My focus has been renewed over the last few months to be focusing more on bigger startups and also more on the blooming Swedish market. I still run most of my smaller websites but not as active as before.

As you might now I am also becoming a father in less than a month so a lot of focus has been given to my family and living situation. To make it the best for the baby. This is the greatest thing that has happened to me so it is maybe not so strange that a lot of my time has been put in to this.

So, to the good news. This monday I signed a contract for an office. Below you can see some pictures of me working to get it ready.

On the way in. Welcome . . .

Cleaning material and the windows.

The blogger Andreas blogging in his highly furnished office.

That is all it is really. Quite small room but absolutely enough for me to work in. I will update with more pictures tomorrow when we put up the desk and the rest of the office furniture.

To celebrate the launch I am hosting a contest. Be sure to check it out by clicking the link below:

Go to the contest

This blog focuses on bloggers and blogging with topics ranging from blog design to making money blogging. All steps to make a succesfull blog and be a better blogger. I will take my blogging experience and helt others succeed with their blogging. Some articles will also be written by guest writers.

Recently published

Use your blog as a marketplace

Choosing your niche

Come on in and have a read.

http://www.bloggersclub.com

How does motivation affect your performance, and why is a positive outlook and being positively motivated good for you? Well being positively motivated effects your productivity and your performance. If you want to do you, you will do more. If you want to have a great day, you will have a great day. Being positively motivated you realize that you are in control of your life and your actions and you can succeed in reaching your goals. So you’ve realized you need to be in a positive mind set to accomplish more. For argument’s sake we’ll say that you’re normally fairly apathetic and don’t know how to improve your mood. There are a few ways. Analyze your work environment. Is it conducive to work? Do you like working there? Now you may work in some cubicle in the middle of an office, so I’m not saying that I can get you an office with a window view, but how conducive is your workplace to progress? I will assume worst case scenario, you work in a dimly lit cramped cubicle. How do we motivate you? Simple, what motivates you, your family, your idols? Bring in pictures of your family, your pets. Put a big picture of Bill Gates right above your computer. To be positively motivated you need to surround yourself with stuff that makes you want to work. When you feel that you’ve got the will and desire to succeed few things can stand in your way.

So being positively motivated effects everything from your productivity to your mood to your outlook on future events. Your environment and surrounding directly affect your outlook on events. However you can control how your environment affects you. You can surround yourself with materials that motivate you and improve your mood. If you are happy and motivated you will let few things impede your success. I wish you a happy and productive day. If you don’t feel like you are having a good day just look yourself in the mirror and say “I think today is going to be a good day.” Because ultimately, how you perceive your day, is all that matters.

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The following guide does not make you a good leader itself but what I want is to open your eyes and help you start to take action to become a good leader. Read, enjoy and take action.

Leading yourself
To motivate and lead others you have to be motivated and lead yourself to show the group you lead a good example on how the work should be done. Practice what you preach. If you are not motivated why would your team be motivated?

You are the guide
Guide your employees do not be their ruler. Dictating a group and seeing the business as a hierarchy is very dangerous and is a no no.

A tyrant can only inspire fear and resentment – at first, you might find that things are getting done faster than before, but in the long run, the people around you and the people who work for you will grow to hate you

Influence them and set a good example and they will do the same.

Build up a trust
The team of co-workers you are working with as a leader needs someone that they can trust. You have to work hard with building up that trust. Work for them, yourself and the organization. Make them want to follow you where you are leading them rather than feeling that they have too.

This is a situation where not only they have to trust you. You have to trust them too. It is first then you have a winning team that can accomplish anything.

Do not get stuck
As a leader you have to be the one that dares to take decisions that makes you and your co-workers leave the safe path to walk on a much more risky road. As a leader you should recognize that there are always ways to do things better.

Communicate
Direct interaction with your team members are a vital part of your work as a team leader. Let them be a part of the team and take decisions together with them. Even if it is you that makes the final decision let everybody have their say.

Why would they listen to you?
When having discussions with your employees there are a loot of things you have to take in consideration here are a few pointers:

1. Where? Is this the right place to talk about this. Is it to noisy? Too much distractions?
2. Comfort level. Should other employees hear this? Could anyone be hurt by this conversation?
3. When? Do not wait to take up important issues when a staff member is heading home or is just taking a break. Make a plan for meetings and discussions.
4. Do not be a leader nagging about the same thing over and over again. Problems are not solved that way. If the information does not get taken in the first time you have to find another way to express the idea or plan.
5. If you are giving negative feedback make sure that it is constuctive feedback.

Motivate and appreciate
If your employees show results of good performance you have to reward them. By giving them an response like a raise, bonuses or any other reward they feel appreciation and willk most definitely keep on working hard for you as the leader and your company.

During hard times when goals are not met and motivation might be low the same principle applies. Offer rewards and incentives. Make the team work together.

Not all incentives must be money. Sometimes the best incentives are those that demonstrate creativity and thoughtfulness on the employer’s part. Offer concert tickets or restaurant gift certificates for employees who demonstrate outstanding performance and service.

I hope this short but still content rich article have helped you some. It is far from complete because there are so much to write about leadership. What I hope is, like I wrote above is that it has woken up your interest and made you want to develop your leadership skills.

All great accomplishments starts with a small seed of belief. That is a great statement. Today I talk about the power of belief.

Make it grow
Do not let the seed die. Take care of the seed so that it grows. In other words after the belief in something has come up in your head do not let yourself or someone else kill it by saying that what you believe in is nothing to believe in.

Generate enthusiasm
Belief is a really strong tool. By using it you generate all the ingredients needed to fuel your mind and are then able go for your goals full speed. With the right attitude and mindset you load your body with power and energy needed to achieve your goals.

Belief is one of the most powerful forces in this world.

I can win. I can do it.
If you believe you can do it. You can do it. Decide to make it and you will. Three words can describe it all, Never give up. You might not make it the first time you try, but if you belive that you will and keep on trying eventually you will. Your beliefs are running the show and you can help them in the right direction.

How to do it
Let your mind show you the way. When you believe in something your mind will help you to find the way.

The other way around
On another note if you belive you can not do something your mind will show you why you can not do it. Do you see where I am going? Negative thinking shows you the way to a negative life where you have not accomplished a thing. The outcome of your actions are controlled by your belief or non-belief. How do you want it?

Get rid of the negative thoughts. Think success and success will come.

Some wise words to end this article

“Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.”
Henry Ford

“The difference between a goal
and a dream is the written word.”

Gene Donohue

I have touched this subject a lot before and also wrote an article called, Setting goals, before. This one is a little more specific though and describes a more in deep steps to take to take you closer to your goals.

What is important
Sit down and think about what is important for you in life. What do you want to achieve in your personal life for you and for your family and in your business? Brainstorm and write down these goals you want to accomplish on a piece of paper. This is a long term goal sheet. From now until the end.

The next 12 months
The next step is to have a look at the goals you just wrote down. Take these and divide them in to shorter term time periods. Like 6 moths, 1 year or 5 years.

Divide the goals
Divide the goals in to different areas of your life. Family, business, health, social and educational are a few examples of areas that are important in most peoples life.

Does it match
Compare your two lists of long term and short term goals. Does your short term goals help you achieve the goals on your long term goal list? Make them a match and you are going in the right direction. moving forward and getting closer to your goals in life.

Do you really want it?
Make sure the goals you set for yourself is something you really want. Not just someting that sound good. To be able to reach a goal you have to have the right mindset and be really passionate about it.

Your goals should be in an area of where your heart belongs and it should be consistent with your true values.

It is all about details
To help yourself, write your goals in complete details. Instead of writing just a “new car” on your list. Write “a fully equiped black Hummer H2″. The deeper you describe the goal the clearer the outcome gets. Give your subconcious mind something to work with.

Close your eyes and imagine your goals. Are they worth working day and night for?

Take me to the next step
Have a look at your lists. What do you have to do to take you a step closer your goals. Write down a to do list with actions to do everyday so that you can work your way up on your goal list. Update your to do list a long the way.

It is alive
Every day, week, month and year that goes by you change. And with that your goals also change. Keep your goal lists alive and have a look and make any neccesary changes every 3 months or so.

Use pictures
To make a stronger impression of your dreams and goals you should use pictures. Put up a board with pictures of dream and goals you have and have a look at them now and then to remind yourself what you are working for. The fridge is an excellent place to put the pictures. It is a place you walk by everyday.

Emotions
Be emotional with your goals. Make them yours and a part of you. Take care of them make them grow with you.