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Nicole

Why every entrepreneur should know about the 5-hour rule

When you think of what it means to be a successful entrepreneur, what names come to mind? For me its Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Elon Musk, Warren Buffet, and business leaders like Saeed Torbati. You may ask,  what do these highly admired individuals have in common?

These individuals ascribe to common beliefs when it comes to being a successful entrepreneur. From starting new ventures every other day. To deliberately put into practice the art of the right attitude towards a business and the determination and grit to believe in their own personal success. Including a strong sense of self-confidence, in terms of their skills and abilities.

But most importantly a true entrepreneur knows that before they are able to properly combat the rigors of business and climb the corporate ladder they must first cultivate their mind. This is often done by utilizing one common principle: the 5-hour rule.

The 5-hour rule is pretty simple: Carve out one hour from each weekday to devote to deliberate, intentional learning. Self-starter education that is applicable to the greater goal of advancing your personal field, business, or brand. Practices that are made each day without exception. 

The reason why the five-hour rule is so effective? It’s the driving force in priming the world’s most accomplished people to perpetuate their personal and professional success. This rule helps them work smart, and just faster and harder, as well as to focus on long-term self-improvement. Rather than current workloads, projects, or deadlines.

Think of Bill Gates. An entrepreneur that prides himself on annually reading 50 books. Should it be believed that these books are tied to his daily projects? Likely not.

Moreover, nothing beats an expert. While jumping head first into business, and blogging, is a great way to get your proverbial feet wet in the business, it can be shortsighted. As there’s no substitute for the benefits that good old-fashioned expertise and self-driven knowledge can bring to your field and mindset.

A great example, Mark Zuckerberg. A man who leverages his knowledge and expertise he has himself gained as part of his business principal. It’s his knowledge, and not his IT savvy, that has made him the business success he is.

There are literally tens of thousands of sites and app designers. There’s only one Facebook. And this is due to no small part that Mark Zuckerberg is a walking encyclopedic of how his business runs.

Now, if you’re looking for ways to utilize the 5-hour rule in your own day-to-day life and up your endeavors, here are 3 ways to get started:

Read

Want to be a baller? Start by being a bibliophile first! Besides Bill Gates, big-time bookworms include Oprah, President Obama, Mark Cuban, Nike founder Phil Knight, billionaire entrepreneur David Rubenstein, and self-made billionaire and owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers Dan Gilbert.

Warren Buffett takes this habit to the extreme — he read between 600 and 1000 pages per day when he was beginning his investing career and still devotes about 80% of each day to reading.

Overall, each devotes daily time to reading, and many others have started their own publishing boutiques or literacy initiatives to help others learn the love of reading too! Book club goals, anyone?

Think

Taking time to each week to reflect on your personal and business life has been shown to improve job performance. It’s crucial and life-affirming for AOL CEO Tim Armstrong, who makes his senior team spend 4 hours per week thinking about their own personal goals each week before engaging in AOL-sanctioned tasks. All during for-pay hours on the clock.

Experiment

What do Benjamin Franklin, Coco Channel, and Thomas Edison have in common? They were known to take on risky experiments for their personal knowledge and business practices.

A great example? Both Google and Microsoft have allotted time in the day for employees to experiment with their ideas. Experimenting in business not only helps keep your faculties sharp, your ear to the streets when it comes to marketing trends, but your heart focuses on your purpose. It helps you know you’re why.

The #1 thing your business, blog, and platform cannot survive without. 

So I say all that to say this: If you want to save money, start a business, or up your own personal or professional game, start by implementing the 5-hour into your weekly planning strategy today!

Now I want to ask, do you use the 5-hour rule at work or home? Has it helped you to reevaluate your current strategies and dealings? If so, I’d love to hear about it below!

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Turn it Up! 6 of the Best Portable Laptop Speakers

The best portable laptop speakers are really incredible machines. These devices can be taken anywhere and are the perfect setup if you’re working between offices, moving about your house, or you’re just working anywhere that’s far away from an electrical outlet. 

With portable speakers, you can take your music into your backyard, the beach, or just about anywhere else you can imagine. And many speakers today come with nifty tools, like voice assistants, so you’re speakers aren’t just portable, they’re also smart!

These days, there are many options to choose from. And they range greatly in price, additional features, and size.

So if you’re looking for the best portable speaker around, then you’ve come to the right place! Continue reading and we’ll walk you through everything you need to know. 

1. Urbanista Brisbane

While the Urbanista Brisbane might not look so thrilling at first glance, there’s a powerful speaker that lies underneath its unassuming design. The sound quality is rich and loud and it’s extremely well priced. 

This speaker weighs around 2 lbs and is just a little longer than the new iPhone. That makes it extremely portable as well as sturdy. You can hold it easily in your hand.

You’ll find the controls on the speaker’s top. Here, you get your standard volume keys, fast-forward and rewind buttons, and power button. 

On the back of this speaker is a micro-USB charging port. It also comes with an AUX input if you’re not interested in using Bluetooth. Both of these inputs are covered by a rubber flap so that they don’t get damaged. 

This is a fantastic portable speaker to go with your portable monitor for Mac. 

2. Sonos Move

The Sonos Move is one of the best portable speakers currently on the market. Whether you need music for a midday picnic or late-night house party, the Sonos Move will get the job done. 

It’s fairly big, weighing over 6.5 lbs. It can connect to both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and has a battery life of around ten hours. 

Many people are so impressed by the Sonos Move that they don’t just use it as a portable speaker but as their standard home speakers. This device comes with two drivers, a handy mobile app that can unlock playback from hundreds of different wireless sources, and multi-room capabilities.

It also utilizes smart audio-tuning technology which adjusts the output based on the speaker’s external environment. This portable speaker is extremely versatile and would be a great choice for practically any and everyone. 

With that said, it is relatively heavy and more on the expensive side. But if you’re looking for a durable and high-quality speaker, then you should definitely put the Sonos Move on your radar.  

3. UE Boom 3

The UE Boom 3 is incredibly small and lightweight. It’s a little over one pound and can last for up to 15 hours on a full battery charge. This device can get extremely loud without distorting any of the audio.

It’s dust-resistant as well as water-proof. And it also has a one-touch mix button so you can pull up your favorite playlists without having to touch your smartphone. 

While there are more powerful speakers out there, it’s hard to beat this one’s price and affordability. You can even get your speaker in different patterns and color combinations. 

4. JBL Flip 5

This is a fun yet pared-down portable speaker. It weighs the same as the UE Boom 3 and has a battery life of up to 12 hours. It doesn’t have an AUX cord and doesn’t do USB charging either. 

This simple device gives you a portable speaker that sounds great. And if you’re someone who doesn’t need hands-free call functionality or voice control, then the JBL Flip 5 may be all that you need. 

Its IPX7 rating means that it can be submerged up to 1 meter of water for thirty minutes without getting damaged. So you can take it outside to the beach or pool without getting worried.

5. Bose Home Portable Speaker

Looking for a Sonos Move-like portable speaker but without the hefty price tag? Then you should definitely consider getting the Bose Home Portable Speaker.

This speaker comes in at one-third of the weight of the Sonos Move. It can last for up to 12 hours and also comes with Bluetooth charging. 

The Bose Portable Home Speaker offers the talents of both Amazon Alex and Google Assistant alongside its Bluetooth connectivity. 

This speaker has a beautiful minimalist design that can withstand even rough weather conditions. It’s also easy to hold and take with you. 

While it doesn’t necessarily have the sound quality of the Sonos Move, it still sounds great. And if you’re a fan of the Bose sound, then this is a portable speaker worth purchasing. 

6. Anker Soundcore Flare

Many people know Anker for their extremely affordable portable speakers. And with the flare, that’s what you get but with great quality to boot. 

With a mouthwatering price of only $20, it’s hard to find a reason not to buy it. This waterproof speaker has terrific sound quality, only weighs one pound, and has a wireless range of 65ft. 

Which of These Portable Laptop Speakers Will You Get?

As we can see, there is a wide spectrum in the world of portable laptop speakers. But no matter your budget or your speaker needs, you’re sure to find one that best fits your lifestyle. Just remember, the best portable speaker is the one that you’re going to get the most use out of. 

Interested in reading other helpful articles? Check out the rest of our blog today for more!

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5 Little Things We Could All Be Doing To Take Better Care Of Our Ears

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We all know that we should be taking care of our bodies by eating nutritious food, exercising regularly and ensuring that we get plenty of sleep, but certain parts of our bodies need a little extra help to stay in tip-top condition, and without it, we may notice that they start to deteriorate. 

One such area is our hearing. 

Hearing loss affects 48 million people in the US alone and over 466 million people worldwide and although our chances of experiencing hearing loss increase as we age, there are also environmental factors that can cause hearing loss and things that we can be doing right now to prevent it. So here are 5 little things we could all be doing to take better care of our ears in order to ensure we protect our hearing for the future. 

1, Reduce the volume

Music may sound great when played extra loud, but listening to music at loud volumes for prolonged periods of time can cause serious lasting damage to your ears. Just 15 minutes of loud music played through headphones or a speaker can cause lasting permanent damage to your hearing, and if this is repeated regularly then you are at serious risk of developing early hearing loss. Try improving the quality of your headphones or speaker rather than increasing the volume. 

2. Wear hearing protection when required

Whether you’re drilling through concrete with a power tool, attending a music concert, or simply spending a lot of time on a noisy subway, your ears don’t discriminate between the sounds that cause them damage. If you know you are going to be exposed to very loud noises for an extended period of time, such as on your daily commute or at a music festival, then the only way that you can protect your ears is to wear suitable hearing protection. The loud noises may not feel like they’re hurting your ears, but the damage will be done and you will have to live with the effects for the rest of your lifetime. 

3. Don’t try to clean your own earwax

Our ears naturally produce earwax and for the most part, are also very good at regulating production and self-cleaning. Over the years, people have become obsessive about cleaning their ear-wax but putting your fingers or other devices in your ears can actually do more harm than good. Trying to remove earwax yourself will almost always result in pushing the earwax further into your ear canal, causing compaction and buildup that can give you an ear infection or make it hard to hear. If you’re worried about ear-wax build up then always visit a hearing specialist who will be able to remove your earwax safely. 

4. Keep your ears dry

Animals that spend a lot of time in water often have specialist ear structures that prevent water from entering their ears, but because humans weren’t designed to spend a lot of time in or underwater, we haven’t evolved this adaptation. Excess water and moisture inside the ear canal can create the perfect environment for bacteria to grow, leading to ear infections such as swimmer’s ear, which are not only painful but can pose a threat to your future hearing. To avoid getting ear infections, try to always keep your ears dry by gently towel drying them after bathing or swimming, tilting your head to the side to allow excess water out or even wearing specialist ear-plugs. 

5. Visit your audiologist regularly

We go to the dentist at least once a year to have a checkup for our teeth, and many of us visit the optometrist to have a checkup on our eyes, and yet many of us fail to visit an audiologist to have our hearing and our ears checked out. The best way to ensure that your hearing stays in tip-top condition is to follow the guidance above and to visit your audiologist every year or so. At your audiologist appointment, your hearing specialist will be able to test your hearing, remove any build-up of earwax if required and give you guidance on how to protect your hearing as you age. Another important reason to visit an audiologist, especially if you are over 60, is because age-related hearing loss can go undetected for many years, and you risk living with undetected hearing loss that may start to have a big impact on your daily life. 

Our hearing is a gift and deserves to be looked after, so stay safe, and look after your ears if you want good hearing for many years to come. 

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It’s Okay To Have Body Goals! So What Are Yours?

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Wanting to look and feel good seems like a sin these days, doesn’t it? If you’re someone that wants to make changes to their body or face, you’re seen as vain or conceited. However, it’s just natural. We all want to make sure that we feel happier in our skin. And, when you get there, there’s no feeling like it. Sometimes you can feel happier with just a mindset change – and that’s great. But that won’t always work for everyone. It could be that you need to set yourself somebody’s goals and then work on achieving them? Not only does this give you something to work on, but right now, it can give you something to plan and look forward to. So let’s take a look.

Longer Hair

How do you feel about your hair? Maybe you want healthier, thicker, and longer hair? Well, you could definitely consider growing your hair and working on tactics to make that happen? Or maybe you want to save up and consider getting extensions?

Clearer Skin

If there’s one thing that every woman wants, it’s great skin. So, maybe this is your goal? If you know that your skin isn’t all that clear and you’d like to do something about it, now is the time. It could be that working on your diet, a better skincare routine, and specialist treatments is what you want to do to feel fantastic.

Being Happier In Yourself

Sometimes, you just really want to feel happier in yourself. When that’s the case, there are a few things that you might want to do. Maybe it’s finally booking in with a personal trainer? It could be changing your look up a little. Or maybe you want to find a breast augmentation surgeon to help you? Whatever it is that you want to do to feel better in yourself and much happier in your own body, it’s okay to do it.

Feeling Fitter

Or maybe you would love to just feel better in yourself? If that’s the case, you’re really not alone. Sure, it’s great to get in shape and have a body that you love, but sometimes it’s just nice to feel energized! When you can move without getting out of breath and feel better throughout the day, it’s such a fantastic feeling. So maybe you want to work on a few workouts right now? That way, you can get in shape and feel amazing too!

Looking Younger

Now, this point might seem a little controversial to some – but it’s also something that is very common and it’s okay to want this if you do. The visible signs of aging aren’t always welcome. And, if they get you down, it’s okay to want to do something about it. If you know that you want to use filer or botox, it’s important to do your research and speak to a professional to get personalized advice. But also, a good skincare regime and regular specialist facials could work too.

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5 Tips to Have Great Style on a Budget

Taking the time to focus on your style will help you enhance your looks and improve your confidence and self-image. Keeping up with the ever-changing fashion trends can be expensive, but having great style doesn’t have to break the bank. There are plenty of cost-effective hacks to update your style and stay fashionable. To inspire you, here are five tips to have great style on a budget. 

1. Buy the basics

The first step to building a stylish wardrobe is to make sure that you have the basic clothing items to create a variety of outfits. Some essential clothing items include a pair of jeans, a white and black t-shirt, a little black dress, a crisp white blouse, and a pencil skirt. These staples should form the foundation of your wardrobe. Having these basics will ensure that you can create fashionable outfits all year round. You should also focus on buying items that are multi-purpose and can be worn at various events and times of the year. 

2. Visit thrift shops 

Thrift shops can be a treasure chest of one-of-a-kind clothing items and accessories. Purchasing items from thrift stores is an excellent way to support charitable causes and allows you to find some incredible bargains. Shopping at thrift stores is also far more eco-friendly as it helps to reduce the volume of carbon emissions associated with fast fashion. Overall, buying recycled clothing is a great way to help the environment, save money, and create a unique style that reflects your personality. 

3. Invest in accessories 

Accessories offer endless opportunities for clothes and have the power to elevate your outfits and express your style. It is worth investing in a few versatile accessories that can be worn with various outfits. This may include a classic leather bag, a statement belt, or a pair of chic sunglasses. Jewelry is another timeless accessory that can be worn with most outfits to create a more polished look. You can find a variety of great value online jewellery UK or visit markets and thrift shops to search for the best jewelry bargains. 

4. Look for clearance items

One of the easiest ways to reduce your clothing budget is by shopping at resale or outlet stores. Many clothes end up in these stores because clothing shops need to make room for new items when the next season arrives. This means that you can find fantastic quality pieces at low prices and take advantage of huge discounts. Many popular clothing stores also offer regular sales throughout the year, i.e. on Black Friday and Boxing Day. Take advantage of any sales and try to stock up on new items when discounts are on offer. 

5. Swap clothes with friends

Swapping clothes with your friends is a simple way to freshen up your wardrobe and style instantly. It will also mean that any unused items you have will be put to good use, rather than just remaining in your closet unworn. Host clothes swapping party and ask your friends to bring along some items that they no longer wear. That way, everyone can benefit from a revitalized wardrobe. 

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Giving Your Child the Best Education Possible

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Education is key to our little ones’ development and progression in many areas of their lives. Academic, social and more. So, you’re going to want to make sure your kid gets the highest quality education at all times. Here are a few different ways you can achieve this!

Choosing the Best Schools

Most schools are of a good standard, of course. The schools whose catchment area you fall into should be able to provide your child with a quality education no matter where you live. But if you want the best education possible for your child, it may be worth looking around and making comparisons between different institutions. You’ll be able to see how different schools perform based on league tables and exam results. Official reports on schools’ competence at teaching their students can also come in useful. If you find a school that you set your heart on, it’s always worth enquiring as to whether they accept students from outside of their catchment area. Many will have a set number of spaces but aside for students from a little further afield and your child may be able to bag one of these slots. You can apply this thinking and approach to any level of education, whether you’re scoping out a preschool or further education.

Encourage Hobbies

Many people make the mistake of believing that kids’ education is curtailed to school and schooling hours. But you need to broaden your concept of education. Education is anything that your child can progress at, anything that teaches them new skills, anything that provides them with new interests and broadens their horizons. In short, hobbies can prove to be a great form of education and discipline practice for your little one too! There are so many hobbies out there. While you shouldn’t push your child into any particular hobby, you should monitor their interests, see where they want to go and what they want to focus on their own accord and encourage it. This could range through a vast number of areas. It could include dance, music, reading, arts and crafts, sports teams or a bunch of more niche and obscure areas. Also, remember children can be fickle. They may be fully invested in one area for months, then decide that they no longer enjoy it. This can be frustrating if you’ve invested in equipment or kit, but don’t push them to continue when they don’t want to. It won’t prove good for their happiness and wellbeing.

Take Educational Trips

Use your weekends and holiday breaks well. Take your children out on educational days out! There are so many fun options to choose from. Consider museums, art galleries, shows at theatres, science centers, libraries and more! They’ll all keep your kids occupied and broaden their minds too. It’s a win-win situation!

As you can see, education can reach far beyond the realms of school alone. So, be open-minded when it comes to educating your little ones. A lot of the effort will have to fall into your hands, but it can prove really enjoyable and rewarding!

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How to Drastically Improve Your Mornings

Some people wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world; they are morning people, and the AM is their time to shine. Of course, they tend to fade once the evening rolls around, but still, it’s not hard to see the advantages of waking up feeling excited for the day ahead. But what if you’re not one of these people: do you have to resign yourself to a life of hating mornings? No! There are things you can do that’ll help to improve your morning, in a profound way. We take a look at a few useful tips below.

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Sleep Well

The problem might not lie in the morning, but the night before. If you’re waking up wishing that you could spend many more hours in bed, then don’t blame the morning: take a look at your sleeping habits. If you’re finding it difficult to get a restful night of sleep, then you’ll struggle to wake up in a good mood. Fortunately, sleep problems are usually the result of one or two issues, which you can resolve. If you’re drinking coffee or alcohol before or spending too much time staring at a screen, then change your habits.

Give Yourself Time

Even if you wake up feeling refreshed, you’re not going to enjoy the morning if you have to rush around just so you can make it out of your home and get to work on time. Instead of rushing, why not look at setting your alarm for a little earlier? It’ll require a bit of a push to get yourself out of bed, but it’ll be worth it. Instead of rushing around, you’ll have time to read, meditate, and do other things that get you off to a great start to the day.

A Great Breakfast

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at the low-quality meals some people eat every morning. You’ll find that you enjoy the morning much more and that you leave the home feeling great if you upgrade your breakfast. Look at bagels, smoked salmon, avocado, and other game-changing foods. Round it off by drinking some delicious coffee, which you can get from Kopi Luwak. After you’ve switched to awesome breakfasts, you’ll wonder why you ever wasted your time having low-quality cereals and coffee.

Work Up a Sweat

If you have the time, look at working up a sweat in the morning. You’ll be surprised at just how fantastic you can feel after a little exercise, even if it’s just a 20-minute run. It’ll blow away any tiredness that you feel, especially if you finish it with a cold shower.

Beginning with a Smile

Finally, don’t forget that you can push yourself in the right direction just by having a positive attitude. Every day represents a new opportunity, so go at it with positivity and a smile — you’ll find that you’re in a much better mood throughout the day. 

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