Think of the last time you struggled to focus on a boring or difficult task. Your wandering attention probably felt like it was outside your control, as if you suddenly lost the ability to focus and didn't know how to regain it. We all feel that way sometimes.

Even in those moments, when you feel like you're fighting against your own instincts, you can stop procrastinating and get focused. You just need to recharge your willpower.


"Willpower gives you the energy and endurance to deal with challenges, the ability to persevere in the face of setbacks, and the strength to tolerate conflict or stress that might otherwise make us run away from goals or projects we care about," says Kelly McGonigal, a Stanford psychologist and author of The Willpower Instinct (Avery, 2011).

Your willpower works like a muscle -- it needs to be trained, developed, and maintained. "A lot of people will tell me they have no willpower," McGonigal says. "But nothing I've come across suggests a willpower gene."

Anyone can learn to improve their willpower, so here are five tips to get you started:

1. Remember your goals. If your willpower feels drained, think of the task at hand as a necessary stepping stone to help you achieve your goals. "Willpower is very easily depleted if its disconnected from your values and goals," McGonigal says.

For example, if you dislike invoicing, then viewing it as an isolated task will make it hard to muster the energy to do it. If you recast it as one of the many ways you build a thriving business, then the passion you feel for your business will help motivate you to focus on -- and even enjoy -- the invoicing.

2. Practice coping with stress. When you're working toward a goal, you are bound to hit tough times. To reach ambitious goals, you need to persist in stressful conditions, even when anxiety, fear, or even boredom threaten to sap your willpower.

Mindfulness helps you cope with stress and strengthen willpower. Try mindfulness meditation, or better yet, do hot yoga to learn to stay with discomfort and find some serenity within it. "It's almost like a willpower workout," McGonigal says.

3. Forgive your mistakes. You are bound to make mistakes, but your willpower will be stronger if you take those errors in stride. "Forgiving yourself for your mistakes increases motivation and engagement with goals," McGonigal says.

Treat your own failure with the kindness you'd offer a friend, but note the ways that you can do a better job next time. "That's very different than the usual self-criticism or ego-boosting," McGonigal says. It allows you to bounce back and grow at the same time.

4. Connect with colleagues. Willpower naturally rises when we feel recognized and appreciated for our work. "We think of willpower as being so tough and individual, but the more connected people feel, the more willpower they have," McGonigal says.

When you feel unmotivated or distracted, go talk to a co-worker or invite your colleagues to lunch. The simple pleasure of working with people you care about toward a common goal is a surprisingly effective way to restore your willpower.

5. Trust that it will get easier. We often struggle to stay engaged during difficult tasks because we imagine, sometimes unconsciously, that they will continue to be just as hard in the future. We feel defeated or hopeless and give up.

To combat that feeling, remember that your skill improves with practice. "Appreciate that a task is difficult but don't tell yourself the story that it's always going to be difficult," McGonigal says. Most likely, the task will be a little bit easier every time you try it.






































View the Original article

The demand for fresh and high-quality articles on websites is at an all-time high.

Since Google’s Panda and Penguin algorithm updates in 2011 and 2012, content that uses spam SEO practices has been penalized and quality is ever more crucial. Although keeping a news site or a blog up to date with fresh daily content is important and an effective way to generate traffic, your website must also have a solid backbone of  ‘evergreen’ content – or stuff that will not go out of date so easily – to stay relevant.

Evergreen content is content that has endurance and longevity.


What is evergreen content?

You have perhaps heard about evergreen content from industry experts who seem to have fallen in love with the term. They will tell you that it is vital to your blog’s overall success. Evergreen content  covers topics that are always relevant whenever they have been posted. It is written with the goal of driving traffic to a website for a long period of time. Examples of these would be “Tips” and “How-to” posts that retain their value, unlike news content which relies timeliness.

Importance of evergreen content to business?

Most small businesses find it difficult to stick to a blogging schedule, as it takes time and money. As a result, people often write a selection of articles when they get the time and then post them over the coming weeks, without having to worry about tying into the day’s news. It thus sounds more practical as well as business-like to create articles that have no expiration date.

From a blog management standpoint, evergreen content is effective as these posts will continue to be relevant and receive visitors. Creating evergreen content is a powerful way of building your business’ online presence and audience.

Writing perpetually relevant content is not that difficult. It’s just a matter of searching for an interesting topic that fits your business.

To get you started, here are some guidelines to consider:

#1. Choose timeless topics

When choosing a topic for your evergreen post, remember the K.I.S.S rule (Keep It Simple and Sweet). Never choose topics that are too broad, as they must be thoroughly explained, which can make them far too long. Take note that a typical online reader will scan your website looking for keywords and sentences that match the information they are seeking.

In 2008, Nielsen reported that “79 percent of searchers scanned Web pages and they only read 20-28 percent of the words on the page.” Thus, if the readers found that your article is not relevant to them within the first few seconds, then expect them to be clicking the back button.

#2. Give the content depth

Research extensively about your chosen topic. Start by reading up on the subject on Wikipedia, then see what else the web can turn up. Although you’ve done your research, this does not mean that you can confuse your readers with jargon. Remember to write for your market. If your content is for beginners, avoid technical terms that could scare them off. Simplicity is the key to all effective writing. Consider reading 8 Essential Habits for Effective Writing on how to be an effective writer
for a more productive writing experience.

#3. Present your content with visuals

As the online marketing game becomes more competitive, business marketers are finding that interesting content isn’t just about what you say, but also how the information is presented. Content that includes appealing visuals such as photos, videos and graphs (to name a few) will help tell the story you are trying to convey.

In fact, in a study conducted by Florida’s Poynter Institute in May 2004, researchers found out that “images (photos and graphics) were viewed more than text. Photos attracted more attention than graphics. Sixty-four percent of the photos were viewed for about one-and-a-quarter second, on average. Graphics (other than banner ads) were viewed 22 percent of the time, and received about a second’s attention.” So if you’re planning to write tutorials or tips then consider searching for videos or photos to make your content more effective.

So what are you waiting for?

Maintaining a blog for your website often entails a lot of decision making, especially when it comes to deciding what topic to discuss. Remember that “creating content that is just as useful five years down the road as it was the day it was published is not easy, but it’s possible.”

So start investing in evergreen content now to build your brand’s online presence.





















View the Original article