Guide to Home Based Business Blog

It Takes Courage to Be Happy

I was thinking about conducting a home based business and how happiness plays a critical role in your personal and business life.  I came across this study from Duke University and would like to share it with you.

What makes one person happy and not another? Many years ago the Sociology Department at Duke University did a study on “Peace of Mind”. After studying hundreds of people, both happy and unhappy, nine factors were found to contribute to emotional and mental stability.

l. The absence of suspicion and resentment. Holding a grudge was the major factor in unhappiness

2. Living in the present and the future. Much unhappiness stems from an unwholesome preoccupation with past mistakes and failures.

3. Not wasting time and energy fighting conditions you cannot change.

4. Cooperating with life, instead of trying to either demolish it or run away from it.

5. Forcing yourself to be outgoing with others-instead of retreating within-during times of emotional stress.

6. Refusing to pity yourself or seek self-justification in easy alibis that make you appear “noble” to yourself and others.

7. Cultivating the old-fashioned virtues of love, honor, loyalty, thrift. ( We add courage to the list at Living in Courage.)

8. Not putting too much pressure on yourself. When there is a wide gap between the standards you set for yourself and your actual achievement, unhappiness if inevitable. If you cannot improve your performance, try lowering the demand instead.

9. Finding something bigger than yourself in which to believe. Self–centered, egotistical, materialistic people score lowest of all in any test measured for happiness.
Debra Oakland
Founder of www.livingincourageonline.com

www.livingincourageonline.com - Please visit to collect your Free Gift

Free E- Book & Debra Oakland’s Chapter on “Being Balanced - Why Courage is Key” at www.guidetohomebasedbusiness.com.

I wanted to share with you a bonus post on the Bucket List concept from a wonderful mentor and inspirational speaker - Eric Taylor - who lives the principles contained in the Bucket List.  Every week he shares in his weekly FYI (For Your Inspiration), a very useful and engaging eblast, powerful personal development, sales and leadership tips. He gave me permission to share this with you. I hope you’ll find his post as useful as I did and encourage you to also sign up for his weekly eblast (info. below).

Dear High Achiever:

I DON’T PARTICULARLY CARE for critics. (I’m certain I’ve made that point in a previous FYI or two.) As some sage once observed, I’ve never seen a statue erected to a critic.

And, if memory serves me right, when the movie The Bucket List came out, it had its share of less-than-favorable critical reviews. If one was to take stock in these reviews they might miss an opportunity to laugh out loud, cry tears of joy and feel a sense of urgency to create their own “bucket list” - a wish list of things to do before they “kick the bucket”.

That would be unfortunate.

The Bucket List is about two men — played by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman — who are dying of cancer. Sounds painful and depressing, but nonetheless it’s a movie I recommend. Now I’m not going to provide you with a written synopsis or my own review in this FYI (you can Google or You Tubeit to catch the trailer or rent it at Blockbuster or Netflix). But I will tell you that IMHO it is a good Best Year Ever! investment of ninety-seven minutes.

As you know, Geoff Steck and I are ambassadors of Goals. The 4th Volume of the Best Year Ever! Success System is all about the goals process … how to do it most effectively … how to more quickly achieve your dreams and desires.

Here’s a small sample: We recommend that you carry your immediate monthly goals in your wallet or purse and review them at least three times a day.

But we also know that most people don’t and won’t.

And that’s unfortunate.

Here’s why: At the beginning of each month you have a fresh 30 days. They can be a big asset if prioritized properly and a big deficit if you don’t have goals with an action plan for reaching them. The power in carrying your goals with you and reviewing them often is that it creates Urgency, TOMA (Top Of Mind Awareness) and provides you with a sense of NOW!

Inherent with short-term goals are long-term results. I wrote about it last week in FYI #114 The Tradeoff, remember? So let me continue in that spirit and share with you something very close to my heart and rewarding for me.

I write this newsletter as an outlet and a medium to process my ideas, philosophies and life experiences. In that sense it is very personal for me. A residual benefit is that I get the opportunity to share it with you, because you opted-in as a subscriber.

That’s cool. And what’s even cooler is when you are motivated to invest time sitting down at your keyboard and sending me your thoughts and feedback.

FYI #114 got more response than any other newsletter to date. And I know why. Like you –

I’m working hard to get the most out of this thing called life. Like you I’m trying to maximize every area of my life and every minute I can. I want the good juice and as much of it as I can. You might say that I’m sucking the life out of life. I don’t have all of the answers. But I have an insatiable appetite for finding answers and gaining knowledge about the things I don’t know or understand.

Like my mentor Jim Rohn says, “I’m not trying to get through the day; I’m trying to get the most I can out of the day.”

That’s why time is so valuable. You and I and everyone only get one hundred and sixty eight hours a week. (In live, in-person sessions we’ve got a huge 168 visual that we’d flash up right about now.) Every morning that you and I wake up, we have a fresh twenty-four to Rock.

Or not. The choice is mine — and yours — as to what we do and the state of mind in which we choose to go at it.

I said it last week, I choose Happy.

But it’s much more than just “happy”. I’m obviously In Pursuit Of Happiness.

But I’m even more in pursuit of Pumped Up.

Critics be damned. Watching The Bucket List will get you pumped up about living and experiencing your life now! You and I don’t know when the clock is going to quit running and our time on this planet is up. What would you do if you were diagnosed with a terminal illness and told you only had six months or less to live?

Why are you not In Pursuit of doing those things now?

FYI ACTION IDEA: I suspect you’ve heard of having a “Dream Board”. Perhaps you already have one and if you do, I applaud you. If you don’t –

Here’s another small sample: When I do the Goals workshop, I start the process by having the group write feverishly for three minutes about everything they want to experience in life. It doesn’t matter how ridiculous it might seem or how much money it costs. The idea is to get your visceral vibe on paper – it’s real.

You should try it. In fact, Stop Reading right now and – Just Do It!

Welcome back: The next step is to take that list and find pictures of all of the things you want to experience and put them on a poster board. Next, put your “Dream Board” somewhere you can see it often, like every day. Next, create an action plan and date as to when you are going to experience, see, touch, taste, smell and feel what is on your “Dream Board”.

Oh, yeah. As you probably figured out by now, Your “Dream Board” IS Your Bucket List — and you didn’t even have to think about the “kicking the bucket” part.

Life is about living your life – with enthusiasm, passion, energy. Get started immediately. Do it right and someday they may just erect a statue in your honor.

Go Out and Make This Your Best Year Ever!

Eric Taylor is the Chief Inspiration Officer of SelfGrowth.com and founder of New Jersey based Empowerment Group International. He delivers more than 100 energized and interactive keynotes, workshops and seminars each year to corporations, associations and tradeshows. He is the author of the Energy Passport, Co-creator of the Best Year Ever! Personal Empowerment Program and Co-author of The Complete Sales Training Encyclopedia. Eric can be reached at 732.761.9930 ext.114 or email Eric@SelfGrowth.com or Eric@EmpowermentGroup.com

If you haven’t seen or heard about the movie The Bucket List I suggest that you see it ASAP.  The lessons of the movie fit so well with what we’ve been experiencing watching the Olympic athletes as they compete. Being in the Olympics and winning a gold medal I’m sure was on many of their bucket lists and one of their 50,000+ life goals.

In the movie the two men who realize they are dying decide to start living.  They write down a list of all the things that they want to accomplish before they “kick the bucket.” Then they spend the majority of the movie doing the things on their list. One of my favorite parts of the move is when they are talking on top of a mountain about the meaning of life and one of them shared that an ancient life philosophy is that you’ve truly lived when you’ve found joy yourself and helped someone else find joy. 

Your bucket list can be big goals like discovering the purpose of life and traveling all over the world to small things like everyday moments.  In fact on the special Diane Sawyer did on 7/29/08 tributing Randy Pausch and Randy Pausch soon after he passed away, Randy mentioned his bucket list in his conversation.  He said that his bucket list “the gems in his life” are the everyday things and moments that he has together with his family.  While watching that special with my husband, he noted that “bucket lists must be a common thing now.”

The Bucket List ties in wonderfully with the concept that I recently read about in a great book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen. He describes a six-level model for reviewing and prioritizing your work. Here’s what he says, “In order to know what your priorities are, you have to know what your work is. And there are at least six different perspectives from which to define that.” He uses an aerospace analogy because it has a lot to do with altitude:

• 50,000+: Life
• 40,000 feet: Three- to five-year vision
• 30,000 feet: One- to two-year goals
• 20,000 feet: Areas of responsibility
• 10,000 feet: Current projects
• Runway: Current actions

Here’s a few thoughts that he has on each, starting from the bottom up.

• Runway: Current actions - the accumulated list of all the actions you need to take like calls, emails,agenda etc.  He states that we probably currently have three hundred to five hundred hours’ worth of current actions to do right now!
• 10,000 feet: Current projects -David predicts that we typically have about 30 - 100 projects going on at one time including both our personal and professional projects.
• 20,000 feet: Areas of responsibility - These are the 10 -15 keys areas within which you want to achieve results and maintain standards such as customer service to maintaining your health.
•  30,000 feet: One- to two-year goals - Just like this states, these are your yearly goals that you define both personally and professionally.
• 40,000 feet: Three- to five-year vision - Projecting three to five years into the future generates thinking about bigger things in your life like retirement planning, the environment, globalization.
• 50,000+: Life - This is the “big picture” view. Why do you exist? Why does your company exist?  What do you want to do in your lifetime - your bucket list?  All the other aspectives defined above really lead up to this one, according to David.

Now what do you do with this information?  Here’s what I’m doing and planning to do for both my personal and professional life.

• Runway: Current actions - On a weekly basis I currently write down the actions that I need to do for the week for each of my current projects. After reading this book, I’m taking it one step further and being more specific about defining the next action to move me forward. For example, before I might have written down, update the home page of my website.  Now I step back and think about really what is the next current action first. So before I can update my homepage I need to review it first.  
• 10,000 feet: Current projects-I decided to write out my current projects in three categories: professionally, personally and ones with my husband/family.  I listed on one project per page  and listed all the current actions needed for each one.  Already I have 25 professional projects. He said the value of doing this is documenting 100% of your incompletes and writing everything out of your head onto paper in one place. Even though it’s overwhelming to see how many current actions and projects I have, I’m clearing the space to complete them.
• 20,000 feet: Areas of responsibility - I do this already in my mission, vision and values process which encourages  you to define the roles of your life and the overarching vision you have for each role both personally and professionally. (Don’t forget to get my free gift below.)
•  30,000 feet: One- to two-year goals - Under each role I write down my CC-SMART (see previous post) yearly goals for each personal and professional role.
• 40,000 feet: Three- to five-year vision - I have my life visions decades. I had a vision for when I turned 30 and now I’m defining my vision for when I turn 40, which fits into the 3-5 year vision for me.
• 50,000+: Life - This part really inspires me. I have many things in my head of I want to do in my bucket life, but have never take the time to write them down. On the way home after seeing The Bucket List movie, I asked my husband what is on his bucket list and ideas for our bucket list.  I was so jazzed to talk about it, but unfortunately we were driving home late at night after the drive-in movie so my husband was tired and not quite getting into the conversation as I hoped. So I’ve decided that I’m going to write down my bucket lists for the different roles in my life.  This will include having that conversation with my husband and later as our young boys get older to talk about our family bucket list.  Right now I’ve created file folders to capture my bucket list ideas and 50,000 life goals. I will take time in the next couple of weeks to write them out.

So, now what are you going to do?

 Happy Living,

Janae Bower

p.s. If you haven’t already, don’t forget to take advantage of my free gift to you around developing your personal mission, vision and values at www.findingIT.com.

Great tips on this video for your daily motivation.

The message on this video is that every problem has an opportunity in it. When you have the courage to motivate yourself into action, it is easier to see the solutions.

* Think big. When a challenge arrives, turn it into a possibility. See the potential in front of you. If you think small, you will get small results. Step up to the plate with the intention of winning. Study successful people you admire. If you need a mentor or coach, find one that you enjoy working with.

* Create new habits for your home based business. Take a bigger bite. Act as if. Conduct yourself with the confidence people will expect when doing business with you. Participate, read, talk, learn and grow. Study the habits of highly successful people.

* Expand your consciousness. Think outside the box. Find new and exciting ways to expand your mind and the ideas you have for your business. Look at the tried and true, then add a twist or new spin that works for you and your customers.

* Stop the practice of procrastination. This will make you less productive. Understand what stops you and eliminate it. Learn to manage your time, as this will cut down dramatically on stress, freeing you up to be more productive. Self-discipline is key to success.

* Set goals that you can reach. Think big, but make sure it does not overwhelm you. Each time you step further than before, will assure your growth, expansion and confidence. No one can more forward while they are standing still. That is a good way to get run over!

* Improve your people skills. Communication with your customers plays a very important part of any business relationship. Make sure they know, like and trust you.

* Keep growing and never stagnate. Keep your interest in your business alive and fresh. Motivation is hard to achieve if you are not excited about what you are doing. When people can feel your excitement, they may want to get involved or contribute to your business in some way. Your excitement and belief in what you do will make all the difference in your success. Do something new and unfamiliar.

* Contribute to others. This is a great way to feel good about yourself and your business. It is also way to give back for all the help others have given you. Pay it forward. You will be rewarded in ways you can’t imagine. What would our world be like if no one had thought and acted BIG? The big thinkers have paved the way and delivered great things to the world. They were motivated and took action, many in the face of all odds. We should all challenge each other to think bigger, act bigger, dream bigger. Unlock your dreams and let’s see all you have to offer yourself and others.

Debra Oakland
Founder of www.livingincourageonline.com

www.livingincourageonline.com - Please visit to collect your Free Gift

Free E- Book & Debra Oakland’s Chapter on “Being Balanced - Why Courage is Key” at www.guidetohomebasedbusiness.com.

Do you want to increase Web traffic to your landing pages for products and services? 

If so, read on …

As you know, one of the best ways to increase traffic is “word-of-mouth” advertising.  One “word-of-mouth” method with proven success is to reward clients with a “free gift” when they refer friends to your webpage(s).  Several months ago, I heard Internet marketing guru Vic Johnson claim that “free gifts for referrals” is one of his top strategies to grow his subscriptions at AsAManThinketh.com. 

So, I went to Vic’s site.  I scrolled down the left column until I saw “Tell a Friend” and a “Free Gift” button.  When I clicked on the link, “Can we send you a free gift?” appeared with instructions for referring “at least one person” to the site in exchange for a free E-Book “Acres of Diamonds” a best seller by Russell Conwell.  I signed up to see how it worked!  Vic’s system was simple and easy-to-use.

I researched a dozen free and paid systems online that handle “free gifts for referrals.” After lots of trial-and-error, I came across one that I like: ReferAFriend.com.  It does everything I want a system to do.  It’s free, too!

************** 

Here is a list of what you need:

• URL for the “Banner Image of the Free Product” you plan to give away in exchange for referring friends

• Content for the “Message of Your Offer” that you want to send to people who are referring their friends

• “Email content” of what you want sent to the friends who are referred

• URL of the page to “Download Your Gift”

• A brief “Thank You Message”

• The LOCATION where you want to promote the refer-a-friend campaign (websites, blogs, emails, etc.)

The system is very user-friendly. 

I wanted to test it out, so I created a simple campaign.  I give away Napoleon Hill’s best-selling book “Think and Grow Rich” to people who referred friends and colleagues to our free book, “Guide to Home Based Business.”

I was pleasantly surprised!  In less than 1 week, 45 people were referred. 

************** 

Try it for yourself.  Here are the 4 steps I suggest:

1. Click here to see the campaign and how it works. 

2. Come up with “free gift” ideas that to reward people who refer friends to your site. 

3. Create your own account and campaign at ReferAFriend.com. 

4. Watch you website traffic numbers grow immediately.  (ReferAFriend.com has great “reports” to track traffic.)

I would love to hear your successes.  Post your “comments” below.

Warmest regards,

Phil Johncock |

FREE Training Videos - BrandYourNiche.com |

CAMPAIGN “Free Gifts for Referrals” - Click here

Reprinted with permission from BrandYourNiche.com/blog.

The next part of this How of Goal Setting series looks at having truly meaningful and important goals.

There is persuasive evidence that following your dreams is a critical ingredient of happiness. The type of goal or valued life task that you pursue determines whether the pursuit will make you happy. She suggests having 6 types of goals:

1. Intrinsic
2. Authentic
3. Approach
4. Harmonious
5. Flexible & Appropriate
6. Activity

1. Intrinsic

Your goals should be intrinsic - inherently satisfying and meaningful to you - besides just extrinsic. Intrinsic goals allow you to grow as a person, to develop emotional maturity and to contribute to your community. Researchers, according to Lyubomirsky, have shown that the pursuit of intrinsic goals is more likely to fulfill many needs and desires you might have. Extrinsic goals on the other hand often reflect what other people desire for you.

2. Authentic

Researchers Sheldon and Elliot have been studying what they call authentic goals, goals that you own that are self-determined goals deeply rooted in a person’s lifelong held interests and core values. Since these type of goals satisfy our innate needs and true values, it brings much happiness pursuing it.  “The more a goal fits your personality, the more likely the pursuit will be rewarding and pleasureful.”

3. Approach

Approach goals involve approaching a desirable outcome (become more healthy) verses avoiding (not being fat) a nondesireable outcome. Going toward a goal verses trying to avoid something negative as your goal helps you feel more motivated and thus more likely to achieve it.

4. Harmonious

Harmonious goals complement each other. The more that your goals are integrated or linked in some way the more you’ll be able to build up the momentum to achieve those goals. The opposite is conflicting goals which can cause stress because the goals are not in alignment.

5. Flexible & Appropriate Goals

These goals are all about understanding the right time and the right tasks.  At certain times in your life it is important to adapt your goals based on your life circumstances. The priorities that we place on our goals change with time and the more we flex with these changes the better.

6. Activity

Activity goals, things like joining a new organization and running a marathon, allow you to experience new challenges, take on new opportunities and encounter different situation to make you grow.  Pursuing activity-related goals produce a steady inflow of postive feelings and accomplishments.

After learning about these 6 types of goals that we should have, I would encourage you to look at your goals and identify the type of goal it is.  This way you can determine if your goals are on track with the 6 types explained above. If so, then you’ll more than likely feel happy as you pursue and achieve your goals.

p.s. If you haven’t already, don’t forget to take advantage of my free gift to you around developing your personal mission, vision and values at www.findingIT.com.

Many people who own a home based business enjoy participating in MasterMind groups. Napoleon Hill - the author of “Think and Grow Rich” (one of my favorite books of all time and one I suggest you read,) defined MasterMind as:

“Coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a Definite Purpose.”

The support and rapport in MasterMind (MM) groups can be instrumental in so many different areas of business. It took courage on my part to join a MM group, because it was new to me.  I have gained so much more knowledge and self discipline by joining the MM group I am in, than I could ever have done on my own.

A business man and teacher I have great respect for is Bob Proctor.  Most of what he first learned about business was from Napoleon Hill’s book “Think and Grow Rich.”  Bob Proctor uses eight MasterMind principles, which he reads before every MasterMind meeting. I started thinking about what works for me in my home based business and would like to share some principles with you that I personally use.  We can never have too much information at our fingertips when it comes to learning to promote our home based business.

Principle 1. Letting go of control. Being rigid does not allow for developing new skills needed for growth. Collaborating with others encourages growth and support for everyone. MasterMind groups are a great sounding board for ideas, supplying feedback that can assist in growing a home based business.

Principle 2. The collective information shared between people with a definite purpose  in mind is a powerful tool.  There is great wisdom that goes beyond what one person can know.  It is good to remind yourself that others have traveled this road before you. Learn from them. Search out successful MM groups in your niche market.  This is a wonderful way to exchange or share information, plus you might make some friends.  I know I did.

Principle 3. Always be open to the constructive ideas of other people.  Be open to suggestions that are positive and supportive.  If there is a business problem that seems to be a challenge, someone else may see it as an opportunity.  Other points of view can put things in perspective and give many ways to approach one idea.  This will create  a happier, positive environment for business.

Principle 4. Growth and change are essential to a well rounded personal and business life.  Learn something new every day.  Be unafraid to ask questions. See new possibilities showing up. When ideas and desires are made known to my MM group, I trust them to be open to hearing what I have to say. Be willing and grateful to do the same for them.  Work together as a team.

Principle 5. Believing in myself and giving myself credit for starting a home based business is an essential key to personal success and confidence. Striving to live each moment in a harmonious way while at work makes the day much more pleasant.  Never be afraid - the past is gone - the future is being created. Keeping myself focused and on track is essential to the success of my business.  Baby steps are fine until I can walk and learn to run.  I also give myself a well deserved pat on the back or celebrate each success in some way.

Principle 6. I am clear on What I Want and Why I Want It. I share my dreams with others and accept their ideas and support.  It is fantastic to feel supported in and around business.  It builds confidence and a very positive attitude.  I am not afraid to ask for help when I need it.  MM groups are a place for you to be heard, and a great place to find people to work with on other projects.  There are always new doorways opening.   Relax and participate fully.

Principle 7. Work toward growing a successful home based business.  Trust that a MM group is a great place to go for assistance in achieving specific goals or dreams. Living each moment fully on a road paved for success is a great example to set for others.  I walk forward each day doing my best and feeling peaceful in my heart.  I throw in a little certainty, knowingness, expectation and a whole lot of joy.

Principle 8. Have fun with it all and I wish you great success in your home based business.
Debra Oakland

Founder of www.livingincourageonline.com

www.livingincourageonline.com - Please visit to collect your Free Gift

Free E- Book &  Debra Oakland’s Chapter on “Being Balanced - Why Courage is Key” at www.guidetohomebasedbusiness.com.

You can use “key words” to make money and find niche-markets for your products and services while working at home.  I have!

The 10-minute video below answers these questions:

**What are key words?

**Why are key words used? 

**Where are 3 places to find key words for your home based business? 

Plus, learn 9 places to put the key words that best brand your niche.

Enjoy!

Warmest regards,

Phil Johncock

Founder of BrandYourNiche.com |

9 Ways to Profit from Your Key Words Free Video |

Free Training Videos at http://BrandYourNiche.com |

Taking your goals further you can look at two things - the quality and quantity of your goals.

Quality of Goals

Ask yourself, “what is the quality of this goal?”  Cynthia Kersey, founder of UNSTOPPABLE Enterprises (http://www.unstoppable.net/), is all about inspiring people to live unstoppable lives. She has a 30-day UNSTOPPABLE challenge in which she asks people to commit to ONE action each day.  As part of analyzing your goals for this process, she suggests that you look at the quality of your goals.  For each written goal that you have, you should the list out the advantages and disadvantages if you achieve that goal.  Based on your answers you’ll know what the quality of the goal is for you.  For example, if you list that the goal will jeopardize your health and happiness, then it’s probably not going to be a quality goal.  On the other hand, if you see the advantage of your goal is that it’s going to bring more balance to your family, then you’ll see this as a quality goal.

Quantity of Goals

Contrary to what many think that you should limit the number of goals you have, Mark Victor Hanson (http://www.markvictorhanson.com/), Chicken Soup for the Soul co-author, is known for stretching people’s ability to think BIG with endless possibilities.  He encourages his students to make a list of as many goals as possible for their lives.  The last time I heard him speak, he mentioned having 6,000+ goals that he would like to accomplish over his lifetime.  (One of his goals is to live to 125 so he might have enough time to do so.) He’s accomplished at least 1,000 of those goals already.  I’ve also heard him talk about having a 300 year-old business plan for his life. Now that’s dreaming Big! How big are you thinking?

The next part of the series will look at having truly meaningful goals bigger than you!

Janae Bower of Finding IT - Inspirational speaker, award-winning author, training consultant

p.s. If you haven’t already, don’t forget to take advantage of my free gift to you around developing your personal mission, vision and values at www.findingIT.com.