photo credit: sjsharktank
“I could do it if I really wanted to” is one of the oldest and most overused excuses for not getting off your butt and going after something you would very much like to do.
I could lose weight if I really wanted to.
I could start learning how to speak japanese, if I really wanted to.
I could become self employed… if I really wanted to.
I do agree that some degree of will power is necessary in order to gets started at doing something.
However relying on it completely to achieve your goals is not generally the most effective approach.
The reason for this is that as humans, we have this natural tendency to feel doubt at some stage towards pursuing your goal.
Why will power is overrated
Trying to pursue a goal while relying solely on will power is like trying to climb a cliff wall without a rope or safety harness. The moment you get tired, or in this case feel doubt, there’s a high chance you’re going to let go and fall straight back to the bottom. [click to continue…]
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In Part 1 of the DIY website series, I talked about some things to consider when choosing a domain name for your website.
In Part 2, I’ll walk you through the process of how to check and register a domain name with 1and1.com.
Now the reason I recommend using 1and1.com is because I believe in keeping things neat and tidy.
With 1and1, you can store your domain names in a separate location other than on your webhost.
This means that even if you get another webhost in future, you’ll be able to keep track of all your domain names.
A good analogy would be writing the name of your shop on a sign which you then hang above your shop as opposed to painting the name of your shop right on the shop wall.
If you ever change shop venue, you can just take down the shop sign and hang it at the new location. It makes things easier in the long run.
Check to see if the name you chose is available
The first thing you want to do is to see if the domain name you have chosen is available. Do this using the tool available on the 1and1 homepage. [click to continue…]
photo credit: MrB-MMX
Recently I was trying to get a new project off the ground but for some reason I was procrastinating on it.
I had the time and the means but for some reason I just wasn’t doing anything about it.
At this stage most people would just assume that they are just lazy, however I’ve learned that this is usually never the case.
When I thought about the situation more, I realized that every time I thought about the project, my mind would drift towards 2 specific problems.
Even though I had identified the problems, they were fairly complex and took me several frustrating days to come up with solutions.
Once I’d solved them though, I was able to speed through the project without any major issues.
Your brain, as highly evolved as it is, is not designed to solve multiple complex problems simultaneously and I explain why below. [click to continue…]
photo credit: rutlo
This is the first post in this series on how to build your own DIY website.
At the end of it, you should have enough information to know how to setup your very own good looking website quickly and easily.
I’m a big fan of DIY for one simple reason. If I run into problems, I know how to solve them myself. I like to have as much control as possible when it comes to running my site.
I’m also a major advocate of simplicity. If you don’t need to do more, then don’t. Sometimes good enough, is good enough.
Let’s Get Started
Alright then, jumping right into it, the first thing you want to do is to choose a name for your website.
While you can choose any name you want really, there are a few factors you may want to consider to help make your site more memorable and easily found through search engines online.
I will discuss these factors in the post below.
Rule 1: Make it catchy, easy to remember and easy to spell
If you decide to name your website after a certain Icelandic volcano that erupted recently, chances are not many people are going to be able to remember how to say let alone spell your web address.
If you think about sites like Google, or Yahoo or Facebook, these names are easy to remember and easy to spell.
If you’re going for a brand name that doesn’t really mean anything on its own ( Like Nike, Microsoft or Adidas) , I recommend not letting it have more than 2 to 3 syllables and to keep it as short and as easy to spell as possible.
If you’re going for a name that uses common easy to spell words (like vegetariancookingclass.com or dogtrainingmastery.com), that’s fine as long as you know that the people you are targeting won’t have a problem remembering or spelling your site name.
You want the name to be catchy, easy to remember and easy to spell for your target audience. [click to continue…]
photo credit: rachaelvoorhees
If you don’t already have a website, you really should think about starting one.
Why? Well, I’ll give you a few reasons:
- They are really cheap to setup
- They are very simple to setup (once you know how)
- A website is the foundation for starting an online business or service
To give you an analogy, setting up a website is like buying a piece of real estate that you can do anything you want with.
You can create a place where you journal your thoughts, a place to display your art or if you’re entrepreneurial, a place to start a business and earn some money.
In the internet age, knowing how to setup and run a simple website should be as essential as knowing how to read, write and count. [click to continue…]
photo credit: Igor ™
Who would’ve though that the day would come when someone would develop a search engine that was capable of pulling freelance and telecommuting job listings from across the web.
Well, apparently they have and it’s called Donanza.
How Do You Use It?
Like I said, it is a search engine.
Basically what you do is enter a search term let’s say “Graphic Design” and search.
The search engine will then search through established sites and lesser known sites for projects that meet your search query.
How Do I Know The Projects Are Trustworthy?
Whether every single job they list is rock solid, I can’t say for certain.
What I can tell so far is that there are some pretty big names that are on board with this search engine, and that’s enough to get me to use it.
Also, the search engine has a filter function that allows you to filter projects according to the sites they were found on.
This is good if you’ve determined that there are sites that you simply do not want to get jobs from.
My advice would be to use Donanza to do a mass search across the web for opportunities, and when in doubt of a site, do your research.
To help you through the process, here is a list of a few websites that Donanza will search that I’ve green lighted as sites that are established and won’t screw you around when it comes to freelance projects they post:
So What Should I Do Now?
If you’re a freelancer or employee who wants an easier way to find freelance projects or a telecommuting job, you’re going to want to start using Donanza.
Yasuo Long believes that all employees should have the right to design their lifestyle according to their needs in order to maintain their health, their relationships and their happiness. In pursuit of this, he quit the 9-to-5 and became a telecommuter to give himself the time and mental freedom to discover what it really means to live with direction and purpose.
