Tag: Week

  • Crystal Meth Addiction – Signs Someone You Know Is Addicted to Crystal Meth

    [ad_1]

    Crystal Meth is a pure form of methamphetamine, derived from either ephedrine or pseudoephedrine. It can be crushed and snorted, melted in a glass pipe and smoked, injected with a syringe, even eaten. Users experience feelings of euphoria, heightened senses, increased energy, a perceived increase in focus and feelings of power.

    The following is a partial list of observable signs a person is on the drug:

    1. Whatever the person is talking about pours out in a stream.
    2. If you have the chance, have the person stick out their tongue. A person who is on meth will be showing you a tongue in muscle spasms. It will look as if it has electrodes hitting different parts of it simultaneously.
    3. People who are on meth tend to sweat well beyond what is considered normal.
    4. Crystal Meth produces dilated pupils.
    5. A person taking it will repeat the same behavior over and over.
    6. You may notice an unusual breakout of what looks like acne, and the person will pick at the blemishes. Even if there is no apparent breakout the addict may pick at his skin for no apparent reason.
    7. You may notice (in some cases but not all) rapid weight loss, especially around the face.
    8. The person’s skin may be clammy looking or grey in pallor.
    9. The addict’s hygiene will be quite poor.
    10. Tooth decay is another common symptom of Crystal Meth abuse. Many people have lost a number of teeth from using the drug over periods of time. This is caused by severe calcium and vitamin deficiencies.
    11. Methamphetamine addicts are very active for periods that can last several days, even up to a week, followed by periods of sleep or depression.
    12. If a person has been taking Crystal Meth for a few days in a row, his jaw may “wind” or move in a sort of circle involuntarily.

    In addition to these symptoms, Crystal Meth creates severe vitamin and mineral deficiencies, causes inflammation around the heart, and causes inflammations on the skin. Meth users typically experience dramatic mood swings, going from elated excitement to feelings of deep depression, suicidal or even homicidal thoughts.

    Many Meth addicts start “projects” such as disassembling a radio, a piece of furniture or an appliance, and end up leaving it a big mess. They will often attempt to repair things by using parts from other things that are handy, creating an enormous mess of incomplete projects all around them.

    [ad_2]

    Source by Steven Bruno

    Views: 0

  • My Backyard Mechanic is Getting Rich!

    [ad_1]

    I kid you not… my backyard mechanic (my younger brother) is getting sooo rich from just listening to a little bit of the news. You see he’s a jack of all trades, and very good in all of them. From buying run-down homes and renovating them, to flipping them for a huge profit… to fixing everybody’s broken down cars. I mean who wants to pay a local garage $80 an hour to change brake pads? But this is not what it’s about! This is even easier!

    Imagine that you’re pretty handy with your hands in just about everything. As he puts it… if you can screw a lightbulb, patch a whole in the wall, change a tire, put up shelves, then anyone can do this.

    He knows a good thing when he sees one, and finds every which way possible to profit like crazy on what the masses are complaining about. He finds the solution, applies it to his own life, and shows everybody how they too can do what I’m about to tell you.

    What do you think the biggest mass grievance is in the world today? You guessed it… gas prices. Here’s what he did exactly!

    He converted his car to run half on water and half on gas using the technology that is now available, with a simple $20 kit. From there, he had two simple magnetic signs made up for each side of his car, which states “RUNS ON WATER [http://www.runyourcaronwater.jon-michel.com]” and with his phone number. He also created a flyer in “Word”, and went to his local photocopy shop and had 500 copies printed out. That cost him about $10. He had some young local girls and boys drop these off in mailboxes and gave them a few bucks to do it.

    Within a week, his phone started ringing and never lets up. He charges $150. a car plus the kit, for work that takes him a couple of hours. On a good day, he manages 4 cars a day. On a bad day, he’ll stop at two or three. Now do the math and tell me this isn’t worth it!

    He has now found a young 17 year old to help him keep up with the demand. He figures it’s just what he needed, because it’s so profitable, that it allows him to expand in other things. No wonder my little brother takes more trips to Hawaii than the average lawyer or doctor. Making money fast has always been a given to him. Entrepreneurship is where it’s at!

    This is a great way of making money fast to finance other ventures.

    [ad_2]

    Source by Jonathan G. Michel

    Views: 0

  • Lottery Millionaires – How Many People Win at Least a Million Dollars Every Year?

    [ad_1]

    What do these people have in common: George Martinek, Susan Hannoun, Lori Boyle, Bernadette Gietka, Neal Wanless, and Bob Guerzon? Answer: They are all lottery millionaires. They, along with thousands of people every year, defy the odds and win the lotto jackpot. We hear about jackpot winners every week on the news. But have you ever considered how many new millionaires are created by the lottery each year? How many people win at least a million dollars?

    According to the TLC television show, “The Lottery Changed My Life,” more than 1600 new lottery millionaires are created each year. That doesn’t include people that have won jackpots of, say, $100,000 because than the number would be much higher. Still, 1600 is quite a high number.

    If 1600 win at least a million in the lotto every year, it means that there are more than 130 each month, more than 30 each week, and more than 4 each day. That’s a lot of winners.

    Perhaps you’re inspired by these numbers. Perhaps you think that since there are so many big lottery winners, you’re time will come one day. I don’t mean to crash the party, but perhaps you should think again. The odds of winning a million dollar jackpot are bad. 1600 yearly jackpot winners isn’t that big of a number when you consider how many people actually play. Hundreds of millions of people buy billions of lottery tickets each year and only a small fraction of those people actually win a big jackpot.

    Don’t get discouraged, though. The lottery is a game of random luck and you might get lucky one day and become a new lottery millionaire. Good luck!

    [ad_2]

    Source by Tino Sundin

    Views: 0

  • Is MLM Dead? Top 5 Reasons Multi-Level Marketing is on Its Way Out!

    [ad_1]

    What a simple question to answer. Right? Not a chance. How in the world can a sixty year old business model shrivel up and disappear? The truth of the matter is that Multi-Level Marketing or MLM has its place in society. The problem is, this model is totally antiquainted and just doesn’t deliver as promised. At the beginning, MLM was revolutionary and literally changed the face of business. Due to technology advances and computerization, the limitations that come along with the MLM structure and associated compensation plans, have MLM’s days numbered.

    What does this mean for the companies that have built there businesses around MLM? For now, it means that the the business consultants that are earning a substantial income will continue earning, less and less as their downlines shrink and are not replenished due to more sophisticated and much more lucrative comp plans. This has already begun and will pick up momentum as people get educated about the alternatives.

    So what are the limitations that have MLM begging for mercy? Lets look at the top five reasons that the extinction of Multi-Level Marketing is inevitable.

    1) Expiring Volume- Before computers, all sales had to be calculated and tracked by humans, which means that mistakes and errors occurred. The longer the errors were carried over, the more of an impact they would have as they compounded. This is the reason that volume expires at the end of every month and the counters start at zero again. Obviously computers have been available for at least 20 years, so why do these companies continue to have expiring volume? a better question is, why do new companies continue to use models that have expiring volume? The answer is that companies that predate personal computers can’t change without shortchanging their highest paid affiliates and newer companies that have volume that expires every month should never have started doing things this way. Either way, it makes it very difficult for average people to succeed this way.

    2) Horizontal Growth- In many cases the strategy that is employed is to start a new line of distribution with every business partner a leader “signs up”. In other words, you are creating a competitor out of all of your personally sponsored partners. Now they are not a competitor of yours of course but they are all competitors of each other and that creates a few problems. It is very difficult for most people to manage many organizations(most MLM’s suggest 6-15 or more organizations). It creates a sense of competition rather than team synergy. It separates people who should be in the same organizations one another.(family members, friends or co-workers). Lastly and probably most importantly, it splits the sales volume up between all of the “legs” which makes it much more difficult for your teammates to earn money.

    3) Organization built in “levels”- The major limitation of organizations built in levels is that no matter what happens or which business partners thrive, the leader is only able to get credit for so many levels of growth. What this means is that if and when any “leg” grows below the level in which the leader is given credit, there is a much less motivation of the leader to train that leg in depth. The biggest problem however is that often times it takes people leading to people leading to people in order for a new leader to emerge. I that process happens at a level below what the MLM’s compensation plan will pay on, the leader is just plain out of luck. Wow, imagine working day after day, week after week and month after month training a leg or team. The training pays off, growth happens and it is very exciting. As is supposed to occur, people lead to people and a superstar is brought into the team. It just so happens that the superstar is one level below what you are paid on and your just out of luck. THAT SU__KS!!!!!!!!

    4) Commission structured in percentages- All the limitations with levels discussed above are still an issue. The problems are compounded when the commissions or payments are calculated using percentages based on levels. As the level increases the percentage paid generally decreases. This reinforces the competition of teams and teammates and also puts the leader in the position where recruiting must continue in order to get large pay increases. If the leaders are concentrating on prospecting and recruiting new partners for themselves, how much time do they have for educating their downline? Not much and even if there was the time, how much motivation does a leader have to train partners that he is paid very small percentages on.

    5) Sign up game- Because of the structure of MLM’s and the philosophy of business plans, most of the emphasis is put on recruiting new partners and not on moving products or services to the end consumer. This limits the amount of volume that each partner produces. The focus of Multi-Level Marketing is to get anyone who can fog a mirror “signed up” and worry about whether they are qualified later. This aids in the high level of attrition and fallout that occurs in MLM. Attrition is is the other major factor that leads to limited commissions and the discouragement that is so common when talking with ex Multi-Level Marketers.

    The forgone conclusion with most MLM companies compensation plans is that because of the limitations noted above, expiring volume, horizontal growth, building in levels, paying in percentages and the sign up game mentality, they are just not designed for the “average” person to succeed. The business models are designed around what the company wants or expects from their distributors and not what can realistically be expected.

    At the end of the day, the vast Majority of people (approx 95-98%) that start a Multi-Level Marketing business never make a penny. Sure, they may earn a few two digit or three digit checks but for most it never amounts to even close to what has been invested. Thankfully we are not stuck in the 50’s or 60’s and there are new and improved compensation systems that do away with all of the drawbacks of MLM and truly give ordinary people who have some level of motivation and determination a real opportunity to set themselves free.

    [ad_2]

    Source by Chris Olejniczak

    Views: 0

  • How to Lose 10 Pounds in a Week Using a Treadmill

    [ad_1]

    So, you like to run and you have a treadmill. You also have 10 pounds to lose and a week to do it in. What can you do? Can you really lose 10 pounds in a week with just a treadmill?

    The answer is that it may be possible to lose 10 pounds in a week (especially if you’ve just started to lose weight) but it is going be very difficult to do with just a treadmill. However, you can use a treadmill to help you lose this weight, definitely. In this article, I’ll explain how you may be able to do it. I say may, because this isn’t an easy thing to do so success isn’t guaranteed. However, even if you lose less than 10 pounds in a week but come close, you should be very happy.

    Why is a treadmill alone not the way to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks?

    It’s a question of math, really. If you’re very fit and you run on a treadmill for an hour you may burn a 1,000 calories. Again, you will need to be fit to do so as you do need to run rather quickly.

    Even if you do this for 7 days straight, you will only burn 7000 calories or the equivalent of 2 pounds of fat. And this will not be easy to achieve.

    However, what is you did all that running and went on a lower calorie diet for a week? In that case, you’ll be able to create an even bigger calorie deficit and shed more weight. However, you do need to be aware that this is not a sustainable weight loss method. You can’t stay on a low calorie diet indefinitely as this may lead to a slower metabolism and make it difficult to continue losing weight or even maintaining what you lost. This is why a week is usually a bit too short to lose 10 pounds and be sure of long term success.

    If you’re just starting to lose weight, then it may be possible to lose 10 pounds in a week. However, don’t expect that all this weight will be pure fat loss. Much of this weight will be simply water weight. This is common for many diets as the initial days are often ones in which the weight drops off quickly. To maintain this loss you will have to continue training with cardio and strength exercises and to eat properly.

    The really way to lose weight with a treadmill is to make it a part of your overall training and nutrition routine. Run on the treadmill, do strength workouts, and eat properly to shed pounds. You may not achieve your goal in a week but it will be a better long term strategy.

    [ad_2]

    Source by John Davenport

    Views: 0

  • The Vacation Sales Cold Call Script

    [ad_1]

    If you have been hunting around for a cold call script, take a look at this one. The destination vacation is a big money operation. People who make 1,000 calls per week generally find 100 interested prospects that turn into 50 paid customers using scripts like this one. Everyone tweaks a word here and there in scripts and this one is no different. Sit with your sales manager for approval on the wording and then try this script out on your next 100 calls and see if it makes a difference.

    “Hello, is __________ there?

    Hello, my name is _________, calling from _______________ How are you today? (Customer’s first name)

    I see that you filled out a survey form and expressed interest in a Hawaii vacation.

    Our company has just released our VIP Invitations for vacations to Hawaii and your name is on that list!

    I am calling to make sure you want to take advantage of this discounted Hawaii vacation offer. Mr/Ms_______________________what do you think?

    If you have pen and paper,I’ll give you all my information so you can start planning.

    Again, my name is ________ and this is through _____________________________.

    This Hawaii vacation package is for 4 days and 3 nights on Maui. Your airline will be _____________________________. You will be staying at the Hotel __________________ for 4 days and 3 nights. If you need other airline arrangements we are a full service travel agency and we would be happy to search for another airline fare.

    I know that we do not pay your personal expenses or any taxes and no service fees are paid. The last time I went, I believe I paid not more than $25.00 and I paid that at the hotel check-in.

    I only have 11 vacation packages to Hawaii and I do have other calls to make to lucky people. Are you ready to buy this great vacation today?

    The cost is $698.00 for two adults and must be taken within 6 months from today. As long as both of you are over 21 years of age, you are on your way to sunny Hawaii!

    Do you have your credit card ready or do you need to discuss this with someone before you buy?

    I’m only offering this one package today so you would need to buy today, but then again, take up to 6 months before you run off for a fabulous vacation!

    Oh no, Ma’am, there are no hidden fees or charges. But now that you mention it, there is one thing that I would ask you to do. Once you get home, would you drop me a line and tell me what was the most exciting, the most beautiful or the most fun about this Hawaii vacation?

    Yes, you can enclose a snap shot if you would like.

    If you are ready to buy right now, I’m ready to take your credit card and get you all set up.

    Yes, Ma’am, please read the numbers on your card.

    I’ll read that back to you.

    Now if you would verify your address I’ll get your things into the mail.

    Wonderful! Now write down my name and phone number so I can answer any questions for you.

    My Ticket Registrations department might give you a call to verify the spelling on your name or some other detail, I hope that is not a bother for you.

    Okay, we are all set.

    I will you enjoy that fabulous sun, sand and sea! Aloha!”

    Invest your time and words into a script that deliver what you want to convey as efficiently as possible. Use a mirror and practice doing phone sales to yourself until all the words are comfortable and you can smile the entire way through. A great telesales script is extremely valuable.

    [ad_2]

    Source by Lee Anne Wonnacott

    Views: 0

  • The Making of a Multi-Million Dollar Insurance Salesperson

    [ad_1]

    Every sales person or sales agent fantasizes about becoming a millionaire. This is how one individual became a Multi Million Dollar Insurance Salesperson.

    Over half the insurance agents recruited earn less than $50,000 before making a quick exist. So how do you make a million dollars, an then more? Especially when your career involves selling insurance? For me it was not by working 70 hours a week. No “get rich quick” insurance trade magazine article or ad inspired me. I don’t ever recall working with millionaire clients. In fact, in my case it would take a ton of policies to equal a million dollars premium collected, let alone commission earned. I never even received one of the over 90 insurance designations currently available.

    My case involved putting together a formula, that you could easily (with effort) mix to achieve similar or superior results. For me the ingredients were composed of four components.

    WILLPOWER I need to convince myself that I could achieve the insurance production goals I was setting. To begin, I purchased a collection of books on positive thinking. In them they emphasize phrases like “I Can” and “I Will”. I repeated these key word phrases over and over in my conscious mind, and saw some definite steady improvement in my sales achievements. Good but not good enough.

    Suddenly I was introduced to self-hypnosis and my insurance career instantly changed. This was not some occult form of hocus-pocus but sheer enrichment that builds and builds. It start with a client from England who was a professional hypnotist. I was intrigued, and he agreed to teach me how the subconscious mind automatically overrides the conscious mind. He then graciously taught how to easily hypnotize myself anytime I wanting. I programmed myself for success, and success followed.

    SALES SKILLS The so called selling skills insurance companies showed me, never really improved. I quickly saw that repetition of a bad habit is dangerous to your career. Now that my income was rising, I added another piece of dynamite to reaching sales goals faster. If I could double my closing ratio, it was simple to see my income doubling.

    I invested in the Dale Carnegie course for sales people. During this course I learned the steps that must be covered properly if you are going to expect a sale. What I did not expect was the announcement that passing the course required covering all the points in a two minute or less presentation. This is when I re-emerged a trait, I was not using enough.

    DETERMINATION I set myself a goal that surpassed just passing the course. Although there were around 25 people taking the course, I was determined. Not only was I going to pass, but my presentation would be voted the best of my fellow 2 dozen professional sales people. Needless to say, it took willpower, sales skill, and determination galore. Winning, gave me a feeling of floating sky high. After this I felt I could sell snow to an Eskimo.

    NO FEAR I have to admit, when I started selling insurance I was full of fears. It took the first 3 ingredients and one more step to prove to myself that I now had no fear. I had to do what few before me financially succeeding in trying. That was to make sales, by breaking the established rules, and doing what “experts” considered would only be done by fools. I would exchange my briefcase for a folder and yellow pad. My suit and tie would be reserved for funerals, and my dress code would be neat, yet informal. Now I was prepped for my no fear test.

    Without setting a single appointment, I opted to just knock on a prospects door, and do a simple presentation. I also programmed myself to act casual, using a “well, maybe you can’t afford it” approach if I had a closing objection. I knew most prospects have their conscious minds ready to be told they can certainly afford it. Using the opposite effect would alter their conscious thinking process.

    Starting on a Monday morning and working no evenings I wanted to test my abilities to the max. I started out well self-hypnotized and with about 50 prospect cards, some of them “leads”. Remember now, we are talking over 30 years ago. Without appointments I saw 25 prospects and made 30 straight sales of all sizes. Not a single strikeout. With over $20,000 premium and much of it in annual cash payments, I decided to stop with $12,000 in commissions. I had accomplished and achieved my goals in just four days. Yes, with a rounded effective formula you can put on the brakes.

    MY FIRST MILLION was then made very easily. For me, I proved I could become a millionaire, by breaking all the rules. My average policy size was not gigantic but my closing ratio was incredible. I did not wear a suit or tie or carry a briefcase. My cars were snazzy new Camaros and Mustangs, and I quit wasting time struggling to make appointments.

    There is one danger in programming yourself to achieve a certain goal. Since you are bound to achieve it, before applying self-hypnosis, ask yourself if it is good for your mind and body to do whatever it takes.

    To become a multi million dollar insurance salesman, do the opposite of most salespeople are doing. Develop your own prospecting methods, presentation sills, and closing tricks. It becomes much easier making an insurance sale when in your mind you have already done it, and have the acquired sales skills to back it up.

    I did it my way. You can too.

    [ad_2]

    Source by Donald Yerke

    Views: 0

  • Business Partners & Marital Partners Will The Marriage Survive – Part II

    [ad_1]

    In the last article, we connected by saying that keeping your business and personal relationships separate is very important to the survival of both your business and your marriage. In this article we will talk about how to achieve this goal.

    One of the most important ways to accomplish this is to set up distinct business hours, and when they are over, don't discuss business, concentrate on your relationship. It is difficult, but make a concentrated effort at it. Confine your business discussions to business hours or set aside a specific time to discuss the business.

    For example, take the last half hour of the day, and discuss the business day; Any suggestions you have, what was accomplished, what needs to be done tomorrow, during the week, how are the monthly goals you set at the beginning of the month progressing. Remember to couch any criticisms or suggestions in a positive vein. Think of how you felt in the work situation and how supervisors dealt with you when making suggestions. Negatives only cause resentment. They do in the corporate arena, and even more so, when dealing with a spouse you must live with 24 hours a day. Be sure to set aside time for each other-go for walks, out to dinner, or just for a drive with your spouse. Do not discuss business.

    You should have outside activities that are not business related. If not, join a group that interests you. It will allow you to meet with others who are not connected to your business. Running a home-based business can be very lonely; getting away from the home, and having outside interests is imperative.

    In addition to the problems inherent to couples running a business, starting a home-based business presents its own set of problems and questions. Before you start be sure to ask yourself the following:

    1. Are you self-motivated? Organized? Able to prioritize your work? You will no longer have a supervisor or a boss to tell you what to do. You will be the decision maker. You will have to motivate yourself. One way to accomplish this is to use a To Do List and stick to it. In addition, set definitive business hours, and stick to them.

    2. Will you be able to deal with the isolation? You will no longer meet people in the halls, congregate around the coffee pot, or take a break to talk with your co-workers. To combat the loneliness and isolation be sure to join groups that meet outside the home, or schedule luncheons with friends and associates.

    3. Write up a business plan. Be sure the business is something that interests you. You might want to start on a part-time basis, and grow from there. Research the business carefully, make sure there is a market, and the competition is not overwhelming.

    4. Be sure you have at least six months living expenses set aside. This will give you the time to work through the marketing strategy outlined in your business plan, and avoid bad marketing practices. In addition, if changes need to be made, you can do so, without monetary concerns becoming an issue.

    5. Be sure your office space is located in a separate room or area of ​​your home that offers the least distractions. A separate office is best, especially if you are meeting with clients. Remember to always present a professional appearance.

    6. When will you do your regular household chores? Make up a schedule of when you will deal with them. Some individuals find getting chores done before the start of the work day is best. At the end of the day, close your office door and then deal with the remaining household items that need to be handled. Time management will be a very important factor in running a home-based business.

    7. For husband and wife teams, it becomes imperative to have some form of disability insurance for each other. Remember, even though your partner may be your husband or wife, he or she is still your business partner. An accident or illness to one of you can severely impact the operation of the business.

    A business is only as good as you and your partner make it. It takes a lot of dedication, time and energy to run a business, whether it is home-based or not. It can be a very rewarding experience. Think carefully, and ask yourself a lot of self-searching questions before you begin.

    Copyright 2000, DeFiore Enterprises

    [ad_2]

    Source by Sue And Chuck DeFiore

    Views: 0

  • How to Lose 60 Pounds in 2 Months

    [ad_1]

    Is it possible to lose 60 pounds in 2 months? Yes, it is, and many people have done this before. You can do this as well if you do the right way.

    Is it safe to lose 60 pounds in 2 months? Well, it depends as everybody is unique. It may be safe for others, but it doesn’t mean it is safe for you.

    So what’s wrong with dropping 60 pounds in 2 months? There is nothing wrong with losing weight quickly, as long as it’s done the right way. You know that in theory, one could drop as much as 20 pounds a week following a very ambitious eating and exercise plan, devoting more than seven hours per week to rigorous exercise, and under a physician’s care.

    You would need to lose only 7-8 pounds a week to reach your goal, which is far less than 20 pounds a week. I think there’s nothing wrong losing 60 pounds in 2 months if you don’t have any health issues. Do consult your doctor first before you go for it to be sure it’s safe for you as I already mentioned, everyone is different. What is safe for others may not be safe for you.

    The very important key to lose 60 pounds in 2 months is to plan your diet and exercise very well. You need a proper plan to stick with. The plan must fit your daily lifestyle, the one that you are able to follow, not just quit after a week or less.

    The first thing you need to do is to find out why you can’t lose weight.

    1. Can you reduce high calorie foods and drinks?

    2. Do you feel stressed when you don’t have your favorite foods?

    3. Is exercise killing you?

    4. Are you too tired to exercise because you’re obese?

    5. Are you bored with following the diet program?

    6. Do you think you have tried many weight loss programs but they don’t seem to work for you?

    The list goes on and on. As you may already know that the basic rule of losing weight is to eat less but to maintain a healthy diet and exercise more. It sounds very simple to say but it isn’t in practice. You could overcome this issue by gradually changing your lifestyle. I understand that it takes time and you may not lose 60 pounds as fast as you want. That’s why you need to find out the right plan for yourself by trying out many weight loss programs and see what works best for you. Most people who successfully lost weight may have had many failures but it didn’t stop them from trying. You need to keep your motivation high in term of weight loss. Think positive and you’ve already won half the battle.

    [ad_2]

    Source by Susan Boyce

    Views: 0

  • Ten Ways to Strengthen Your Reading Habit

    [ad_1]

    Most people wish they read more. It is an activity that is both fun and enlightening. It can help us be more knowledgeable and successful. However, it is an activity that many people don’t engage in very much. According to the 1999 National Household Education Survey, 50% of the U.S. population aged 25 and over read a newspaper at least once a week, read one or more magazines regularly, and had read a book in the past 6 months. What does this mean? It means that 50% of the population hasn’t read a book in the last six months! Looking at the other end of the spectrum, research shows that if you read ten books a year, you are in the top few percent of all people as readers. Simply stated, it doesn’t take much to be well read, but we do need to know how to get started. The following are ten suggestions to help you strengthen your reading habit – ways to find and make more time for reading. 1. Always have a book around. Don’t go anywhere without reading material. Keep magazines or short stories in your bathroom. Always have something in your briefcase to read. Keep a book(s) by your bed. Having things available makes it easier for you to steal otherwise lost moments. 2. Set a reading goal. Determine how much time you want to spend reading, or how many books you want to read over time. Your goal might be a book a month, one per week, or it might be to read 30 minutes a day. Start out with something attainable but still a stretch. As your habit builds, you might set higher goals. Setting a goal is the first step towards reading more. 3. Keep a log. Keep a list of the books you have read, or keep track of how much time you read each day. You might keep these lists in your journal or your day planner. My son’s log is on our refrigerator. My list and log are kept on my computer. It doesn’t matter where you keep it, just do it. 4. Keep a list. Make a list of things you want to read in the future. Ask your friends and colleagues what they are reading. Watch for recommendations in the newspaper and magazines. Once you start looking for good books, you’ll find them everywhere. This is a great way to keep your enthusiasm up. By knowing what great stuff you want to read, you will reinforce your reading habit. 5. Turn off the television. Many people say they just don’t have enough time. Television is one of our major time consumers. Make your television watching more conscious and less habitual. There is nothing wrong with watching television shows you really enjoy. Where the time gets lost is turning it on, and scanning to find “something to watch.” Those are the times to turn it off and pick up your book! 6. Listen when you can’t read. Use your commute and other time spent in the car to listen! There are great audio versions of all sorts of books. Whether you want to “read” fiction, the latest self-help or diet book, it is probably available on tape. Don’t get locked into the idea that you have to read it – listening to the book still gives you the experience, ideas, and imagination that reading a book can. 7. Join a reading group or book club. Reading groups typically meet once a month to discuss a book they have all decided to read. Committing to the group provides a bit more impetus to finish the book, and gives you a great forum for discussion and socialization around the book’s themes. 8. Visit the library or bookstore often. You have your list, right? So you’ll have some ideas of what you are looking for when you walk in. But there is more to be gained by walking through places where books reside than just to make a transaction. Take time to browse! Let your eyes find things of interest. Let serendipity happen. Browsing will feed your mental need to read, and give you plenty of new things to read. 9. Build your own strategy. Decide when reading fits your schedule. Some people read first thing in the morning, some before bed. Some decide to read as they eat their lunch. And there is more to your strategy than just timing. Make your own decisions about reading. It is OK to be reading more than one book at once. It is OK to stop reading something before you finish if it isn’t holding your interest. It is OK to skim the book, getting what you want or need, without reading every page. Determine what works best for you, develop your own beliefs and ideas–then make them work for you. 10. Drop Everything and Read. My son’s fourth grade class has DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) time. When the teacher calls for it, that’s just what they do. They read now. That is my last piece of advice for you. Do it. Just get started. Make it DEAR time. Now.

    [ad_2]

    Source by Kevin Eikenberry

    Views: 0