5 Lesser-Known But Highly Effective Hacks to Achieve Sales Success

Sales is one of the most crucial aspects of a business and the art of selling is a sought-after trait. In fact, as competitive individuals, humans go through a continuous process of selling. From selling delegated products to selling our skills and unique personalities to our superiors in the office, we regularly undergo the sales process in our daily lives. This makes it important that we become extremely aware of the best ways to boost sales.

“No matter how big (CEO) or small (a salesman) is the job, experience in sales is a must”, said Naeem Zafar, former CEO of multiple unicorns including Bitzer Mobiles and the founder of Telesense, in an interview.

Now, to ensure that you become successful in the process, here is a list of 5 lesser-known ways to boost sales.

Tune in to your prospect’s frequency

Grabbing the attention of your prospect is the most important thing in the sales industry. More than speaking about the product, you need to ‘listen’ to the customer and suggest to him the right product.

This typically requires building a certain amount of trust with the prospect. The best way of doing that is by tuning yourself according to the potential customer.

Mirroring the customer’s actions is how you can pair yourself with his frequency. If he talks slowly, slow your speech down. If he is a conservative, serious person, hold your dad jokes and be serious as well.

Understanding customer psychology and showing familiar ground between you and him is crucial to furthering the sales process. After all, like attracts like, right?

Foresee objections and prepare answers to them

Anticipating is the key and preparing accordingly is your best bet.

The most embarrassing part of sales is when your prospect throws an objection or problem at you and you have no answer to that.

To prepare yourself, you must start by thoroughly researching the product you are selling. Keep track of the competitive landscape and know the pros and cons of your product so you can demonstrate its unique offering when compared with rival products in the market.

To know how to handle prospects, make a list of hurdles already thrown your way by previous prospects or customers and come up with turnarounds for them. Having done that, you will automatically feel more comfortable talking to customers. That can make you look more confident and approachable, setting you on the road to speedier sales success.

Unleash your emotional chameleon

As mentioned above, you need to let the customer do the talking and exercise patience when it comes to sales. In fact, you have to take the back seat and let the prospect drive if you want a successful deal.

Start by letting the customer narrate his problems. Throw emotional darts at him and pinch his pain points. Then, slowly take the leash and guide him towards the solution– your product! And voila, you have your deal signed!

The key is to be sophisticated and subtle while you do this. Genuinely try to understand the customer’s pain points.

Take note of feedback

Customers tend to share feedback in creative ways. From Facebook posts to spitting venomous words in person, customers tend to be brutally honest when it comes to sharing feedback and reviews.

Quite naturally, this can be a huge blow to the seller’s ego, causing the salesperson to get offended and switch off from the conversation. However, ignoring the issue can only lead to dissatisfied customers leaving your product/service subscription and a needlessly high churn rate.

To counter this, think of such unpleasant customer interactions as a golden chance to understand current issues. Use them to come up with things you need to improve or work on.

Grab an in-person meeting

Phone calls and emails all work fine but if you want to hook the big fish, get a face-to-face appointment.

Again, you need to be creative here and not seem like you are imposing yourself on the customer. A light, cheery, ‘I’m in town next week, want to meet up?’ or ‘I’m free tomorrow, can I pop in?’ will work much better than saying outright to your customer why they should purchase your product/service.

Once you get the opportunity, you can pitch your product in a far more relaxed setting than the four-walled sales setting of your office. This can increase the probability of signing a deal sooner than you thought possible. To maintain professionalism, bring a prototype along. If you can get the product itself, there’s nothing better.

In Summary

These are just a few ways to boost sales. The key lies in understanding that your customers and prospects need to see value in your product/service. Critiquing your product is the first step towards understanding the crowd. Once you understand the mindset of the person buying your product or subscribing to your services, you will be in a much better position to sell.

The sentence ‘How can I help?’ should be your signature line and a smile on your face should reflect your empathy, understanding, and conviction. After all, persuasion is the key to sales success.

Happy selling!

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Yay or Nay: The Pros and Cons of Living in a Condo

People in the city live hectic lives. And if you are one of those people, there’s a good chance that you barely have time to maintain your house because of your full schedule.

If you are looking for a better housing option and you’re seriously considering getting a condominium, make sure to check out these pros and cons of living in a condo first.

The Pros

Saying goodbye to yard and lawn maintenance

Outdoor maintenance involves mowing the lawn, trimming overlapping tree branches, raking up leaves, watering the plants, pruning overgrown plants, and digging up weeds. You also have to powerwash your exterior walls and change the paint every few years to keep it in good shape.

Say goodbye to all of these when you choose a condo. You’ll have to pay a fee to the condo association for maintenance, but that’s all there is. You’ll get to enjoy the outdoor amenities that your condo has to offer without exerting effort for its upkeep.

Saving money when investing in a condo

You’ll spend less money when you invest in a condo. In Toronto, the average price for a one-bedroom unit in 2017 was $485,322. If the owners chose to upgrade, it could reach $563,191.

For houses, the average home price in the greater Toronto area from November to December 2017 exceeded $750,000. If you don’t have the money to buy a house, a condo is an excellent choice for housing. Yes, you’d have to pay additional payments such as association fees, but it’s for your security and comfort. The extra cost is worth it.

Proximity is the key to a closer community

A tight-knit community is possible for people who live in houses. After all, they end up living or staying in the same area for a long time.

For those with sprawling properties, interaction might be limited.

Compared to the living conditions of a condo, the units are closer. It makes it easier to check in on your neighbors every once in a while. With 1.9 million Canadian households living in condos in 2016, it’s not hard to find a fellow neighbor who shares common interests with you.

Taking care of your house with ease

If you’re having plumbing, electrical or other household problems, you might have to fix it yourself or call experts who can help you. Calling for maintenance service means that every time you have a problem, you have to spend money for services provided.

Most of the time, condo maintenance is taken care of by the company and you pay for this through the additional fees that you pay for your unit. So experience the luxury of picking up your phone and calling the management whenever you have issues with your condo unit.

The luxury of amenities

A swimming pool sounds like a fantastic addition to your home, but installing a pool is expensive. If you don’t have the budget for this, then say goodbye to your dream house.

However, don’t despair because a condo can make this dream possible.

One of the usual amenities offered by a condo is a swimming pool. A bonus is that you don’t have to clean the pool yourself. Your monthly or annual fee covers its maintenance. You can enjoy the luxury of a pool without the hassle of maintaining it.

Convenience in urban living

Most condos are in downtown areas, which means that it’s closer to other establishments like malls, supermarkets, and restaurants. It can also be closer to your workplace.

The location means that you don’t have to spend money when you’re commuting to work if it’s within a walking distance from your condo unit.

Most condos also offer amenities like fitness centers and swimming pools, which means that most of the things that you need are within your reach. You don’t have to go far. All you need to do is press the elevator button and experience the luxury offered by condos for urban living.

The Cons

Annoying Fees

Almost every condo building offers a lot of amenities to owners living in their units. Gyms, swimming pools, security guards, and even clinics are just some of those amenities.

To keep these facilities running, a homeowners association is set up to collect fees. These fees are either on a monthly, quarterly or yearly basis. Fees that keep the operations going for these facilities aren’t cheap as some owners pay up to $250 in fees.

Difficult to modify

When you live in a condo unit, you have to abide by the rules of the management. These rules have something to do with how the unit looks, feels, and operates.

For example, you can’t just install solar panels on the roof or on your terrace. The management has full authority on these aspects, even if you’re fully paid in dues.

Privacy Issues

Living in a condo unit means that you get to share space with some of the tenants in the building. For some people, the idea of having other people watch what they do and having people in such proximity is a scary thought to process.

The scary thing about it is that anything can happen in a large housing unit and culprits have a lot of ways to easily get to you. From sharing an elevator, seeing someone you don’t like in the gym or using the same entrance, the ways for them to bother you are many.

Takeaway

Although there are a lot of pros and cons of living in a condo, a lot of people still prefer it. In fact, it’s becoming the ideal housing option for busy people.

See Also: Here’s What Millennials Want When They Buy A Home

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How to Find Happiness Within Yourself?

“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your actions.”
― Dalai Lama XIV

Happiness is a state of mind. We can keep ourselves happy in every situation; we only need to make up our mind.

There are people who have a limited income and simple lifestyle and yet, they are happy. There are people who have big houses, expensive cars, loving families, stable jobs, and great health but they don’t feel happy at all.

Ever wonder how the principle of happiness works?

This article can give you a clearer idea on how to find happiness within yourself.

Root Cause

Most of the time, we want others for love and approval. We continuously feel that something is lacking within ourselves and that the outside world can complete us.

If we want to be and stay happy all the time, however, it is essential that we learn to value and love ourselves. Instead of finding happiness here and there, find your confidence. Happiness comes after such ‘self-care’ behaviors.

Start believing that your happiness is more connected to you and your behaviors more than any other circumstances. Follow these simple yet powerful tips and start learning how to find happiness within yourself.

Decide

This step is the very first thing in learning how to find happiness within yourself.

You have to decide and you have to choose to be happy. Change your state of mind and distract it from sadness.

Define the road to happiness. Write down your meaning of joy in a diary. Keep all your senses open and try to observe triggers which lead you to any positivity. Eliminate negative thoughts by imagining something useful and write it down. Choose to believe that you can be happy.

Visualize

You must show the world that you want to be happy and will never fail in that. Convince yourself that you are on the right track to finding happiness. Visualize the best version of yourself and work for it.

Set some goals for your life that can make a difference. Such goals can tremendously help you in reaching your fullest potential. Stop ruminating and thinking about the moments and things which other people have said to let you down.

Develop

Finding happiness within yourself is not rocket science but just like any other habits, we need to cultivate it, too.

Cultivate happiness by developing an optimistic outlook. Optimism brings positive change to our mind so that we can overcome issues. Also, show your compassion and develop the skill to deal with negativity. Challenge your negative thoughts and never allow them to control your mind.

See Also: Four Surprising Yet Effective Ways To Tune Into Your Soul

Forgive and Forget

Forgive yourself, no matter how bad your mistake was!

If you have realized it and now want to take a fresh start, forget it and forgive yourself. Don’t make your past ruin your present.

Try to forgive others, no matter what they did to you! To forgive someone is not for them; it is for you and your peace of mind. That can lead you to the happiness.

Practice active gratitude. Accept the good and imagine the best. Stop blaming others and be open to change. Forget any bad memories, listen to your heart, and find purpose again.

Appreciate

Frederick Keonig once said, ‘We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.’

It is essential to take a few minutes to consider where happiness comes from. Always focus on what you have in life and not on the things which you have lost in the past. Start appreciating all the positive things around you, including people who work hard to make you smile.

Meditate

Meditation is powerful. It can heal a lot of things.

After closing your eyes and when you focus on the center of your forehead, you will feel that many problems and plenty of negative thoughts are trapping you. But after practicing for a few sessions, you will surely feel peace.

Meditation can calm your mind and may give you some direction. It helps you to listen to the inner voice and declutter the chaos. A few minutes of exercise are also helpful to stay positive and energized.

Choose Wisely

Be with others who make you smile and not the ones who have a hugely negative approach to life.

You can help them but when you are struggling with yourself, choose to stay away from any form of negativity. Hold on to your values and never compromise your self-esteem.

Remember that it’s hard for you to gain the confidence to find happiness within yourself. Treat yourself well and do things you love.

If you want someone, you can also take professional help. It is FINE.

See Also: 5 Signs You Need to Start Removing Toxic People

Go out and explore my friend. Take pictures of beautiful things and convince yourself that it is okay to BE YOU and it is okay to be alone than to be with someone who doesn’t treat you right.

It’s Not Complicated!

To find happiness is simple. Anything from the chirps of birds to a bandstand can make you happy. Even paper boats, snowfall or your childhood memories can do that.

There are 1000 reasons to be happy and only 10 reasons to be sad. But still, we focus on the ten and don’t see the brighter side.

Take a break from televisions or cellphones and write down all the things that can make you happy. Whether it is a meal, beach, mountain or some silly jokes, write it down.

Feel everything, whatever it may be – happiness, sorrows, laughs, tears, pain, heartbreaks, anything!

Don’t take yourself too seriously. Let it go and treasure yourself. The universe will help you find happiness within yourself. Just live with the flow and keep smiling.

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Personal Loan Approved? Here’s What To Do Next!

There is no greater happiness than knowing that your loan is approved, especially when you need funds urgently. Generally, the loan application process is simple and easy.

Once you know your loan is approved, it is easy to take it for granted or misuse the funds. But doing that will cause further financial problems along the way. This guide on personal loan uses will explain what you can and can’t do with your money.

Read the Fine Print

Once your loan is approved, you will receive a loan kit from your bank through post or email. The kit will include basic information about your loan, such as the disbursement date, disbursement method, interest rates, and so on.

You will also receive your loan agreement and other documents either as a soft copy or a hard copy. Read through all the information. Many fail to do this and find themselves surprised with fees and charges or effective interest rates.

Read your loan agreement thoroughly. Go through all the terms and conditions. Be aware of early exit penalty, late payment fees or interest rates when a payment is not made.

Doing this will help you to be prepared and organized in using your loan and repaying it on time.

Do Not Miss the Purpose

Once the money is in, it is really tempting to use it for other purposes such as shopping, movies, and other activities. Remember why you applied for a loan in the first place. Whatever your need is, whether it is to renovate your house or pay medical bills, use the funds primarily for that purpose.

It is always best to have a proper plan in place before you apply for a loan. Create a budget accordingly and stick to it. Do not waste your money on unnecessary expenses. Once you have used the funds to fulfill your primary purpose, then you can wisely use the rest for your other needs and wants.

Be Prepared To Repay Your Loan

Many people have realized that they are supposed to make a loan payment only on the due date or after it when the bank informs them about it. Do not fall into that trap. This is another reason why you should create a budget before applying for a loan.

Adhere to your budget. Keep sufficient funds ready in your account to pay for your loan. Keep a reminder so that you do not miss the due date. A better idea is to set up standing instructions with your bank.

This way, each monthly fund would be set aside for your loan and payment would be done automatically on time.

Do Not Dawdle

Do not waste time once you get funds disbursed to your account.

If you plan to pay medical bills, do it immediately. If you plan to renovate your house, talk to a contractor for a work schedule and get the work started as quickly as possible. And if you plan to pay off your card bills or other debt with this money, then make the payments as soon as you get it.

When you do not procrastinate, you will use your funds prudently. There would be no room for misuse or wastage.

Set Aside a Repayment Fund

Setting up a repayment fund will help you to repay your loan easily and quickly. Usually, when you have only one bank account for crediting salary and debiting monthly expenses, it is easy to use the available funds on some other things.

When you set up a separate fund for your loan repayment, then you will not dip into this fund for any other reasons. You could open a different bank account to hold your repayment funds and use that account only to pay for your loan.

Do Not Carry Cash

Do not withdraw large amounts of cash and carry it around after your loan is disbursed. Even if you want to use your funds for any payments, it is not safe to carry cash, especially in huge amounts. You would either lose it or spend it on unnecessary things.

Instead, keep your loan amount in your bank account and make payments through fund transfer and internet banking. Talk to your creditors and arrange for online payments.

This way, you will be able to keep a track of your funds. You will also have a record of all payments and expenses in your bank statement.

Build Your Credit Score

Once you get your loan approved and disbursed, all your transactions will be recorded on your credit history. This is a great opportunity for you to build up your credit history.

Make regular and punctual loan repayments. Maintain a certain amount in your account. Keep some funds aside as savings. Pay all your bills and utilities promptly.

Clear your outstanding dues. If you have more than one credit card, try to clear the outstanding due on at least one card.

All those actions will reflect positively on your credit score. As you increase and maintain an excellent credit score, it will be easy for you to get any other banking products and services in the future.

See Also: 4 Ways to Start Building Great Credit

Make Extra Payments

Another way to settle your loan quickly and increase your credit score is to make extra payments on your loan. You do not have to settle for the minimum due amount each month. Most banks consider extra payments as advanced payments. If the extra amount is enough to cover a monthly installment amount, it is considered a monthly payment.

So, try to pay a little extra each month. If you get a hike on your salary or a bonus, use it to repay your loan quickly. This way, you will be free from debt early than what you had planned on earlier.

Use Your Personal Loan Wisely

Personal loans are quite useful and beneficial. Follow these tips to ensure that you use your loan wisely and settle your loan on time. This way you will have a great working relationship with your bank which, will definitely prove to be useful in the long run.

See Also: 6 Important Things You Need To Know About Personal Loans

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4 Sure-Fire Steps That Will Make Your Home Shine for Selling

Whether you’re trying to sell your home or you want to spruce things up, a little bit of effort can go a really long way. You could either spend a lot and have someone else do it all for you or you could muster a little bit of elbow grease and do some home improvements to make before selling.

Either way, here’s a list to help you out.

Take Care of the Exterior

Not many people will start here but addressing the exterior of your home is pretty significant. Impressions matter and the outside is the very first thing visitors and potential buyers will see. Invest a little bit of time to take care of little details.

If you have a yard, this may be the best time to mow it. After this is complete, check on the overall health of the lawn.

Does it have a mostly uniform appearance? Are there brown spots or has crabgrass begun to take over?

Buyers who have maintained a lawn before can quickly spot an unhealthy lawn, so you may have no other option than to kill these weeds rapidly.

In addition to the lawn, trimming other plants like shrubs, bushes, and hanging tree branches can make a huge difference.

After addressing outside greenery, start looking into cleaning the exterior. One of the best tools you can turn to is an industrial style power washer which you can rent at a decent price.

Power washers that utilize pressurized, hot water are the most effective way of removing impressive amounts of stains and dirt. These machines are best suited for blasting away stubborn stains on concrete.

Driveways and walkways are the best places to start but be extremely careful when using a power washer on the actual exterior of the house. They are quite powerful and have the ability to cause unintended damage.

See Also: 10 Important Home Features That Home Buyers Want

Easy Cleaning Hacks

Of course, if a listing is squeaky clean, it has a better chance of selling than a “kind of clean” house. This isn’t groundbreaking but you need to visit every single room to be entirely sure that the rooms are spotless. At a minimum, every separate room should be as clean as possible to entice buyers.

Don’t go crazy with cleaning supplies. Here are a few cleaning hacks to tackle some problems you may run into:

• Grimy showers: Residual soap scum isn’t exactly the best way to sell a bathroom. It looks terrible and is painfully apparent on showers with glass doors. Combine ten parts water to one part muriatic acid. Then, pick up some steel wool and you can wipe away soap scum with ease.
• Cleaning mold: Mold is both unappealing and potentially unhealthy to be around. By combining one part water with one part bleach, you can effectively wipe down surface mold. If you aren’t the biggest fan of bleach, you can also try a blend of vinegar, sugar, and water to clean surface mold.
• Mr. Clean Magic Erasers: One of the most useful and innovative cleaning products ever released is the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Able to scrub away stubborn stains better than traditional sponges without being as abrasive, it’s a must for any deep cleaning job. Strong enough to tackle wall stains like scuffs, crayons, and markers, they’re pretty cheap if you get them on Amazon.

See Also: The Six Best All-Natural Cleaners for Your House

Treat Bathrooms with Care

Like it or not, bathrooms are a huge deciding factor for home buyers. This may come as a shock to first-time home sellers, but it is one of the most important rooms to address.

Upgrading bathrooms is an investment of both time and funds. The good news is that there are a few easy ways to maximize your investment without sinking too much cash.

• Replacing hardware, fixtures, etc. – A sure sign of a dated bathroom is how old the toilet and other fixtures look. Painting is easy but updating the stuff future homeowners will be using on a daily basis will not go unnoticed. You don’t have to get the best available but this investment will pay off nicely.
• Mirrors and other small upgrades — Replacing cabinets and countertops can be an expensive, exhausting job. You can look at other cosmetic upgrades instead to save some money. Your best bet is to shop around for stylish, contemporary mirrors to replace what is in the bathroom right now. These mirrors – as well as towel bars – can be easily mounted to the wall for a fresh, modern look.

Strategic Painting & Staining

Your ambition may get the best of you when considering what to paint. There’s no sense in going overboard when you can be strategic with your painting targets. With intelligent application and just a few coats, the impact new paint can have on a room is impressive.

Before diving face first into painting the exterior or large rooms, consider a few smaller jobs to try out first.

• Kitchen cabinet revival: This could potentially save tons of money, removing the need to replace older kitchen cabinets. By stripping and staining old cabinets, you can spruce them up at a low cost. The trick here is to also swap out any cabinet hardware (knobs, handles) with contemporary selections.
• Minor cover-ups: Keep your eyes peeled for areas of the house where minor touch-ups can be applied. It may seem superficial, but you never know how detail-oriented buyers might be. In particular, try to find opportunities to cover up cracked or chipped paint. Bonus tip – paint the garage door! If you think about it, this isn’t necessarily a huge undertaking unless you’re trying to take on a six-car garage. With some fresh paint, you may be blown away at how much of a difference it can make.
• Ugly fireplace: Fireplaces can be a great feature to promote. There are times where an existing fireplace has become outdated and unattractive. One remedy for unappealing fireplaces is to slap several coats of paint to the surrounding room. Another option is to paint the fireplace with a contrasting color to make it stand out.
• Ceramic tile painting: No matter how you slice it up, replacing tile can get pretty expensive. Not to mention it’s a labor-intensive endeavor. As a significantly cheaper alternative, consider simply painting over old tile. It does require a special technique, so make sure to do it right.

Final Thoughts

Preparing a home for sale doesn’t have to be a costly effort. By making these home improvements to make before selling, you can whip your home into shape in no time.

You could go to the extreme by taking on substantial renovation projects or buying brand new appliances since these activities will always pay off. Just make sure that you put into account what you can afford and get a feel for the local housing market.

Even if you aren’t selling your house, these tips will make your pad shine and instill a sense of pride. Putting in just a modest amount of effort will prime your home for guests, future homeowners or for your own satisfaction.

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​What’s Your Mindset? How To Feel Confident In The Gym

A friend of mine who recently shed 50 lbs shared his new diet. This lifestyle change not only helped him lose weight, but it also eliminated his need to take his high blood pressure medication. As far as his physical exercise, he made small adjustments to his activity level that included daily walks with his little Jack Russell Terrier.

I told him that if he wanted to go to the gym with me, I would be happy to show him my routine. I could even introduce him to some of the guys there. He declined.

“Oh no, I could never feel comfortable in the gym. I don’t even know what most of those machines do.”

Gym-phobia

This is not an uncommon mindset. People worry about going to the gym for a number of reasons, including the embarrassment of doing something wrong or for the way that they look.

How can someone get past their gym-phobia and start enjoying time spent there?

It is all about improving our gym confidence.

Maybe you have recently started attending the gym but limiting your activity to the treadmill or elliptical. While these are great tools for producing sweat, they are easy to plateau on.

To improve your cardiovascular strength (endurance) or your speed and see a continued growth in calorie burn, even if you wish to do a majority of your exercise on a treadmill or elliptical, you still have to build muscle. Excessive cardio will always burn calories, but a high-calorie burn will burn muscle tissue as well as fat tissue.

If a smaller, trim body is the goal, this might be fine. But if you’re hoping for a changed physique with a muscular appearance, you’ll need to become comfortable with weights.

Hands down, one of the most intimidating sections of the gym is the free weights section. This is primarily where you’ll find super ripped guys and girls putting in their gym time.

But that’s WHY they look the way they do.

They learned a thing or two about using free weights and started their journey, just like you, in strength training.

Use Education To Start Overcoming Gym Anxiety

Instead of stumbling into the free weights room and pumping a few hand weights until you get bored, study up!

There are so many fitness experts online sharing free information. Check out Youtube and put together a playlist of simple exercises you can perform in the free weights section.

If they’re hard to remember, take your playlist to the gym. Instead of paying for a personal trainer, you can train with experts online.

Hire A Trainer To Get You Started

If you’re lacking confidence in navigating the gym on your own, signing up for a few training sessions might just be the tool you need to get started. Trainers are an excellent resource for learning the ins and outs of the gym — from equipment location and how to use different machines to diet tips and workout formulation.

At the very least, you can definitely ask them to show you how to use a piece of equipment if you are unsure. Part of their job as gym trainers is to make sure their gym attendees do not injure themselves and bring on a lawsuit.

Watch What Other People Are Doing

The first time I went to the gym, I had no idea what I was doing. But I knew what I wanted my body to look like. So, I found the guy who fits that description, then I kept an eye on him.

By seeing his routine, I was able to build my own. I would research these exercises to make sure I understood how to do them correctly and work them into my own schedule.
This isn’t always a good idea.

There are many people in the gym (just like you) who don’t actually know what they are doing. They may seem like they’ve got it down when in reality, they are putting themselves at risk for injury. This is another great reason to research their techniques at home instead of hopping on the machine once they’re done and mimicking what you’ve seen them do.

Strike Up A Conversation

Sure, it’s intimidating waltzing up to the guy who is obviously strong and well versed in gym lingo. But I’ll let you in on a little secret — they want to talk about it.

People who spend a lot of time at the gym to achieve their toned and muscular physique aren’t bashful. Whether it’s pure pride or the simple enjoyment of helping others take the journey they themselves have found success on, these people are typically overjoyed to share some words of wisdom.

So, ask a few questions about what they’re doing. See what advice they offer you. I know if you walked up to me in the gym and asked a quick question, I’d chat your ear off and walk you through my whole routine. So, buyer beware!

In the end, your confidence will build naturally as you become more familiar with the gym. So, go ahead and prep yourself. Spend time at the gym and allow yourself to settle in before deciding how intimidated you should be. With these small bits of advice, you won’t have a hard time overcoming gym anxiety.

See Also: How to Stay Motivated at The Gym

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3 Things I learned When I Seriously Planned to Retire

Retirement, unlike death, does not happen to all of us. Yet, I have been fascinated with retirement since I was about thirty years of age. Looking back, I think it was because my parents talked about it and planned for it openly with us.

They both worked hard and purposefully to be able to retire when my dad turned fifty-five. And they did it even though not all they planned happened and many things unplanned showed up in life. They held the course and we all celebrated his retirement together with a great family party.

I chose sixty as my “retirement date”. Unlike my parents, I did not plan or work toward this goal. I just thought it would all work out without fully understanding the important things about retirement.

Along the way, I learned these 3 things to know about retirement.

Age should not be the goal

As we all know, age has an important role in retirement planning.

When will I be able to get social security? When will I have enough in my 401K? And when will the children be out of college?

I learned that I was so wrapped up in those calculations that I did not give enough planning for relationships in retirement. Sufficient money gives strength to our retirement but good relationships are also needed for a fulfilling retirement life.

When my husband passed several years ago, my relationships changed and my circle of friends reduced. I continued to financially prepare for retirement, but I was not building relationships.

As I got closer to retirement, I learned I needed to quickly commit to working on life relationships.

Lesson learned: Expand your thinking and build relationships and resources in preparation for retirement.

Practice makes perfect even in retirement planning

After over forty years of working and the longest length of time off being twenty-one days (except sick leave), I had no reality of what it would be like to not go to work for days and days and days. After watching several people plan for retirement and even having a list of all the things they want and will do when they retire, I realized something.

Finding themselves feeling lost and becoming borderline depressed unless they were traveling or being constantly active, I learned that I needed to practice what my uneventful retirement days will look like.

I began to do a daily plan at home for uneventful days between trips and gatherings so that I could envision those days as well.

Lesson learned: Practice designing those days before you retire so that they work perfectly with you when you are retired. Events and travels are fun to plan and allow for, but your regular retirement days are what will bring joy, peace, and comfort to your life.

Retirement is the layover

Most of our lives are like a flight with a layover. We work (first flight), retire (layover), and die (final flight).

Some layovers are longer than others. However, no matter how long they are, we all want to know where to catch our connecting flight. I need to know where I am going so I know what final flight I am going to catch or be ready to board on. You may not believe as I do but believe in something that will be your final destination.

I decided back when I was still on the first flight that I wanted to go to heaven so I made that choice. Now that I am on my layover, I am so glad I did because I have peace that when my final flight is called, I can get on that flight with peace knowing where I am going and why.

Lesson learned: Choose and believe now. When you are on a layover, you can be at peace. You won’t have to pace or stand in line at the attendant desk asking where you are going next.

I am just starting the layover and I hope these three simple yet important things to know about retirement can give you a clearer understanding and expectation of what’s to come.

See Also: 6 Secrets To Create An Effective Retirement Plan

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