Personal trainer and coach by day — entrepreneur by night. A minimalist within an extremist world. A spiritualist navigating a human existence. A man seeking his potential.
I quit social media, found it too distracting and time-consuming.
Being largely plant-based myself (I indulge in the odd seafood) for years now, I’ve shared one of the more common concerns I hear from other plant-based eaters, including my clients.
“Eating plant-based foods can be so boring, how can I make them more appetizing?”
Many adults are interested in plant-based diets because of the health benefits and positive impact on the environment. However, there’s one thing holding them back. They don’t like the taste.
In a recent poll of Americans who tried giving up meat but were unable to continue, 28% blamed the lack of flavor, and 23% said they needed more options. Overall, the average experiment with vegetarianism or veganism lasts only 3 months.
On the bright side, the same poll found that three in five respondents would eat a plant-based diet if it was more appetizing. If that sounds like you, try these tips.
Dining In on a Plant Based Diet:
1. Add healthy fats
A lot of recipes will turn out bland if you just leave the meat out. You need to do something to replace the flavor you get from cooking skin and bones. Olive oil will give you more mouthfeel and taste. Other smart choices include sunflower, avocado, and coconut.
2. Use seasonings
Spices and herbs help too. To avoid too much salt, be creative. Experiment with garam masala and sumac, along with the usual garlic and parsley.
3. Consider the texture
Burgers might seem mushy without the muscle tissue that makes them meaty. You can experience chewiness and crunchiness with ingredients like toasted nuts, roasted beans, croutons, and breadcrumbs.
4. Adapt your favorites
Satisfy your cravings and invent substitutes for the dishes you usually make. Switch from pulled pork sandwiches to jackfruit versions. Prepare your next lasagna with spinach, carrots, and cauliflower in place of ground beef.
5. Upgrade your skills
If you read labels carefully, you can probably find nutritious and appealing products in the freezer section at your supermarket. However, you’llsave a lot of money and enjoy fresher food if you do your own cooking.
6. Buy a subscription
What if you prefer to minimize your time in the kitchen? Meal kit plans will do most of the work for you. You can find meatless delivery services at companies like Sun Basket, Green Chef, Purple Carrot, and Daily Harvest.
7. Be patient
Your taste buds may need time to adjust to any new way of eating.
That’s especially true if you’re cutting down on ultra-processed products and eating more natural foods with subtle flavors.
Dining Out on a Plant Based Diet:
1. Plan ahead
It’s easy to check what a restaurant serves before you make reservations. Look up the menu online and read customer reviews.
2. Sample different cuisines
Some parts of the world have been vegetarian-friendly for centuries. Enjoy yourself at restaurants that serve food from India, Thailand, Mexico, Ethiopia, and the MIddle-East.
3. Make special requests
The hotel and restaurant industries have been working hard to accommodate a wide range of dietary restrictions. Call ahead or discuss your needs with your server. They may be able to recommend popular dishes or create something special for you.
4. Bring supplies
What if you’re stuck on a road trip with no quinoa or dairy-free cheese in sight? You might be able to make your order more enticing with a little nutritional yeast or sriracha sauce.
5. Check sourcing. Delicious dishes depend on fresh ingredients
Check the website to see if they get their food from local organic farms or even grow some of their own produce.
6. Support local businesses
Keeping your local vegetarian restaurant in business preserves your options and makes your neighborhood more interesting. Visit them often and post positive reviews.
A plant-based diet may reduce your risk of heart disease and dementia
Along with your carbon footprint. Make it taste delicious, so you can stick with eating vegan or just cut back on meat.
Change is inevitable. Look at your hobbies, friends, clothes, taste in music, TV shows, family, and career. Many of those things have changed. The people around you have changed. The political climate has changed. There’s change everywhere.
Change can bring fear, doubt, and uncertainty. However, it’s not helpful to view change negatively. In order to survive, it’s necessary to adapt to change.
There are new experiences and understandings to be gained as a result of the changes in your life. If you never changed, you’d still be playing in the sandbox at the playground and eating dirt.
If you’re finding it difficult to embrace changes in your life, using the following strategies can help.
7 Tips on How To Accept Change
1. Understand that life is always changing
Life is change. Life is always evolving. It’s the very nature of life. Think about how much you’ve changed since you were an infant.
Your body and view of the world have changed considerably over the years. Change is a natural part of life.
2. See change as a positive thing
Imagine how bored you would be if nothing ever changed.
Change expands your comfort zone. Change provides opportunities. Change provides new experiences. Dealing with change teaches you about yourself.
3. See the opportunities that this change provides
There are positive aspects to the changes you’re currently facing in your life. You just have to look for them.
For example, losing a job provides many opportunities. You can change careers. Find a better company. Find a better paying job. Get away from that annoying coworker. Move someplace new. You’ll have more free time for a while to spend on your family and hobbies.
A divorce can be traumatic, but it also brings new opportunities. You can find a more suitable partner. You can move to a new house. You have more control over your free time. You can put a challenging relationship behind you.
4. Imagine a positive outcome
It’s easier to deal with change if you can visualize a positive outcome. See a compelling picture in your mind. When you feel stressed, go back to that picture. A positive expectation for the future can be motivating.
5. Pay attention to what you can control
Any situation that involves change has elements that can be controlled and others that cannot be controlled. You can control your attitude, decisions, actions, and usually several other things. There are also elements beyond your control.
It’s important to spend your time and energy on the things you can control.
Focusing on the things you can’t control can leave you feeling depressed and powerless.
6. Change makes you stronger
The organisms that have survived the most successfully are those that are best able to adapt. Organisms that can’t adapt become extinct. Humans are excellent at adapting. They just don’t like to do it! Every change you overcome makes you a stronger person.
7. What other options do you have besides making the best of it?
Chances are, they will all involve some type of change too. Many times, you can choose which change you want, and you can take action to make it happen.
Most people avoid or fight change when it occurs, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Change can bring amazing opportunities!
Change is all around you. Change brings you new ideas, people, and experiences. Life is too short to live the same day over and over. Be grateful for the changes happening in your life. You might be on the path to something new and wonderful.
Which Obstacle To Change Is Holding You Back
Change occurs naturally, but it can be difficult to keep it flowing in the direction you want. According to some estimates, 80% of New Year resolutions fail. When it comes to losing weight, more than 95% of dieters regain the weight they lost within three years.
Even if you sincerely want to make positive changes in your life, success may elude you. Maybe you’re sabotaging yourself without realizing it. Maybe you’re skipping essential steps that would make your efforts pay off.
Find out what is holding you back from living the life you want. Take a look at three common obstacles to personal change and learn how to overcome them.
Living With Uncertainty
Clinging to what’s familiar can give you a sense of security. However, staying in your comfort zone may mean missing out on a more meaningful life.
Let go of judgements. Stop rushing to categorize people or events. Slow down and open up your mind to other viewpoints.
Clarify your vision. When you know what you’re trying to accomplish, it’s easier to make specific pans. Reflect on your goals and write them down.
Focus on gains. When you’re taking on a challenge, imagine the rewards as well as the possible pitfalls. Motivate yourself by thinking positive. Even if the outcomes aren’t what you had in mind, you can learn from the experience.
Start small. Begin with modest changes. Each victory will boost your confidence and abilities.
Gathering Resources
There are many simple and free things you can do to take care of yourself. On the other hand, you may have some goals that will require time, money, and other resources. Learn how to build your capacity.
Set priorities. Trying to change too many things at once can be overwhelming. PIck one or two top concerns and focus your efforts there.
Get organized. You can accomplish more when you have a system. Clear away mental and physical clutter. Invent routines that will save you time and money.
Revise your budget. Look for ways to cut spending and increase your income. Bring your lunch to work instead of eating at sandwich shops. Turn your hobby into a side income.
Seek information. Maybe you need additional knowledge and skills to make the changes you have in mind. Sign up for training at work or take a course online.
Ask for support. Having a strong network makes you more resilient. Ask your family and friends for the assistance you need.
Transforming Habits
Habits are powerful. Unless you examine your actions, you may wind up reacting to situations automatically instead of choosing the options that will make you happier and more productive.
Identify triggers. Maybe you’re trying to quit smoking, but you reach for a cigarette as soon as you pour your morning coffee. Figure out the triggers that distract you from your positive intentions.
Develop substitutions. Once you know the situations where you’re likely to lapse, you can craft alternative responses. Keep your hands busy with needlework or a video game instead of smoking a cigarette.
Practice mindfulness. Research shows that it often takes a couple of months for new habits to solidify. Plus, being consistent during the first few days of starting a new practice will increase your chances of success. Remind yourself that being patient and vigilant now will benefit you.
It’s important to embrace change if you want to grow. Once you understand what’s holding you back, you can come up with strategies that will help you reach your personal and professional goals.
This post is for you if you have a budget of $100-$4000 (payment plans are available for all programs) and want an easier time making a decision on which is the best online spiritual life coaching certification school for you.
Basically, I’ve done the homework so you don’t have to.
If you’re like me and you hate the tedious process of finding, researching, and comparing programs then you’ll love this post. I’ve made contact with some of the providers as well in order to give you as much information as possible to help you make an informed decision
Compare 2 Of The Best Online Transformational Coach Certification Schools
Scroll right to view more columns. If you are viewing from a phone or tablet I recommend rotating into a landscape for the best viewing experience.
Can’t start anytime. Only run 3 cohorts per year that start in Jan, May and Sept.
PROGRAM & REGISTRATION OPTIONS
There are three options for you to choose from when registering:
Deep Coaching Intensive (DCI)
The Deep Coaching Intensive encompasses Foundation and Mastery components. Once you complete the DCI you receive certification as a Deep Transformational Coach.
Note: Certification as a Deep Coach from the Center for Transformational Coaching is not the same as receiving a coaching credential from the International Coach Federation, which is a separate application process.
DCI Portfolio Package
For those who desire to attain an ICF coach credential, the DCI Portfolio Package and the DCI Portfolio Mentored Package provide all the coach training hours needed to meet ICF requirements for the ACC application. These packages combine Life Coaching Basics with the
Note 1: To apply for an ICF credential, you need to fulfill a number of requirements. The DCI Portfolio Package fulfills your coach training requirement when you apply via ICF’s ACCPortfolio Path. Visit ICF’s website for details on application requirements for that path.
Note 2: It is not possible to ‘audit’ the DCI Portfolio Package, as ICF requires that for application purposes, 80% of the training must be synchronous learning (SL).
DCI Portfolio Mentoring Package
Another requirement for ICF’s ACC credential application is 10 hours of Mentor Coaching. We offer this service with a qualified Mentor Coach when you register for the DCI Portfolio Mentoring Package. Typically, these hours are used following completion of the DCI as you continue to develop your coaching skills and knowledge in preparation for your ACC credential application.
DEEP COACHING INTENSIVE COURSE STRUCTURE
There are two components to the Deep Coaching Intensive (21 weeks; 42 SL learning hours):
1: Foundation (12 weeks)
The first part of the DCI imparts all concepts and knowledge related to the Deep Coaching approach and integrates it with ICF competencies. Foundation also offers a peer coaching program to encourage practice of the Deep Coaching approach from the beginning of the course.
2: Mastery (9 weeks)
The second part is designed to deepen student’s understanding of Deep Coaching through direct experience. Participants observe and discuss a series of Deep Coaching sessions led by the learning leader which expand their understanding of how the approach works across a range of personalities, situations, and issues. Participants also engage in a number of practice sessions. This is akin to supervised mentor coaching, and through feedback from the learning leader, participants receive the direction and support needed to master Deep Coaching.
To successfully complete Mastery, participants submit two audio recordings to the learning leader for assessment and feedback. These recordings will demonstrate the participant’s capacity and progress with the DC approach. Upon successful completion of all DCI requirements, participants receive certification as a Deep Transformational Coach.
MAIN LEARNING OBJECTIVES
The DCI is designed to create three types of knowledge:
Conceptual knowledge: The key concepts here are understanding what transformational coaching is (as an approach), understanding the dynamics of human transformation, and how to create the conditions within a coaching space which optimize transformative change and enable deep shifts in awareness.
Practical knowledge: Transformative models and Deep Coaching practices are introduced which help participants move beyond transactional coaching methods, dive deeper into a person’s psyche and ‘inner operating system’, and enhance the power of their personal presence.
Self-knowledge: The most important dimension of all great transformational coaches, knowing — Who am I? What does my life and work stand for?
DCI PORTFOLIO PACKAGE STRUCTURE
For those who wish to attain their ICF ACC credential, the DCI Portfolio Package has been designed to meet all ICF requirements for the ACC Portfolio Path application by combining the Deep Coaching Intensive program with the Life Coaching Basics course.
Life Coaching Basics teaches you core coaching competencies and frameworks, including the ICF definition of coaching and Code of Ethics, and prepares you to be a knowledgeable coach who understands the profession’s unique approach to self-development. The DCI then builds on that foundational knowledge through advanced coaching practices.
Life Coaching Basics in the DCI Portfolio Package is a blend of self-study and support integration calls with your course instructor (both 1-1 and group calls). Visit our website for details.
Begin today. The earlier you get started with Life Coaching Basics, however, the more time you have to study and integrate the foundational knowledge before the DCI begins. Enrollment is ongoing, so you can begin at any time.
Approximately two weeks prior to the start of the DCI you will receive the information needed to prepare for the course, including setting up your learnsite account and getting tele-class access information.
PART 1 – FOUNDATION
Below are the core concepts introduced each week during Foundation. Along with conceptual knowledge, each week will have an experiential Peer Coaching assignment so that you are putting the conceptual knowledge into practice.
WEEK 1: ORIENTATION – CONNECTING
Learning leader and participant introductions
Tutorials: how to use the conferencing service and forum features
Peer coaching program: set up and how it works
Course protocols and expectations
Course completion requirements
WEEK 2: THE JOURNEY OF TRANSFORMATION
The Coaching Continuum: moving from transactional to transformational
Deep Coaching: an introduction to its core principles and tenets
Transformational models: stages and patterns of human transformation
The relationship between healing and personal transformation
The role of spirit or spirituality in transformational processes
Deep Coaching Practice 3: Nurture healing spaces
WEEK 6: DYNAMICS OF TRANSFORMATION
The dynamics of transformation
The ‘generative potential’: connecting with what is emerging
Engines of transformation: 6 drivers that accelerate transformative growth
Deep Coaching Practice 4: Working with silence
WEEK 7: DEEP COACHING IN ACTION
Structuring a Deep Coaching session
The Three Intelligences: tapping into multiple sources of information
Accessing the heart’s intelligence
Observe a Deep Coaching session (learning leader as coach)
Deep Coaching Practice 5: Coaching more from the heart, less from the head
WEEK 8: ACCESSING THE DEEPER SELF
The Four Levels of Listening: Shifting the inner place from where we operate
Generative listening: beyond empathetic listening
Deep Coaching practice 6: Attune to the deeper Self and let that lead
Shifting ‘ways of being’: how Deep Coaches enable shifts in consciousness
WEEK 9: WORKING WITH EMOTION AND PAIN
What ‘pain’ is and its relationship to transformational processes
Levels of comfort (and discomfort) with the expression of pain in a session
How Deep Coaches work with emotions and pain
Deep Coaching Practice 7: Expanding your capacity to be with pain
WEEK 10: THE EMERGING POTENTIAL
Presencing: seeing from our deepest source
Attuning to the ‘emerging potential’ within ourselves and others
Listening for the readiness: what is there a readiness for?
Facilitating authentic Self experiences in a coaching session
Deep Coaching Practice 8: Foster the emergence of what wants to happen (inside and out)
WEEK 11: CULTIVATING TRUST
Co-sensing Activity – gathering deep data
Coaching the emerging selfhood: experiencing more of the ‘I Am’ in a session
Committing to your own transformational journey
Deep Coaching Practice 9: Cultivating trust in the mystery and magic of the process
Final assignments for completing Foundation
WEEK 12: CRYSTALIZING
Wrapping up Foundation
Crystalize key learnings
Preparing for Mastery
PART 2 – MASTERY
WEEKS 13-16: DEEP COACHING SESSION OBSERVATION
Each week for the four Session Observation classes, one participant will be coached by the learning leader. These live sessions compliment a series of four audio Deep Coaching sessions which are part of the weekly assignments.
The purpose of observing these sessions is to provide participants the experience of how Deep Coaching works across a range of situations, issues, and personalities.
During these four weeks, the Peer Coaching program continues. Participants are required to coach at least once per week and make themselves available to receive coaching once per week. Participants are encouraged to continue applying the DC practices and related ICF competencies into their practice sessions to deepen their capacity with the approach.
Each of the four classes will also introduce an exercise that is related to a key aspect of Deep Coaching. These experiential activities continue to expand awareness of DC beyond the theoretical and into the practical and pragmatic.
WEEK 17-20: DEEP COACHING PRACTICE SESSIONS
Each week for the four Practice Session classes, at least one participant will coach another participant.
During these four weeks, Peer Coaching continues. Participants are required to coach at least once per week and make themselves available to receive coaching once per week. Participants continue applying the Deep Coaching practices and related ICF competencies into their practice sessions to deepen their capacity with the coaching approach.
All sessions are observed by the learning leader, who provides support/guidance as needed during the sessions and feedback upon completion. Feedback covers the demonstration of the 9 Deep Coaching practices as well as ICF Coaching Competencies.
These practice sessions prepare participants for submission of two session recordings required for course completion and certification.
WEEK 21: WRAPPING UP
A final class to wrap up the Deep Coaching Intensive—a time to reflect on and celebrate our learning journey.
DCI TIME COMMITMENT
Total Training Hours:
Classroom Study (Synchronous Learning): 42 hours
Self-Study (Asynchronous Learning): 40+ hours
Peer Coaching: 16+ hours (8 hours as coach; 8 hours as client)
Weekly Breakdown:
Classroom Study (Synchronous Learning): 2 hours
Self-Study (Asynchronous Learning): 2 hours
Peer Coaching: 1 hour
International Coach Federation (ICF) – With 60 CCEUs non-credentialed students are eligible to apply for an ACC credential when they apply via ICF’s ACC Portfolio Path (click to read what ICF’s application requirements are). With 42 CCEUs, credentialed ICF coaches attain all the units needed for credential renewal. ICF requires 40 CCEUs every three years to renew.
I’ve taken all 4 courses that make up the Master Transformation Life Coach Certification. I’ll review them each one by one.
All in all, I think Joeel and Natalie do a fantastic job at making their videos engaging. Their teaching style is better than most, in my opinion, and this creates a much more palpable learning experience.
TRANSFORMATION LIFE COACH
This was hands down my favorite course of the 4 courses. I may be a little biased because transformational coaching is what I enjoy coaching on and learning about most.
Transformation is about who we are and who we want to be, not what we want to do. I was a little skeptical at first that JOeel and Natalie may get this wrong but they nailed it. This certification is all about who we want to be and not what we want to do.
Although much of the information in this certification was a review for me, it was a great reminder. Joeel and Natalie have a way of simplifying complex subjects and this allowed some of the information to sink a little further for me.
I resonate with the Hero’s Journey that they teach as I’m familiar with it. I’m glad it’s part of the course. I believe the Hero’s Journey is a great metaphor for the process we endeavor on our own journey of personal transformation.
There is a lot of teaching on beliefs; how we form them, how they affect us, how to release them, how to change them, and how to instill them.
FORGIVENESS LIFE COACH CERTIFICATION
I’m glad to see this certification is part of the program as I think understanding forgiveness is a huge part of our transformational journey.
Forgiveness isn’t new to me by any means. I’ve had to let go of my fair share of resentments and to do that I had to understand what that meant.
Forgiveness is one of the most challenging processes one will ever have to go through, however, the rewards are liberating.
What I liked: The information was presented well, in an easy-to-understand manner for such a deep subject.
What I didn’t like: The co-presenter, Sheri Rosenthal, seemed somewhat inauthentic to me. I feel she lacked compassion and emotional validation for the pain others may feel. But hey, that could just be me.
LIFE STORY COACH CERTIFICATION
I found certification a little redundant after already completing the Transformation Life Coach Certification.
The gist of the certification is this—we create a story around our life and who we are based on our upbringing and the coinciding beliefs that accompany it.
The redundancy is surrounding the beliefs. Much of the information presented about beliefs is a rehash of the Transformation Life Coach Certification.
I do think it’s important to understand that a client’s story is just that, a story. Their story is not absolute truth, it’s their way of seeing their life, themselves, and the world they live within.
It’s extremely important that, as coaches, we don’t get caught up in the story we’re being told. Instead, we see it with curiosity, we question it.
PURPOSE QUEST WORKSHOP FACILITATOR CERTIFICATION
I’m not going to be, this certification didn’t interest me much. I didn’t resonate with it as I have no desire to host workshops on people’s life purposes.
For this reason, I don’t remember much about this course as I breezed through it without being highly engaged.
Get 80% off through this link (discount applied at checkout)
Do you need a certification to be a transformational coach?
No, you don’t need a certification to be a transformational coach. There are no governing bodies that make being certified as a transformational coach a requirement
What is the difference between a life coach and a transformational coach?
What do Transformational Coaches do?
A transformational coach is a coach who specializes in personal transformation. They are excellent at helping people to find their true selves and make lasting changes. Transformational coaches help people to create a vision for their life and then work towards it.
Transformational coaches are often people who have personal experience with transformation and offer support and services to help people on their personal journeys. Transformational coaches help the person realize their full potential, which often isn’t available to them otherwise.
They are often the ones who are able to push the person to evolve and grow. While transformational coaches offer support, they don’t offer advice. They help the person to understand their own journey and to take the next step.
What do Life Coaches do?
Most people are familiar with the “life coach” – someone who helps you achieve success in life. A life coach can help you with anything from improving your relationships to achieving a better work-life balance. A life coach will help you to come to life-changing decisions so that you can live a more fulfilling life.
Life coaches, contrary to transformational coaches, may offer personal advice, help and/or guidance to help people on their own journeys.
What do transformational coaches do?
It can take anywhere from 1 month to 6 months to complete most spiritual coach programs and become a Certified Spiritual Coach.
If you have any questions or feel there are gaps in information, and you would like me to add more information, please let me know in the comment section below, I will gladly try to help you out.
Have questions regarding any of these online spiritual life coach certification schools?
If you have any questions regarding any of the information I have presented here regarding any of these online transformation life coach certification schools feel free to contact me 🙂
Luckily, most of what you need to know to live life wisely has already been said and written. A lot of intelligent people have already lived and shared their ideas and experiences. This is one of the best aspects of reading good books. You can learn from others, rather than having to figure it out yourself.
Consider these nuggets of wisdom:
Action often trumps knowledge. Someone that knows a little but does a lot will beat someone that knows a lot but does little. Ensure that you’re not procrastinating under the guise of gathering more information.
Focus on the things you can control. If you can control it, why worry? Just take action to manage it the best you can. If you can’t control it, there’s no value in worrying.
You can’t control other people. You can’t make anyone change. Instead, focus on being the best you can be.
Your life is passing by quicker than you think. There’s no time for worrying or waiting. Get busy living your life.
Progress is more important than perfection. Striving for perfection is a waste of time. Just focus on doing a little better today than you did yesterday. Good things will happen.
Failure is a required part of success. Stop trying to avoid failure. Learn from your mistakes, do your best, and keep moving forward until you reach your goal.
People think about you a lot less than you think they do. It might be a relief, or it might be insulting, but few people care about your successes and failures. Either way, it’s true.
The best policy is to take responsibility for everything in your life – good and bad. If you accept responsibility, you can celebrate your successes and fix anything that’s unacceptable to you. Blame others and you’re powerless.
What you want most is better than what you want right now. Avoid the tendency to make yourself happy today instead of doing what will make you happy in the future. For example, saving your money for the house you desperately want to buy is a smarter option than buying a motorcycle today. Be willing to make sacrifices for what you really want.
Choosing whether to be right or to be happy is an important decision. When dealing with others, there are times that you can’t be both. Which is more important to you?
Dealing with your fears is much easier than avoiding them. Deal with a fear and it eventually goes away. Avoid it, and you’ll soon be structuring your life around it.
Most of the things you fear will never happen. And if they do, it won’t be as bad as you think.
Your time is your most valuable possession. Time is the one thing you can’t get more of. How you spend your time determines the quality of your life.
People are doing the best they can. You don’t know what others are going through or have gone through. Everyone is doing the best they can at that moment.
Place a priority on your health. Everything suffers if your health deteriorates.
Avoid making decisions when you’re emotionally compromised. Science has shown that your ability to make wise decisions is hindered by strong emotions. Wait until you calm down.
Quitting is failing. You’ve only failed when you quit.
Choosing to live your life wisely is your right. Too many people live life the hard way. There’s no reason to guess what it takes to be happy and successful. The wisdom of others is a great starting point.
Do you have any bits of wisdom? Add them to this list. Keep adding more ideas as you discover them.
If you have more to do than you have time to do it in, you’re not alone. Regardless of how much society advances with new technology that’s supposed to enable us to do more in less time, there never seems to be enough time to do everything that needs to be done.
But what if you could essentially add another hour or two to your day? How would you use that time?
While you can’t actually add time, you can free up additional time with these techniques:
9 Time-Saving Tips in Daily Life or at Work
1. Eliminate unnecessary tasks
Maybe you just have too many things to do! Take a detailed look at your life and determine if there are any tasks that you’re doing that are simply unnecessary. There are bound to be a few things you can eliminate from your life without suffering any negative impact.
2. Delete social media accounts
Social media platforms can be valuable, but they are also great timewasters. There’s also a lot of evidence that social media use can be harmful to your mental health.
Consider deleting your social media accounts and picking up the phone once in a while to check in on your friends and family the old-fashioned way.
3. Disable notifications
Do you really need to be notified of every text, email, and app activity in real time? Turn all of it off and take a quick peek every few hours to see if you’re missing something important.
4. Avoid perfection
Some tasks require a high level of attention. Others do not. It’s not necessary to clean out your closet with the same level of perfection as a surgeon performing a liver transplant. Ask yourself how well a task really needs to be done and perform it at an appropriate level of effort and detail.
5. Ask yourself how you can do this task better and faster
Are you sure you’re taking the best route to work? Are you cleaning your house efficiently? Think about every task you do on a regular basis and search for a more efficient way of doing it.
6. Outsource
It’s possible to outsource much of your life. No one can eat, sleep, or exercise for you, but you can pay others to do a lot of things for you.
There are people that will clean, do laundry, mow grass, drive, shop, cook, do your taxes, and build your new deck for you.
You might even have a partner or children that can carry some of your load.
7. Schedule your day
A decent plan is lightyears better than no plan at all. Think about what you need to accomplish and make a list. Stick to your list and you’re bound to get more done in less time each day.
8. Consider your mealtimes
Eating takes more time than people realize. You have to shop for the food, cook it, eat it, and clean up afterwards. If you eat three meals a day, that’s a lot of time.
Some meals are much quicker than others. A sandwich and an apple eaten on a paper plate is less time and work than roasting a chicken, making mashed potatoes, and washing pots and pans.
Shop for foods that are easy to prepare and have minimal cleanup. Also, shop as infrequently as possible. Each trip to the store can take an hour or more.
9. Track your time
Where are you wasting time? How are you spending all of your time? You might be surprised where your time is going if you’ve never taken a hard look at it.
Spend a couple of days logging your tasks and how much time you spend on them. Pay particular attention to the time spent on electronic devices and other amusing activities.
Now Learn How To Stop Wasting Time
We notice how and when we waste time on a large scale. We notice that we spent an hour on social media or that we watched TV for three hours. However, these aren’t the only ways we waste time. We waste time in dozens of ways each day.
Many of this time wasters aren’t always obvious, but the time can really add up over the course of a day, a week, or a decade.
Don’t let your time just be frittered away! Imagine how much you could accomplish in that time! What could you do that really matters to you?
8 Ways To Stop Wasting Time In Daily Life:
1. Have a phone charger with you
How many times in a week do you need a phone charger and have to go into the other room to fetch it? Have multiple chargers and keep them handy in the locations you spend the most time.
It’s not just the time it takes to get the charger. It’s the disruption to your thoughts and workflow. Plus, once you leave the room to locate your charger, who knows what else will grab your attention along the way.
2. Internet speed
How much time do you spend waiting for a web page to load? Or a movie to stream? You might not think you’re waiting for very long, but it all adds up. If your internet is noticeably slow, your time is being wasted.
3. Checking e-mail
It just takes 10 seconds to check email, right? Hardly. That quick look alters your concentration, and there’s no telling how far down the rabbit hole you’re going to go.
You might open three emails, respond to one one them, and then remember that you have another email to answer.
What if the email is a link to a video of a cat chasing a dog?
How many times do you get up from your desk to get a drink? However many times it is, it’s too many. Keep a beverage handy when you’re working. Take a sip and get back to work.
5. Snacks
Keep something healthy available. If you have to go to the vending machine for a snack, you can’t be sure who you’ll run into or how long you’ll be gone.
6. Get gas for your car on the weekend
You don’t want to be rushed on Tuesday morning and realize that your car needs gas on the way to work. Plan ahead.
7. Meals
We spend a lot of time thinking about meals, planning meals, buying food, cleaning dishes. If you have to stop on the way to work for breakfast, go out for lunch, and then pick up something at the store for dinner, you’re wasting a lot of time.
Go to the store once a week, at most.
Have food that can be prepared quickly and easily and doesn’t require multiple pots and pans to prepare it.
8. Looking for “lost” things
This could be your keys, purse, wallet, a pen, your shoes, jacket, umbrella, or anything else you’ve temporarily misplaced. Keep the essentials in a particular place.
For example, don’t ever put your car keys anywhere but in the decorative bowl by the front door. Your pen should be on your desk. Your shoes should be where your shoes belong if they’re not on your feet.
Wrapping Up
After you’ve eliminated the big wasters of time in your life, start looking at the tiny wasters of time. You’ll quickly realize that the impact on your life isn’t so tiny.
Every disruption has a greater impact than just the amount of time the disruption robs from you. Consider the loss of focus and momentum. It takes time to get back on track mentally after you’ve scoured the house or your workplace for a pencil.
Guard your time with your life – the life you really desire!
Everyone gets the same 24 hours each day to live life. Whether your 24-hour day is easy and carefree or extremely busy, it’s also helpful to find additional time to use as you see fit.
You can’t make a day last longer, but you create additional hours by being more effective, more efficient, and reducing unnecessary tasks and responsibilities.
Self-defeating beliefs may create or exacerbate anxiety. Below is a list of self-defeating beliefs that lead to anxious thoughts and ways to overcome them.
Examples of Self-Limiting Beliefs With Solutions
Filtering: Focusing on the negative to the exclusion of the positive. Solution: When you’re thinking/feeling bad, try to do the opposite.
Black & White Thinking: Things are good or bad – it’s all or nothing with no middle ground. Solution: Look for the exception to your point of view – yes, but. . .
Overgeneralization: Exaggerating or taking things to the extreme. Solution: Avoid words such as: always, never, every, all, none, everybody, and nobody. Question the extremes. Is there any time that is not true?
Mind Reading: Making assumptions about an outcome or someone’s motivation. Solution: Can you really know what’s going to happen or why something happens? What another person’s intentions are? How can you know for sure? What are other possibilities?
Catastrophizing: AKA awfulizing – expecting and projecting the worst. Solution: Remember that there is usually more than one possible outcome and the worst catastrophe usually does not happen.
Personalization: It’s all about me – my fault – I did it wrong – they hate me – I am the only one who can do this. Solution: How do you know? Prove it, or consider other possibilities. Let others take ownership.
Control Fallacies: Either you have no control or you can control everything. Solution: Let go of what you can’t control and be realistic about what you really can control.
Fallacy of Fairness: You think everything should be fair. Solution: Life is not fair. Accepting this will help you have more realistic expectations.
Blaming: You don’t take responsibility for your choices and project fault onto others. Solution: Take responsibility for your choices, including your feelings. Nobody else can make you feel or do anything. How you feel or react is up to you. Blame isn’t necessary/helpful – it is what it is.
Shoulds: Words like should, ought, and must foster impossible expectations and often result in disappointment, resentment, and failure. Solution: Flexibility is the key here. Give yourself and others the benefit of the doubt.
Emotional Reasoning: A belief that your emotions are based in truth. Solution: Challenge emotions with logic. Look for exceptions that are reasonable and possible.
We tend to get held back from achieving our goals by the ultimatums we place on ourselves. We get tense and pressured when what we want coincides with our inbuilt ideas of “right.”
For example, when we see a messy house, we believe we need to clean it. We may have a strong desire to pursue a particular career. But then we turn around and tell ourselves, “I can’t do it!”
A person who keeps doing what is “right” but sacrifices his desires and passions in exchange has his beliefs holding him back. Most of us give up on our dreams because of our expectations of ourselves.
Our internal guidelines lead us in how we spend our money, view our relationships and career choices, and how we spend our free time. Since our beliefs are so important, it’s a good practice to learn those common ones that hold us back from living the life we deserve.
1. the belief that you’re not good enough.
Many people give up before they reach the top simply because they’re not convinced that they have what it takes. Others settle for less, thinking that the rewards will not make them happy.
Believing that you’re not good enough is the most challenging and damaging belief to overcome. It’s important to know yourself and accept who you are.
Consider that you have the same circumstances as the others before you who achieved incredible things. Combat the desire to compare yourself with others. That will only cause you more stress and hinder your progress.
2. The Belief that it’s possible for them but not you
Many people develop a pessimistic attitude. They believe that others have everything going for them, but they don’t have the energy or the right circumstances to make those things happen for them.
Everyone has challenges. Everyone struggles. Everyone faces obstacles. But instead of looking at those as unfavorable, think of them as an opportunity to learn and grow.
Recognize and accept that the only thing holding you back is your belief that things won’t work out well for you. Ask yourself: If they can, what’s holding me back from accomplishing the same feats?
Questions like these shift your focus from what you don’t have and what others have to what you do have and what you can do to change those realities.
By redirecting your focus from lack to abundance, you open yourself up to a whole new set of possibilities, including the belief and confidence needed to live the life you want.
3. The Belief that you need to fix one more thing before you finally feel ready
When you feel stuck or like you can’t move any farther, that’s a cue that something needs to change.
We tend to think that we’re the only thing that needs changing. But the truth is that things work the way they work. The beauty of this is that it allows you to change what isn’t working.
Instead of feeling like you need to fix one more thing or force yourself to be more patient, try shifting your focus to what you CAN do, to the changes you can make.
Your inner dialogue will start to change from one of lack to abundance.
4. Belief In The thoughts that tell you there’s no time
No matter how busy your day or how tired you might seem, there’s a straightforward thing you can do right now to get unstuck:
The truth is, there are people with busier schedules living the life of your dreams. They could’ve decided that there wasn’t enough time in the day to accomplish what they have now. But they didn’t.
To combat the idea that there’s no time, set your priorities, eliminate distractions, and focus on what matters.
Overcoming Limiting Beliefs
When combating limiting beliefs, be proactive and put your needs first. Success is within your grasp. Recognize that feelings of hopelessness are just another limiting belief.
Think about everything you’ve overcome, and don’t be afraid to go for it. Don’t stop until you’ve reached the pinnacle you’ve always wanted.
After using Fastcomet’s Cloud VPS for 1 year, I made the tough decision to migrate to Cloudways. I actually felt terrible about leaving them, I’ll get into why in a moment, but first a little backstory on my 3 year journey with Fastcomet.
On April 30, 2019 I migrated from Siteground to Fastcomet. I realized speed was playing a more important role in SEO and Siteground just wasn’t cutting it anymore. They had an excellent reputation but it seems they’ve been going downhill now for a while.
Some of my comparison review posts are north of 10,000 words and include numerous images and videos. These posts were particularly slow and required more optimized and powerful servers.
Thus, after some extensive research I decided to go with Fastcomet. I’m so happy I did.
Why I Switched From Fastcomet to Cloudways
It all started when I was trying to access my website and kept running into this:
I had recently switched off my Premium DNS at Namecheap out of curiosity to see if it had any impact of my site speed. (it didn’t by the way)
I thought maybe it was just taking longer than normal to re-propagate my DNS. It says it can take up to 48 hours to do so, although it’s only taken 1-2 hours in all my experiences.
Despite that, I waited 36 hours before I lost my patience as I’m losing $150-$200/day when my website is down.
This is when I reached out to Fastcomet support to see if they could give me any insight.
Here’s our dialogue: (I copy and pasted it to make it easier for you to read)
I switched my nameservers from Namecheaps Premium DNS back to my Fastcomet DNS and now my website robkish.life can’t connect to DNS. I made the switch yesterday and still won’t connect
Error message is “DNS address could not be found”
URL: robkish.life
Rob
Hello Rob.
Thank you for reaching out to the FastComet Tech Support Team.
Upon my investigation I’ve found that your is currently inaccessible. Please allow us some time to review your matter at hand and provide you with a possible solution. We highly appreciate your patience. In the meantime if anything else occurs, you may feel free to reply back to the ticket with any new concerns you have regarding this.
Best Regards, Dimithur P.
Hello, Thank you for your patience up to now!
I would first like to apologize for the inconveniences that you are experiencing. And would like to reassure you that the issue has been resolved by now.
To provide you with more information on the matter, I would like to mention that there was a connectivity issue with the default nameservers which are configured on your private server. This has caused the server to be unable to resolve with the proper DNS and subsequently, the IP address assigned to the nameservers and in turn led to the issue experienced.
We have confirmed the same with our Registrar that this has already been resolved, however, a connectivity issue with the DNS can cause a short propagation period during which your sites and server might still be inaccessible and unable to resolve.
If you would like to learn more about DNS propagation, please refer to the following link: > https://www.fastcomet.com/tutorials/getting-started/dns-propagation
Considering the above, once the propagation period passes, all of your services and web projects on the server will again be fully accessible and you will be able to access them without any issue.
A tool such as the following can help with checking in which geographic region the propagation has already passed: > https://dnschecker.org/
For example, as seen in the following URL: > https://dnschecker.org/#A/node6024.myfcloud.com
We will be constantly monitoring the propagation on our end as well. And will update you once it has passed. Thank you for your patience and understanding in the meantime.
Best Regards, Atanas B.
Hello, Thank you for your patience so far.
This is an update to let you know that some of your services may be accessible from your end once again, make sure to also clear your local DNS and browser’s history caches, in case they have saved the old information.
> https://www.fastcomet.com/tutorials/getting-started/clear-dns-cache <– DNS cache
I have checked and some changes appear to be visible on the DNS checker tool now indicating that a lot of locations worldwide should now be able to reach your services as well.
As this is a propagation matter, please allow it more time to conclude. We will update you on this ticket further. Your patience is greatly appreciated during this. We are here to support you 24/7
Kind Regards,
Nick Technical Support Team
Thank you for your patience.
I would like to start off by saying that we deeply apologize for the inconvenience caused and thank you for your understanding. Having said this, I also want to shed some more light on the situation and what caused this issue in the first place.
As explained by my colleague, there was an issue with the configuration of the default nameservers used for your private server. This issue occurred at the registrar level and while it only lasted 3 minutes, it triggered a propagation period during which the incorrect configuration could still have been in use for some users, internet service providers, or networks.
Propagation periods can last from a few hours for up to 72 hours because DNS information is cached on many levels like in local cache on a computer, DNS cache stored by an internet service provider, routing services, and others. This means that some users have not been affected by this issue at all, while it lasted for minutes or even hours for others.
Unfortunately, this depends entirely on factors outside of our control, the most important of which is the previously mentioned DNS cached and the way and duration different networks store it.
You can find more information about DNS propagation in the following article: • https://www.fastcomet.com/tutorials/getting-started/dns-propagation
We have been closely monitoring the situation in order to ensure that no new issues will occur and at this point, we can safely consider the issue as completely addressed and no further issues are expected in the future. Meaning that all services should now be fully operational world wide, so we will kindly ask you to check things from your end once again and if you are still experiencing issues, simply update us here.
Please do not hesitate to contact us in case you need any further assistance
Best Regards,
Ivan Penishev Senior Support Team
HI there
The issue was resolved as of yesterday but my server is down again today.
This is getting a little frustrating as my businesses loses $100 per 12 hours it’s down.
I’ve been with you guys for a few years now and haven’t contemplated once switching hosting…until now.
Can you please make sure once it’s fixed that it’s a permanent one and not temporary?
Thanks in advance
Rob
Hello, I would like to provide you with a short update.
First and foremost I would like to apologize for the inconveniences that you are experiencing and let you know that we fully understand the impact this issue has on you and your projects.
The DNS issue in question affects the default nameservers used for your private hosting solution. This issue has occurred at the registrar level(it did not occur due to actions on your end nor on ours), which is why we have contacted our Registrar and already escalated the case to their Senior Department, so the same can be reviewed and resolved with the highest urgency possible.
While the DNS issue persists, we can suggest a workaround that will make your website/s accessible, for this purpose, you can route your domain/s via Cloudflare.
If you do not have an account at Cloudflare yet, you can register via the page below: > https://dash.cloudflare.com/sign-up
Here is a link to the Cloudflare’s guide on how to add a Site to Cloudflare: > https://developers.cloudflare.com/fundamentals/get-started/setup/add-site/
If you need assistance with the task, please do not hesitate to contact us back with the login details to your Cloudflare account and the domain/s you wish to add there.
As soon as there is more information about the DNS issue, we will share them with you over this ticket. Your patience and understanding are highly appreciated.
Best Regards,
Ivan Penishev Senior Support Team
Thanks for update Ivan
I connected to Cloudlfare, however, Cloudflare won’t pickup my DNS records like it normally would. This is likely because it can’t access my DNS. I can’t get into my Cpanel to manually add the records.
Do you have any way of getting my DNS records for me?
Rob
Hello from me as well!
I will be happy to help you.
Here is a screenshot of a different DNS Zone, which has the necessary A and CNAME records: >> https://www.screencast.com/t/XwXSG2aGNLb
The Name of all A and CNAME records is the name of your domain. And the Value/Content of both CNAME records is the name of your domain.
For example:
Type: A Name: robkish.life Value: 66.175.213.171
Or
Type: A Name: ftp.robkish.life Value: 66.175.213.171
The Value/Content of all A records is your server’s IP: 66.175.213.171
I hope this explanation helps. Please keep in mind that any changes made to the Nameservers or the DNS zone will result in DNS propagation. The propagation usually lasts up to a few hours, however, in some cases it can last up to 24-72 hours. This is a process done by your ISP so we have no control over it and can not speed it up.
For more information on DNS propagation please read our tutorial: >> https://www.fastcomet.com/tutorials/getting-started/dns-propagation
Let me know if you need further assistance. We are here to support you 24/7
Kind Regards,
Konstantin K. Technical Support
Hello,
Thank you for your patience up to now!
I would like to again deeply apologize for the inconvenience caused and thank you for your cooperation.
As we already discussed previously, there was a connectivity issue towards the default nameservers used for your private hosting server on the registrar level. The Senior Department team of our registrar informed us that by now it should be fully resolved.
With that in mind, you should now be able to access your websites as well as your WHM and cPanel and your mail service should also be fully functional. In case you still experience any difficulties please do let us know what they are exactly so that we can review them further.
However, we are still closely monitoring the situation to ensure that everything is working as expected as well as our team is constantly in touch with the registrar. We will keep the ticket active for the time being and update you once again here.
In the meantime, we remain 24/7 at your disposal!
Best Regards, Atanas B.
DNS is down again
Since you said it was working again, I decided to change my nameservers back to Fastcomet. I had them connected to Cloudflare prior to that as a workaround.
The only reason it appears my site was working was because it was connect to Cloudflare.
Rob
Hello,
We fully understand how hard and frustrating downtime can be and sincerely apologize for the caused inconveniences by the ongoing DNS connectivity issue.
I would like to clarify that despite the DNS issue, all services – cPanel, WHM, FTP, SSH, etc are working, the impact is only on the server’s hostname/nameservers and affects domains that use the default nameservers of your hosting solution.
While the DNS issue persists, you can access the cPanel/WHM login pages via the server’s IP Address, for your convenience, we apply links to both:
cPanel: > http://66.175.213.171:2082/
WHM: > http://66.175.213.171:2086/
We will keep your ticket active in our system, as soon as there is an update on the DNS issue, you will be notified here. Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated! Let me know if you need further assistance.
We are here to support you 24/7
Kind Regards,
Martin R. Tech Support
Hello,
Thank you for reaching back to us!
First and foremost we would like to express our deep apology for the inconvenience this whole situation caused.
Our management team is in constant touch with the Senior Department of the Registrar and as we speak, they informed us that the connectivity issue towards the default nameservers used for your private solution has been greatly improved.
That being said, you should now be able to access your websites as usually. Along with that, the WHM, cPanel and your mail services should also be functional. However, if you still experience any difficulties, we kindly ask you to reach us back here, so we can review it.
We will keep the ticket active in our system as previously mentioned, as we continue to monitor the situation along with the Senior Department of the Registrar.
In the meantime, we remain 24/7 at your disposal!
Best Regards, Atanas B.
Thank you for your patience.
First and foremost I would like to apologize for the inconvenience this issue has caused.
I am updating you to share some more details about this issue. We have been monitoring your server I want to inform you that the services along with all of your websites are up and running and accessible world-wide for some time now.
We will continue closely monitoring the service from our end to ensure that it will remain stable and will keep you updated on the matter. We are still in discussion with our registrar about prevention of such issues and we are working ensuring that situations like this one will not occur again.
I will leave this ticket active and we will update you with more details once such are available.
Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.
Best Regards,
Ivan Penishev Senior Support Team
Thanks for the update and your continued work to get this rectified.
My renewal is coming up at the end of July and as of right now I’m looking to move my services elsewhere. I lost $100’s of dollars thus far and want stability moving forward.
If you can somehow provided assurance (with proof) that this has been permanently resolved, it would go a long way in keeping me as a customer. I’d like to stay as I’ve been happy with your hosting and support up until this issue.
Rob
Hello Rob,
Thank you for your reply.
We completely understand your point of view here.
As our colleague mentioned, the issue occurred at the Registrar-level, our team is still in contact with the Registrar support team with the purpose of ensuring that such incidents can be prevented in the future.
We continue to keep this ticket active as to inform you here as soon as more details are available. Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated.
Best Regards,
Nikola G. Technical Support Team
Who is your registrar?
Rob
Hello,
Thank you for the update.
The domain registrar in question is PDR Ltd. d/b/a PublicDomainRegistry.com.
Our technical support team remains 24/7 at your service.
Best Regards,
Nikola G. Technical Support Team
Hello,
Thank you for your patience.
First, we would like to once again apologize for any inconvenience caused by the DNS issue, as we do value highly all of our customers and their projects.
As we informed you earlier, the issue had been resolved 3 days ago. Since then, we have been closely working with our Upstream provider to ensure that the issue will not repeat, and, after a lengthy discussion between our management and their senior staff and a thorough review of the case, we were assured that the issue has been fixed for good.
We have been monitoring the service ever since the last outage and we have not detected any DNS configuration issues. This is why at this point we consider the issue to be permanently resolved. The DNS propagation caused by this issue is complete and all of your websites and service should be accessible and fully functional.
In case you notice any ongoing issues with your websites, please submit a new ticket, so we can investigate them.
Once again you have our sincerest apologies in regard to this matter and we thank you for your cooperation and understanding. If you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact us.
Best Regards,
Nickola Anastassov Senior Support Team
I have to give kudos to Fastcomet‘s support team. They were prompt, professional and outright amazing.
I looked up their registrar
This is what broken the camels back for me.
I decided to do some digging on the registrar they told me they use. My confidence wasn’t renewed with what I found.
This is the moment I decided I will no longer stay with Fastcomet.
The little feedback on them I could find wasn’t appealing.
Their website lacked a professional touch and appeared a little cookie cutter in my opinion. It didn’t scream professionalism by any means.
They didn’t appear to put maximum effort into their web presence and therefore I couldn’t help but question the effort that goes into their business.
It was a sad moment as I loved my experience with them and their support team.
Why I Chose Cloudways Over Other Web Hosts
Cloudways vs Fastcomet – Speed Comparison
Google Pagespeed – Test 1
Fastcomet
Cloudways
Google Pagespeed – Test2
Fastcomet
Cloudways
Gtmetrix – Test1
Fastcomet
Cloudways
Gtmetrix – Test2
Fastcomet
Cloudways
Pingdom – Test1
Fastcomet
Cloudways
Pingdom – Test2
Fastcomet
Cloudways
Test Website
Fastcomet
Cloudways
Google Pagespeed LCP – Test 1
1.7s
2.3s
Google Pagespeed LCP – Test 2
2.1s
2.3s
Gtmetrix – Test 1
655ms
490ms
Gtmetrix – Test 2
482ms
483ms
Pingdom – Test 1
740ms
655ms
Pingdom – Test 2
640ms
537ms
Winner – Fastcomet? Not So Fast
One major issue I kept getting with Fastcomet that I’ve yet to encounter with Cloudways is a slow server response time.
I kept getting flagged with errors in my Google console for poor page experience and poor core web vitals.
Why? Because this inconsistency in server response time was affecting my LCP (largest contentful paint) time and this affected the user experience.
My search rankings would then take a dive and then take me 1-2 months to recover, ultimately decreasing my revenue.
The question you’re probably now wondering is: Would I trade server response time consistency for a slightly slower load time? YES! So long as the load time is still within Google’s parameters
Winner = Cloudways
Cloudways vs Fastcomet – Security
Fastcomet Security Features
Cloudways Security Features
What Are The Differences?
Bot and DoS Protection
While they both offer brute force protection, Cloudways also offers DoS protection and blocks malicious bots.
The first thing I noticed once switching to Cloudways is that I have yet to received any spam comments! Yay!
Thus, proving their Bot Protection is effective at also blocking spam comments with the use of bots.
Cloudways vs Fastcomet – Ease of Use
If you’re already using, or looking to use a Cloud VPS to host your website, chances are this isn’t your first rodeo.
It’s almost guaranteed you’re familiar with Cpanel. And Cpanel is the major difference between the two.
I find Cpanel quite outdated and in serious need of TLC.
I’d been using Cpanel for over 10 years prior to switching to Cloudways so it was a bit of a learning curve to familiarize myself with Cloudways backend.
Which backend do I prefer?
My long-term bias wants to say Cpanel, but after fiddling around with Cloudways backend more and more I find it much more modern and user friendly.
You’ve seen the Application backend on Cloudways up above so here’s what their server backend looks like:
Our negative experiences create the patterns we follow. The brain maps out the pattern according to your response to the experience. For example, if you were told to go to bed as punishment in your childhood, you’re likely to associate bed with fear and sadness.
Identifying Negative Emotions
Bottling up your emotions can lead to allergies, nausea, constipation, headaches, sleep disorders, and disease. The way your body reacts to emotions will help you identify them. Once you’ve pinpointed the negative emotion, you can try to control it.
Signs of Harboring Negative Emotions
Check whether you’re constantly giving in to negative emotions such as pessimism, vengefulness, or addictive behavior. If you are, forgiveness is the first step towards happiness.
Are You Expecting Too Much?
Learn to be realistic about your capabilities and those of others. You create your own world and you can only blame yourself if things don’t go according to plan. Avoid taking people for granted. If you lead a self-centered, meaningless life full of self indulgence, you can’t expect a positive outcome.
Dealing with Heartache
There are many ways to heal a broken heart. Learn to let go when it’s time. If you want to find love, don’t allow an inferiority complex to hold you back. Rejection doesn’t mean you’re unworthy. It’s just a matter of finding the right partner and not making them the center of your life. Preserve your independence and individuality.
Ways to Overcome Heartbreak and Move On
Write your feelings down in a journal. This will give you a good idea of what to look for in the future and what to avoid.
Ask yourself whether you’re always attracted to those who cannot contribute to your happiness.
Sweep away all memories of your failed relationship and imagine you’re sweeping away negative emotions from your heart.
Devote time to your hobbies and the activities you used to enjoy.
Exercise to keep yourself happy, fit and healthy, but don’t overdo it or it could lead to exhaustion.
Shift the focus from your misery to the lives of your friends. How are they faring? Talking to them about your feelings will lighten the load.
Forgive your ex. Be grateful for the joy you shared and the lessons you learned because of your relationship. Forgiveness is a prerequisite for future happiness.
Cultivate your spiritual self. Once you discover the joy within, you won’t be desperate to find it in the transient external world.
Give a needy dog or cat a loving home and you’ll get unconditional love in return. Pets are the best stress busters and mood lifters.
Natural Remedies to Help Let Go Of Negative Emotions
Exercise
Research has shown that exercise is a more effective cure for depression than pills. Exercise 3-4 times a week for half an hour. Walk briskly, do yoga, go the gym, swim, dance, run, cycle. Exercise releases natural endorphins which give you a feeling of well-being.
Pranayama (Deep Breathing)
According to Leonard Laskow M.D., you can balance your emotions by practicing pranayama, a yogic deep breathing technique. It’ll also help you banish the feeling of isolation, thus preventing illness. In fact, pranayama has long been known to alleviate depression, negative emotions, and anxiety disorders. Basic pranayama is easy to master.
Tai Chi Or Yoga
Find a good Tai Chi or Yoga teacher. This gentle and slow exercise reduces stress, improves health, balances the emotions, and keeps you youthful.
There are also many amazing apps you can download to your phone that guide you through a routine.
Reiki for Emotional Healing
The healing symbols of reiki were discovered in the Buddhist sutras by the Japanese Professor Mikao Usui. They are believed to have been used by The Buddha. Reiki will balance your emotions, help you sleep better and heal physical ailments. Look for a reiki healer or learn the method yourself.
The Importance of Gratitude
It helps to remember your blessings when you’re feeling down. Once you begin to appreciate and feel grateful for simple pleasures, you can create a bright future for yourself.
Journaling
Writing is cathartic. Unburdening yourself on paper strengthens the immune system, and gives you an idea of your destructive patterns and the physical symptoms that accompany or precede negative emotions such as anger and depression.
Emotional Freedom Technique
Investigate the EFT Technique which is a blend of acupressure and affirmations. It’s a tried and tested method which can bring relief quickly. A wide range of negative emotions can be cured through this technique and the effects are usually permanent.
While some issues may be better left to the professionals, there are many financial issues amenable to self-therapy. After all, many overweight people are able to lose weight without a psychologist, dietitian, and personal trainer.
By addressing the beliefs, thoughts, and habits related to your financial life, it’s possible to bring about real change.
If you’re not following through on the actions that you know would increase your financial stability, your beliefs are likely to blame.
Beliefs that inhibit financial results can come from many sources:
Parents
Teachers
News
Erroneous personal observation
Childhood trauma related to family finances
Books
Personal experience throughout life
The source of the ineffective belief doesn’t matter. But recognizing and addressing harmful money beliefs is very important to your financial progress. Beliefs create and limit your reality.
It might only be a few faulty habits that are holding you back from the financial security that you desire.
How exciting is that?
“Realizing that our actions, feelings and behavior are the result of our own images and beliefs gives us the level that psychology has always needed for changing personality.”
Maxwell Maltz
How Your Beliefs About Money Create and Limit Your Financial Reality
Your beliefs are the seeds that create your reality.
Your beliefs affect your thoughts, which affect your actions, which ultimately create your life circumstances. Changing your beliefs can be the most powerful way to alter your life. Altering your beliefs changes the entire cycle.
There are several ways that beliefs ultimately alter your financial behavior:
Beliefs influence your self-confidence
The set of beliefs you have about yourself and your capabilities determines your level of self-confidence. In turn, your confidence affects your ability to learn and apply new financial habits. Confidence also impacts your ability to pursue financial goals. If you’re not confident in your ability to get results, you won’t persevere.
Beliefs alter how you process information
Scientists have found that people use new information to support beliefs they already possess, rather than to form new beliefs. If you believe that you can’t save money, you’ll look for evidence to support that belief. Information that is contrary to your beliefs is quickly discarded and ignored. This makes change especially challenging.
Beliefs create limits
It’s almost impossible to rise above your beliefs. If you believe that you’ll never be wealthy, you’re right. If you believe you can’t stick to a budget, you’re right again. This is why it’s so important to change your beliefs to viewpoints that support, rather than limit, you.
Beliefs affect results
If you don’t think you can have a pleasant retirement, you’re unlikely to save or learn about the various types of retirement accounts. If you believe that money changes people for the worse, you won’t take the steps to accumulate a significant amount.
Beliefs are the core of financial challenges.
Enhanced beliefs lead to enhanced thoughts, actions, and results. Attacking your negative behaviors is a less effective route to success. Instead, focus on your beliefs and you’re more likely to enjoy positive benefits from your efforts.
What are your beliefs about money?
Make a comprehensive list of your beliefs regarding money, both positive and negative.
Here are few examples of beliefs you may hold:
I’ll have to work really hard to make a lot of money.
Making a lot of money will cut into my free time.
I already have enough money.
I don’t need a budget.
Money equals freedom.
If I make too much money, my ex-spouse will take most of it.
I wouldn’t know what to do with a lot of money.
Money makes the world go round.
Good people don’t care about having a lot of money.
More money would solve all of my problems.
Take the time to make a complete list. You’ll need it later.
There are many ways to change the course of your financial life. Addressing your beliefs is the most effective way to create the financial future you desire. With more supportive beliefs, it will be much easier to create the habits necessary to earn, save, and accumulate wealth.
“The unreal is more powerful than the real, because nothing is as perfect as you can imagine it, because it’s only intangible ideas, concepts, beliefs, fantasies that last. Stone crumbles, wood rots. People, well, they die. But things as fragile as a thought, a dream, a legend, they can go on and on.”
Chuck Palahniuk
What it Takes to Achieve a State of Financial Health
Financial health isn’t just how much money you make. There are multiple components to financial prosperity and stability. There are people earning over a million dollars each year with desperate financial challenges.
The belief that income is all that matters is a limiting belief.
Do you have all of these financial components under control?
Budget
Whether you’re earning minimum wage or running the most successful hedge fund the world has ever seen, a budget is important. Know how much you’re spending and where the money is being spent. There’s no way around it. The information is valuable to you and provides boundaries that ensure your financial success.
An income that surpasses your bills
If your bills outpace your income, you’re going to have financial woes. The most likely long-term outcome is bankruptcy. Everyone would be wise to increase their income and lower their bills.
An emergency fund
Life is neither perfect nor predictable. Sooner or later, an unexpected expense will occur. Many families are only a few weeks away from being homeless if sudden unemployment or a major expense occurs.
A minimal amount of debt
No matter how much money you have or make, it’s very easy to create more debt than you can handle. Avoid debt whenever possible. Especially avoid debt to purchase items that are consumable or lose value.
Controlled spending
It’s also easy to spend more than you make. Are you an impulsive shopper? Do you like to purchase items that are out of your income bracket?
Saving regularly
Are you saving a percentage of each and every paycheck? With regular saving, anyone can retire in style.
Investing your savings appropriately
Saving is great, but leaving your money in a savings account is less than ideal. Do your investing activities address your needs? Are you saving for retirement?
The necessary insurance to prevent financial catastrophe
A serious illness, fire, or death can derail the best-laid plans.
Look back at your list of beliefs and note which of the above items are influenced by your beliefs. You’ll probably have several additional beliefs to add to your list now.
Remember, earning a lot of money is a great advantage, but it’s not sufficient on its own to ensure financial security.
“If people are failing, they look inept. If people are succeeding, they look strong and good and competent. That’s the ‘halo effect.’ Your first impression of a thing sets up your subsequent beliefs. If the company looks inept to you, you may assume everything else they do is inept.”
Daniel Kahneman
Negative Money Beliefs
Consider your list of your money beliefs. It’s necessary to recognize which beliefs are negative and which are positive. Positive beliefs are those that allow you to positively affect the 8 components necessary for financial health. Negative beliefs get in the way of addressing the 8 components.
Examples of beliefs that keep you poor:
Rich people are greedy
Some rich people are indeed greedy. But some poor people are greedy, too. Many rich people became rich through kindness and helping others. Whether or not you’re greedy is up to you.
I don’t deserve to be wealthy
Everyone that creates value deserves to be wealthy. If you have a minimum wage job or spend the day sitting on the couch, you can change your financial circumstances by creating value and charging the world for it.
I’ll have to do a lot of things I don’t like to become wealthy
While doing things that others don’t like to do can be a faster way to wealth, there are numerous ways to accumulate wealth. At least one of them would be enjoyable for you.
My friends won’t like me if I’m rich
It’s common to find new friends as your life situation evolves. Some of your friends might not like the fact that you’re rich. But your true friends will be happy for you. Every change in life has the potential to influence everything else. Many CEOs and other wealthy folks still have the same friends from elementary school. You can choose to do the same.
Money is the root of all evil
The actual quote is “The love of money is the root of all evil.” Money doesn’t create negative situations. Money is just a piece of paper or a number attached to a bank account. Money provides opportunity. It’s your choice whether the actions you take are positive or negative.
I can’t be spiritual and have a lot of money
Many religions espouse the belief that being poor is somehow looked upon more kindly by the great powers that be. But if you were looking to convert a population that was 99.9% dirt-poor, you’d probably say the same thing. Having money gives you more opportunities to be good to yourself and others. It can also free up your time to engage in more spiritual activities.
I’m disrespecting my parents if I make more money than they do
Most parents would be thrilled to see their child doing so well.
It’s hard to make a lot of money
It can be hard to make any amount of money. Most people with moderate incomes complain about work. If you’re going to work anyway, why not make a lot of money while you’re at it? With the appropriate habits in place, it’s not too difficult to enhance your career, save more, spend less, and invest more wisely.
If I had a lot of money, I’d probably just lose it anyway
Keeping money is as much of a skill as earning and saving it. There are plenty of resources that can help you learn how to handle money wisely. The belief that you’ll end up where you started will prevent you from taking any meaningful action.
I shouldn’t have more money than I need
Everything in life is easier with a buffer. Imagine having more time and love than you need. Having more money than you “need” is comforting and opens up many possibilities that simply don’t exist without a surplus of funds.
It’s much easier to make a career change or go back to school.
You can afford to send your child to Harvard instead of the local community college.
You’re better prepared for any financial catastrophe.
The belief that you shouldn’t have more money than you need to survive will lead to surviving instead of thriving.
Do you have any of these common beliefs about money or yourself?
If you hold beliefs that inhibit your ability to address the components of a healthy financial situation, your challenge will be greater than necessary. You’ll sabotage yourself by neglecting the habits necessary to achieve financial happiness.
“Beliefs have the power to create and the power to destroy. Human beings have the awesome ability to take any experience of their lives and create a meaning that disempowers them or one that can literally save their lives.”
Tony Robbins
Positive Money Beliefs
There are also beliefs that will speed you along the path to financial independence. These positive habits make it easier to have a positive financial future.
These beliefs can make you rich:
Money results from providing value to the world
It doesn’t matter how smart or educated you are. It doesn’t matter what you look like. The universe isn’t out to get you. If you provide value and charge people for it, you will receive a corresponding level of money. Brain surgeons make more money than your average store clerk because the surgeon is providing more value. A CEO of a large corporation earns more than a brain surgeon for the same reason.
Money provides freedom and choice
Money is great for solving problems and providing you with options. Maybe money can’t buy you love, but enough of it can fix a bad transmission, buy a ticket to Fiji, or allow you to play golf all day instead of working.
I can help others with my money
After your own needs have been tended to, you have the ability to help others with their challenges or assist them in attaining their goals.
My financial freedom will happen when I have effective beliefs, thoughts, and habits
It’s not necessary to do anything spectacular. Simple actions, taken on a regular basis, will result in great wealth. But it all starts with your beliefs.
Saving money is easy and enjoyable
How would your savings activities change if you believed this?
A budget is easy to create and follow
If you can’t seem to create or stick with a budget, this belief will help.
I only buy things I need
How would your bank account look if you lived this belief?
There are numerous others, but you get the idea.
Do you have more positive or negative beliefs about money?
Can you see how your beliefs about money are affecting your financial situation?
If you want to enhance your finances, eliminating negative beliefs and replacing them with positive beliefs is an effective plan of attack.
“The path of least resistance and least trouble is a mental rut already made. It requires troublesome work to undertake the alternation of old beliefs.”
John Dewey
How to Change Your Limiting Beliefs About Money
There are many ways to address harmful beliefs and replace them with positive. Many times, all that’s required is a little attention and an open mind.
Many of our beliefs are created during childhood and are never questioned. At one time, you believed in the Easter Bunny. So, it’s likely that you have several beliefs about money that are impractical, too.
The experts can’t agree whether beliefs can be changed in an instant or whether it takes a significant amount of time. By like the old Chinese proverb states, “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is today.”
Neuro-Linguistic Programming
John Grindler and Richard Bandler developed Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) in the 1970s. You’re probably familiar with Tony Robbins, who made the technology popular.
Though there are many facets to NLP, we’re most interested in the use of language and perception to change beliefs. For instance, if you imagine something that frightens you, the way you imagine it has an impact. There are an infinite number of ways to think about a spider, for example.
If the image of a spider in our mind is very large and colorful, it will have a different impact on your emotions than an image that’s small and lacking color.
The characteristics of a mental image are called submodalities. These include the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic details of a mental image.
Follow this process to change a belief with NLP:
Identify a belief you’d like to change. Let’s pretend you believe that you can’t save enough money each month to ever make a difference.
Consider an old belief that you no longer consider to be true. Perhaps you once believed in Santa Claus or that your high school girlfriend was the only woman you’d ever love. Notice the submodalities of this once-held belief.
Are you in the image or viewing it like you’re watching a movie?
Is it in color or black and white?
Is there a border around the image?
Is the image centered?
What do you hear?
Can you feel anything? Hot? Cold? Sick to your stomach?
Think of something you know to be true. It could be the belief that Christmas is on December 25th or that a dropped bowling ball will fall. Take note of the submodalities for this belief.
Think of a belief that you’d like to add. For our example, it might be the belief that every penny saved is adding to your fortune. Find the most advantageous counter-belief to the belief in step #1. Notice the submodalities.
Eliminate the belief in step #1. Take the submodalities you found in step #2 and apply them to the image in step #1. You’re applying the mental characteristics of a belief you no longer hold to the belief you’d like to eliminate.
Now alter the submodalities of the belief you’d like to add to match those of the belief in step #4. Make your desired belief have the same mental characteristics of the belief you know to be 100% absolutely true.
Test. How do you feel about the original belief and the new belief? Can you feel a change? The ultimate test is to observe your behavior. If you behavior changes, you know you’re on the right track.
Many people find this process highly effective. It’s possible to change a belief quickly with NLP. If NLP doesn’t seem to work for you, though, there are other options.
“The only thing that permits human beings to collaborate with one another in a truly open-ended way is their willingness to have their beliefs modified by new facts. Only openness to evidence and argument will secure a common world for us.”
Sam Harris
Change a Belief With Logic
Humans are thinkers, and we can use logic to our advantage. Beliefs are funny things. Though we can be influenced to believe anything, we’re ultimately the creators of our beliefs. You can’t see or touch a belief in the real world. No one can give you a belief you don’t accept.
Use the power of logic to shake the foundation of your harmful beliefs:
Choose a belief you’d like to change. For this example, we’ll look at the belief, “Money is the root of all evil.”
Where did this belief come from? Did it come from your parents? A minister? A teacher? Neighbor? Did you read that money is the root of all evil? Knowing the origin can help to change the belief.
Is this source an expert? In reality, only a person that’s had a lot of money would have the experience to make such a statement. Your parents might have had authority over you, but did they really have authority and expertise when it came to being wealthy?
What is another possible explanation? It’s possible that money is the root of all evil, but what other explanation could there be? Maybe your current belief is just one possible explanation.
Maybe you just heard that money is the root of all evil so many times you’ve believed it without questioning it.
Maybe money gives evil people the chance to be evil. But does that mean that all people are evil?
Have you ever actually seen money causing evil? Money is just an object. Have you ever seen another object create evil?
Is it possible that the reasons for this belief only exist in your mind and not in the real world?
Realize we form many beliefs in childhood that fail to hold up to examination. It’s understandable why a child forms certain beliefs under the conditions of childhood. Those in similar situations would likely draw the same conclusions.
Can you see that any of the other interpretations could also be “the truth?” So what is the truth? It’s whatever you choose it to be. You are the creator, and your belief is merely your creation. You interpret ideas and experiences and assign value to these things. Find an interpretation that makes sense but also works for, rather than against, you.
Faulty beliefs can be easy to change because they have the disadvantage of being incorrect. Most of the beliefs that stand in your way can’t stand up to scrutiny. Examine your beliefs around money and put them to the test.
“When it comes to controlling human beings, there is no better instrument than lies. Because you see, humans live by beliefs. And beliefs can be manipulated. The power to manipulate beliefs is the only thing that counts.”
Michael Ende
Cost – Benefit Analysis
You’ve undoubtedly made lists in the past listing the pluses and minuses of your available options. Why don’t do the same with your beliefs? If you realize what a particular belief is costing you, you’ll have greater motivation to address it. It’s also important to realize what you gain from beliefs that seem to be holding you back.
Follow these steps to analyze the cost and benefit of your challenging money beliefs:
1. Choose a belief you wish to change
Consider the belief, “I’ll never make $100,000 per year.”
2. What is this belief costing me?
A few examples might include:
If I don’t believe I can make $100,000, it’s unlikely I ever will.
I’ll be stuck in my current income bracket for the rest of my life.
I don’t have hope for the future.
I’ll never be able to buy the house I’ve always wanted.
I’ll have to work until I’m much older than I’d like.
3. How is this belief unreasonable?
Few things in life are 100% true all of the time. How is this belief ridiculous?
I can’t predict the future, so how could I possibly know how much I’ll make someday?
If I have the skills and work hard, than my current limits are irrelevant.
Other people with fewer skills, less intelligence, and less education have made over $100,000 per year. In fact, some of the wealthiest people in the world dropped out of high school.
There’s nothing magical about $100,000. It’s just a round number that looks good to my brain.
4. What do I gain by holding this belief?
In most cases, you’ll find that seemingly harmful beliefs have an advantage. That advantage is often avoiding fear or getting to be lazy. If you don’t think you can make more money, you don’t have to try. Harmful beliefs are often excuses to avoid taking action.
5. What would I gain by adopting a more helpful belief?
How would you benefit if you believed you could make $100,000 in the future?
I would greatly increase the likelihood of reaching this income level.
I would have hope and enthusiasm for the future.
I would work harder, and my job would be more secure from my increased effort and contribution.
6. Create an affirmation
State your new belief in a positive, present way. “I earn $100,000 per year.”
Repeat the affirmation 20 times each morning and evening while in bed.
Avoid discounting the effectiveness of affirmations. Try a simple experiment and apply affirmations to a simple task you routinely avoid, perhaps getting up the first time your alarm goes off. When you hear the alarm, turn it off and repeat, “Getting up, getting up, getting up” over and over again. You’ll find it much easier to put your feet on the floor!
One of these three methods will work better than the others for you. The key is to try all three.
Changing your beliefs takes effort. Merely understanding the processes won’t accomplish anything. It’s necessary to apply them consistently.
The world does not speak. Only we do. The world can, once we have programmed ourselves with a language, cause us to hold beliefs. But it cannot propose a language for us to speak. Only other human beings can do that.
Richard Rorty
A Simple Plan of Action
Determine the part of your financial life that’s causing the most grief. Suppose that you have no retirement savings.
Make a list of the beliefs that are having the greatest negative impact. Which belief is hurting you the most?
I’ll have plenty of time later.
I’m too young to worry about it.
I have to buy a house first.
I won’t live long enough to enjoy it.
I can’t afford to save money now for something I won’t need for 40 years.
It’s too complicated for me.
I’ll inherit all the money I could ever need.
The amount I’m able to save won’t make a difference.
Address them one at a time. Pick the belief that you think is creating the biggest obstacle and apply one of the techniques to eliminate the belief and create a new, more supportive belief.
Keep going until your behavior matches your wishes. It’s possible to feel better but not take action. Keep going until you’re taking real action. You might have to try all three techniques to have an impact.
Continue addressing all of your beliefs that don’t support your financial future. This will take time, but it’s time well spent.
A few simple steps taken each day will have a very positive impact in the future. Start by taking the first step.
“We learn our belief systems as very little children, and then we move through life creating experiences to match our beliefs. Look back in your own life and notice how often you have gone through the same experience.”
Louise L. Hay
Conclusion
Are your beliefs about money supporting you or acting like a boat anchor? We often know what to do, but struggle to follow through and take the appropriate action. Faulty beliefs inhibit your ability to address your finances successfully.
These beliefs alter your perception, behavior, and ultimately, your financial future.
It’s important to determine these beliefs and evaluate them. Consider how these beliefs negatively impact your financial future. What would you gain by eliminating these beliefs and instilling more helpful beliefs?
Changing your money beliefs can be accomplished by a variety of methods. Finding the optimal method is a matter of trial and error. It’s important to get started immediately. Financial challenges rarely happen overnight. The cure will take time, too.
