I experimented with few things on this blog – I outsourced the blog to guest writers. With that, the blog’s Alexa Ranking and number of RSS subscribers have increased dramatically.

But I am not happy with that improvement. Here’s why:

1. Losing my personal voice

My main goal when I started this blog was to be able to voice out my take on productivity topics that I am interested in. My own voice quickly faded away once the guest posts started to come in.

2. Losing blog’s focus

This is an obvious consequence of outsourcing this blog. Different authors tend to have different views of common topics. Not only different authors have different ways of thinking but they also have different motives in writing.

3. Losing quality readership

I may have increased my blog exposure by frequent publication of blog posts but I have lost quality readership in return. Outsourcing your blog also means that the articles that you published are just spun posts from other blogs, which leads to:

4. Losing blog identity

Once your blog started to sound like other blogs on your topic domain, you are losing your blog identity. And readers don’t like that.

So, is outsourcing blog a good or bad thing? Blogging, or just plainly web presence in general, is not about search ranking and improving numbers.

What you’d expect from productivitybits.com this 2012?

1. Less frequent posting
2. More quality articles (I hope)
3. No guest authors allowed (except on special case. e.g., book authors)
4. Zero outsourced article
5. Simple blog outline (subject to my taste)
6. Eliminate advertisement (the only one to retain would be the ad in my header because of the 1 year contract, which might get extended if needed)
7. Although I will be eliminating ads going forward, old ones will remain due to the overhead it requires to remove them.
8. More changes as I see fit.

What do you think of these changes?

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But choosing to stay at home does not mean that you will have to put all your dreams and aspirations aside. Becoming a mother should give you more determination to strive towards your goal to inspire and motivate your children.

Thankfully, the Internet has paved the way for stay at home moms, like you, to get a degree without needing to leave your home.

Online degree programs give stay at home moms the opportunity to complete a degree through flexible and convenient educational programs. By taking your classes online, you can more easily juggle between managing a household and getting your education.

What’s more, you don’t have to worry about what to wear and arriving at school on time. Studying online also allows you to save money and not eat much into your household budget.

Armed with only your computer and the Internet, you can forgo the additional expenses of lodging, clothes, transportation expenses and paying for a nanny.

If you are one of the 5.6 million stay at home moms living in the US today and are taking an interest in finishing a degree online, here are some tips to further help you fulfill your dreams without missing out on your children or home life.

1.    Set realistic goals

While it is tempting to register for as many classes as possible, consider restraining yourself and set a realistic goal for how many classes you can take at a time. Experts advise beginning with a couple of entry level programs to give you a taste of just how demanding these classes can be. This also allows you to properly set a pace and adjust your schedule to squeeze in your online classes between your household chores.

2.    Get your family’s support

Before enrolling in these online courses, it would be easier for you to first discuss your decision with your loved ones. This way, you can count on their support to help you through your quest for higher education.

3.    Don’t try to do everything by yourself

As you will probably have your hands full with your online schooling, it is important that you also learn to ask for and accept help when needed. Allow your husband and kids to take on some of the simple chores such as cleaning or washing the dishes. This way, you can have more time to focus on your studies.

4.    Allocate a space at home for your school needs

Online courses can be just as demanding as taking regular classes. To make sure that you can adequately focus on your class requirements, it is best to allocate a specific space in your home where you can diligently study. It does not necessarily have to be an entire room; just an area where you can comfortably study and store all your books, notepads and other school supplies.

5.    Set your sights on the prize

Studying online can both be frustrating and difficult and as you traverse through these rough patches, it helps to constantly remind yourself of what you will get after months or even years of hard work.

This is a guest post from staff at AccountingDegree.net. For those looking for an online accounting degree that is flexible to your schedule, visit AccountingDegree.net. You will find great information on achieving your BS in accounting online and prepare yourself for a great career.

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You might think that you completely deserve your raise―but you still might feel very intimidated when it comes to asking for a raise.

If you have talked to your boss about a raise and you want to follow-up with them, here are 7 tips to writing a letter to ask to get a raise.

1. Know the market.

Do a lot of research about the field that you work in. Make sure that you are asking for a very understandable raise.

You want to show your boss that you have done your research and you know what is given as a salary.

2. Ask for it at the right time.

Make sure that you are asking for the raise at an appropriate time.

If your company is having evaluations, ask for the raise then.

3. Make sure that you write the letter to your boss.

Make sure that your letter is to the person that is right above you. You want it to be in a style that your boss will relate to.

You don’t want to make it too stuffy, or your boss wont’ respond, too casual and your boss won’t take your seriously.

4. Make a list of your achievements.

Make sure that you keep track of your achievements. This will show your boss that you are serious about getting a raise.

It will show them that you are going above and beyond.

5. Ask for a meeting with your boss.

Ask your boss to set up a time to talk about your possible pay raise. This is a good idea to get everyone on the same side.

Make sure that you are tactful and respectful of your boss. If your boss rejects your request, he or she will be able to tell you why.

6. Talk about possibility of a new position.

If you can’t get the raise that you want, ask for more responsibilities. If you are going to be doing more (and doing it well) a pay increase will come your way.

7. Don’t make threats to leave the company.

If your requests are denied, do not fret, maybe it’s not the right time for your company. Wait a couple of months before you ask for another one.

Asking for a raise is a very intimidating thing. If you do it right, you will be able to earn more, and you will be happier at work.

This is a guest post by Neltje M. Neltje is a writer for MyCollegesandCareers.com. My Colleges and Careers can help you if you are looking to get a pay raise by getting higher education by enrolling in online masters degree programs. 

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How you conduct your life really shows in your happiness and well being.

People who seem miserable most of the time are often not putting much effort into making things better.

The best approach to living a life that is full of success and having a great outlook on life is to do everything you need to do at the best of your abilities.

Drive and Determination

When you approach every task with drive and determination to do it the best that you possibly can, your attitude improves and you look at it like a personal challenge.

You will go the extra mile to make sure it gets completed on time and with great results.

Your mental position on any task will determine how well you do and if you make a pact with yourself to do it right the first time and to give it all that you have got then you will find that the task gets completed smoothly and that you are not nearly as stressed over it as you could have been.

Push

There are surely times in every person’s life that they are stressed or simply not in the mood to do much of anything.

These times are the perfect times to go the extra mile.  When you push through the tiredness or overall aggravation and complete the task with higher than normal quality, this is surely going to improve your mood.

Once you see that, even though you were not really feeling like getting it done, you did it and did it well, you will be ready to tackle the next task that you have in front of you.

Give 100%

When you put only a portion of your abilities into completing a task, you will likely come out feeling not so great about the outcome.

This can apply to any aspect of your life, from your work life to your personal life.

People can tell the difference between a job completed above and beyond expectations and one that was simply done quickly and with little effort.

You want to be known for producing excellent results and you will feel much better about yourself and your abilities when you get to that point.

Self-Awareness

Many people rely on meditation to help them reach higher levels of accomplishment.

This is an excellent tool to bring yourself back to center and to allow you to focus completely on the task at hand.

Meditation has proven to be useful for many people so adding it to your resources could be beneficial.

You may find that when you meditate, you are able to apply a deeper focus and to really finish your task strongly.

A decision to make…

Each time you begin another task you will have a decision to make.  Do you get it done quickly or do you spend the time and effort it takes to get it done to the best of your ability?

The answer should certainly be that you will do it as well as you possibly can.

Putting all that you have into the task and going the extra mile should be the only way that you work.  You will feel more accomplished and better for giving it your all and everyone involved will surely notice as well.

This is a guest post from staff at The Personal Development Co. Please visit The Personal Development Company for more information on It’s Never Crowded Along The Extra Mile by Dr. Wayne Dyer

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