10 Tips for Being Ultra Productive

June 27, 2012 4:45:20 PM

How to Be Ultra Productive — 10 Tips for Mastering Your Time Now | Psychology Today

www.psychologytoday.com

"Time is what we want most, but what we use worst." – William Penn
"Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the only thing he can't afford to lose." – Thomas Edison
"It's how we spend our time here and now, that really matters. If you are fed up with the way you have come to interact with time, change it." – Marcia Wieder
Do you ever wish you had more time to do everything? Have you had days that were busy but inefficient? Would you like to be highly productive, feel accomplished at the end of each day, with even time to spare?
The following are ten tip to help master your time, interspersed with thoughtful quotes, many of which from well known, successful individuals who have (obviously) made good use of their time.
1. Do not confuse busyness with productivity . Highly productive people are often less busy than those who are overworked and overwhelmed.

"It's not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about?" – Henry David Thoreau
2. Do not confuse the urgent with the important. Last-minute distractions from yourself and especially others are not necessarily priorities.
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life." – Steve Jobs
"If you want to make good use of your time, you've got to know what's most important and then give it all you've got." – Lee Iacocca
3. The key to time management is self-management.
"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." – Michael Altshuler
For tips on successful self-management, see my articles  Are You a Poor Communicator? How to Improve ,  Seven Ways to Say "No" and Keep Good Relations , and Eight Keys to Life Hardiness and Resiliency .
4. Remember the 80/20 rule of time management , which tells us that 80 percent of the importance of what we do in any given day lies in only twenty percent of the activities. Therefore, if you focus on accomplishing the top twenty percent of the most important tasks, you will feel more productive and satisfied at the end of the day.
"One man gets only a week's value out of a year while another man gets a full year's value out of a week." – Charles Richards
"I get paid not by how many hours I work, but by the importance of the problems I solve." – Anonymous

5. Use a good day planner. The best ones give you at least one full page (or screen) per day, with space allocated for each working hour of the day.
"I must govern the clock, not be governed by it." – Golda Meir
6. Separate obligatory time from discretionary time. In your day planner, block out all the times when you're committed to others to be at a certain place at a certain time, such as meetings, conferences and other appointments. What's not your obligatory time is your discretionary time. This is the time you can manage.
"Realize that now, in this moment of time, you are creating. You are creating your next moment. That is what's real." – Sara Paddison
7. List: At the beginning of each day, write down a bullet-point list of everything you would like to accomplish this day.
"Make use of time, let not advantage slip." – William Shakespeare
"This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it." – Ralph Waldo Emerson
8. Prioritize: Next to each bullet-point item, assign an "A" if this is a "must do" item for today, a "B" for "should do" and a "C" for "could do." For large projects, break it down into small parts and prioritize. Divide-and-conquer.
"For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earned." – Benjamin Franklin
"The key is in not spending time, but in investing it." – Stephen R. Covey
9. Implement: Focus on accomplishing your "A" list with your discretionary time. Check off each item as it's complete. With this system, even if you only accomplish twenty percent of your entire list for the day, you still would have accomplished eighty percent of the most important work.
"Until we can manage time, we can manage nothing else." – Peter F. Drucker
10. What you don't finish today, transfer to your list for tomorrow and reprioritize.
In conclusion, when we manage our time wisely, we can be at our productive best, so we can enjoy life more and rest!
"Time equals life; therefore, waste your time and waste of your life, or master your time and master your life." – Alan Lakein
For more on personal success, download free excerpts of my publications "Communication Success with Four Personality Types ", " How to Communicate Effectively and Handle Difficult People ", and " Wealth Building Attitudes, Values, and Habits ".
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Preston Ni, M.S.B.A. is available as a presenter, workshop facilitator, and private coach. For more information, write to commsuccess@nipreston.com , or visitwww.nipreston.com .
© 2012 by Preston C. Ni. All rights reserved worldwide.
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2012's Highest Paying College Majors

February 17, 2012 10:46:40 AM

Best College Majors by Salary

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While some go to college to expand their mind and cultivate themselves, others have a far more mercenary goal in mind: They just want to make money. There's nothing wrong with either choice. However, the reason you choose to go to college will impact what major you decide to take. If you're looking to make a lot of money right out of college, these are majors you should look into. All figures are from PayScale.com.

Engineering

The data is clear: When you want to make a pile of money, you go into engineering. Seven of the ten top-earning majors are engineering majors, with all of the top six being engineering majors. The best-paid engineering majors are petroleum, chemical, electrical, materials, aerospace and computer engineering. Petroleum engineers start at about $97,000 per year and are making $155,000 by mid-career. The lowest-paid engineers in the top ten are nuclear engineers, who start at a paltry $65,000 and only early what entry-level petroleum engineers make by mid-career. Still, engineering isn't for everyone: You'd better be very good at math if you decide to make this your vocation.

Physics

In seventh place overall is physics. Physicists come out of college earning a respectable $49,800 per year, and are making a handsome $101,000 per year by mid-career. This is another place where you're going to have to be good at applied mathematics to even get through college, let alone make a career at. Still, for the person interested in working with their mind and their hands, this can be a a great choice of major. It can also be a good choice for those who want to teach, though graduate study would be required to teach at the college level.

Applied Mathematics

It goes without saying that this is another major where you need to be good at math. Mathematicians work in a variety of fields, including alongside many of the engineers and physicists mentioned above. It's common for mathematicians to work for the federal government at places like the National Institute of Standards and Technology and NASA. Mathematicians start out making about $52,000 per year but are earning around $98,000 by mid-career.

Computer Science

Different from computer engineering which deals with hardware, computer science is the discipline dedicated to computer software. It's probably not too surprising that computer science majors are among the top earning majors in the United States, or that they are highly employable. As the world increasingly becomes plugged in at all times (think mobile technology and the apps boom), computer science majors might not even need employment in many cases — they might be able to get by just by freelancing or by making their own products and selling them directly to the public. Computer science majors start out earning just over $52,000 per year and are earning $98,000 per year by the time they move into mid-career.

Economics

You've probably noticed a pattern by now: Virtually all of the top paying college majors require a lot of math. Economics is no exception to this rule, but it's probably the closest thing to a humanity that we've seen on the list so far. You'll definitely be reading a lot of stuff that isn't math when you pursue an economics degree, but you're also going to be crunching a lot of numbers. Still, it doesn't take an economics major to figure out that making $47,000 a year once you get out of college isn't bad and earning $94,000 annually at mid-career is nothing to sneeze at, either.

Statistics

Statistically speaking, people who are good at math earn more money than people who aren't. Statistics is a fascinating area of study and, like economics, resembles a humanity in some ways, specifically philosophy. In statistics you'll learn not just how to create statistical projects, but also what different types of statistics actually mean. The discipline is about a lot more than math — it's about learning what numbers say about the world we live in. Entry-level statisticians earn $49,000, with mid-career professionals making $93,000.

Picking A Major

No one is suggesting that you do something you hate for the sake of earning money. However, if you have any interest in the above areas, they're worth considering as majors. It will certainly help you pay off your student loans faster.

February 13, 2012 3:09:04 PM

The Ultimate Guide To Becoming A Doer

www.dumblittleman.com

The Ultimate Guide To Becoming A Doer

Sometimes we spend an inordinate amount of time talking about our ideas, dreams, and aspirations. It is easy to content ourselves with simply having lofty ideas, not realizing their sheer abundance. Anyone who has taken a breath has likely had an idea that could have literally changed the course of his or her life in a revolutionary way. Unfortunately, such ideas rarely get implemented. According to Mark Twain, "the secret to getting ahead is getting started."

If you are tired of inactivity robbing you of your potential, then here are 15 ways to be a doer.
Dreams and Mental Preparedness

1. Cultivate Your Dream
2. Relinquish Regret
3. Forgive yourself today.
4. Let Go of the Stigma of Failure
5. Know Yourself 
6. Plan to Win
7. Prioritize
8. Start Small
9. Set a Time Limit on Preparation
10. Admit the Joylessness of Over-reaching
11. Banish Eeyore aka Dream-killers
12. Network With Achievers
13. Get an Accountability Partner
14. Delegate
15. Create an Action Environment
16. Record and Celebrate Your Progress

Closing Thoughts

Inactivity is one of the greatest thieves of opportunity. Don't be content with simply having a great idea. After all, the idea is often just a small fraction of the journey. It's what you do with your ideas, dreams, and passions that count. In your journey to be a doer, remember, as your thoughts become more, you become more. Therefore, commit to thinking on a higher level, develop high goals and plans of implementation, establish and maintain relationships that add to your life instead of subtract, and diminish the barriers to your motivation. As you apply these steps consistently, you too will be a doer.

February 13, 2012 3:00:32 PM

[INFOGRAPHIC] How Much Are Your Social Media Skills Worth?

www.readwriteweb.com

Employment agency OnWardSearch is kicking off Social Media Week by releasing an infographic that gives a snapshot of the state of salaries in the field.

The Salary Guide , which gives the top 20 markets as well as salary ranges for top job titles in each metro area, is coupled with a post on career advice from leading marketers. Not surprisingly, the left coast remains one of the better places to head to if you want to make a living blogging, tweeting or managing brands on social networks, but don't rule out the northeast — particularly New York (which tops the list) and Boston (which checks in at number five).
What will be interesting going forward is seeing how this list changes from year to year: not only are we interested in seeing if salaries for the different positions go up or down and if certain cities move onto or fall off of the list, but we'd be interested in getting a look at whether certain jobs start to make up a bigger percentage of social media employment in years to come.

February 13, 2012 2:54:08 PM

Burnout Is Real: How to Identify and Address Your Burnout Problem

lifehacker.com

Most demanding careers practically guarantee stress, but if you're feeling completely exhausted, unable to concentrate, or as though you're neglecting your own well-being, you may be suffering from burnout. It's a very real condition that's easy to ignore, but you can detect and fix the problem if you know what to do. Here's how.
We often use the term "burnout" as a vague label for an exhausting day or week of hard work, but actual burnout is quite a bit more serious. I experienced serious burnout at my first job out of college. I always knew something was wrong because of the long hours and high levels of stress, but I didn't really realize what it was doing to me until my parents came to visit, saw the disastrous state of my apartment, and made me aware of what I'd been trying to ignore. (I'm usually a very tidy person, so even a small mess indicates a problem.) After leaving that job I learned more about burnout, how my life was a perfect (and extreme) example, and what I needed to do to change it. Burnout can be bad, but it isn't insurmountable. You simply need to recognize the symptoms, identify the causes, and take action—both in the short and long term—to remedy the issues you uncover. In this post, we're going to look at how to do those three things.

How to Identify Burnout and Its Cause

Burnout isn't as simple as extreme exhaustion. When you're truly burnt out, there's very little you'll do that isn't necessary for survival. You won't find a regular vacation very refreshing. You not only lose interest in the work that burnt you out in the first place, but in nearly everything else that you do. Fun won't be fun, every little thing will bother you, and you'll be unhappy without fully understanding why. You'll feel this way on a regular basis, and you'll likely believe there isn't an alternative. Of course, many people describe the symptoms of burnout a little bit differently so I've compiled a list from a few sources (including my own experience) to provide a broad view of what burnout can look and feel like:

• A generally negative attitude, often paired with the feeling that nothing is going to work out.
• Inability to concentrate.
• General apathy towards your work, chores, and other tasks.
• Feelings of stagnation.
• A lack of interest in social activities and being with others.
• Difficulty with healthy habits like exercise, diet, and regular sleep.
• Feeling like you're never doing enough.
• Neglecting your own needs (and putting the needs of others ahead of your own).
• Personal values and beliefs lose their importance.
• Short temper.
• Constant exhaustion.
• Feelings of inefficacy.
• Feelings of detachment from people and things you care about.
• Frequent boredom.
• Psychosomatic complaints, such as headaches, lingering colds, and other issues with a cause that's difficult to identify.
• The denial of these feelings.

Sources: Tech Republic , Wikipedia , and Psychology Today .

Because you may not always be able to identify these issues in yourself, it helps to ask friends or family members that you trust for help. Not only can they provide a useful outside opinion, but they can often offer examples of why they believe you are burnt out. When you're having trouble seeing the problem yourself, these examples can help you realize it's really there. Chances are they will tell you that you're working so much that they never see you anymore. Especially honest friends and family members will tell you that you seem disconnected and aren't as fun to be around as you once were. Be prepared to hear that you're currently not at your best and why.

Once you've identified that you are burnt out, you need to figure out why . For the most people, this should be fairly simple because it will be the primary source of your frustration and will take up the majority of your time. When I was burnt out because of a previous job, I found that I rarely had the ability to concentrate on much else. Even when someone was talking to me, I'd often be thinking about problems at my job or worrying about work I needed to finish. I finally decided I needed to quit when a friend was telling me about an important issue in his life, he asked me what I thought, and my response was "I hate my job." I gave notice the following Monday. Jobs aren't the only source of burnout, however, but how you find that source is generally the same. Pay attention to what's consuming your thoughts and you should have your answer.

How to Undo the Effects of Burnout

Once you've identified and accepted that you're truly burnt out, you need to change it. It takes awhile for burnout to manifest and so it can take awhile to undo as well. You'll need to be ready to make serious changes and stick with them for awhile. The good news is that once you start making these changes, you should start to feel more motivated again. Often times change is the necessary catalyst to make you feel like things are going to get better. By taking these changes slowly and rolling them out over a long period of time (e.g. a year or more), you can keep yourself on track.

Cut Off the Source of the Burnout

Before you can make any changes, you have to figure out which ones are relevant. That will, for the most part, depend on the source of your burnout. Whatever is at the source, you need to cut it off. If your source of burnout is job-related, figure out what the problem is and do everything you can to change it. If you change isn't an option within your job, it may be time to quit. That's a scary prospect regardless of the current unemployment rate, so be sure to have enough savings in place to survive for at least a few months or have another job lined up.

When considering your next job, you'll want to concentrate on two things: a comfortable schedule and control. Your schedule is important because you don't want to be overworked. For many people, burnout originates from too many hours on the job and too little time for oneself. Also, having more control over your work is also relevant because you're coming from a situation where you had very little control over your own life. If you move into a job that provides more responsibility, it'll help you feel like things are getting back on track. This also means that you don't want to rule out jobs you wouldn't have considered previously. Apply for jobs that you think you're unqualified to get—because you might be surprised and actually get one of them—and also apply for a job or two that you think you're too qualified to want—because that kind of job might offer the flexibility and control you need. If you can afford to take a large chunk of time off (e.g. a month or more) before heading back to the working world, however, you should. While a vacation won't solve the problem, it will at least help you generate a little more energy before you take your next steps.
Not every source of burnout can be swapped for something better. If for whatever reason there is no way for you to cut off the source of burnout entirely, you need to get as much help as possible to lighten your load. Ask your friends and family to assist where they can so you have more personal time to figure out a long-term solution to your problem.

Be Unusual

Chances are you have a daily routine, and that's in part because you're unmotivated to do a whole lot beyond what you're used to doing every day when you're burnt out. Simply doing something completely out of the ordinary can make a huge difference. If you sit on your butt all day, go take a walk in the park. If you're constantly connecting with technology, try playing cards or board game. If you always wake up early, sleep in. If you like to sleep in, trying getting up early. Reversing your routine is a simple way to feel refreshed and it takes very little work.

Be Healthy

Your health is exceptionally important, but burnout makes it harder to maintain. It can be particularly difficult to overcome unhealthy behavior because the symptoms of burnout encourages you to overlook your own needs. When you have absolutely no emotional desire to exercise and eat better, the best thing you can do is as little as possible. It's easy to say no to 30 minutes of exercise that requires a gym, but it's much harder to procrastinate when your daily exercise only takes five to 15 minutes and you can do it at home. We've previously outlinedmany ways you can get a complete workout with nothing but your body , so just pick a few exercises you like and do them for a short amount of time during the day. So long as you do some kind of exercise each day, you'll be improving your health little by little. Also, just move around as often as you can. A sedentary lifestyle is harmful to your health , but it can be overcome with regular movement each day .

Getting on a better diet will take a little more willpower, as you'll have to forgo a lot of the unhealthy foods you've used to eke out a little bit of joy in your burnt out life. Just like with the exercise, take it easy and work your way up slowly. Consider everything you like to eat on a regular basis and isolate the top five healthiest choices on that list. Concentrate on eating those more often and be diligent about portion control. This won't involve any dramatic changes in your diet, but will refocus what you already eat so you're eating healthier. When you're feeling up to it, start cooking more often. When you make the food, you have greater control over what's going into your body.

Finally, sleep better (and more if you need to). Burnout's primary symptom is long-term exhaustion, so you need to improve the quality of your sleep if you want things to get better. I found technology to be helpful when diagnosing my sleep problems and figuring out a better routine. If your sleep problems are more specific, however, check out these common solutions .

Be Patient

As previously mentioned, undoing burnout takes time. While you may start to feel better quickly, overriding your previous descent into exhaustion is a long-term process and you can't expect to fix it all in a snap. As you work your way back to feeling better, more energized, and generally happier with your work and personal lives, set both long and short term goals to help you remember that this is a process. Seeing yourself achieve these goals over time will help you know that progress is being made even when it feels like nothing is happening at all. Burnout is difficult to overcome, but you'll get there if you're dedicated.
Images by Leremy (Shutterstock) and Roman Sigaev (Shutterstock) .

February 13, 2012 2:43:28 PM

Salary Negotiations: Don't be Tough, be Honest

lifehacker.com

Unless you were born with a peculiar penchant for arguing over your livelihood, salary negotiations are stressful and difficult. We're often told that these negotiations require an iron constitution and a willingness to play the "game", but if that approach has never worked for you, guest writer Jeff Northrop offers an alternative that works for him: Be honest.
I read a blog post the other day about how to properly negotiate a salary. It received a lot attention and generated a heated discussion . Obviously this is important to many of us—me included.
However, I see things differently than Patrick. I've liked almost all of my bosses (five to date), and enjoyed my past places of employment. I've generally felt fairly compensated and when I haven't, I've done my research to make sure my feelings match reality then talked to my boss about it. In short I've treated salary negation like a considerate human relationship, not a game to win. Maybe I've "left money on the table," but I hate playing games and frankly compensation negotiations aren't a game.
The gist of Patrick's post is this: "Be more assertive and shamelessly demand more." I've been thinking about that advice quite a bit since reading it and it makes me feel sorry for those who have to follow this advice at face value.
I do agree that many people need to be more frank about their needs and wants, but why the need to take such an adversarial approach? It's important to keep in mind that you're negotiating with a human being and all the emotional baggage that comes with it.
I guess the original author believes that being difficult in negotiations is the best method to get the most value. Honestly, I haven't tried it, but I imagine it leaves the risk of getting a relationship off on the wrong foot. And, at the end of the day, a large part of your job satisfaction relies on the relationship between you and your manager.
The whole discussion around "don't give the first number" is ridiculous. My "rule number one," and only rule, in going into any negotiation is to know what you want as the result before you start. Given that, if you have done your research and know what salary you want, there is no reason not to come out and state it when asked.
If the hiring manager wants to ask for a number in the first interview, fine with me. "I want around $xxx,xxx. Of course I'll take into consideration the complete package but I think that's a fair starting point."
At that point you can end that line of questioning and decline to get more specific without coming across like you are playing games. If they do persist and ask you for more details (expected vacation, etc.) at this point you can comfortably tell them you don't want to get into those details yet. Unless you do. In that case tell them you like to take every August off to be with your European relatives. Or that you need to work from home every Friday. Why not?
Everyone is different and everyone has their own style and organizations are much the same. So go into negotiations prepared, do your homework on salaries and compensation packages, and know what you want, but in the end be yourself. Then when the final job offer makes you happy, take the job and be happy. Photo by james weston /Shutterstock.
Salary Negotiations, Don't be Tough, be Honest | Jeff Northrop
Jeff Northrop, CIPP/US, CISSP is a software developer, privacy professional, and occasional entrepreneur. Currently a Director at the International Association of Privacy Professionals .

Best Sites to Raise Money to Help Get Your Ideas Off the Ground

February 9, 2012 8:24:48 PM

The Best Sites to Raise Money and Get Your Ideas Off the Ground

lifehacker.com

If you have a brilliant new idea for an mobile app, a handy gadget, a smartphone case that does something cool, an album you want to produce, or even a comic book you want to publish, it's never been easier to get your idea in front of a lot of people and raise money to make it a reality. There are dozens of free and cheap sites designed to boost new ideas, but not all of them are best for your idea. Here's how to pick the best one for you.
Sites like Kickstarter and many others all cater to people with ideas they believe can make it big, but who need money to get them off the ground. The community supports the idea, everyone chips in, and with luck and enough interest and the right amount of money, the product gets made and the contributors usually get first cut or a special perk. Still, even though Kickstarter gets a lot of press, it's not necessarily the best one for your idea.

For The Most Attention: Kickstarter

Kickstarter is the major player in this space, and for good reason. The service gets a lot of media attention, and even though the majority of Kickstarter projects don't go anywhere, it's become the go-to destination for anyone looking to crowd-fund their projects thanks to a few high-profile projects that managed to raise a lot of money. It's not the biggest crowd-funding community, and it's not even the one with the best track record, but it's incredibly easy to use, popular with angel investors and people looking for the next big idea to invest in and get behind, and well organized. Idea creators can set up their profiles for free, founders can pledge as much or as little as they choose, and no money changes hands until time runs out or the project is fully-funded. If the project is fully funded, Kickstarter takes 5% off the top, and the rest goes to the inventor or creator to make their idea happen.

For App-Builders, Game Designers, and Developers:IndieGoGo

IndieGoGo is actually larger than Kickstarter, and more people there use it for more types of projects. The site takes 4% off the top of your fundraising if you reach your funding goal, and encourages creators and developers to offer perks to the community for funding their projects. Unlike some of its competition, IndieGoGo also has its doors open to charities and non-profits. The site is particularly popular with software and app developers, although all sorts of creative projects are up on the site for funding, including documentary and independant films, education projects, and international aid projects. IndieGoGo also has the benefit of being a global site, available to users around the world.

For Inventors and Gadget Creators: Quirky

Quirky has an excellent track record, and some of our favorite gadgets started as Quirky ideas. The process of getting your idea in front of the Quirky community is a bit more involved than at other sites. You submit your idea, the community weighs in first on whether or not it's an idea that could be made into an actual product before it goes in front of the world for fundraising. That's the key, while other sites focus on creative endeavors, most Quirky projects are tangible products that can be manufactured and sold. The Quirky community is active and engaged in idea building and product design and development, and a lot goes on long before the idea ever gets on the site for presale fundraising. Pricing is on a sliding scale—people who get in early can get lower prices than people who get in later, and once the product is made, Quirky can work to manufacture it themselves, or work with a major retail partner to get it on store shelves everywhere.

For Musicians: Bandcamp

We touched on this topic a bit in our previous story on how to release music online so music-lovers can get to it , but while SoundCloud was one of our favorite options for releasing your music for free, allowing people to remix it, and comment on it, Bandcamp is another great solution for musicians looking to set up a free storefront on the web to allow people to buy and download their music directly. Artists and fans both love Bandcamp, and the service handles the entire payment platform, from set-your-own-price albums and songs to artists with a mix of free and paid songs in their discography. Artists can also sell merchandise through their stores, and Bandcamp takes a slice off the top depending on the artist's sales. Fans and music lovers on the other hand get a social platform where they can follow and interact with their favorite artists, get alerts when new music is released, and discover new artists through their friends.

For Crafty Types: Etsy

Crafty types are already well aware of Etsy and how the platform works. When people who made their own hand-made goods, arts, and custom crafts wanted an online storefront that catered more to their needs than a general auction site like eBay, Etsy was born. The site has dozens of categories, including clothing, art, jewelry, household accessories, and more. While most people know Etsy as a craft-lovers haven, the site is also home to a number of stores that manufacture products you wouldn't associate with "arts and crafts," like wall decals, custom motorcycle helmets, and even edible crafts like homemade cookies and beef jerky. Where other similar sites help you get seed money for an idea, Etsy is more of a traditional store, meaning you have to have your idea off the ground and your product ready for sale—even if it's a single item—before you can sell it.

For Global Users: RocketHub

Many of these sites limit their membership to users in the United States, but RocketHub is one of the largest global communities dedicated to crowd-funding new ideas. RocketHub combines a traditional crowd-funding site where individuals can promote and raise money for their own ideas and pet projects with a funding bank where people with inspired ideas can connect with sponsors, non-profits, and funding groups who are willing to share some cash with a particularly motivated or passionate individual. The service works much like Kickstarter or IndieGoGo—sign-ups are free, and the site takes a 4% cut.
Different crowd-funding sites have different goals and different audiences. Depending on the type of idea you have and the audience you want to reach, you have an array of sites to choose from, and this is just the beginning. For example, if you have a random request or want to get the crowd's help in funding a life event like a wedding or a vacation, you can try GoGetFunding , and if you're an industrial designer, Yanko Design is a great resource for like-minded designers.
Whichever site you choose to get your ideas off the ground, make sure it's one where the community is aligned with and supportive of your ideas, and you'll have no trouble raising the funds needed to make it a reality. Have you used any of these sites to crowd-fund a project or idea? Share your experiences in the comments below.

How to Promote Yourself Online

February 9, 2012 7:57:04 PM

How to Promote Yourself (Without Being Sleazy)

lifehacker.com

Whether due to modesty, timidity, or just a desire not to annoy anyone, most of us suck at self-promotion. But the fact is, promoting yourself and getting your name out there is an essential part of getting the job you want, making new contacts, building your network, and meeting the people who can help you make the most of your talents and abilities. After all, no one's going to do it for you, and no one's going to make sure you get the credit you deserve. The problem: How do you promote yourself without coming off as a sleazy pest? Here's how.

If you want to make a good impression or stand out from the crowd, you need to sell yourself. We've discussed ways to establish your online identity , but that's just the starting point. In this post, we'll detail how to turn your online identity into a portfolio you can use to showcase your talents. After that, we'll talk about how to get your work in front of the people who can offer you the opportunities you want, and for that, you'll need to promote yourself without coming off too strong or being too timid. Here's how to promote your work and skills without coming off sleazy or slimy in the process.

First, You'll Need to Build Your Online Portfolio

The first step to getting your name and ideas where other people can see is to build some kind of personal portfolio where people can learn more about you and your work. We've discussed in the past how valuable personal profile pages can be , like the types offered by About.Me and Flavors.me , and many of them—especially About.me—are great free options for setting up a single page on the web that's all about you, has a memorable URL, and serves as a jumping off point to other places on the web where visitors can learn more about you. If you're a photographer with a Flickr porfolio, or a blogger with your own Wordpress site, or an indie filmmaker with a YouTube account, you can use a personal landing page as a funnel to get eyes on your work.

If you really want to build your personal portfolio however, you'll need your own domain name, and your own self-hosted website—or at least a free host that allows you to use your own URL, like Wordpress , Blogger , or one of the landing page services above. There's no substitute for having an email address from your own URL, a photo gallery on your own site that's populated with your own photos, or a blog with your own URL that's full of your ideas and thoughtful articles. You can even usethe code we've provided to build a personal landing page on your own domain, or supercharge your domain with these clever tips , many of which will help you if you're trying to build a professional web presence, or just make a name for yourself.

When you have your photos hosted somewhere and ready for view, your new blog all set up and full of great content that's not available anywhere else, or insights that you're ready to share with the world, you're ready to move on to the next step: talking yourself up and sharing your work with others.

Build Meaningful Relationships Instead of Broadcasting Aimlessly

We asked Gary Vaynerchuk , entrepreneur, business owner, social media maven, and author of the books Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion and The Thank You Economy , for some tips on how to build an online presence without being putting off the people you want to draw in, and here are a few tips he's shared with us.

• Be honest and genuine . Don't pretend you're someone or something you're not, and be honest about the message you want to send and why people should pay attention. If you add a title to your Twitter profile like "SEO Expert" or "Social Media Guru," be ready for the eye-rolling those phrases incite. Gary suggests you ask yourself whether you've ever actually built a business on your advice or consultation in the past before you call yourself a guru—just because you pulled a 6 month stint as a real estate agent, for example, does not make you a "sales expert."
  
  
• Respond and engage . Even if you have a profile that broadcasts new stories, or tells everyone when you've added new photos to your gallery, make sure you as a person get involved with the people who are looking and offering their feedback. Gary notes that he spends a great deal of time replying to people who tweet at him or send him emails, and it's that conversation with others that makes people really interested in what you have to say. "You're more likely to be heard by listening than talking," he says. "@ replying someone based on information they need is going to convert [people], pushing out into the Twitter firehose isn't."
• Don't be spammy . It can be difficult, especially if you take a lot of photos and you want everyone to see them all, or if you write a lot of articles and want everyone to read all of them, but you have to resist the urge to blast your potential audience with updates, emails, and messages from you. Don't overwhelm your Twitter followers with retweets and auto-DMs, annoy your Facebook subscribers with four or five posts an hour, or email the same people multiple times a day begging for their attention. As Gary noted, you'll make more meaningful connections with individuals than you will by broadcasting, so be modest and listen—if people say they're overwhelmed, rein it in.
• Know when to give up . If you've reached out to connect with someone, or mentioned you think you'd be a great fit for their company and you'd love it if they'd take a look at some examples of your work, and you're met with silence, don't pester them, or try to up the ante by calling them out. That's a surefire way to come off slimy and desperate, and it's energy better spent elsewhere making new contacts and introducing yourself to new people.
• Know where the line is . Most people have a natural compass that will sound an alarm when you're about to do or say something stupid, or when you're pushing your luck. If you're trying to promote yourself in a non-sleazy way, it's more important to listen to that compass than ever. That's no excuse for not hustling and doing as much as you can and meeting as many people are you can, but if you're starting to behave in a way that you know would come off irritating or overzealous if the roles were reversed, it's time to back off. When you're promoting yourself, the best thing you can do is keep the other person's position in mind as often as possible, and try to endear yourself without overwhelming them.

Build a Network of People Who Support Your Ideas

As you meet people, engage them, and interact with them, you should take care to keep track of those individuals who have offered you the most meaningful criticism, support, and encouragement along the way. Those people are your network, and they can help you launch your ideas and find opportunities to bring those ideas to bear. We've discussed some ways to build a professional network, even if you hate the idea of networking in the past, but however you go about it, it's important to build one.

This great piece on networking for introverts from Dale Thoughts also has a few great tips for building a professional network, but the takeaway we thought was most important is that you don't have to go to massive networking events, dinners, or cocktails parties to build a professional network. If that's your style, go for it, but a better way for many is to find a professional society, club, or group that you're passionate about, and join them. In a previous life, I was a project manager, so I joined the Project Management Institute (PMI) to connect with other PMs. When I decided to start writing for a living, the best thing I could do is comment on interesting stories, meet other writers, and learn from their experience. If you're trying to get your name in front of people who can help you find opportunities in your field, meeting others in your field who have something to teach you and can support your efforts is a good way to start. Plus, you'll always be sure you're talking to people who share your interests, instead of people who could care less.

As you build a network, make sure your relationships aren't a one way street. A fast way to come off sleazy is to use people for what they can give you, and to view them as "resources" to be used when you need something. The reason it's called a "network" is because you're a part of it, and connected to other people. Jason Shengave this excellent presentation on personal branding where he explains how important it is to give back whenever possible. Make your network realize and remember that you're a valuable person who cares as much for them as they do for you. It evens the playing field, and as long as you're working on great things with great people that you're passionate about, and that you boost those people as much as they boost you, you'll be unstoppable—and perhaps more importantly, respected.

Don't Underestimate Talent and Passion, and You'll Do Fine

Another point that Gary Vaynerchuk shared with us is that there's a lot to be said for talent. If you're trying to promote yourself in a field that you're not necessarily any good in, or that you're not passionate about, you're not going to get far. Even worse, you may try too hard to make up for the fact that you're not really passionate about what you're doing, and you'll turn people off. If there's anything people—especially on the internet—have grown especially capable of sniffing out, it's BS.

Make sure you're building your portfolio around your talents and strengths, communicating with the right people, building lasting relationships with people who can both help and teach you (as well as benefit from your help and teaching), and make sure you're promoting your best talents—the ones you want the world to see. Not everyone will succeed, but you'll stand a better chance if you're ready to buckle down, hustle, and do the hard work required to make your ideas come to life. You'll be more motivated to do those things if you're working on things you're passionate about and have a talent for, and you'll be more sensitive to making the best possible impression without being disingenuous in the process.