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!