The world is evolving, and the education system must change with it. However, being an institution steeped in tradition and pedagogy, the change in the hearts and minds of educators has been slow. The best online colleges are being accused of functioning as degree mills, not legitimate programs on the grounds that a campus is integral to student learning and many teachers are slow to adopt new technologies that enter their classrooms. Despite officials’ disdain for change, students are seeing the advancement of education as an opportunity to advance their careers and broaden their horizons.

The traditional education models seem to be offering less security and quality education for more cost lately, alternative sources of education are picking up the slack. Thousands of students around the all over the world are receiving first-rate teaching from passionate instructors, all for the cost of a WiFi connection. We often hear about the worsening state of education in the US. Class sizes are too large, budgets are too small, the quality of teaching is faltering, and all the while, tuition keeps going up.

In the past few years, online educational resources have been gaining a substantial following from web surfers curious enough to seek out knowledge further than their circle of Facebook friends. While average time spent online has been increasing for years, time online doesn’t have to mean time wasted. With the glut of social media sites and tabloid news online, it’s easy to forget how much information is available to people who never had a chance before, and many people are taking advantage of it.

The increasing popularity of the nonprofit TED Talks over the last couple years illustrates the internet’s power to proliferate interesting ideas and unique perspectives. TED stands for ‘Technology, Entertainment, and Design’, and TED videos cover an incredibly diverse array of topics that stretch those broad topics to cover just about any facet of life and are offered in dozens of languages. TED conferences have been an exclusive event since their inception in 1984, but since the TED Talks video site began five-years ago, the talks have reached a global audience of more than 500 million. However now that TED has been purchased by Netflix, it is likely that number will explode.

While the creative and often brilliant TED speakers can spark an interest in intellectual pursuits, Khan Academy instructs its visitors on how to apply complex concepts. Khan Academy is another education nonprofit with a goal of ‘changing education for the better by providing a free world-class education to anyone anywhere’. It is a simple goal to provide those without the means to attend the top traditional educational institutions, it could prove to be life-changing. Khan Academy videos illustrate concepts in science, math, humanities and test prep in simple, straightforward videos. The videos are rarely longer than 10 minutes and laid out in an intuitive, linear way, allowing a student to build upon their knowledge as they work through them.

The open and convenient nature of online learning is largely what sets it apart from traditional educational resources, and some of the best open-source online resources help users to continue online progress. Codec Academy, for instance, is a site that demystifies writing code in an social and simple way. “I thought about the best learning experiences I’ve had and realized it comes down to motivation and rewards systems,” Codec Academy co-creator Zach Sims said to Wired regarding Codec Academy’s peer-motivated philosophy. Team Treehouse, another site designed to make web design simple and intuitive, offers plans ranging from $25 – $49 a month. While Team Treehouse is only available for a charge, the skills customer satisfaction seems to be very high, as they’ve garnered strong reviews and have seen a 49% increase in membership each month.

Job markets are undoubtedly tough these days, and for many people with families and bills to pay cannot make further education a top priority. Yet these online resources are allowing even those working full time to continue garnering knowledge and marketable skills that can open options for advancement or even completely new careers. As academic knowledge becomes available to those far from the halls of traditional academia, the fresh perspectives on old ideas developed through open online sources may soon challenge our idea of what constitutes a traditional education.

What do you think of when you hear small business? Certainly not big marketing of course! Well maybe it’s time you reconsidered. The boom in internet usage has opened up gateways for businesses and has forever changed the way we handle it. Huge marketing success is no longer for just the big wigs, but for those businesses who manage to stay ahead of the game. It doesn’t seem logical does it? Well throw in a bit of creativity and directed ambition and you’d be amazed how far it could take you.

Kickstart Your Reputation

Professionalism is key

Your website is one of the first things potential customers will see. Think of it as a business meeting. Are you going to show up in ripped jeans and a t-shirt, or a suit and tie? Professionalism is key when running a website. Make sure to update that website consistently and on a regular basis, with new options, features, and articles for potential customers to explore.

Doing this will keep your audience’s interest, and if you make enough of an impression, they might just have to report back to their friends. Your website is your storefront. It is where you can keep them up to date with the latest sales, promotions, feature items, or offer discounts.

A useful tool is to allow website viewers to subscribe to a mailing list. This will allow you to spread the word when it comes time for your latest marketing campaign. SEO, or search engine optimization also plays a huge role, as this will get the traffic flowing into your website quicker than you would believe. No matter how amazing your site is, it doesn’t amount to anything without customers.

The Beauty of Social Media

1. Hone Your Skills and Share Them

Blogging, now more than ever, has become an important weapon in the arsenal of small businesses. It allows you to get one on one with potential customers and build a relationship with them.

Blogging is very simple, nearly effortless, and allows you to create and maintain dialogue with people who are interested in what you have to sell in the first place. By doing this, they will quickly realize the value of you words, the consideration taken of their words, and their value as a customer. Also, any interactions you do have with potential customers can only add to your credibility and reputation, and make people feel and see that you are an expert in your field, and they can trust you to know what you’re talking about.

2. Using Facebook to Your Advantage

Over 100 million people around the globe use Facebook every day. Whether you are or aren’t good with computers, Facebook can be an excellent tool in establishing your reputation. Know your target audience and reach out to them. With millions of people who use Facebook for business daily, you should have no problem sharing your information with them, and inviting them in to get to know more about it. Post regularly and create a buzz for your business. You’ll increase your traffic in no time.

Once you have created your own page, be sure to include all of your business information, including any current offers and sales, as well as photos of your products, or events, and maybe even a few video clips. Also, make sure to include your profile picture. You can use whatever you want, but your best bet would be to use your company logo, as people will be able to immediately identify you. If you want to change it or edit it, your ability to edit your profile can be accesses in the upper right corner of your home page. These are top 20 tips to creating a facebook business page that you absolutely must be aware of.

After getting the visual representation of your business down, it’s time to build a fan base. Facebook provides Social Plugin Widgets, which allows you to promote your Facebook page from any website or blog that supports widgets. You can skip the waiting game and buy Facebook fans to instantly populate your site, but that can get quite pricy. So depending on how much you have to spend, purchasing an ad to promote your page to people who might have an interest in your site might be the right choice for you.

Remember, the most successful pages are the ones that keep it real. While it’s important to create content that provides a call to action, it’s just as important to interact with your visitors like you would a friend. Upload pictures of a recent trip you’ve taken and provide genuine conversation. People respond to the human touch and your business will reflect that. Most importantly, don’t let the perplexing nature and rapid progression of social media leave you falling behind the learning curve, dig in and get going.

No matter what you do, stick true to whatever it is you represent. Creating appealing content is a great thing, but it’s much more important to treat your customers as friends or family, rather than just a number. It’s completely acceptable to post pictures of a recent business trip, or even a personal one. Remember, you’re a human too, and people will respond more to an actual human than an automated machine.

Most importantly of all, social media can be a very fast paced environment, and it may or may not overwhelm you at first. Whatever the case, make sure to keep a tight grip and keep your head in the game, or you might end up falling behind.

3. Tweeting isn’t just for Birds

Twitter is a wonderful, simple bit of social media, and can be a heavy part of your success if you use it right. Twitter gives you 140 characters per post to say whatever you want. Gaining a fan base on Twitter is not as important as it would be on Facebook, and you can actually use it to direct more traffic to your own website or Facebook page. Make sure to update your Twitter fairly regularly with deals, sales, and features, along with anything else that might be relevant to your business.

A great way to get you started on the right foot is to include links of useful pages earlier on in the day. If you have any updates to your site, now would be the perfect time to let your followers know.

A nice idea as well would be to get your employees involved. It can actually become quite fun, and allow you to become pretty tight knit with them, something that bigger companies don’t have the ability to do. Another word of advice, never forget to post your twitter handle whenever you post your website address.

4. Getting LinkedIn

LinkedIn is not one of the more well known social media sites, but it is the world’s largest business network. Chances are if you or your business has a LinkedIn account, and someone happens to look you up, you will be right there on that first page. LinkedIn is very powerful in the world of search engines, and definitely adds quite a bit of credibility to your business. If you decide to make an account on LinkedIn, don’t forget to add links to your website, twitter, and any other sites that are important to bringing in more traffic.

Utilizing Mobile Devices

Mobile devices such as cell phones (smartphones in particular), iPods, and tablet pc’s are much more prevalent now than they were years ago. Take advantage of that to the fullest extent, as that will undoubtedly be a critical part of marketing your business. Many small businesses overlook this tool. Make sure to get in contact with phone apps and features such as Yelp!, Citysearch, Yahoo Local, and Google Places, among others. This will put you on the map and into people’s pockets, where they can access your information whenever they want.

The World of Information Marketing

Using Audio and Video to Your Advantage

What is better than someone admitting first hand about how amazing your business is? In the minds of many, this will immediately give credibility to your name. What makes them even better is not much work needs to even go into them to make them a success. Customers in our day and age do not want a sales pitch. They want honest, real recommendations and advice, and giving that much to them will immediately build trust, and add to their positive feedback. And even though video is an important part of gaining credibility, audio marketing still holds just as much clout as it did before.

A nice way to inform customers as well is to consider writing an E-book. Digital reading devices such as Kindle are on the rise, and are available on many mobile devices as well. An E-book does not have to be a life story, but can be as simple as a tutorial or pamphlet, and does not cost much to you, and should not cost much to the reader. Make sure to choose topics relevant to your business, and have it up for download on your website. Don’t forget to update your twitter or Facebook as well to inform your customers that it’s there.

Successful marketing has never been about getting everything perfect. It might very well be impossible to ever get anything such as that down to an exact science. Instead, look at it as art. There will never be one true way, as what works for some may not work for all. Just remember to stay true to yourself, your customers, and your business, and don’t be afraid to sometimes step outside of your comfort zone. You never know what may be in store.

Summary:

Staying ahead of the curve can be difficult for small business. Take advantage of a few creative and aggressive marketing strategies to take your business to the next level.

Keeping ahead of the game is never easy. Taking advantage of simple, but effective tools for marketing will pretty much seal the deal, and ensure that you are successful in your endeavors.

• Professionalism is key, and nothing less should be expected from your website.
• Get your potential customers involved by delving into their world via social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter
• Mobile devices are on the rise now more than ever. Use that to your advantage and put your information out there for your customers so they can research you on the go.
• Video and audio testimonials and ads are a great way to gain credibility. Use it wisely and see how fast you gain recognition.

Author Bio

Holding degrees in both Business Marketing and Civil Engineering from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, Edmond Hong is an expert on small business marketing. He owns a Facebook marketing website where businesses could buy fans for instant popularity online. He has been featured in both The Age Australia Business Section, as well as the New York Times.

I’m presenting a group of mobile apps that offer excellent tools for capturing ideas and for thinking about them creatively. Use these to write down your thoughts when inspiration suddenly hits, or to flesh them out into more fully formed ideas.

Evernote

Evernote is such a frequently praised utility; it’s almost a cliché to mention it. But if you haven’t gotten on board with it, give it a try. As a writer, I’m constantly using Evernote to gather ideas, examples, quotations, and links for stories.

I used to create reference notes with Microsoft Word, but would spend great amounts of time shuffling through open windows on my computer screen and opening and closing files. With Evernote, I don’t need to assign file names or press “save.” Instead, my musings are autosaved and kept in a searchable database. I can keep hundreds of notes in a way that would be a nightmare to manage in a traditional word processing program.

For iPhone and iPad (iTunes), Android (Google Play)(All versions free)

WriteRoom

Whereas Evernote works fantastically for creating notes, WriteRoom is an invaluable tool for writing rough drafts. WriteRoom is exceptional for what it doesn’t have: Any formatting buttons or options. Instead, the app only features a plain black screen in which you enter text.

It’s a wonderful change-of-pace from writing on a desktop computer, where e-mail alerts, social media, and colorful icons vie for your attention. Once you’re finished writing, it’s easy to get your piece into a more robust program for formatting and editing.

For iPhone and iPad (iTunes) ($4.99)

Mindmeister

Explore your ideas with this beautiful app. While a whiteboard mind-map will always have its place, Mindmeister makes it easy to create and share mind maps. Take a bit of time to memorize its mobile phone and website shortcuts, and you’ll be pouring out ideas effortlessly with this tool. Using color codes and formatting, your product will look great on a high resolution screen like that of the new iPhones, iPads or the Samsung Galaxy.

For iPhone (iTunes), iPad (iTunes) and Android (Google Play) (All versions free)

Things

Though a task manager is not directly related to creativity, a good one can help you think with greater clarity and focus. You’ll simply think less about what you need to do, and think more about what you’re working on at the moment. (See “Getting Things Done” to learn more.)

Though there are many viable contenders for the “ideal” task management app, I personally enjoy and recommend Things. It’s easy for me to “unload” all my obligations and upcoming projects into this program, which offers multiple layers of organization. Unlike many other to-do apps, Things uses an open-ended tagging system, so I can sort my tasks according to criteria that matter to me.

For iPhone (iTunes)($9.99) and iPad (iTunes) ($19.99)

(Alternative: Wunderlist, which is also available for Android)

Classical Music and Classical Radio

These two apps, for iPhone and Android, provide easy-to-use means of accessing free classical music. The first one, Classical Music I: Master’s Collection, enables you to choose from a library of works, which you can stream. The second, Classical Radio for Android, offers a collection of links to classical music radio streams. Both feature beautiful interfaces, and are excellent for finding a quick fix of inspiration.

Classical Music for iPhone and iPad (iTunes)(free) and Classical Radio for Android (Google Play) (free)

Ashlee McCullen is a staff writer for ApronAddicts.com, a site about fashionable aprons and kitchen style.

For Kindle and in Paperback

I want to help you help yourself.

• Get better at doing your work
• Get better at understanding your work
• Get better at managing your work
• Get better at marketing your business

These topics are all covered in my new book and I can’t wait to share it with you.

Table of Contents

Section One: Personal Development

• Clear Your Mind Before You Start Your Day
• Dealing with Distraction
• Adding Creativity to Your Work
• Three Levels of Knowing
• Getting the Most Out of a Networking Event
• How to Be Brilliant at a Moment’s Notice

Section Two: Business Management

• Creating a Special Offer That Is Really Special
• Make Money “Because of”, Not “With” Your Business
• Online Reputation Management
• Getting the Most From Your Desktop E-mail Client

Section Three: Business Development

• Blogging for Business- Turn Your Website into a Marketing Machine
• How Often Should I Write?
• Marketing is a Matter of Perceptions
• Having Human Conversations
• All About E-mail Marketing

This package offers maximum flexibility and – if you are ready to invest the time – maximum results. When you pre-order “Work. Smarter!” you get information and access:

• Two paperback copies of the book, one for you and one to share with your staff, a friend, or a colleague.
• A PDF version that you can read on your mobile device – take it everywhere!
• A complimentary subscription to the Weekly Letter – see the content that makes up Volume Two – through June 2012.
• Access to a group teleconference with others that have pre-ordered the book for Coaching and Q & A.
• Access to a 30-minute one-on-one Coaching call on how to implement any of the topics in the book.

Todd Jordan has read the source material and says,

Stephen starts with real world touch points; context is everything here. In one instance he tells us how clients new to social media use with old school marketing approach then walks us and them to a more accurate model. An email about networking starts with real world events as a starting point to talk about networking and business opportunities.

Visit the home page of the Work.Smarter! book and see an excerpt of the foreword by Justin McCullough and place your order! Click on the order button to get your information and access now. Be sure to include your mailing address. The pre-order special is $89 and is limited to 20 spaces.

Make your reservation today!

The book should be ready mid-May, and the coaching calls soon after. I am also available to make personal training appointments at your place of business (NH, ME, VT areas only – for now). Please call 603-287-1864 for more information.

Sam is a blogger who enjoys home décor and pairing the perfect lighting and modern furniture in order to create a calming yet couture look in his home.

Imagine you’re sitting in your office, ready to get a lot of work done. But instead, there seems to be a mental block and nothing is getting completed. Sometimes your surrounding environment can affect your thought processes, and if you redecorate your office, it may to help get those creative juices flowing again. However, before you begin to redecorate your office, there are a few things that need to be considered first to ensure a smooth process.

ASSESS ROOM
Take a look at the room, and its contents. What about it do you like? What are the things about the room that you would like to change? Think about the furniture and their functions — which ones can be removed, and which ones will still serve a purpose by remaining in the room. Determine what is truly necessary for your work, and what can be removed in order to alleviate clutter.

Next, look at the room itself, as if it were empty. Take note of the shape of the room, any architectural details like built-ins, and locations of any doors and windows. If necessary, draw a basic floorplan of the room using graph paper, to aid in the upcoming planning.

WALL TREATMENT
Choose a new paint color for the office. It is a proven fact that specific colors can affect your mood. Think about what mood best motivates you. Do you work better when you feel energized? Or is it when you feel calm and are able to gather your thoughts? For an energetic vibe, choose a bright color, such as yellow. For a serene feel, lean toward muted colors like blue, green, or neutrals. Don’t forget to confirm that the new chosen color will complement any existing furniture that will remain in the room, or any potential new furniture.

SPACE PLAN
Once you have chosen the color for the room, start thinking about how to lay out the furniture. Rearrange the furniture so that traffic will flow easily without feeling cramped, or having anyone bumping into corners. Remember, only the necessary pieces of furniture should remain. Any other furniture can be moved to another room, or maybe even donated. The furniture should be configured so that it maximizes the space and makes sense. Think about how you use the furniture and your typical routines as you move from one station to another.

A way to easily maximize the use of the room is to use any available vertical space. Install some shelves onto the walls to house things like books, photographs, and decorative items — all things that otherwise would have taken up valuable floor or desk space. You can even stagger multiple rows of shelves for a decorative touch.

WINDOW COVERINGS
The fenestration can also play a role in the overall look of the room. Take into consideration the rest of the room, and the look you are going for when you are selecting a window covering. Wood shutters would create a different, more contemporary look than that of floral drapes. Or, you can use translucent panel drapes for a softer look. Alternately, you can also choose to use blinds for ease of access to opening windows.

LIGHTING
Lighting is important in tying the room together, and setting the ambiance of the room. Think about the task lighting to provide sufficient brightness so that the eyes do not tire from dim lighting when working. Also think about ambiant lighting, the general overall lighting. Use accent lighting for any specific artwork that you would like highlighted. Perhaps it’s a photograph or canvas that gives you inspiration. Finally, use any decorative lighting that is in line with the rest of the decorations of the room.

If you use these steps in redecorating your office, you will surely have a better designed room, which will lead to productive work. Can you already feel the enthusiasm just thinking about it?

The relocation process may be made more budget-friendly by planning out in advance. There are some innovative ways to make relocation manageable and cost-effective. Some of these ways are:

Planning The Move
Planning the relocation in advance is the first step to be undertaken for a cost-effective relocation. A planned and organized approach helps in understanding the steps involved in the move. This can help in deciding what work is to be done, and planning out ways to mitigate the costs. You can ask for discounts from the movers. An important part of planning the move is to discuss the costs of relocating in advance with all the professionals you hire. This shall save you from unnecessary last moment expenditures.

Preparing A Moving Budget
Planning the total budget in advance can be greatly helpful in curtailing costs of relocation. Mostly, people overlook this aspect and end up paying huge taxes. Preparing in advance will help to acquaint you with the different costs involved in the relocation. It is much better to prepare a moving budget than to end up paying for unanticipated costs.

Move Less Stuff
Relocating can be a lot more cheaper with less stuff to move. Sometimes, people shell a substantial amount of money by moving stuff they do not need. A unique way of reducing the costs of relocation is to hold a sale for the items that you don’t need. You can also donate some of your items in charitable organizations, and contribute towards a humanitarian cause.

Cut Down Costs Of Packing
One of the most innovative ways of reducing the costs of relocation is to avoid spending unnecessarily on packing material. You can get many cardboard boxes and extra packing tapes along with bubble wraps from neighbors or friends who have recently relocated. Blankets and bed covers can be creatively used for wrapping fragile items. They can act as an extra protection, and be more cost-effective too.

Moving Off-Season
People usually do not realize that moving off-season is an effective way for reducing costs of relocation. Most families move during the months of June-July. Relocation costs are at their peak at such times. Weekends are expensive times to relocate. Moving in the middle of the week is another good alternative for reducing unnecessary expenses.

Doing Some Work Yourself
Instead of hiring professionals for doing most of the work, you can do some work on your own. Asking friends and family for help can be fun and will give you time for bonding together. You can pack the belongings together and load them in the moving truck. You can also drive the truck yourself and unload the belongings yourself.

Avoid Dining Out
Dining out while moving results in a lot of unnecessary expenditure. Packing several meals for yourself, in advance, while relocating is useful for reducing the expenses of eating out. Having packed food with your friends and family can be a memorable experience, which can help you recover from the stress of moving.

Ask For Insurance
There may be unfortunate accidents and incidents leading to your stuff getting damaged. Sometimes, negligence on the part of the professionals you hire is the root cause of these incidents. You must ask for insurance from these professionals in advance. This helps in avoiding unnecessary expenditure.

Choosing The Right Professionals
Relocation involves a lot of expenditure and effort as well. Professionals who stay alone are capable of working on their own. There are, however, families who cannot afford to work by themselves because they have children or pets to take care of. If you still feel you cannot manage the move on your own, you can avail the professional services of London Removals.

Relocation can be a cumbersome experience that may drain you of money as well as energy. It is important to spend money wisely, and make the right efforts for a successful move.

Dark and dreary offices can be uninspiring and counterproductive for employees to work in. However, the use of glass and mirrors can be used to reflect the light and turn that space into a bright, welcoming place for employees (and customers) to help encourage productivity and business.

Glass Staging Areas: At SiriusXM’s Headquarters in NYC (photo), they have what is known as the “glass fishbowl,” a stage where they hold media events and acoustic concerts. While most business aren’t in the entertainment industry, this is a good example of creating an open space with the use of glass. Perfect for events and inviting the press into one’s business.

Glass Office Partitions (pictured above): Glass partitions let both artificial and natural light flow in the office, while adding a little bit of privacy to employees’ work spaces. In the above example, the glass partition is separating a dentist’s chair and work area, giving added privacy to the patients. Graphics can be printed on the glass to showcase the company’s logos and designs.

Here (photo) is an example of a glass office partition with graphics. The light from inside the office spills out into the hallway, while casting a shadow of the company’s animal design on the floor. This crafty design cue was done intentionally.

Glass Office Furniture: Glass table tops in the office open up the room and make the office look larger. Leasing office space is very costly, so having furniture like a glass office table, are a perfect alternative to a bulky desk, which takes up additional space and crowds the room.

Glass tables in an office environment are clean, sleek, open, and allow the natural light to travel throughout the office.

One section of an office that really shines with glass is a waiting or reception area. An elegant thick glass table really welcomes in customers and gives a regal look to the office. An overhead light fixture over a glass table is also a good touch, to shine light through the glass table and to further light up the room.

Glass Doors: Aside from glass furniture and walls, another common office application of glass, are glass doors. They can be etched with the company design or be clear to let the light flow. Often times, ‘frosted glass’ like the one pictured above is used to give an office some added privacy, while still adding to the brightness of the room.

Glass in Office Architecture: Apple, Inc. is leading the way in glass architecture. Apple’s NYC 5th Ave. store is the flagship Apple Retail Store in NYC for a reason. The beautiful glass cube stands out over any other retail store, and has become a tourist attraction. The glass cube allows for natural light to pour into the lower level and illuminate the whole store, giving it a unique mixture of artificial and natural light.

Glass Staircase: Aside from the exterior cube, Apple opted for a stunning glass staircase cut from brilliant tempered glass. This gives added strength and safety to the glass, and also doesn’t hinder the flow of light.

Apple, Beyond: Beyond what Apple has done with their state of the art retail spaces, they are applying similar glass architecture to their new Headquarters in Cupertino, CA. They have taken things to the next level with their so-called “spaceship” building, which is currently under construction. This one of a kind building features wall-to-wall curved glass which allows for light to travel from the outside of the building and into the central courtyard.

Mirrors: Mirrors are great especially for small businesses. A full length custom installed wall-to-wall mirror can double the space of any room. In narrow spaces, this will make the room look twice as large and extend reality. Placing a mirror directly across from an office window will reflect sunlight, spilling it into the room. It acts like having an additional window, while adding depth to the room.

About the Author

Bahram Nasehi is a Vice President and partner at Dulles Glass and Mirror. He is instrumental in the developement and manufacturing of commercial and residential glass products including custom mirrors, frameless shower doors, glass table tops, shelves and replacement glass.

They don’t reflect the type of work being done

A cubicle or a small desk might be great for certain types of work, but may actually get in the way of doing other types. If your work is collaborative, requires a lot of space, or is best done with multiple screens, and your workspace doesn’t reflect this, productivity is going to be adversely affected. Unfortunately, many offices don’t always take into account the different types of work done by employees and stick everyone with the same desk regardless of position.

Read it all.

Try to do a little bit extra

If you are having a hard time focusing after a specific period of time, try to put in a little bit more time into the task. This amount of time doesn’t have to be much, but should push you past the point of feeling comfortable.

Remove distractions

When you feel engaged in a particular task, you are more likely to focus on that task at the exclusion of everything else. But when you feel bored with a task, it might feel like anything can distract you from your goal. The best way to keep from getting distracted is to remove as many distractions as possible from your environment.

Take care of yourself

There are sometimes physiological reasons for why you hare having such a difficult time focusing. If you are not getting enough sleep or are not getting enough zinc or omega-3 fatty acids, you will be less able to focus. Try to exercise regularly also in order to keep yourself relaxed.

Don’t think about it

It might sound overly simplistic, but trying to force certain thoughts out of your mind works… sometimes. If you catch yourself daydreaming about laying on a sandy beach, aggressively push those thoughts out of your mind and fill your head instead with that which you are supposed to be thinking about.

Spend time doing what you want

If there is something you badly want to do that keeps distracting you, try giving into the temptation. That doesn’t mean that you should get up and leave the office to play a round of golf. But make sure to make time on the weekends to do that which you have been dying to do. This also applies to things you are worried about. If you’re worried about a particular problem, spend a little tie worrying about it to get it out of your mind.

Procrastinate strategically

Procrastination might seem like the worst productivity killer imaginable, but it can hold some benefits when used strategically. If you do not feel like doing a particular task, there is a task you would be more willing to do and the undesirable task is not urgent, procrastinating on it might actually be a wise choice.

Engage in low-concentration tasks

Part of the reason why you might be procrastinating is that your brain is tired and does not want to do any serious mental lifting at the moment. If there are any tasks that need to be done that do not require a heavy mental exertion, these might be the best tasks to complete at the moment until the brain has time to recharge.

Tackle difficult tasks

Those difficult tasks also need to get done. The best time to take them on is when you feel the most alert and energized. Not only will the tasks get done, but you’ll feel less stressed knowing they’re finished.

Change your tasks when bored

Boredom is a major concentration-killer. One of the major causes of boredom is a lack of variety, which can occur when you are performing the same tasks all the time. If you find yourself slowing down when performing a particular action, consider switching to something else.

Reward yourself

Try to give yourself a reward at the end of the day. This will help your brain remain focused, knowing it will get a treat in the end.

Like your muscles, your brain has limitations and can only operate at full-steam for so long. As amazing a tool as it is, your brain will only reach it’s maximum potential when you learn how to use it effectively.

Maria Burton is one of the coordinators for Focus On Training. Her roles include organising all Prince2 training and also Keeping the company blog up to date. In her spare time Maria loves Reading Crime novels as well as watching horror movies at home with her cat Stella.

When I start my workday from a blah state of mind, I take it upon myself to complete some small creative exercise—kind of like a brain teaser for the right-brained—in order to start things on the right foot. These exercises don’t have to take much of your time, but it’s important that you put your all into it when you try them so as to stimulate your mind as much as possible. Here are three exercises that I do from time to time.

Write a story off the cuff

One of my favorite creative exercises is freestyle writing. Before I start any work, even before checking my work email, I take out a sheet of paper and start writing. The subject and substance of the writing doesn’t matter as much as the mere fact that you’re writing something. I usually try to write brief, single-scene short stories about made-up characters and settings, writing things in as vivid detail as possible.

You can choose to journal about the previous day’s events or your thoughts about work, or simply jot down stream of consciousness thoughts. All that matters is that you keep moving your hand. And you should be moving your hand. Writing on paper is critical to this exercise, because part of the creative inspiration will come from the tactile nature of putting pen or pencil to paper. Even if your writing amounts to nothing more than a series of half realized thoughts, your brain will appreciate the strain of this novel exercise before your typical work.

Shoot and reflect on an inspiring photo

This exercise is for all the amateur photographers out there. Not too long ago, you needed to invest quite a hefty sum in order to try out photography. Now all you need is a decent smartphone and you can take startlingly clear and compelling images by a simple point and click. In other words if you can take a photo, then try this exercise.

On your way to work, either during your commute (not if you’re driving) or around your home, take a photo of something that strikes you. It doesn’t have to be of a picture-perfect sunrise or a thought provoking commentary on American culture, either. Anything that catches your attention: the shadow of plants around your home, a strange car on the street, the grey stretch of clouds—anything. Once you’ve taken the photo, take some time to really look at it. Look at it on your computer, write whatever comes to mind. Even if you end up reflecting on this being a stupid exercise, just do it. You’ll find that you’re in a better state of mind afterward.

Draw without any specific subject in mind

The drawing exercise should be as freestyle as the writing one. Just start doodling away, with no clear intention of creating a polished piece of illustration. The point here is to let your subconscious mind wander about and make whatever connections it wants to make. A good deal of your creativity is linked with your subconscious, so giving it free reign in the work world now and again would do you a world of good. And this exercise isn’t limited to illustrators or graphic designers: anyone can doodle. You just have to be earnest about the exercise.

Author Bio:

This is a guest post by Nadia Jones who blogs at accredited online colleges about education, college, student, teacher, money saving, movie related topics. You can reach her at nadia.jones5 @ gmail.com.