»tuesday« by peter blake[via]

»tuesday« by peter blake

[via]

15 Frugal or Free Date Ideas That Keep Your Relationship Alive

Do you struggle to think of date ideas that aren’t expensive? Many popular date ideas can be quite expensive, such as going out to the cinema or out for a meal. However there are lots of cheap and fun dates that you and partner can do, like having a cook-off or watching the sun set together.

Check out 15 frugal or free date ideas that you can do with your partner.

1. Take a free class.

Taking a class with your partner is a fun way to do something new together without spending any money. There are lots of classes that offer the first lesson for free, so check out what your area has to offer. Popular options are fitness classes and cooking classes.

2. Have a D-I-Y photo-shoot.

Set up a tripod (or simply balance your phone on a flat surface) and have fun being silly together while taking pictures. You can use props from around your house to make sure you end up with some unforgettable pictures.

3. Watch the sun rise or set together.

This date is totally free and a great way to experience the beauty of nature together. Pack a blanket and a thermos to make sure the evening or morning is cosy and romantic.

4. Make a time capsule.

One of the most fun date ideas is to make a time capsule together. Gather together all of the romantic memorabilia from your relationship, such as train tickets, pictures and notes—and don’t forget to include a note for the person who finds the time capsule!

5. Throw a 90s board game night.

What were your favorite board games as a child? Check out your attic and basement and bring out all of your old board games for a fun, throw-back game night.

6. Have a slumber party.

One of the most romantic date ideas is to have a slumber party with your partner. Bring your duvets and pillows into your living and set up for a night of cosy fun. Fairy lights, snacks and movies will help you to make this the perfect date.

7. Create a bucket list together.

Sit down with your partner and write down all of the things you want to do together, from going on holiday to taking a salsa class together. Doing this will even help you to plan future date ideas!

8. Have a cook-off.

Have a cook-off with your partner using only things you already have in the fridge. One of you can make the main course, and one of you can make the starter—and the winner gets to boast all night!

9. Go for a breakfast picnic.

One of the most romantic times to go for a picnic is during the morning. The park will be quiet, the sun will be bright and you can bring all of your favorite morning snacks and a Thermos of coffee.

10. Have a spa night.

This is one of the most relaxing date ideas that you can do for free. Run a bubble bath for you both with candles, and then give each other oil massages and scrubs. You can even do manicures and pedicures if your both feel skilled enough!

11. Go to the library together.

Visit your local library together and show each other your favorite childhood books. Talk about why you love them, and which books you never liked. This is a great way to strengthen your bond with your partner.

12. Have a movie marathon.

Make some popcorn and settle on the sofa with your partner for a relaxing date night. Some movies are made for movie marathons, such as trilogies, comedies and animated films.

13. Have a karaoke night.

A karaoke night with your partner is a great way to have some fun together without being too serious. Try choosing songs for each other to guarantee a silly evening!

14. Take a walk through nature.

Going for a walk somewhere beautiful has always been one of the most popular date ideas. Check out the nature in your local area—many beaches, woods, forests and rivers are all stunning and free to visit. This is a great way to connect with nature while relaxing and making memories.

15. Play strip scrabble.

The rules to strip scrabble are pretty simple; whoever scores the lowest word each round has to take off an item of clothing. The winner can make any request to the loser, and they must do it—let the date night begin!

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How These Kids Define Success Will Touch Your Heart

Would you rather be rich or happy? It’s an age old question.

Maybe it’s really an age question.

A Plus asked a number of kids whether they would rather be rich or happy. When first asked, they jumped to money. However when the question was re-framed to money or friends they went with friends over money.

The kids’ definition of success changed from having things to being happy. Their conclusion at the end is very insightful.

There’s some lessons in here for everyone, no matter what their age. Watch the video below.

Featured photo credit: A Plus via youtube.com

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5 Things People With Highly Successful Careers Do Differently

To be highly successful in your career, you can’t take the usual path. Just showing up to work everyday (or even putting in long, hard days of work) isn’t going to cut it. It’s also hard to know how to take your career – as great as it may be already – and make it spectacular.

You’d love to have an amazing career and reap the benefits in terms of reaching your financial goals and being able to have the freedom to ultimately have control over the work you get to do. However, to have an exceptional career, you need to do what other highly successful people have done to skyrocket their careers.

You might worry that since you’re not Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, or Sarah Blakely you don’t have what it takes. Actually, it’s less about becoming the type of people these career superstars are, than it is about doing what they do – which means you can do these things and become highly successful too.

Here is your path to becoming ultra-successful in your career, based on what others with highly successful careers have done differently.

Focus on Goals

Successful people know what they want and where they are going. They don’t “float” in their careers, just showing up every day or wondering where they want to go. They set goals. You can set a stretch goal, with your ultimate vision of your success, as well as smaller intermediate and immediate goals that can help you get there.

Grit

What is grit? It’s a willingness to commit to long-term goals and be persistent, even when things get hard. In other words, you’ll do whatever it takes, and you’ll keep at it no matter what. This kind of effort and creative problem solving is what it takes to become highly successful in your career.

Passion

Many successful people will tell you to find something you’re passionate about doing. They may say it for many reasons, including that it makes work fun, pushes you to work harder than you would on something you don’t care about, and is infectious – spreading your message and what you’re trying to accomplish on to other people, compelling them to help you. Once you find the thing you’re passionate about, taking that passion and using it in a way that is helpful to others will be what moves you from someone who is just passionate about their work to someone who is truly successful with their passion.

Be Willing to Take Risks

If you’re willing to take risks, you can have big gains in your career. If you’re looking to achieve something huge, playing it safe isn’t going to get you there. At the same time, taking risks doesn’t mean you need to be reckless. Stepping outside of your comfort zone for career opportunities can make you hugely successful if you take the right kind of risks.

Think Positively

Many ultra-successful people have been interviewed. They are positive thinkers. You can spend more time thinking about what you want and why you can, rather than why you can’t or shouldn’t. Changing your thoughts about your abilities and about what’s possible will have a huge impact on your level of success.

Conclusion

This is the path to career success. It’s only these 5 things that stand between you and where you want to go. It’s not complicated, but it definitely takes hard work. Still, you can become hugely successful by following this path. You already have everything it takes.

All you need to do is find a goal you’re passionate about and you’re willing to stick with no matter what. Once you find it, there’s nothing that will stand in your way. You can be among those who have enjoyed massive success in their careers.

Photocredit via liquene on Flickr.com

Featured photo credit: liquene via flickr.com

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6 Reasons to Have Your Own Website

If you’re just starting a business, or are trying to branch out and be your own boss, one of the first things you should do is focus some of your energy on developing your own website. Many companies offer the opportunity to build individual websites free of charge, but if you’re ready to take your business to the next level, I’d recommend paying the relatively small fee that will allow you to truly take the reigns and build a unique website from scratch. You might even want to invest in a VPS or dedicated server hosting, which will allow you to have complete control over the network your website runs on. By having complete control over every aspect of your website, you control your business’ destiny.

When your company has its own website, you:

Have Credibility

If your blog consists of one or two posts from two years ago, you’re not going to impress anybody. On the other hand, if you update your website almost daily, you’ll show your customers that you know what you’re talking about, and you can be trusted. The deeper your website goes, the more likely you are to be taken seriously, and the more likely it is that you’ll gain a large following.

Show Passion

When your website is full of useful information on a specific topic, your passion shines through clearly. Your enthusiasm is what will set you apart from your customers, so it’s important that your website is not just an afterthought. You need to put time and effort into making it presentable. Your website should be a site that you would visit even if you didn’t create it. By creating a genuinely interesting website, your passion will be obvious to anyone who visits it.

Exhibit Talent

This goes along with the first point, but it goes a little farther than simply having a lot to say. Make sure your website showcases your very best work at all times. It’s not enough to have a lot of content. Your content has to be of the highest quality possible in order to retain an audience. Of course, the more you write, the better you’ll get, so it usually works out that more is better. However, don’t rush posts out just to get them out. If they’re not up to the standard you’ve set for yourself take some time to make revisions.

Spread the Word

I guess this is pretty obvious, right? Creating a website for your business potentially allows you to reach millions of customers throughout the world, even if your business is small and localized. By maintaining a presence on the World Wide Web, you make it possible for your voice to be heard by anyone willing to listen. A quality website can be the difference between a tourist stopping in at your restaurant or going to the pizza shop down the road. It can be the difference between a customer visiting once or becoming a life-long patron. Like I said before, make sure the word you’re spreading is of the highest quality, and provide incentive for your customers to return.

Grow Continuously

Trends on the Internet are always changing. In fact, many “real-world” trends actually began on the Internet and slowly made their way into mainstream culture. If your company has a large online presence, you’ll continuously be in the know when it comes to the latest news and hottest topics among your audience, and will be able to adjust accordingly.

You’ll also be able to connect with other members of your community and within your niche who may be able to help you along your path to success. While it may be impossible to schedule a face-to-face meeting with some of the most successful people within your industry, your website can serve as a hub of communication for all to utilize.

Become Innovative

Like I said, the Internet is always changing. Entrepreneurs are always figuring out new ways to accomplish tasks and reach new audiences. By staying up-to-date with these trends, you’ll expose yourself to a variety of new ideas that can help your business flourish. You might read about a new service and realize how, with a few tweaks, it could benefit your business—and in doing so introduce a new business model to the world. With billions of people uploading their ideas on a daily basis, the Internet makes almost anything possible. As a business-minded individual, you definitely want to be a part of that!

Featured photo credit: Internet Open / Blaise Alleyne via farm4.staticflickr.com

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How to Avoid Productivity Guilt (And become more productive in the process)

“Self Development” sites (mine included) are constantly bombarding the internet with productivity advice. “Productivity” is a cultural trait that is now securely ingrained in our minds, mainly because we all have so much “stuff” to do in our everyday lives.

Within the self development “space”, there are a lot of people who are genuinely interested in accomplishing more in their everyday life. Whether this be coursework, business, blogging, or creating; people want to do more – and by god don’t we hear all about it. Productivity has become the buzzword to kill all buzzwords. There’s a new “hack” every day, a new way to work every week, and a new guru emerging on the subject from every corner of the internet.

Whilst the pursuit of productivity is often healthy and beneficial, something I’ve been experiencing recently has made me seriously re-evaluate the content I’m consuming and creating, and that is: productivity guilt.

Productivity Guilt

Productivity guilt is pretty self-explanatory. It’s a mindset of feeling bad about not creating, achieving, or working hard and it has (probably) been around since forever.

In the early 1900’s, Bluma Zeigarnik termed the Zeigarnik effect. This is the tendency to have “intrusive thoughts” about a task that we once started but didn’t finish. In other words, it is in our human nature to finish off things that we start and we often hate having to leave a project unfinished. In some ways, this explains productivity guilt, suggesting that it could be hardwired in to our psyche.

Recently, I’ve been having some guilt of my own. I’ve found myself coming home after a 10 hour shift, going to the gym afterwards, but then feeling bad because I don’t feel like opening up the laptop and writing that post or replying to those emails. A big voice inside is telling me to “chill the f*ck out”, but a little voice is telling me to “be productive”, “get sh*t done”. That little voice is guilt.

We often feel guilty because we’ve been pumped with information about filling our day with productive things and “never wasting a second of our precious time”. Whilst there’s definitely merit in living a productive life (I write about it a lot myself), there’s a fine line between beating yourself up about it and realizing when to stop and just… chill.

Naturally, this is very subjective. Some people are very good at maintaining a detachment between their work and their outside life. For others (especially those indoctrinated in ‘life hacks’ and productivity tips), the guilt to be constantly doing something can be a real energy sucker.

Here’s how to beat productivity guilt in your everyday life:

Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

You’ve heard this one before. I hate clichés as much as you do, but hear me out.

Just because Casey Neistat gets up at 5am and runs 10 miles before growing his start-up and editing his vlog until 1am doesn’t mean that you have to do the same.

There are massive costs to living a “productive” lifestyle. Before comparing yourself to that guy over there, realize what he’s sacrificing. If you’re okay with that, then carry on.

Don’t get me twisted on this one, this is not about living the path of least resistance. You should be actively seeking challenges and pushing yourself in some facet of your life. If you’re not, you’re going to live a very mundane, average life. However, if you’re feeling guilty about your lack of “productivity”, then you’re not going to be truly productive at all. This links to my next point:

Realize the Difference Between Being “Busy” and Being “Productive”

Lots of people are busy. Busy-ness (or business) is a state of doing what you are told to do, having tasks piled on top of you and running around frantically trying to balance them all. Often, when people say “I was so productive today”, they really mean “I had time to do all the things my life required of me today”.

I’ve worked in kitchens, so I understand the state of busy-ness extremely well. Having someone ask you to do 3 things. Then, whilst you’re doing one of those things, someone else asks you to do 2 things, then you get shouted at for not doing the first thing quick enough. It’s a never-ending cycle.

Productivity; however, is a state of doing what we truly need to do to reach our goals. For me, that is writing a blog or doing some email outreach or guest posting. Whilst there may be some busy-ness involved in this process, cutting down the unnecessary and focusing on the essential is going to be a quick way to boost your real productivity

There is plenty of online literature on this subject and how you can make your tasks more efficient rather than doing more tasks (and this may just be a case of eliminating procrastination). That said, my main point here is to not feel guilty because you’ve not accomplished all the tasks you set out for yourself. Realizing the difference between being busy and being productive is the first step in cutting out some of that unnecessary guilt.

You Can’t Force Creativity

If ideas are an important aspect of your life, then you may need to realize that you cannot force creativity.

Creativity is not something we “do”. It is not a process we can follow or a set of steps which lead to a destination. We can “grind” out a workout, we can “force” ourselves to do some paperwork, but we cannot force ourselves or grind out a completely new creative idea for a blog post or essay.

Productivity guilt has often led to me sitting in my chair, aggressively pursuing an idea and wanting to find it, rather than letting it come to me. This is not the right way to do it.

Relaxing and doing nothing can actually be a vital part of the creative process. Why do you think artists often go on retreats or isolate themselves from the outside world? Without the busy-ness of everyday life, our minds are free to wonder and create new and exciting things. This is also why people find themselves stuck in a rut when they work a busy and demanding office job. They cannot see past their immediate duties and assigned tasks, so they lack the creativity and mental capacity to break out of their routine and dream big ideas.

My articles often come to this conclusion, but it seems that most things in life are all about balance.

Conclusion

You ultimately know when something is important enough to stress you out. You ultimately know when you are being lazy. You ultimately know when you are being productive and when you are just being “busy”.

Step back and evaluate the day-to-day tasks which are the most important to you. If you’re feeling guilty about putting off an unimportant task, then cut that task out or outsource it to someone else. If you’re feeling guilty about putting off a really important task, then maybe you should do that task right now.

Most importantly, don’t let your most important tasks become a chore. My writing has suffered recently because it has been an afterthought rather than a primary importance. From now on I won’t be feeling guilty about not writing because I’ll be putting it first.

Featured photo credit: VFS Digital Design via imcreator.com

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How To Adopt A New Plan For Your Doctor’s Practice To Earn More And Pay Less

The way healthcare is situated today, doctors spend a lot of money to get their degrees but end up not making enough. Many doctors are leaving their practices because they can’t afford to sustain an income. But, innovative people are offering a new business model that can change this dynamic and allow doctors to make more money while spending less. Primary care physicians have to ensure they have the necessary volume of patients to cover their costs.

Doctors have many restrictions on their earnings. For example, insurance companies will pay for only so much. Many patients are being provided reduced or free healthcare, courtesy of the state or federal government. They have to hire employees who understand nursing, medical terminology, and billing. These employees don’t come cheap. Often, primary care physicians see their patients once a year. Equipment is expensive to buy and maintain. Overhead costs can be high. Because of these financial restraints, many doctors are leaving their practice because they can’t afford to sustain an income.

But, innovative people are offering a new business model that can change this dynamic and allow doctors to make more money while spending less. The business model involves grouping services in an area to spread out the costs of equipment, human resources, billing, and overhead.

What are the problems?

1. Being a primary care physician is stressful. Doctors have to ensure they treat the right number of patients to generate an income. They also have to oversee the clinical staff and  business operations. They are required to stay current on changing regulations. They have to deal with clinical challenges and human resource issues. Doctors also have to pay attention to insurance companies and their requirements, which are often listed in small print.
2. A significant number of patients fall under state or federal programs. These federal and state programs are complex and confusing. Figuring out payment structures is daunting, and doctors face severe consequences if mistakes happen.
3. Insurance company rules are problematic. A patient must have insurance approval prior to treatment. Co-pays must be verified and collected. Forms and patient charting must be filled out accurately and have to match exactly with the selected diagnosis codes.
4. Keeping records is a headache. Records must be entered into the Electronic Medical Record precisely and without errors. Many other items in the Revenue Cycle process have to be done correctly and timely. If anything is not done exactly as required or in a timely manner, the physician will not get compensated. The days of sending a bill and getting paid are long gone.
5. Missing financial reports cause problems. To run a practice efficiently, physicians need the proper financial reports and tools. These include monthly income statements, balance sheets, A/R reports, monthly benchmarking reports, efficiency reports, and staffing reports. Practices are suffering because the reports aren’t being used or generated regularly.
6. Doctors work too hard to sustain income. Physicians believe they have to work harder to maintain their incomes, but they really need to be more efficient in how they work.

What are the solutions?

1. Coming together in groups. With groups, standards of care are developed; they share resources for IT; they share a business office; they share accounting; they share insurance contract negotiations;  benchmarking data is used; and human resources and payroll issues are shared.
2. Add other services under one roof. Doctors get a large financial advantage when they include urgent care, imaging facilities, laboratories, X-ray units, and pharmacies in their practice. These services add profits because they cost less than having them done at hospitals.
3. Adding services makes the practice more efficiently run. If you could put 10 primary care doctors in one center, instead of two each in five offices, you would have a very efficient, state-of-the-art, patient-centered operation.
4. Outsource services. Practices become more efficient when they outsource accounting, human resources, and billing. You also can turn to Doctors CPR to find the right employees to make your business more efficiently run.

Doctors can adopt this new business model. It will help them reduce expenses, which will, in turn, let them keep more of what they earn. Partnering with others in related fields has helped many other industries. They have adapted to a world that works best by collaborating with others. Because so many things are online, collaboration on problems is becoming the normal way of doing business. Now, it is going to help primary care physicians.

Featured photo credit: Seattle Municipal Archives via flickr.com

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I see dead people (at work)

Lack of motivation is one the key reasons businesses and other organisations fail. Productivity is low, output is low and just being in the office with unmotivated people can be really, really depressing. It isn’t their fault though, because this usually results from an organisation that doesn’t care, develop or respect their employees as living breathing people.

If you spot any of these people – beware – you have dead people at work.

1.   Zombies

Zombies died a long time ago. Their brains are dead, their bodies are falling to pieces, as is their work. They show up around 9am and leave around 5 pm, doing very little in between. They learn nothing and deliver very little, as they don’t think about what they are doing at all.

Zombies can be hard to re-animate. You’ll need to pump back all that interesting life blood and show you care about whether they are alive or dead. Then they’ll care too.

2.   On-line Games champions

This group will look very busy, staring intently at their computer screens and issuing an occasional gasp, shout or air punch. They’re not working for you; they’re doing something much more interesting (for them).

On the plus side, at least they are improving their problem solving skills and technical dexterity. Find something for them to do that takes advantage of these skills.

3.   Moaners and complainers

“Why can’t I have a pay rise?” “It’s too warm/cold/drafty by my desk” “Why am I always the one who has to clean the kettle?” “No-one has cleaned the coffee machine today, and it’s run out of filters.” Etc.

The list is endless, and they will grind you down and grind down the rest of your team too. They just complain. It never seems to occur to them that with a little effort, they could resolve the problem.

Ask them to identify the top 3 problems along with a solution for each. In other words, give them some responsibility, listen attentively then help them implement a solution.

4.   Social butterflies

They probably arrive late, due to a hangover or they missed the bus because they had the wrong footwear/headgear/tie on. They will be on the phone and social media all day. They look busy, working hard, and they are. Only not for you! They will often be found drinking coffee and chatting by the coffee machine.

They need deadlines for their work and a lot of appreciation. Frequent thank yous can work well, and give you an excuse to keep a close eye on them.

5.   The lost

These poor souls will have a permanently perplexed expression on their faces, but never quite seem to get up the nerve to come and ask for help. They wander aimlessly around the office, muttering under their breath “I don’t understand what I’m supposed to be doing”, or “why am I doing this?” Maybe they missed a key briefing for their project.

They need someone to clarify their objectives and goals with them.

6.   The sick

The irony is, of course, that they aren’t actually in the workplace at all! I’m not talking about those people who have genuine illnesses. They deserve proper sympathy and support. NO, the people I mean are those who are always ill on Friday afternoons or who seem to be sick a whole lot more than everyone else.

The probability is that they haven’t realised how much sick leave they actually take. A quiet word about their work, along with the facts about the amount of sick leave they have. They may have an unrealised problem, or they just need to be appreciated a bit more.

7.   The lazy

Working in an unmotivated workplace, can make people think that hard work isn’t appreciated. It work itself isn’t very engaging either, then people can just get very lazy. They just do enough to get by, they never volunteer for anything.

They may never change, and you may need to lose them. This may not be a great loss to you.

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