You might dwell in chaos and disorganization while more action-oriented people have it together and maintain their organization for anything-work, school, life, kids. Action people typically have more energy at the end of the day, whereas you start to feel yourself slow down as the day proceeds.

When you aren’t organized, you reach the end of your day and wonder why nothing has been accomplished. You feel like you’ve put in a full day’s work but it doesn’t look like much was accomplished. This is because you spend so much time thinking about what needs to be done and how that you forget to actually put in the work to complete the task.

The first step in turning yourself into a person of action is to get organized. This means all areas of your life, including work and the home. Keep to-do lists and always keep your priorities at the top. The feeling of satisfaction you will get each time you put a “done” line through those items on your list will uplift you and push you through to the end of the list. If you have something left on the list at the end of the day, put it at the top of your list for tomorrow.

Give yourself a reward once you complete your to-do list each day. It doesn’t have to be anything huge. It can be something as simple as an hour of leisurely reading or a piece of candy. By rewarding yourself for all of your accomplishments each day, you are encouraging yourself to reach your goals. This is, of course, an honor system so don’t reward yourself unless you truly deserve it.

Another way of thinking is to skip writing out a physical to-do list and instead visualize the tasks that you need to complete that day. When you picture yourself finishing each task and all the details that are a part of the action, you will fill yourself with the energy to get those things done.

Whichever method works best for you, do it! Force yourself into action. The energy that builds up inside you as you look at your list or visualize it in your mind will only set the spark. It is up to you to make that spark catch fire and keep you up and going throughout the day.

If you have a problem that has been weighing on your mind and keeping you from taking action, take the time to clear your mind and focus only on that single problem. Sometimes, visualizing the problem before you go to sleep at night will help make the answer clear to you in the morning. Let your brain work while you sleep so that you are free from any daytime distractions.

Stay positive! A positive mind leads to activity. When you are happy, you want to get up and do more. Do what you can to maintain an upbeat attitude. For some people, that means meditation. For others, exercise does the trick.

Are you an action person or are you a bogged-down thinker? What changes do you want to make in order to become more action-oriented? Let us know!

Here are a few ways you can help keep your positive attitude whenever you look around and find that everyone else is being negative.

It’s nothing personal.

People can often get into the bad habit of talking negatively. It can be aimed directly at you or simply be about a myriad of other things that are going on in that person’s life. It’s hard to face an onslaught of negativity, especially when you are the target of it. But remember, that this is their issue, not yours. If their criticism is unfounded, you can be sure that the complaints are probably just a way for the person to vent. Take a breath, put on a smile and tell yourself, “It’s not me, it’s them.”

Be the bigger person.

It’s not fun being around a negative person. But just imagine how miserable it must be to be the negative person. They are full of sour emotions and see themselves as the victim of life. They are probably scared and hurting in some way. Anger is one way that many people hide their troubles away from others. Try to be compassionate and give them the benefit of the doubt.

Bring them a little positivity.

What can you do to help turn their day around? It could be something small, like acknowledging a recent accomplishment. Bring them a snack from the vending machine. Even simply asking them how they are doing can help them to open up a little and get things off their chest. Do what you think would cheer you up on an off day. If you are met with an even bigger wave of negativity, just walk away. You know that you tried, and you can’t win them all!

Remember: you get to choose the people in your life!

We are not physically attached to every person we deal with day in and day out. It is okay to cut out anyone who brings absolutely no positive value to your life. Friends, family, coworkers, spouses- if they just don’t want to be a part of your positive lifestyle, then it’s okay to limit contact with them or do away with the relationship altogether. There is a whole world of people out there who can make you smile, so don’t waste your happiness on those who don’t want to share it.

What do you do to stay positive every day? Have you had to make some tough decisions about who stays and who goes? Let us know!

Find article directories that are highly ranked in order to build traffic and enhance your notoriety. Selecting a few well-respected directories will allow you to reach the widest possible audience.

Here are just a few of the best article directories to consider when you get ready to submit your articles:

EzineArticles.com

This directory has both a high Alexa ranking and Google page rank. It is one of the most respected sites used by article marketers. It is free to use and has helpful tutorial videos that will get you on the right path from the start. In the beginning, you will be limited to ten article submissions. This will change once the editors have determined the quality of your content. There is also a paid option that allows for faster publication and scheduled article release.

Hubpages.com

If you want to beef up your content with photos, videos and other media, this site is for you. You will build your own “hub” and add new content, which will help boost your blog traffic. This account is also free to use and has an entire community to turn to when you need help.

ArticleBase.com

This free site is simple to use. It will also give you statistics for each article so that you can see how many views each one receives and how many click-throughs are generated by each one. This will give you insight into what content more people are looking for.

LadyPens.com

This is a boutique-type article directory. You will need to apply to be considered before you are allowed to submit any content. Authors who submit to this site have an increased chance of having their articles being selected by publishers.

Yahoo! Voices

Formerly Associated Content, Voices is a network for affiliated content. It is free to sign up and you can even earn income based on the performance of your articles. You can submit videos and photos as well as written content.

Almost all article directories will require you to register before you can become a content contributor. It may be a good idea to set up a separate email that you only use for article directories. In article marketing, this is an excellent way to keep track of your content submissions and any notifications from the site editors.

Read through each site’s author guidelines before you start to submit content. Some directories may require your content to be in HTML format while others prefer plain text. If you don’t know anything about HTML, there are plenty of free tutorials available online. You can learn the basics quickly and easily.

You will also need to have a solid author BIO for each niche target. For instance, if you write articles about car insurance, you want your BIO to tie into that topic. If you also write content about farming, have a separate BIO for those articles. You want your BIO to encourage each target audience to click through to your website.

With article marketing, it is important to remember the quality over quantity rule. It is far better to concentrate on writing only a few thoughtful pieces of content than rushing through to write a dozen generic articles that provide no value to the reader.

The goal of article marketing is to reach out to a targeted audience in order to encourage them to visit your website. When you choose the right directories to suit your purpose, your quality content will be able to work for you in building up your readership.

What directories are you considering for your article marketing? What made you choose the ones you are currently using? Let us know!

For the most part, article directories have very similar requirements in their submission guidelines. Each will require you to use proper grammar and spelling. Your content has to be unique and informative. The article lengths must typically be at least 400 words minimum. This is a good length for an article, giving you enough time to draw in readers and forge a bond with them.

When structuring your articles, there is a simple pattern that you want to follow:

• Introductory paragraph- let them know what you’ll be writing about.
• Body- give them the information.
• Conclusion- sum up what you covered in the article.
• Call to action- ask questions to encourage engagement with readers.

There are several formats for articles that can draw more readers. You can use one of these types of articles as a quick method for getting content out there and submitted to directories.

How to_: How to articles give instructions on how to do anything. It can be used for any niche topic, from cooking to cleaning and all things in between. These need to be informative and give readers the steps needed to complete the task.
10 Ways to_: This is another informative article that gives the reader a number of ideas about a specific topic. For example, it could be an article about “10 Ways to Make Extra Money.”
Ask a Question: Your title asks a question and you answer it in your article. You can also do a question-and-answer article that covers any number of topics.

These examples of formatting are great for when you need to write up a quick article for distribution. You can find thousands of possible topics that will fit perfectly with these formats. Think of them as templates that you fill in with your own content.

You can use these formats as much as you want to create unique, informative articles. There are so many ways that you can use these to structure articles that will keep your readers looking for your content again and again.

Nearly all article directories will also allow you to include a short author bio at the end of each article. This is a chance for you to give readers a little more information about you and link them to your website or blog. These should be short and to the point and get the attention of your reader. The information you include in your bio box should go with the content in your article. If you are writing about fishing tips, then your bio should mention your love of the activity and experience you have in that area.

What article structures do you think are best? How do you find inspiration for your article writing? Let us know!

Even one small change to your typical routine can make a world of difference in your attitude and your outlook on life. Here are ten ways that you can spice up your life right now:

1. Plan a special “renew and restore” day!

Find a date on your calendar and plan to take the day off for nothing but new experiences. Take off work if you have to. Invite a few friends to join you! Make a plan for the entire day, filled with activities that you are excited to try.

2. Go someplace new!

Maybe you live in a city with a great museum, but you’ve never been. Is there a restaurant you’ve been dying to try but have never had the time or couldn’t get anyone to go with you? Go do it! There are so many places out there for you to explore. Plan a daytrip to any place that strikes your fancy and open yourself up to the new experiences that await you!

3. Carpe Diem!

Seize the day! Do something spontaneous. Break out of your shell and go do something that you never thought you would have done before. Accept last-minute invitations with friends. Get that tattoo you have been thinking about. Get up there and belt out a song at karaoke night. Just go for it!

4. Get off your beaten path!

Get out of your shell and try something new. Go for a hike. Join a book club. Try sushi. Volunteer. Push yourself to train for a marathon. If there is anything that you have on a list to try “maybe someday,” today is that day! Don’t make excuses. Don’t think about all of the reasons why not to do something. Only focus on why you should.

5. Crank up your creativity!

Try out a new hobby for once. Local craft stores are always holding classes for one activity or another- cake decorating, jewelry making, knitting, sewing, painting. Nothing can be more satisfying than looking at something that you created with your own hands.

6. Make changes in your environment!

A simple freshening up of your surroundings can make miles of improvement to your life and your attitude. Try a new paint color on the walls. Buy a new piece of furniture. Change your bedding. Buy a fish tank (or one of those new cool jellyfish tanks!). Even adopting a new pet can make for a positive change.

7. Find new friends or reconnect with old ones!

There are so many ways to meet people these days that share your similar interests. Look for events in your area or sign up on Meetup.com to find groups of people in your area who want to meet new people too. If you have a friend that you haven’t spoken to in a while, invite them out to lunch. Foster the relationships that will bring value to your life and allow you to add value to theirs as well.

8. Keep your mind on the here and now!

When you are on vacation, be on vacation! Don’t let your mind stay wrapped around the issues at home- bills, work, and projects. The same goes for anything you do to add more pep to your step. Concentrate on the task before you. Don’t let the outside seep into your present thinking.

9. Give your attitude a tune-up!

Stop making excuses and adding things to a list of what you “don’t do.” If you want to make your life more exciting, you have to be a willing participant. Open your mind to all of the new opportunities around you and you might be surprised to find out that you do in fact enjoy fishing.

10. Leave your troubles at the door.

Your issues and hang-ups have no place in the time you spend with friends. You are not together to commiserate with each other. Friends are supposed to uplift and empower each other when they are together. Just round up your issues, scoot them out the door and tell them, “You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here!”

What changes are you making to renew, restore and rejuvenate your life? Are you having trouble making changes and letting go? Let us know!

If you use article marketing to market your business, then you’ve probably struggled with this question on a daily basis.

It’s really not as hard as you may think.

We know without a doubt that article marketing is a great way for bloggers to build up a large number of targeted readers for almost no cost.

One thing that may keep you from jumping right in and cranking out articles to submit to directories is the question of what you should write about.

Just remember that writing articles is no different from writing your blog posts. They should be close to 500 words, which is about the length of most blog posts.

When you sit down to start brainstorming article topics, keep these tips in mind:

Write about what you know.

The point of writing articles is to encourage readers see you as an expert in your specialized area. When they have a question about a topic you focus on, you want yours to be the blog they go to for answers.

Find a topic you are passionate and comfortable with and do plenty of research, and then write articles that are informative and helpful. Since your blog also focuses on a topic you are knowledgeable about, this should be easy.

Find topics of interest.

When writing an article, just like a blog post, write for your target audience.

If you are writing a blog for work-from-home moms, then make sure you are writing articles specifically targeted to that demographic. The goal is to have more targeted traffic results.

Don’t choose to write an article on shopping for the latest fishing gear if you don’t have a blog for those avid fishermen. (Unless those fishermen are also interested in tips for potty training around a work schedule!)

You want your readers to like what they read in the article and click through to your blog for more information.

Make sure your articles are keyword-rich.

Another great thing about writing articles is the potential traffic from search engine results.

With the larger article directories, content is indexed by search engine spiders fairly quickly. So, if you have titles and articles that include relevant keywords and phrases, you will see an increase in your search engine ranking. That means, more people finding their way to your articles and then your blog!

As you start to write articles, remember that you are writing for people- not search engines!

Do your blog articles show off a bit of your wit and sparkle? Then your articles should do the same. You want to sound smart and professional, but you don’t want to come across as a know-it-all who will look down on others. You want each article to have a natural flow that leads the reader to click on your link and follow along to your blog.

Write quality content that is easy to read. Most readers will only skim through content so break it up with white space, sub headers and bullet lists. They want answers fast so don’t drag it out.

If you are passionate about the topic you write on, the readers will feel it in your articles. Any time you get an idea for a new article topic, write it down! Keep a journal of possible topics and then, whenever you feel at a loss of what to write about, you have a whole list to look over and choose from!

Have you started article marketing to increase your blog readership? Have you been hitting roadblocks in your writing? What topics do you feel the most confident about with your writing? Let us know!

When I started my article marketing and ghostwriting business in 2006, I was at a loss as to what types of marketing to invest and participate in.

With absolutely no money, (you know how it is when you are just getting started), I decided to learn everything I could about article marketing. I mean, I loved to write, so why not put this skill set to use as well?

With my mission in mind, I started researching, compiling information, studying, learning, asking questions to others in forums and blog posts, anything and everything about SEO, content ideas and locating the best distribution sites for my articles.

From there, I went on to teach myself all the ins and outs of this highly effective marketing tactic.

There are many, valuable reasons to use article marketing in your marketing campaign. It has helped me to achieve high-rankings in Google search results. It will help you do the same. The more visibility you have, the more sales you’ll get.

No matter what type of blogger or business owner you are, you want to have a strong readership. You can be writing about cooking, sports, movies, books or family life, but without fans, you’ll pretty much be writing for yourself. Driving traffic to your site will ensure that you have a broad fan base that will be eager to read each of your posts. Article marketing is one of the best ways to drive your targeted audience to your blog.

With article marketing, you will create small articles that you can distribute to various article directories, which will give you some quality backlinks to your own blog or website. The best thing is that most of these directories are free to publish your articles!

You might think it’s strange to offer your words of wisdom for nothing, but the benefits of article marketing are well worth the effort!

Attain Expert Status

An important part of being a blogger is becoming an expert in your market. If you can say, “I have 30 published articles about dog training,” more people are going to see you as a professional in that area. Readers have more trust in someone who they think is an expert. When people start to look to you for advice, then you can start building a wider audience.

Get a Stamp of Approval

Having articles on a well-established article directory, like EzineArticles.com, can act as an unofficial recommendation. This will boost your reputation as a writer and draw more readers to your blog or website.

Link Up

Anytime you publish an article on a directory, you will get a link back to your website or blog. Those links can help you rank higher in search engine results. The better you rank on search results pages like Google or Yahoo!, the higher number of organic traffic that comes to your page.

Because there are so many free or cheap options for distributing your content for article marketing, it is one of the most cost-effective methods for gaining publicity for your blog or website.

Before you get started on an article marketing project, it’s important that you have a specific goal in mind. You need to know exactly what you hope to accomplish by writing those articles. Do you want to get more readers for your blog? Do you want to increase sales? Drum up more clients? When you write with these goals in mind, they will be much easier for you to achieve.

It doesn’t matter what you blog about or how long you’ve been writing; article marketing is an excellent and affordable way to drive more traffic to your website and increase your readership numbers.

Take it from someone who knows!

What is your experience with article marketing? Share with us your problems or success stories.

You have a life to live!

We were not put here on this world to take up space. We all have our own unique purpose in life. There are goals to accomplish, people to meet, lives to touch. You can’t wait around for life to happen to you. You need to get up, follow your dream and get to work! Never, ever expect that you can “do it tomorrow,” because none of us can be guaranteed another day.

Embrace the resources you have!

Think about all of your past experiences. What skills have you learned over the years? What are your best qualities? What is it that really motivates you? You will be surprised at how much you are qualified to do. You have talent that can be used to move you through life. You don’t need to let yourself get stuck in a rut because you’re afraid. If you wait, opportunities will pass you by. Be proud of the things you have accomplished in life and the things you can do now.

You are surrounded by opportunities!

Don’t be afraid to take a risk in life. Your moment is right now! You can’t put things off and hope that good things happen. Good things might come to those who wait, but the best things come to those who do. Take action! Start your business, call about that open position, sign up for classes, volunteer, take a vacation. Take those opportunities by the hand and get going!

You are strong and able, alive and full of life!

Get motivated and get a move on with your life. You can walk, talk, read, listen, speak, and act. Don’t waste those gifts by sitting around feeling bad about the things for which you have no control. Forget about past mistakes and focus on future successes. Light a fire under your heart and find something to be passionate about! You will be so busy moving forward that you won’t have time to return to the past.

Today is that day!

Right now, there are opportunities out there just waiting for you to make the first step. The sooner you start, the faster you will have that new job, earn that raise, and build a lasting relationship with someone. When something doesn’t work, move on to another plan! You are the one who makes your decisions and choices. Set your goals now and start planning each step to success.

How do you fill your life with positive actions and thoughts? What gets you going each day? Are you looking for the motivation to get through a low-point in your life? Let us know!

Here are seven of the best ways to boost your self-esteem and get you back onto the path you want to take!

Stand up for yourself!

In order to have more confidence in yourself, you can’t allow others to disrespect you. By letting other people’s treatment of you weigh you down, you are giving yourself an emotional punch in the stomach. And a punch in the stomach makes it hard to stand tall. The great lady Eleanor Roosevelt once said: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

Write your life mission statement.

When you have a clear-cut mission statement, it can really define the person you are or hope to become. It is an affirmation that you are going to be the best you there is. Write it down and keep it in a conspicuous place so that you can always see it and be reminded of your purpose.

Set your personal goals and start doing them.

Without a clear set of goals, you are going through life without a path. This is a lot like taking a trip without a map. You’ll end up lost and frustrated. When you lay out a plan for your life with goals to accomplish along the way, you will feel more fulfilled. When you finally achieve your goals, you will feel more confident in yourself.

Sign up for classes.

Acquiring more knowledge and skills can help build up your self-esteem quickly. Whether it’s an educational course at the local college or a cake decorating class at the nearby craft store, adding new things to your repertoire will give you more confidence and just plain make you feel good. It is one more step in giving you control over your own life.

Get out there and take action!

Stop being afraid to take chances. If you are thinking of starting your own business, then go out there and do it! You don’t have to fit yourself into other people’s dreams. You are free to blaze your own trails. Taking controlled, positive risks in your life can help you feel invigorated and ready to tackle anything that comes your way.

Start socializing.

There are tons of ways to meet new people who share the same interests as you. Join groups and clubs in your area. You can sign up on Meetup.com and find groups of people in your area that focus on thousands of different topics, from knitting groups to book clubs to car collectors. When you are part of a group, you will have a sense of belonging and being accepted.

Volunteer your time.

One of the greatest ways to boost your self-esteem and give back to your community is through volunteering. There are many people in your community who will benefit from the help you can give. There may be a women’s shelter you can help with or the local food pantry. When you see gratitude and thanks from others, your own self-worth will skyrocket.

Do you need a boost to your self-esteem? What do you do to help increase the confidence you have in yourself? Let us know!

These are four of the best tips to remember when you begin formulating your own marketing strategy for your business:

Write articles that go viral.

Writing an article that follows all of the SEO guidelines you can squeeze into it is an easy task. Writing an article that your readers actually want to share and pass along to all their friends is a whole different ball game. Get creative. Be conversational and entertaining. Write your article for the readers and not just for the search engine spiders. The readers are what really matters in the end. If you feed them a stuffy article that puts them to sleep, then your content isn’t going to get you very far.

Encourage interaction with readers.

You want your potential customers to know that there is, in fact, a person behind the website. Encouraging them to interact with you on the website is an excellent way to create a bond between your business and the customer. Get them to respond to your blog posts with comments (and be sure to respond in kind!). Interact with them on a forum or on social media sites.

Give them honesty and they will reward you with loyalty.

You don’t want to give your website’s visitors any reason to be disappointed. Instead of blowing their heads full of false expectations, give them honest answers. You want your customers to be realistic when they sign up for your offer or buy your product. If you can’t absolutely guarantee that their hair will be lush and luxurious in a month, then don’t promise it. This is a fast way to lose the respect- and repeat business- of your customers. Be honest and give them the facts and your customers will keep coming back.

Give, give, give.

Everyone, customers especially, love free stuff. If you have things to give away with a purchase, throw it in the box. If you have an eBook that you can offer for free when someone signs up on your website, hand it over. Give your customers a coupon towards their next purchase and that just increases the chance that they will come back again and again. When you go that extra mile to make your customers feel valued, they will become long-standing customers and spread the word to everyone who will listen.

Remember, having a successful marketing strategy can make a big difference in the sales figures for your business. Without a creative approach to marketing, you’ll be waiting around for customers to come, which will just lead to disappointment.

What marketing strategies have you implemented in your business? What is the most effective tip you have learned? Let us know!