyone who is winning with SEO is using some techniques that Google frowns upon.
However, there are a number of more natural things that you do to improve your website’s search placement in Google. Below I share seven white hat SEO tips that will hold strong in 2015 and for many years to come.
SEO Tips for 2015
Here’s a handful of white hat SEO tips for 2015. These SEO techniques have stood the test of time and will continue to serve your overall strategy for the long-haul.
Optimize On a Per Page Basis
Too many SEO amateurs think that they need to include their primary money keyword on all pages of their website. This is debatable counter intuitive. Instead, focus on optimizing each page individually for dedicated keyword phrases. For instance, your homepage might be optimized for your money keyword business consulting Traverse City, while inside pages of your site might target variations and long-tails like marketing consulting Traverse City.
Just makes sure that each page has a purpose and that your not building out “SEO doorway pages” that purely dedicated to gaming Google. These tactics will not stand the test of time among SEO strategies for 2015.
Ensure Proper Keyword Inclusion
Unlike 5 years ago, you don’t want to menion your keywords a bunch of times throughout your site (as this can get you penalized,) but you do want to mention your keyword targets subtling and in a few key places. Make sure that keyword phrase (per that page) is mentioned in the page title, meta description, and visible page copy. Including keywords creatively (not SEO-obviously) in strong tags, italics, headers, and links can have a minor benefit.
Sitemaps: Google Spider Roadmaps
The sitemap page is like the road map for search engine spiders. It directs spiders, or bots, to crawl and index all pages of your site more efficiently, thus helping making your SEO effort more impactful. Be sure to create a complete HTML sitemap page and link to it in the footer or header of your website (or anywhere that’s site-wide, or on all pages of your site.) Next, generate an XML sitemap and upload this file to your root domain. You can automatically generate one using one of the many WordPress plugins, or use this tool at XML-Sitemaps.com. Later, you can submit your XML sitemap on Google Webmaster Tools, which acts as a secondary road map.
Schema Markup for Optimal SEO-friendliness
Schema markup, or structured data markup, helps to communicate your site’s content more efficiently to search engines. In turn, Schema can improve your site’s Google search engine listing by generating rich snippets, while also helping to boost your SEO endeavors. Implement the proper Schema markup on your optimized page(s). There are various forms to use, and it might take some technical SEO or HTML understanding to successfully integrate on your site. But when you do, your site may experience a nice boost in keyword rankings.
Citation Inclusion
Citations are key for local SEO. In essence, a citation is simply a mention of the name, address, and phone number of your business. Google crawls the citation mentioned on your website, and compares the information with other citations found about your business throughout the web (such as you Google+ page, Yelp page, and any other listings.) Ensuring your citation is completely accurate and consistent both on all pages of your website and other external web properties is essential. Include your on-site citation near your sitemap link, such as in the footer and/or header. Next, run a citation audit and see how you citation appear on external web properties. You can use Whitespark or Yext to do this.
Media Optimization
If you have very large media files, like high volume images and videos on your site, you can optimize them so that your pages load quicker. This is subtle ranking factor, but also helps to improve usability and user engagement with your website. In addition to optimizing media for faster load speeds, you can also keyword optimize the file’s properties, which can boost the pages keyword relevancy and SEO value.
Get Listed & Get Social
Having your site listed on various other websites and directories is a great way to build domain authority. This authority, which helps to increase your site’s ranking potential, stems from the citations and backlinks you can earn from other website listings. Use the latter Whitespark and Yext tools to find opportunities to get listed on safe, SEO-friendly website that will help boost your rankings.
Similarly, start embracing social media as part of your SEO strategy. Google +1’s, Facebook Likes, Pinterest Pins, and other common social signals are becoming a hot topic in the SEO community. And although these social signals are not explicitly defined as Google ranking factors, many experts are predicting that social media will have a greater impact on SEO in 2015.
For more insight on crafting a solid SEO strategy for 2015, visit my website Traverse City SEO TCTopofMind.com. This organization is dedicated to helping business thrive using SEO and Google search marketing. There you can apply for a free consultation or audit to help you get started.
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Wooden Play Kitchens: Ideal Toys for Kids’ Development
Wooden play kitchens are rarely on the top of list for kids toys among parents. However, these wooden play kitchen sets are some of the ideal toys for kids’ development and growth.
Why? 
Kids wooden play kitchen sets offer a host a benefits. Not only are they made of natural wood (making them safe and free of any chemical-induced plastics full of toxins,) but wooden play kitchens enable children to tap into a deeper level of creative and imaginative play.
Below we go into greater detail about why wooden play kitchen sets are one of the best choices among natural toys for toddlers and young children.
Wooden Play Kitchens Foster Creativity, Imagination, & Cooperation
There’s no question that wooden play kitchens for kids help to foster creativity, imagination, and cooperation during play time. When paired with play kitchen accessories like various pots, pans, cooking utensils, and play food, children can explore their creative side and imagine different dish to create.
There’s also a layer of responsibility that kids can earn with wooden play kitchen sets. For instance, when all the pots and pans are dirty and dinner is done, who is going to do the dishes? Further, kids are prone to share ideas (as well as their creations) with friends and family members. This level of engagement helps to foster cooperation and socialization among children.
Wooden Play Kitchen Sets Are Safe
There’s a lot of concern regarding the health and safety among kids’ toys. These concerns often surround plastic and/or imported toys that contain questionable materials and substances that can be potentially harmful for the growth of young children.
With wooden play kitchen sets for kids, your worries can vanish. Shop for wooden play kitchens at Hazelnut Kids where all kids wooden play kitchen sets are made from natural, sustainably-harvested wood. Not only will you protecting the health of you children by purchasing from Hazelnut Kids, but you’ll also be giving back to the environment. Hazelnut Kids donates 1% of all sales to sustainable initiatives, and has one tree planted for every wooden play kitchen purchase.
Quality Over Quantity
Conscious parents are typical good at buying quality toys for kids, and less of them. It’s better to have a few good things that have a meaningful and purposeful impact over a ton of things that barely get used.
Wooden play kitchens can be investment, as most quality sets cost anywhere from $100 upwards to $500, depending on the set. Yet, when you compare that investment to buying several smaller toys that might be forgotten about in a few months, the cost is easily justifiable.
And unlike other wooden toys for children, wooden kitchen sets are timeless and can be passed down from generation to generation. If passing them down to the next generation is not plausible, then let it be known that these types of toys go fast at yard sales.
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A Simple Structure That Will Change Your Life
Post by Jonny Gibaub
Define You Elephants And Then Eat Them
Morning/Afternoon/Evening Lads/Ladies/Sirs and Madams depending on where and when you are reading this post. I am writing this from Chicago airport having just spend two glorious weeks in Kansas City under snow in -25 degree weather and so my fingers are still relearning how to type.
As I am sure many of your are aware, we have just left 2009 and are tentatively starting to take baby steps into 2010. If you are unaware of this then frankly I am surprised you can operate a computer. Go look in the mirror and ask yourself some serious questions.
A New Year and no doubt new GOALS, new RESOLUTIONS, new HABITS and new inventive ways to eat an incredible amount of CHOCOLATE CAKE.
This is how it should be, this is what January’s are for. Unfortunately, it is the law of the land and of human nature that February and March are designated months for slipping back into old habits and forgetting goals.
Well on this blog, we don’t stand for that kind of nonsense
Todays article is about creating a structure for making the most out of this coming year and in the process developing good habits that will ensure each day, week, month, year and decade of your life are equally as productive and fulfilled.
How do I know this system works? Well frankly because I developed it, I have lived by it for many years now and believe it or not I am actually highly productive. Useless with the ladies but highly productive.
If you want to transform your life then this system is the simplest and very best possibly way I know how you can do it. It is definitely worth 15 minutes of your time.
The 7 Life System
If you want to live this system, and I definitely recommend it, then your life will now consist of sevens. The Seven Life System is a highly structure and focused yet very flexible way to ensure that your are heading towards your goals and the life you wish to lead.
What Will This System Do For You?
This is the only structure I follow and because it focuses me on the core 20% of tasks that will return me 80% of the results I have a lot of time to “swan around abroad” like my good mates tend to say while still achieve a fair amount more then them.
This system ensures I waste very little time on things that are not important and CORE to my dreams and my goals in life. This system allows me to be calm when things go wrong in the short term because it keeps me focussed on the end game, the bigger picture.This system has allowed me to quite my job and live life on my own terms and eventually this system will help me make an impact on the world.
This system helps me lead a stress free and hyper productive lifestyle full of adventure and it will do the same for you, you need only apply it.
How Does It Do It? Like Eating An Elephant
How do you eat an elephant? In small pieces. How do you solve a problem or finish a task or achieve your life goals? Break it down.
If you are set with the task of eating an elephant then trying to do it on one sitting is just going to make you sick. However if you break it down and maybe eat a few steaks a day then you could conceivably polish it off in a few months. The same thing applies for problems, tasks and life goals.
A huge problem never looks quite so large if you break it down into its core components and focus on each one in term. A large task can also be handled easily if broken down and undertaken in small mouthfuls.
Life goals look as big as elephants and so they should but if you break them down into easily manageable chucks and eat your elephant then you WILL achieve them.
The 7 Life system helps you define your elephants and then gives you a structure to polish them off.
Lets Begin
The Power Of Goals
First, let me just give a quick visual representation of the power of having goals.
Positive progression is one of the greatest creators of happiness in life and having targets and goals is the map by which you navigate.
As shown in the Pictomin, goals keep you moving in a generally forward direction to your dreams. Although it will never be a straight line, nor would it be any fun if it was, having targets will help you keep moving in the right direction. If you do not know where you would like to be in 1 year, 3 years, 5 years or 10 years, how will you know how to get there. It is like trying to get to somewhere you have never been without a map.
Have a target to aim for, otherwise you will not know what to shoot at. Set your targets and watch as your life aligns to meet those targets.
Integrating Your Goals Into A Structure
Most people, unlike poor football teams, have plenty of goals but no system to achieve them.
The Seven Life System will help you achieve whatever goals you set.
Predictably the 7 Life System has 7 sets of goals as outlined below.
- 7 Life Principles
- 7 Life Goals
- 7 Before 20/30/40/50/60 Goals
- 7 Year Goals
- 7 Month Goals
- 7 Week Goals
- 7 Daily Goals
7 Life is a top down system meaning you start at the top and work your way down. In this system your 7 Life Principles are the most important, then your 7 life goals, then your 7 before 30 goals and so on.
Your 7 Life Principles
If you have never had any life principles then you need to get some.
These are Seven key points that define who you are, how you behave and how you operate. The cliche “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything” is brutally true.
Make sure you define who you are because if you don’t then the world is more than happy to do it for you.
As an example I have included the 7 life principles that I live by, in the early days these changed a lot but as the years have gone on I have refined them. These current ones have not changed in almost 3 years.
- Love People. Love Life. Love Circumstance
- Live Life Like An Adventure
- Never Waste A Breath
- Learn Ferociously
- Don’t Hurt People
- Take Risks
- Dream Big
Take some time to write down the 7 Principles you want to live by, the 7 things that define you. They will change and be tweaked but start by getting something down on paper. It is a powerful process to write down your goals, it helps you clarify them and concrete them on your subconscious.
Once you have your 7 Life Principles you can move on an define your 7 Life Goals
Your 7 Life Goals
These will not be defined overnight but if you don’t have any life goals then now is a good time to get some.
What 7 BIG things would you like to achieve in your life? Dream big, think about your perfect life and what it would involve. What life goals would get you there?
Again, for reference here are mine.
- Save a Life
- Live On Every Continent and see 50% of the World
- Become a Millionaire
- Design and Build A House
- Complete My Life List
- Make An Impact On The World
- Live To Be 90
If I come to the end of my life at age 91 and I have achieve these 7 things, I will be happy.
Your 7 Life Principles and 7 Life goals are critical to defining your life direction. Once these are complete, and they can change, don’t worry about getting them right the first time, you can move onto you 7 Before 30 goals (or before 20,40,50 depending on your age, the next closest decade)
Your 7 Before 30 Goals
So you have you life principles and you have you life goals? What next?
These will now no doubt influence your 7 Before 30 goals as ultimately everything you do should be aiming towards your life goals.
Again for reference here are mine
- Get Married
- Make £16,000 Passive Income A Month
- See 25% of The World
- Own Three Cash Generating Properties, Three Cash Generating Businesses and Three Cash Generating Patents
- Have 5 Marathons, Three Iron Mans and 1 100k race under my belt
- Have 50 Life List Goals complete
- As you can see a lot of these goals are working towards achieving my life goals. The system continues and you next define your 7 Year Goals.
Your 7 Year Goals
What are your 7 goals for this year? If you don’t have any you don’t have a target and how can you take aim with no target?
If you do, what are these goals based on? What will achieving them move you towards?
Your 7 goals this year should mainly focus on moving you towards achieving your 7 Before 30 goals which in turn are focused on achieving you life goals.
For reference here are my goals for 2010:
- Make £1000 Passive Monthly Income
- Spend Over 6 Months Abroad
- Start Another Company
- Complete Three Running Races
- Reach 2000 Blog Subscribers
- Become an Expert on Real Estate and Improve Credit Rating To Above 800
- Read 52 Books (12 on Property Investment)
As you can see they help me towards my 7 Goals before 30 and thus my life goals. If I achieve nothing this year but these 7 goals I can be incredibly happy that I have been productive and am working towards my dreams. Of course I have other goals and I am sure I will achieve more but these are the CORE things I will achieve above all else.
So how are you going to achieve these goals? Lets break it down into months
Your 7 January Goals
Lets review my goals this month which will help me ensure I achieve my years goals.
- Read India Book
- Launch EFS new website and North and South Stores
- Confirm Ovo Deal
- Publish SUCCESS Ebook
- Complete World Travel Map
- Learn 5 Guitar Songs By Heart
- Get Set For India Adventure
If I achieve all these goals this month I can leave for India happy in the knowledge that I am making big progress towards where I want to be at the end of the year and this by the time I am 30 and also my life goals. Hopefully the 7 Life System for achieving your goals is becoming clear now. To finish the example I will end with this weeks goals and todays 7 goals.
Your 7 Week Goals
- Get EFS Site To Testing Stage
- Get EFS Marketing Material Complete for Stores
- Collaborate all received entries for SUCCESS book and Chase Final Few To Reach 40 Bloggers
- Complete Overview World Map – No cities
- Record 6 potential Acoustic Songs onto Garage Band
- Enjoy Your Badboy self in Kansas
As you can see I have two more goals to finish by Sunday so that I can look back an know I have had an incredibly productive week which was focused on achieving the defined goals I set.
Your Friday Goals
- Read Source Control
- Read Seth Godwin Book
- Finish Weeks Podcasts
- Write New Blog Post – A Productive Day
- Read 70 Pages of Book
- Explore Chicago and eat at Lou Micelios world famous pizza joint
- Follow Up On Pictomins Deal
Friday I was just traveling so I focused on reading.
The Flexibility Of The 7 Life System
This brings up the flexible aspect of the 7 Life System, I don’t always achieve all my daily goals or even my weekly goals, sometimes life gets involved. This is ok, you can be flexible. I try to always achieve my monthly goals and definitely never miss my yearly ones but daily and weekly are flexible, if something comes up they can always be shuffled around and almost always are when I am traveling.
The KEY To The 7 Life System
Right people, now the key to this system and the power of it is REPETITION. I have all of these goals in a descending list on a word page and I read them EVERY MORNING when I get up and EVERY EVENING when I sleep. On Sundays I plan my weekly goals so I hit the ground running on Monday and in the evenings I plan the goals for the next day. This is where the power of the system lies, this is where your 7 Life Principles, 7 Life Goals, 7 Before 30 Goals, 7 Year Goals, 7 Month Goals get ingrained into your subconscious and become a part of you.
I have no doubt this system changed my life
I have no doubt the reason I have been able to risk the good and go for the great and live the life I do is because for the last 3 years I have been repeating to myself day and night that I am the guy that takes risks, the guy that loves life and everything in it. I read, listen to podcasts and learn daily because I have repeated “I learn ferociously” to myself every day for 3 years. My life principles have become who I am, my life goals are ingrained into my subconscious, everything I do, consciously or subconsciously are aimed towards these goals. This focus and directions is powerful and will CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
This is not a difficult system to follow but it does have the power to seriouslyCHANGE YOUR LIFE. I highly recommend you at least give it a chance, you will be stunned at the results.
To Conclude
Create Your 7 Life System. Read It Every Morning and Every Evening. Watch Your Life Transform.
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How To Live An Awesome Life Abroad WITHOUT Having a Job
Post by Jonny Gibaub
While out in Bangkok I regularly get asked two questions whenever I meet someone and we get talking
- Why are you not wearing pants?
- How can you live out here but not have a job?
Two very important questions and I will look to answer them both within this article. Well, not so much the first question as that is simply personal preference – it is just more comfortable.
Why Read
This article basically outlines the three core philosophies that I live by currently and how these philosophies allow me to live an amazing life out in Thailand without having a job.
These philosophies have allowed me to retire from a hard 40-50 hour work week and move to working less than 90 minutes a day with a substantial increase in lifestyle quality. This is one of many posts to come exploring the new lifestyle I am fortunate enough to live and how it is done.
I Have Been Lucky
I am not going to say that it’s easy and anyone can do it because it is not the case, nor is it the case that it is the lifestyle for everyone. More over, it is not that I am somewhat more talented or clever than others which has allowed me to lead it. I have been very lucky in how my life has panned out which has resulted in my having this opportunity.
However I do believe it is possible for most should they choose it.
I would like to say that what I talk about below are not new ideas and that many people have, and do, used similar principles. I have simply just summarised the three main ones that I live by. Tim Ferris and his book “The Four Hour Workweek” really kicked things off for me and countless others and so I definitely recommend reading it.
Currently how I design my life is through a philosophy I coined “Light Touch Entrepreneurship” or “Light Touch Living”, the core principles of which I will explain in this post. Further posts will follow regarding more detail about Light Touch Living and also why everyone should at least give it a go in the future.
The Light Touch Living Philosophy
Light Touch Living focuses on creating streamlined revenue streams which give financial freedom, freedom of locality and freedom of time to the entrepreneur or owner of these streams, subsequently allowing them to focus on enjoying life and helping others.
One of my good mates had another take of the philosophy which was “to sit on a beach all day and run an online business” but I have chosen to selectively ignore that comment as it is only half right. I also punched him in the arm for good measure.
Light Touch Entrepreneurship focuses on three core areas:
- Leveraging the power of currency:
- Harnessing the internet for global communication and outsourcing
- Applying The Pareto principle to all aspects of life and business
1. Leveraging the power of currency – How to make 300% interest on your money
Core to financial freedom and subsequently the freedom of locality and the freedom of time, is the ability to live within your means, and thus, it is of utmost importance to streamline and reduce personal overheads as much as possible without limiting or reducing your quality of life.
To do this Light Touch Entrepreneurship focuses on leveraging the power of currency, or in laymen’s terms, earning pounds but living on peso’s.
Pounds or Dollars can be made to be worth 4-5 times the relative amount if living in a country where currency fluctuations are favorable. Light Touch Entrepreneurs therefore focuses on living in and using the currency of any country where the entrepreneur can gain maximum value from every pound and dollar they spend.
If I told you I could get you up to 500% interest on any money you may have, I guess you would be quick to point out that I was wrong. Your current investments may be earning you 5%, 10% or maybe even 15% interest and you are happy with it. Without more risk higher interests are not possible, right?
I respectfully disagree, as 300% is easily achievable and I get it regularly on my savings.
In Bangkok for example, my savings, even at todays vastly reduced rate are still worth around an average of 3-4 times what there are in England. I have already got 4 times richer and live a lifestyle that reflects this, just by leaving the country.
The key to leveraging maximum value from currency differences is to ensure that you are earning or creating a stream of income of the more powerful currency but living on and spending the weaker currency.
It’s amazing what one British pound will get you in Bangkok.
This principle does not just apply to personal living but is also used to drastically reduce the costs involved in creating and running the revenue generating assets and businesses of the entrepreneur. By streamlining and outsourcing as much of the work as possible to countries where it is possible to gain the most currency leverage or “bang for your buck” the entrepreneur can substantially lower the start up costs and increase the net profits of their ventures.
It is easy to hire 10 guys for the price of one using websites like www.elance.com.
For any of you who doubt the quality of the work, I can say from personal experience that it is second to none. In many aspects far surpassing the more expensive options in reliability and quality.
2. Harnessing the internet for global communication and outsourcing – Hiring 10 guys for the price of 1.
The internet has revolutionised our world and has change the dynamics of business practice, social interaction and the entertainment industry, to name but a few.
Light Touch Entrepreneurship focuses on maximizing its power as an information source, communication tool and outsourcing instrument.
The world is now very small and with advances in technology individuals nowadays have access to a global market place and a global workforce, as well as access to almost limitless information. Light Touch Entrepreneurship focuses on capitalizing on these advances and using them to create their streamlined and automated cash generating assets.
The core idea for Light Touch Entrepreneurship is to create these assets, ensure they can control them from a laptop and then remove themselves from the equation as soon as possible.
The main goal of any venture is to ensure the entrepreneur becomes the least important person in that business as soon as possible, hence having a light touch in the business. Being the most important person in an organisation is great but by it’s very nature all decisions ultimately then need to be made by you and this does not give you freedom of time or generally location either.
Light Touch Entrepreneurship is not about building empires where the entrepreneur is the central figure but instead is quite the opposite, where many and various assets run automatically with minimal control from the owner.
This is the key to achieving the freedom of locality and the freedom of time.
3. Applying The Pareto principle to all aspects of life and business – Doing a small part of the baking and getting most of the cake.
You should venture over to the “5 Killer Rules For Effective Working” blog for more on the Pareto Principle.
The Pareto 80/20 Principle states that all things being equal 80% of your results/sales/income will come from 20% of your efforts/staff/business. If 20% of your effort is obtaining 80% of your rewards then this also means that 80% of your effort must be spent obtaining the last 20% of the rewards. Light Touch Entrepreneurship focuses on the 20% of effort that creates 80% of the results and happily accepts that the final 20% is not worth the 80% effort.
This principle is not just applied to business but to all aspect of the Light Touch Entrepreneur’s life, substantially reducing the time employed in any given activity while still yielding 80% of the results.
This ensures that the entrepreneur achieves all that they want out of life while substantially increasing the amount of free time they have available to them. Throughout their ventures and life, processes are evaluated and streamlined constantly using the Pareto 80/20 rule to get the most rewards from the minimal amount of effort.
Sir, Madam. Would You Like Some Real Life Proof?
This is just a summary and I wish to go into more detail on different aspects of Light Touch Living in future posts but just in case you think that this is not possible or cannot see the advantage, let me just highlight a few changes in my own life in the last few months.
Before
- Worked a 40-50 hour week stressful Project Management job
- Had limited time for a social life and was usually very tired.
- Became housebound.
- Didn’t go out for entertainment that often because of expense.
- Had very little time and energy to pursuit my own ideas and projects.
Now
- Work less than 6 hours a week
- Spend my mornings working on my business, the blog, swimming and reading. Spend the afternoons in cafe’s writing my two new novels. Spend the evenings running and out with friends at bars, clubs and entertainments. Spend my weekends traveling, scuba diving, elephant trekking etc.
- Have almost complete freedom.
- Spend a fraction of what I did in England doing substantially more.
It Can Be Done
I have used the above example, not to gloat, but to prove that it can be done and it really does pay. I have many more post planned explaining how I quit my job, set up the businesses that support me etc but if there is anything in particular you would like to know please leave me a comment and I’ll try and address it.
If you are interested in finding out how things are going then keep coming back to the blog or subscribe to thelifething.com feed. It would be good to have you as a reader.
And finally…I do actually wear pants.
Below if your opportunity to have your say and let others know what you think.
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