Success Advice

Stop Letting This One Thing Rob You of Your Morning Productivity

Published

3 years ago

Feb 10, 2021

Steve Baric

Image Credit: Unsplash

Are you a member of the 5 a.m. club? Have you signed on to the premise that waking up at 5 a.m. will make you more productive, fit, and successful, but found your January goals lagging behind? Do you wake up kind of groggy, but otherwise loaded with great ideas, and find you need to stop the flow of creativity to do the things you “should” do every morning, like work out, meditate, breathe, journal, plan, do gratitude exercises, only to find that once all of that is done your brilliant ideas have floated off into the ether?

You’re not alone. And you shouldn’t feel bad about it, because if this is the case, you’ve likely fallen victim to one of the great paradoxes of the early rise phenomenon: Waking up early to get everything done often means robbing yourself of real productivity.

Getting up early is a great idea. Of course you get extra time while everyone else is sleeping. But to make this time valuable, you need to know why you’re getting up early, and how to use that time to your best advantage.

Motivation is a Finite Resource

First of all, it’s super important to recognize that motivation, like all functions of our psyche, is a physical process in the brain. As such, it’s a limited and finite resource. It goes through peaks and valleys during the day, but is always charged up after a good night’s sleep. That’s why you often wake up feeling ready to take on the world, but by lunchtime you’re down to barely even caring about the most mundane tasks.

If your goal is expressly self-care, then great! Do that in the morning when you’re motivated. But if your goal is productivity, and you know you have your best ideas and highest creative energy first thing in the morning, forcing that creative flow to switch off so you can meditate instead doesn’t make sense. You’re actually burning off your highest motivation of the day and training your brain to NOT be motivated in the morning. I don’t think that’s what you’re going for.

“The secret to productivity is simplicity.” – Robin Sharma

Attention is Even More Finite

Unless you’re a monk, it’s likely that your attention span is even more finite than your motivation. Your ability to stay focused on a single task is already at risk due to the environment of constant distraction we’ve built around ourselves. Purposely driving your attention span away from your most critical tasks, at a point when you’re in your most prime state to focus, doesn’t make practical sense.

If you’re already used to getting up at 5 a.m. (or earlier), but haven’t seen any increase in productivity or creative output, chances are it’s because you’re forcing other “should-do” self-care tasks into that time slot. I’m not saying you shouldn’t take care of yourself. Of course you should! But doing too much in your prime state that isn’t focused on your best energies isn’t helping you either, and may be causing you more stress and self-doubt. So, what’s the solution?

State Priming and Execution

State priming means getting yourself into a physical and mental state to take on the day. This means loosening up from a night of lying down, getting the blood flowing, and getting focused. Get up, do a quick bit of light stretching, and take a few deep breaths. Then, do a quick 10 pushups and squats. It’s not a workout…it’s just an energizing movement. Sometimes I’ll do 10 jumping jacks just for good measure; do these with a motivational mantra or cheer to really drive home the excitement for your day!

Now execute. Grab a pen and paper and jot down the most important ideas running through your head right at that moment. If you’re like me, you wake up with a conversation already going through your mind. Those are ideas. Don’t let them get away!

Scan your task list. What are the most boring, mundane, demotivating tasks you’re going to have to do? Plan those for your slumps later in the day, when your creative energy isn’t needed. If you try to wing it through those slumps when they happen, you won’t get them done. If you know in your mind, “OK, at 10:30 I can just do this like a robot and not think about it,” you can just switch gears and cruise on autopilot for a bit.

Now you can execute. Now, you should have about 60 to 90 minutes to create, execute, or do whatever is in your head with peak energy. This is the time to nail it. When you’re done, you’ll be in a great state of mental clarity to meditate. Your brilliant ideas won’t be rattling around in your head when you’re trying to quiet your mind and breathe. But for right now, you’ve gotta move those big rocks.

“Lose an hour in the morning, and you will be all day hunting for it.” ― Richard Whately

There’s nothing wrong with getting up early, if that’s when you find you can get a lot done. But if you jam that early-morning ritual with “shoulds” that aren’t moving the needle on your business or work, you might not be seeing a great ROI on either list.

Take a step back from your morning ritual, and really examine whether your morning routines and rituals are pushing your goals forward or distracting you from them. When you’re able to channel your morning energy into goal-based or creative tasks instead of ritual care tasks, you’ll be able to take those things off your plate and relax into your self-care routines with a mind that’s feeling clear and accomplished without being stressed and overwhelmed.

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Steve Baric

Steve Baric is an ISSA Elite Trainer, Nutritionist, and Transformation Specialist, as well as a certified Master Life Coach. As the founder of the Man Under Construction Project, he helps men recover from the trauma and confusion of divorce. His annual fall fitness challenge, Your Personal Reset Button, helps busy moms and dads shed extra pounds and reset their metabolic hormones in the privacy of their own homes.

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How to Choose the Best Affiliate Programs for Your Blog

If you follow these steps, you can create an affiliate marketing plan that makes money, fits well with your content, and connects with your readers

Published

2 weeks ago

Apr 10, 2024

Addicted2Success Editor

how to choose the best affiliate programs for your blog

Picking the right affiliate programs for your blog is really important. It can make a big difference in how much money you can make and how much your readers get out of your blog. With so many choices out there, deciding which ones to go with can be tricky.

This guide is here to make it easier for you. It will give you clear steps and helpful tips to choose affiliate programs that fit well with what your blog is about, what your readers like, and what you stand for.

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Understanding Affiliate Marketing

Before you start picking affiliate programs, it’s important to really understand what affiliate marketing is and how it works.

Basically, affiliate marketing is when you promote a product or service on your blog, and then you get paid a little bit every time someone buys something or does something because you recommended it.

It’s great for both the person selling the product and the blogger, because the seller gets more sales with low risk, and the blogger can make money from their blog.

How to Choose the Right Affiliate Programs for Your Blog

1. Assess Your Niche and Audience

The key to doing well in affiliate marketing starts with really knowing what your blog is about and who reads it. Consider the following:

Your blog’s content: What topics do you cover? Ensure the products or services you promote are relevant.
Your audience’s interests and needs: What solutions are they seeking? Choose affiliate programs that offer products or services that solve their problems or enhance their lives.

2. Research Potential Affiliate Programs

Once you know what your blog is about and what your readers want, start looking for affiliate programs. Choose ones that are well-known for good products, great customer service, and helpful support for affiliates. Resources to find these programs include:

Affiliate networks like ShareASale, Commission Junction, and ClickBank.
Direct searches for “[Your Niche] affiliate programs” in search engines.
Recommendations from other bloggers in your niche.

3. Evaluate the Commission Structure

The commission structure is a critical factor to consider. Look for programs that offer competitive rates that make your efforts worthwhile. Consider:

The percentage of commission per sale.
Whether the program offers a flat rate per action (e.g., per sign-up).
The cookie duration, which affects how long after a click you can earn commissions on sales.

4. Consider the Program’s Reputation and Sureness

Join affiliate programs with a solid reputation for quality and sureness. This not only ensures that you’re promoting good products but also that you’ll be paid on time. You can:

Read reviews from other affiliates.
Check the program’s history and background.
Look for any complaints or issues reported online.

5. Analyze the Support and Resources Offered

A good affiliate program gives you things like ads to use, training on their products, and helpful managers. Having access to these resources can really help you do a better job at promoting their products.

6. Understand the Terms and Conditions

Before signing up, thoroughly review the program’s terms and conditions. Pay close attention to:

Payment thresholds and methods.
Any restrictions on how you can promote their products.
The program’s policy on affiliate marketing on social media platforms.

7. Test the Product or Service

If possible, test the product or service before promoting it. This firsthand experience allows you to offer genuine charge and build trust with your audience.

8. Look for Recurring Commission Opportunities

Some affiliate programs pay you again and again for subscriptions or services that charge fees regularly. These can provide a more stable income compared to one-time sales commissions.

Implementing Your Choice

After choosing the best affiliate programs, the next step is to smoothly include your affiliate marketing in your content plan. This includes:

Creating valuable content that naturally incorporates affiliate links.
Disclosing your affiliate affairs transparently to maintain trust with your audience.
Tracking your results to understand what works best for your audience and adjusting your strategy accordingly.

Picking the best affiliate programs for your blog involves careful planning, research, and making sure they match what your audience likes and needs.

If you follow these steps, you can create an affiliate marketing plan that makes money, fits well with your content, and connects with your readers.

The real key to doing well with affiliate marketing isn’t just about the products you talk about, but also how much your audience trusts and values your advice.

With enough time, patience, and hard work, your blog can grow into a successful space that earns a good amount of affiliate money and helps your readers choose the right products.